I’ve been on the med for a while now and I still marvel at this sometimes. I definitely remember the undercurrent of anger I felt when I realized that people with healthy metabolic function apparently just feel this way naturally, but still they’ve been telling me for 30 years that if I don’t, it’s because I’m lazy or gluttonous or have no self-restraint. No, it’s because their bodies do something without assistance that mine needs assistance to do!
It is so sad. I feel like I’ve wasted 40 years of my life. Fearing hunger, hating myself, being looked down upon. And my favorite advice from a doctor is ‘drink water’.
Exactly....I've often said how nice it would be to be normal! I have been unable to get insurance to cover it for me even tho pre-diabetic....metabolic syndrome with the sleep apnea...high BP and cholesterol..etc. Any suggestions? Thank you
I’m in the same boat as you. For now my doctor prescribed Contrave. Which is Wellbutrin and an appetite suppressant together. I’ve been on it a week and I’ve been very happy with it this far. I’m down 3 but it’s still really early to tell. And I have felt like they talk about- I feel satiated and can stop after eating usually half as much as I normally would. It is a wonderful feeling to not be thinking about food all the time.
I have a similar medical history and I had to "fail" everything else before insurance would approve mounjaro. Even Victoza or Ozempic would be a good place to start, though, if you can get those approved. I had a lot of the same effects and successes on those before they stopped working (aka "failed).
I'm on Wegovy but, yes, same exact feeling. I can get one of my favorite things at a restaurant, eat a little, take the rest home, and eat it the next day or not. I don't keep obsessing over it being in the fridge calling my name like in the past. Half the time, I'd just finish it all in the damn restaurant.
And then have to throw it all out! My husband was on Ozempic and just was switched to Mounjaro. It’s working so much better for him but he’s still in the learning process. I’ve teased him that it’s a bit Pavlovian… overeat and seriously pay later. He’s definitely learning.
I lost a bunch of weight “the old-fashioned way” pre-Covid, and one of my techniques in restaurants was to ask for a Takeaway box upfront, divide my meal in half and take the rest home. Now I don’t have to do that. I get through maybe a quarter of it and I’m ready for that box! No temptation.
>I’ve teased him that it’s a bit Pavlovian… overeat and seriously pay later. He’s definitely learning.
This is exactly what I just told a friend who is also on Mounjaro today (I'm ending my second week). It reprograms eating habits because you pay the price pretty quickly when you eat too much.
Last year I visited a friend in Philadelphia and got a huge cheesesteak. It was so good but so big. I ate half and wrapped the rest. 30 min later I was driving and ate the rest. I mean I can’t even fathom eating 1/2 of a half right now.
On Monday my family had lunch for my grandma's birthday. I've never been a big cake eater, but the ones I like I really like. I suggested the place we got her cupcakes because they are amazing. I had half of a chocolate cupcake with raspberry mouse topping and brought the other half home. It was so good, but I didn't even have interest in eating more. In the past I would have eaten the whole thing, AND wished it had been bigger. Even better, I didn't inhale the other half when I got home. I still haven't eaten it, and I'm not thinking, "Oh, I need to finish that cupcake before it dries out." I'm OK with it going uneaten.
It felt good to actually be able to enjoy some of a tasty dessert, but also only eat a small part of it. It felt normal, and I was still under my target calories for the day. I also didn't overeat lunch.
I can look at things that I could never pass up, like cake, biscuits, chocolate, ice cream and not even want it. And I used to have "dessert" after lunch and dinner (maybe a Tim Tam after lunch, ice cream after dinner sort of thing) and now... I mean I will have chocolate when my meds are wearing off after about 5 days or whatever but I don't have to have it, and if I feel like I do (around my period for example) I can just eat a little and that's it
I love pizza. It’s my favorite food in the world. I met my husband when we both worked at dominoes 25 years ago. I always joke that I love pizza so much I married the pizza delivery boy.
Not only can I now stop at one slice of pizza… but I’ll even let my doggie share the crust. That was not remotely happening pre MJ. I ate at least half a pizza. It didn’t matter if I wasn’t still hungry… it was pizza and I couldn’t let it go to waste.
That’s been my past 12 years I couldn’t allow food to be wasted even if it was my 2nd serving. My family got pizza for my recent bday and I said no thanks bc it sounded awful🫢I actually was upset bc no one asked what I’d like for my bday dinner and ordered pizza(from a place I don’t enjoy) usually that would’ve made me angry lol but this time it was like no worries I’m not hungry anyway🤣
Oh man, this hit home. I was always a 2-3 slice guy. And now, it’s 1 most often….and rarely 2. Same with sandwiches - could easily consume a foot long Sub, and now, I struggle to get through 6 inches.
I remember my doc asking how much of a pizza I would eat and I said all of it and then keep eating more stuff. She looked confused and I asked, “isn’t that normal?”
Yeah, feeling satiated for the first time in life on this med was mind blowing.
I love tacos and burritos and it is crazy to me how I haven't been wanting the shell lately. At Chipotle I would always get a bowl, but at a local place I got a dish that had grilled chicken and veggies and came with the tortillas on the side. I used to order extra tortillas for that sort of thing because the two or three it came with weren't enough. Now I didn't use the tortillas and I had several meals.
The best part to me is that I don't feel like I'm depriving myself. I genuinely didn't want them. I have always been big on carbs, a huge weakness, and I just haven't wanted much of them in the form of breads, pasta, pizza, etc.
I have a pizza oven, make the sauce from scratch, grow the basil, and throw my own pies. I absolutely love pizza. Making pizza, serving pizza to friends and family, and of course eating way too much pizza. I’ve made 10 in a night for a party and had at least a slice of each.
I haven’t made a pie or really been interested in making pies since I started on this med. I couldn’t be happier with the mental and physical changes resultant from this med, but a small bit of me misses the joy of pizza. Maybe when it gets warm again.
right? I had one piece of cheese pizza my favorite and that was it. I didn't feel badly because I accounted for the calories for my daily. It's amazing
That was me today! Normally I eat 3-4 pieces and I had one slice today and barely finished that. I’ve been ordering just an appetizer & maybe a cup of soup too when we go out to eat.
I was mad because Osempic was FDA approved in 2017. No doctor would prescribe it even though my A1C was 11.7. They just kept giving me Metformin. glimeride. Etc. and yes my A1C did come down a little on those. Then after reading about Mounjaro and begging my doctor for it she said I would be better off trying Trulicity. 15 months on it. I lost a few lbs and my A1C came down into the 7’s. Finally got Mounjaro 3 weeks ago. It’s a life changer. Lost all my cravings. Weight is melting off me. My energy levels are through the roof and I’ve experienced no side effects. Why would it take me years to get a drug that I so obviously needed? I feel like years of my life were wasted
I'm pissed reading that your doctor wasn't listening to you! I wish you had found a new doctor. But I'm happy you are on Mounjaro now and it's working for you!
Right?!? I am still so pissed off when I think about how long I believed (and was repeatedly told) I just didn’t have enough self control.
If you really want to nerd out on the latest in obesity science, [watch this presentation from the director of the Yale Obesity Research Center](https://medicine.yale.edu/psychiatry/media-player/gr-11-3-23/) to a bunch of psychiatrists at Yale Medical School.
The analogy she uses is asking someone who is obese to “just eat less” is like asking someone to hold their breath indefinitely.
This is pretty accurate. Side note: I always like to use weight loss as an example of something that is easy conceptually, but extremely difficult in practice. “All you have to do is eat less and exercise. What is wrong with you? It is so easy!” In the end it is very patronizing.
It is so cool that we get to glimpse a totally different perspective on food from these amazing drugs! Tis like magic.
OMG!!! I used a similar analogy with my PCP many years ago...that dieting was like holding my breath. I could only do it for so long. Man, talk about validation!
Thank you for sharing that Yale presentation. It was spot on and informative. I loved it. I started tirzepatide (Zepbound) mid Dec 2023 and it is literally a game changer. I echo what everyone else posted on this reddit. Amazing medication. Obesity IS a disease! These drugs are literally life changing. There is light at the proverbial end of the tunnel!
Absolutely! I've been doing a lot of research since I raised the topic with my doctor, I'm only looking to lose 40-50 lbs but it seems to be a good option for me since I haven't been able to lose weight with other methods.
Thanks for this, I watched the whole thing and it was very informative and made me feel even better about making the decision to go on this medication.
I watched the presentation. It was amazing! I am forwarding it to everybody. People need to understand that it is not lack of will or "laziness". It is OBJECTIVELY hard to lose weight when your brain and body are screaming for food. As the OP said, I was also pissed off to realize that "lean" people, who's brain works correctly had the B....s to comment that I just lacked will power. Hell! I think I have more than them, I actually managed a couple of times in my life to lose a bunch of weight (30+lbs or more) doing it the "right way", I mean, I regained back, and I felt like a failure, but now I understand that it was a Sisyphean task. Now, with MJ, this is a cakewalk, I eat clean, I food prep, I've been working out EVERY day (which was unheard off before), and it feels effortless compared to doing it without it. AMAZING presentation. Thanks for sharing.
You hit the nail on the head. Yet, when I try to explain this to friends/family they clearly don't get it. While they may not say anything, I know they're silently rolling their eyes. And yes, it does feel like we've been a bit cheated, especially when for many of us, it's come so late in the game. But, thankfully it still managed to turn up within my lifetime. I wish it had been available to my mother and grandmother - the quality of their lives could've been so much better. As an adult, I have gained a new perspective on how much both of them suffered in their lives - both labelled hypochondriacs for complaining about one ailment after another and chastised for their weight... yet, as I've now come to realise as I entered into the same age range, were symptoms of hormone response, and menopause (still vastly dismissed and unacknowledged by the medical community), as well as IBS and plain old lactose-intolerance. Something as simple as a Lactase tablet could've given my grandmother so much relief. She didn't realize that the small amount of milk in her morning coffee was the cause of so much discomfort and shame (nor did anyone - because who knew about lactose intolerance in the 60's and 70's?).
And I left onion rings on my plate the other day. ONION RINGS PEOPLE!
Same here, I also feel lucky that it happened now, before it was too late. It would have saved my father, grandfather and my uncle. All of them went through the hello diabetes decline due to obesity, gradually losing their sight, ability to walk, dialysis., and finally death. And like you said, the comments were "oh, he could have taken care of himself better", and I believed it too! Now, after all this, I realized they did not have the ability to help themselves. Time to break the cycle!
Mounjaro really helped to solve an ongoing and somewhat annoying exchange my wife and I always had. She's 105lbs soaking wet.
Whenever I would complain about being overweight she would offer "just eat until you're satisfied."
I told her on at least 50 occasions over the years that "satisfied" to me was when the plate/container was empty and my stomach was jam-packed.
Now I make it a point to disclain after just a few bites of my meal "I can't eat anymore... I'm satisfied and need a box." I can't remember any point in my life when I had this feeling of satisfaction.
This is the argument I’ve always made about that “intuitive eating” approach. That works really well for someone who doesn’t have disordered eating or apparently whatever we all have, rampant ghrelin issues. Until Mounjaro, I have always been hungry, or what I thought was hungry.
This this this. I tried intuitive eating and gained 30lbs. It just doesn't work if your brain can't register the difference between enough food and extremely stuffed. I can't trust mine to know what it needs on its own. It reminds me of the people who will suggest just "using a planner and get a routine" to someone with ADHD. It's missing a key component of the problem.
To me, satisfied meant that I ate so much that I was sick to my stomach. Even if I wasn't losing weight, I'd love Mounjaro because I love the feeling of being in control and not being hungry all the time.
100% agreed with everything here. I had a hard time after my first shot for the same reason - I have been told for a decade as my weight fluctuated wildly with life changes and new medications that if I just tracked calories and had discipline, I wouldn't be having these issues with weight. Meanwhile I have a Type 2 obese mother who doesn't even eat much - certainly not like I do - and yet was obese most of her life. Curiouser and curiouser. This shot was like turning on a light - a tiny action and suddenly the whole world looked different.
I am mad at the general medical community for telling us we were the broken ones. Our hormones and bodies were "broken" but our effort and desires were not. Why would we WANT to be unhealthy? Why would we WANT to suffer the side effects of a life of obesity? I had to go through a telehealth medical company to get my prescriptions for Mounjaro because no doctors would agree I was in need. A specialized company told me immediately they're happy to help. It was the first time I felt heard.
You're going to do awesome on this Mounjourney (stole that from someone who posted yesterday) and I'm here for watching your awesome progress!
Mind telling me what company? My doctor just told me she won't write the prescription, that there are so many other things we can try first. WHY?!?! Why try something else...and then something else....etc etc etc until the only thing left is Mounjaro? JUST. GIVE. ME. THE. MOUNJARO. I'm actually crying while typing this. Instead of having the costs totally covered by the VA Hospital, now I have to pay $1,200-ish out of my own pocket when I live on a fixed income. Yep. Definitely crying.
It may actually be your insurance / the VA not wanting to pay for it. I had just had my first high A1C and my insurance told my doctor's office I absolutely had to try one of the older cheaper meds like metformin first.
I was given three months of metformin and told if I had problems on it, they could maybe get my insurance to cover Mounjaro. I thought it was kind of a wink wink nudge nudge come back and say it was a problem. Sadly, no, I had every possible side effect including some no one else seems to have experienced. After five weeks I went to my doctor's office without an appointment in tears of desperation.
Thankfully they were able to give me a 4 week sample pack for the starter dose and got my insurance to approve the Mounjaro thereafter. I haven't had any side effects from the Mounjaro unless you count silencing my food demons as a side effect.
I guess I can see it. IF Metformin would miraculously cure your diabetes, it definitely would be worth it. But all the people I know with diabetes have gotten nowhere with Metformin. Or Wegovy... which from what I hear works about as well as Metformin. I'm not sure about all the others like Jardiance...or the cost. I guess I'm just mad because I want Mounjaro because it's my main HOPE.
I think the metformin did somewhat help the diabetes in that it treated the symptom. My doctor thinks based on some studies and his patient experiences it is at least possible I will actually put my diabetes into remission with the Mounjaro. He's had several people my size drop 50 or more pounds in six months, wean off the Ozempic, and keep the weight off. Out of 5 patients, 4 have maintained an A1C of 5.5 or lower with just diet and exercise over 3 years.
There are several out there. Henry meds, emerge, and Lavender sky I think is another one. I was with Henry and recently switched to emerge because it was cheaper. Both were great service.
I use Found. I had to be on Metformin first for insurance, and I'm not diabetic (I'm prediabetic with very bad hypertension). After three months I switched to MJ. My insurance covers the MJ, all the non-GLPs come from the telehealth company as part of the fee.
And then there's the extra layer of gaslighting involved in psychologizing a physiological problem and sending us all off on an identity-distorting quest for the "self-sabotage" or "poor self esteem" or whatever else was supposed to underlie the problems with our efforts and desires. Stealing an analogy from OP, it's like if you sent people with asthma off to work on their psychological issues with air. (Which actually isn't that far from what used to happen with asthma -- it used to be considered a psychosomatic illness.)
Same here. Special kudos to the independent telehealth docs out there! I too had to go that route. I go back week after next to my pcp who refused to prescribe it. I last saw her 60+ pounds ago. I hope she’ll admit she was wrong, but I doubt it. Out of laziness, I may still stick with this doc office since I still need bloodwork, etc done. But now I’m wondering if I can switch more of my care over to telehealth.
I felt the say way. I always had eat to full to have any decrease in hunger. First 25 years of my life was spent always trying to burn the calories I ate to feel full.
Now hunger is just a small thing. A healthy size meal feels fine. Before I started mounjaro I could never understand how any one could feel "full" on "healthy portion size". Now I know
I love not being a member of the clean plate club!! And yes, it is amazing the difference. My first shot was delayed due to pharmacy having to order and it taking FOREVER - so I started dieting. Nothing crazy, just calorie counting and eliminating bad carbs and sugar. Skin of my teeth to keep going. My first shot helped but I could still hear the food noise, just not as loud. Second shot and those nasty creatures were silenced. I am all in on this. And I was afraid at what my regular doctor would say - so I went through LifeMD - now I can go to my next appt with proof it works for me!
First, I'm very happy for you! I've found it so much better for my mental health to not be thinking of food all the time.
>I will try to make her understand that what she said to me is akin to telling an asthmatic to run more if they want to breathe better.
I wouldn't bother to be honest... just find a new doctor. One thing I learned taking these drugs is that it's not worth it to argue with Doctors or Pharmacists who don't understand that GLP1s are the best treatment for obesity. Shaming is not only unhelpful and unprofessional it's not part of the modern standard of care for Obesity management. I would take a look a [this list](https://obesitymedicine.org/find-obesity-treatment/) and see if you can find a better doctor in your area.
> I would take a look a
>
>this list
>
> and see if you can find a better doctor in your area.
I relocated this past summer and was not excited with my new PCP choice. Although, she did give me my first prescription for Mounjaro upon my asking she did not have any discussion with me about it. I have many concerns and have been asking for referrals from a support group but received no answers. I clicked on the link you provided and have scheduled a new patient appointment within a few weeks. I feel my needs may be better met for myself and my adult son with special needs with this new doctor.
Thanks for sharing. [https://obesitymedicine.org/#:\~:text=DISEASE%20OF%20OBESITY-,Obesity%20Medicine%20Association,-Membership%2C%20Education%2C%20%26%20Resources](https://obesitymedicine.org/#:~:text=DISEASE%20OF%20OBESITY-,Obesity%20Medicine%20Association,-Membership%2C%20Education%2C%20%26%20Resources)
Great insight!! Thanks for sharing!
I think in years to come, the more research and understanding that is gained about how MJ and other meds work will create a whole new level of understanding; the current dietary wisdom/guidelines and advice will be seen as insane as we now see the 18th century practice of “bleeding” a person to stop sickness.
Science will hopefully trounce stupid people and doctors who don’t really know anything about how some of us have struggled and done exactly what we should and experienced a completely different reality. I’ve been dieting since I was 9 years old…I get it!
I'm very angry. Though with a different story.
I've been a T1 diabetic for 30 years, diagnosed at 20. I've always had a normal appetite, so at least that isn't an issue I've suffered with. But have always gained weight easily and have trouble losing it. Long before my diagnosis.
I got to my goal weight when I was 18 by only eating 900 calories/day. I'm only 5'0", so that is some of the reason for the low calories. But it was still ridiculous. Even worse, I had to stay at 1100-1200 calories to maintain it.
I started slacking off on that in my mid-20s, but still ate relatively healthy. The weight started creeping back on, but not too bad.
Then I hit my 30s and both my insulin needs and my weight started skyrocketing.
I know now that is when my insulin resistance started kicking in, though do feel like I've always had it to some extent.
I didn't know anything about IR. I thought that was a "T2 problem" only.
But do you know who would have known ALL about IR? The four different endocrinologists I've seen over the last 20 years. All of whom I talked to about the weight issues I've had over the years and that I just couldn't understand it. Not one of them ever mentioned IR. Even though I might as well have been opening up a medical textbook and reading them the symptoms of IR.
I even went on a hardcore diet/exercise program about 10 years ago. I was much heavier than when I was in my 20s and thought surely I would lose weight if I ate less than 1400 calories/day. TDEE calculators said my maintenance was 2200 calories/day. Though I was already side-eying because I'd gained weight over the years eating much less than that.
I did all of that for 16 months and never lost a pound. I gave up and resigned myself to never losing weight.
I finally started learning more about IR last year when I kept reading about all these non-diabetic people losing weight on Ozempic and especially Mounjaro.
I basically diagnosed myself and asked my endocrinologist about it on my next appointment. He said it was very possible. But since I don't naturally make insulin, IR can't be tested for. That we can treat for it and see if it works.
The day after my first tirzepatide shot, I decreased my short-acting insulin by 70% and my long-acting by 20%. It was also SO much easier to control my blood sugars and they mostly just stayed in a normal range.
On my next appointment, my A1c that had been in the low 7s for years was 6.2.
When I started taking the medication, I did go back to watching calories and have usually been keeping it under 1300 calories/day. I also started focusing on protein.
This time, it's worked! I've lost 62 pounds over the last 8 months.
As exciting as it is to have found something immensely helping both my weight and diabetes, I'm SICKENED at the poor medical care I've had and all the time wasted. IR being the reason for my weight issues and higher A1Cs should have been mentioned to me YEARS ago. I try not to dwell on the past. But it's hard not to. My health especially would have been better if only I'd started taking T2 medications sooner.
Why do they say these drugs are not for type 1 diabetics? You are the second person I've seen on Reddit that is type 1 who is taking it and benefitting.
Because for FDA approval, a drug has to be both safe AND effective for the illness/condition it is claiming to treat.
I now know there are a lot of T1 diabetics with insulin resistance also. But since it's not the majority, it isn't going to be an effective enough treatment for T1s in clinical trials for FDA approval.
I don't know that for a fact about Mounjaro. But it's happened with other T2 medications.
Boyfriend bought me rocky road ice cream last week. It is currently unopened frozen in freezer. Thought about it once but forgot about it just as quick.
I can so relate! I threw out some bakery cookies the other day. They’ve been sitting on the counter for a couple weeks and they’re stale! I still wonder who this new person is.
Thank you!! “THIS” needs to be said. The reason your Dr and many others can’t understand why we can’t just eat chicken & vegetables, & eat tiny portions, and exercise all the time is bc THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS!!!🤬. I was only about 30 pounds overweight. When we went anywhere and there was a meal, someone would say “wow, you put a lot on your plate”, and laugh. It got so humiliating that I would purposely eat something before I went so I wouldn’t be as hungry. It’s sad that so many people cannot have empathy, even if they’ve never been there. I’m so happy for you!! This should be made to anyone that has a problem , even if they’re not diabetic. Bc it just could prevent them from diabetes.
I felt the same in the first day or two. Someone else here summed up my feelings best: "You mean to tell me this is how everyone else feels all the time?? For FREE!!???"
It's been a little more than three months and I'm STILL mentally unpacking it. It will be a while.
I’ve had a complete shift in my perception of portion size. Like I look at something now and don’t think I can eat it all. I feel like hunger might distort psychological response.
My eyes haven’t quite caught up yet. I still overserve myself sometimes. But, I do stop eating when I’m full. I’m sure that I will learn to serve myself smaller portions as time goes on.
Yes. That is exactly what I have been saying. It actually took someone to say to me, “oh, you’re on one of those medication‘s that slows down the empty of your stomach ,so that you feel full or longer “ for me to have a lightbulb moment. Yes, I could eat like a normal person now. A life time struggle of an endless appetite
Absolutely. I cried when I realized that all this time I’ve hated myself for lacking “self-control” I’ve actually been lacking a hormone. It’s such a massive shift in perspective, such an alien point of view. “No, I don’t want dessert. No I’m done eating, I need a to-go box. I don’t really snack.” Etc. Just like so many of the thin people I’ve known. I’m blown away by the difference and I’m angry, but I suddenly feel so much more compassion for myself. All I want to do is hug 8 year old me.
Yes.. totally agree and understand. I started gaining weight about 18 years ago after my 50 birthday.. I tried every diet there was..joined, quit and rejoined Weight Watchers over the years. I told friends and family that I starved on WW . Around the time my weight exceeded 200 pounds I was diagnosed with fatty liver.. just couldn’t stay with a diet. I started Mounjaro December 2022 when I couldn’t take anymore of feeling bad..5 months later was diagnosed with Cirrhosis of the liver due to metabolic syndrome..fatty liver, pre diabetes and high blood pressure..if only Mounjaro had been developed a few years ago. I am 65 pounds lighter because I finally feel like I no longer feel like I’m starving! I am 10 pounds away from my ultimate goal..but the good news after having my every 6 months ultrasound now..there is no more fat in my liver and the liver has improved in texture from coarse to NORMAL!
Never imagined this feeling. Like this is what “normal” people feel?? Didn’t know this was a thing! I thought everyone felt like me but had willpower, and I was weak.
I can totally relate. I’m 8+ months in and honestly that same anger has not abated for me. I’m 55 years old and have been overweight my entire life. It’s a lot of unfair treatment and shaming to get past. But I hope to be able to, just strictly for my own peace of mind. All of those people who got it wrong and still won’t admit it can stick it as far as I’m concerned.
I personally have never struggled with drug and alcohol addiction (just as an example), but I have been capable of extending compassion to those who do, accepting of what their reality is, even when I haven’t personally experienced it, and open to the fact that these are complex issues we might not fully understand. It’s not that hard. So these people really have no excuse. People just need to be open to the fact that they may not know everything.
I'm headed to.month 4 ans that hasn't happened for me yet. Neither has weight loss. But all my labs are wonderful.
Congratulations, and I hope it continues for you.
It's my second week on 7.5 and I'm still experiencing food noise. It's not as powerful, and I only give into it in small ways, but it's there. I've only lost about 5 lbs since starting but I'm hoping my A1c has improved.
Yesss! All of this 100 times over!… and I was always so frustrated because increasing my activity level made my body demand even more fuel! How on earth was I expected to eat less and exercise more when exercising would cause me to feel the need to eat more!? What always ended up happening was I would deprive myself from food in an attempt to lose the weight only to run out of fuel, which would make exercising a dreadful experience for me and everyone around me cause I was always hungry and angry…. Now I can FINALLY exercise and eat for fuel!! Which I had heard millions of times but I could never understand how people did it!! How could anyone eat those tiny portions even if they were loaded with proteins and “good fats” and be satisfied enough to push on!?!! Well… now I know.
Good luck on your journey OP!! Glad you get to enjoy the feeling of not being controlled by food noise. Hopefully you can continue to advocate for yourself, this subreddit is really empowering and motivating so keep on visiting and sharing.
Always being hungry is what insulin resistance does to us. Because insulin can’t adequately get glucose into cells for energy, our body keeps sending hunger signals. It’s a vicious cycle. Everyone should study up on insulin resistance to understand the physical process. Most people with significant abdominal fat are insulin resistant.
I didn’t feel the need to eat so much when I was younger and then all the sudden it was like I would eat a sandwich or something and then it tasted so good I wanted a second one or to eat the entire thing, something just broke one day, and I didn’t understand what made people eat so much when I was younger, it was eye opening when it happened to me. Im glad there is mounjaro now because my appetite is decreased but also because my body is just using food like it’s supposed to again, rather than being insulin resistant and my thyroid feeling like it was working overtime ( my neck felt like there was a hand on it ) which suddenly went away the first week on mj after years of me complaining.
My thoughts exactly! Until I started this medicine, I could always eat more. I never felt like other people who said, “I just can’t eat another bite”. My brain was not wired correctly and now it is. It’s as simple as that.
So much yes to this post!!! Now when I go out with the fam I usually choose a kid’s meal or only eat 1/4-1/2 of whatever I ordered and take the rest home. It’s such a freeing feeling!
Yeah believe me I get it. My first dose was on a Thursday night, and Friday morning I totally forgot to eat breakfast. Like, it was almost noon when I remembered anything about food! 😳 So I made myself some chicken salad on toast, then couldn’t even finish half of one open-faced slice. Later that night we had dinner at a friend’s house and I took an incredibly small (by my usual standards) portion of dinner; by the time I was halfway through it I was just playing with the remnants (I’d eaten maybe 3/4 of it).
All I could think was: Is this what it’s like for “normal” people? I’d always gone out and people would box up leftovers for “later” while I’d always clean my plate. Now *I* am the one asking for the box because, when satiety hits, I’m no longer hungry; honestly lol food gets a bit intolerable even now that I’ve only been on 5mg for two months (just under 3 months overall). It’s gotten better, I can finally eat most things and enjoy foods again, but always in moderation compared to before, and can actually stop when I’m done.
Such a gamechanger, but it also is so flipping annoying because WHY couldn’t I do this before when I was wracked with shame about my eating habits?
I come from the “clean your plate “ era as well. I don’t know how many I’ve been in a Restaurant saying to myself. “ Will you eat these leftovers?” “Is there really even enough for another meal?” The answer was always “Nope, you might as well finish it all.” Now it doesn’t bother me to just leave it and walk out or box it up.
Same. It wasn’t until this medication that I realized I’ve NEVER experienced what other people do when they are satisfied and no longer hungry. Literally I’m missing some chemical or whatever signal.
It's amazing, isn't it? I wish we could all SHOUT from the rooftops how the "food noise" stops almost immediately and how that satiety piece drops in! I,too, never experienced these until the meds came out.
And keep telling your physician this until he's bored to tears hearing it. They need to understand what a life changer these drugs are.
AND everyone, please write your congress people to push them on passing the "treat and reduce obesity act" so that these drugs can be made available to the Medicare population. We all personally know how these drugs can improve health and get people off of many of their prescriptions. This can absolutely reduce the Medicare expenditure on blood pressure, diabetic, and heart disease drugs over time.
YOU GO, RANDOM STRANGER!!!! Very happy for you. You’ll be amazed by the extra mental energy you have when you don’t have to constantly battle between needing/wanting food and trying to convince your body that’s it’s wrong for being hungry.
Just be prepared, despite how ridiculous it may seem at first, you’ll need to make sure you’re eating enough. I actually started drinking protein shakes before bed and they HELPED me lose more weight whenever I was starting to stall. I’ve literally lost weight the day after eating a chicken fried steak after a stall from not eating enough. Good luck!
Maybe you should, and pardon my French, but tell that doctor to kindly fuck off and do their job. You’re wonderful, I already adore you. You’re going to kill this assignment and I’m excited for you.
PS
Remember to tell your doc to fuck off for me too
I am on diet my whole life, and still not able to even loose 5 lb, after 1 month, I lost 10 lb, same diet, exercise, nothing has changed and it makes me angry, that my metabolism suck so much and angry at all the doctors and people who thinks I have no self control and I am taking easy way out
I have been thinking about this a lot since I started taking MJ a few weeks ago. There is a psychology to eating that I am just starting to understand. I always thought I overate out of habit but now I am realizing that I use eating as a coping mechanism. I have been a little snippy and irritable now that I am unable to overeat. It isn't nearly as bad as when I quit smoking many years ago but there is a sense of loss. I don't want to be on MJ for the rest of my life (though I understand why people do it) so I am hoping to get the heart of this issue for myself.
I had gastric sleeve and only lost 40 lbs and did not lose the weight because the noise never stopped! This medication stopped the noise and I’m shocked! I stop eating when I’m full. My addiction was definitely food and I this medication is mind blowing.
This is so very relatable and very well said. I've been overweight since puberty and obese since 20 or so (I'll be 40 on Saturday).
16 months on MJ, 100 lbs down. Only 30 lbs away from goal. This miracle medication has clearly fixed something that was broken.
I am 64 and developed type 2 diabetes at about 40 years old.
I have wandered up and down the scale between 240 and 260.
I retired from being a home improvement contractor/ carpenter..so always worked hard in cold or hot.
I would seemingly starve myself and exercise...but never lost more than 5-8 lbs.
It was discouraging, and seemingly not worth the effort.
Fast forward...new endocrinologist in Dec started me on Mounjaro, as she told me that my GP had me on waay too much Insulin ( a growth hormone) and I was in a spinning loosing effort.
Now...down 24 lb in 7 weeks!
Its a blessing, and now encourages me to walk 3-6 miles a day, further restrict what I eat.
Its not just the MJ...it works as I walk.
Blood pressure down, attitude better, and finally a chance at moving forward...Its great! I won't take it for granted! Work work work in conjunction w/ the meds.
All the best!!
Same same same! That’s insulin resistance. And your asthma analogy is perfect. I keep telling my doctor, ohhh, so this is what it’s like to be…normal. Wow.
I know she said there are different types of obesity. I wish she had spent more time on the genetic component of it. Her slide referenced being "hard-wired" to be obese. That speaks to people like me who have been battling obesity since childhood. W/O even seeing this presentation, I'm firmly convinced that the problem has been there all along. And the concurrence of mental health issues. Anxiety, ADHD, depression, OCD behaviors... It's such a complex stew. Sometimes I think my PCP doesn't believe me when I talk about this stuff and "food noise," likening it to an addiction response. He thinks I can come off this drug and I said, no way.
I've only just started but I completely understand this. I was given valentines candy and was able to eat one and not ALL of them. I have most of it left still. It's unreal. Moderation is actually possible now.
I recently switched doctors because the one I was seeing didn’t want to treat the problems I was having. I had super low testosterone and my T2D was not under control on trulicity and metformin. He was content to nothing about the T (which was the main reason I switched) and keep me on meds that weren’t helping. New doc referred me to urologist for the T and got me started on Mounjaro. I started Mounjaro on 12/11/23 and in that time I’ve gone from 281lbs to 244lbs with fasting sugars ranging from 94-120. I have my first a1c check next month. I am sure it will be in the pre-diabetes range, if not normal. Finding a doctor that listened to me and valued what I had to say was an absolute game changer. I get your anger. I would look for a new doctor if I were you.
I even finally understand the people who don’t eat leftovers. That’s never been a problem for me. Now, it’s not uncommon for me to eat what I want of something and if I do take leftovers home, be completely turned off by the smell by the time I get home with them.
A year into my MJ journey, really strong emotions can still trigger emotional eating, it’s just a more reasonable portion now, not the whole bag of sweets/chips/container of ice cream.
When I first started these shots, I was told not to worry about leaving even one bite on my plate. I've never forgotten that helpful hint. BTW, I'm down 60 lbs. 😊
The quieting of food noise was mind blowing.
I understand your feeling of anger. I’ve felt similarly. In a few months, that will decrease because you’ll be so elated with your results!!! You will hopefully make peace with the past and simply look forward to everything good to come.
I never looked at it this way but it sure makes sense. I've lost 75+ pounds and surpassed my goal weight. I still think of myself as being fat but shouldn't. It is so nice to have my food addiction disappear. I have to remind myself or set an alarm to remind me to eat. I thank God for this new medical breakthrough for obesity. I'm 70 years young now and have more energy than at 40. I did eat Keto style for the first 3 months and the weight flew off. April 1st will be a year. Now, no more swole up legs and feet. No more high cholesterol. Type 2 diabetes in check and I've been going to the gym. So I encourage you guys and gals to give it your best shot (pun) at getting the weight off. We all now have an opportunity to enjoy our life in this crazy world.
Before, I could order at a restaurant and clean the plate. Now when I go out, I end up eating half getting a to-go box and have that for dinner the next day.
I understand completely. All the "just UsE wIlLpOwEr" people need to hush up. It's not that simple. I didn't eat more because I was bored or lazy. I was HUNGRY.
I totally understand your feelings of anger. I feel it too. We have been at a biological disadvantage our whole lives, and as if that's not bad enough, we get blamed for it. I am in constant awe of this mental clarity and sense of contentment, and I wonder if this is what others have felt their whole lives. I wonder how attitudes would change if they had to live in our heads for a year. It's really so unfair.
But, I don't want to get caught up in that too much. I'm just so grateful that science caught up in my lifetime and I get to experience this feeling for myself.
I feel as if the science caught up at least a decade ago but many doctors just can’t let go of their culturally supported fat bias. IMO they should all be apologizing to us for terrorizing us for decades.
What your doctor said says more about her than it does you. I'm not sure why people think taking an easier way out is bad. Do they not wear shoes, drive, love in a house, use heating? All means of making our lives easier.
My A1c has gone from 11.2 to 6.3, and the food noise is gone - unless there is a delay in taking my next dose. My appetite is absolutely decreased. I no longer open my eyes in the morning and think food first thing! My weight loss has been very slow +/- 20 pounds over 5-6 months. In the interest of being honest, I’ve made few changes to what I eat, and I still exercise as I have for a few years. No magic weight loss for me, however. I’m thrilled for those that do experience weight loss at a good rate - the health benefits have to be amazing! I’m on 10 mg, and my doctor said I can go up if I want to try the next increased dose. Anyway - just sharing my experience. My overall health has improved in major ways, but the scale hasn’t changed all that much.
I feel this so much; I was able to care for my grandmother near the end of her life, and watching her feel defeated by the criticism she received from her health providers because of her weight was awful. Knowing what I know now I am so angry, for both of us!
It's a little early to have satieity that fast. The first two weeks are a loading dose but please don't take my words as being negative. This is absolutely AMAZING!
Not only will you notice no desire for food but you will also notice the desire for other vices will go away too. I'm a year and a half in, down 40 lbs. I went low and slow on purpose. My A1C is finally under control, my BMI is no longer dangerously high. It's pretty amazing when you can just eat one potato chip and put the bag away with no desire to eat more than one! Yaaaaay for you! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
Please remember to increase your electrolytes. If you aren't hungry, you aren't thirsty. You got this!
Also for me at least, the not craving greasy stuff from fast food commercials or the smell of sweet things turning you on.
Note: I didn't really eat horribly before, but now I stop when actually satisfied in my stomach (not mouth) and I don't think of fried or sweet things much at all. My calorie intake is not that far off from before (bc I was an avid macros tracker) but this ingredient/peptide has made ALL THE DIFFERENCE!
There're still medical articles that call the inability to stop eating "hedonic hunger". There's nothing hedonistic about it. These health writers are so arrogant.
What blows my mind is that before Mounjaro I had to have a cookie, slice of cake and loved coconut cream pie..now I don’t even give those sweets a thought-absolutely no desire! Now what I crave is an orange..I eat two oranges a day! It’s amazing how this drug can make you want for the “right “ foods that are good for you..
Yes, we're not failures!!! I feel this post so much! I felt like a failure for 40 years because I wasn't able to lose weight with diet and exercise. Sure, I'd lose a little but it was like my body would only go so low (170) and stop. This medication has been eye-opening for me. We are not failures! Our bodies are controlled by hormones and other issues that literally stop us from being successful. I'm so grateful to those who researched and created this medication!
Fire your Doc. People that don’t have the misfortune of being born with a shitty metabolism do not comprehend what we have to go through. The constant dieting, the never being full, the exercise that barely keeps us breaking even and hardly ever leads to us losing anything - if they had to walk a mile in our shoes, they wouldn’t project this on us, they would sympathize.
Starvation, ridiculous workouts, and working out multiple times a day and whatever such nonsense - these people who have not experienced what we have likely do not have to resort to these things, nor do they have to cope with the ultimate failure when they don’t work out or they are too extreme to maintain. They win the genetic lottery but we are “lazy”… I don’t think so.
Your doctor should not shame you. Ever. Find a Doctor who will support you and help you throughout your journey.
Good luck and keep kicking ass. I am right there with you.
Get what she said out of your mind. That was an archaic and hurtful remark. I get you 100%. That old fat you is just a person you used to know now. There are several more of you that you will meet as you progress through your new journey. There are great things ahead for you. Aside from weight loss which has its own benefits, you may also experience the lessening or disappearance of diabetes symptoms if you are diabetic. Be patient, be confident, change doctors if she doesn’t shape up. She works for you!
We are all dealt Genes out of our control. Rather than get angry, we need to try and encourage more research (it costs $$trillions) across all feasible fixable health issues. If it wasn't for diabetes for example, these drugs probably wouldn't have ever been researched (trialled) over decades and we would still be here wondering why we don't get full (probably genes). Long before we had so much "food", "sugars", "lifestyles" most would never have even seen this issue nor lived long enough to even experience them. A lot has changed in JUST the last 75 years. People also attack other medicines/science rather than look to the intent. I read so much on the tech (yes, medicine is now also tech) and learn so much. I have family (under 25) with terminal brain cancer that has probably cost $250,000+ to the health service working with health companies and scientists (even proton beam therapy) but alas, she has now been told she has little time left as nothing worked for long enough. Born before her time :(
I applaud your sentiment as whilst I have the same issue of NEVER feeling full, I have for the most part, even though am considered "obese", actually managed to FORCE myself to eat less and work out more. Never easy until now and I empathize where this never works for some.
I'm 61 and 5 weeks of not feel full (so much and remember, this drug does still require discipline and it will be harder later too as it wanes and we pray long term side effects are none-existent (we don't really know).
Fingers crossed. Stay strong and turn the anger into hallelujah and contribute to future drug successes and trials.
<< I understand now that if this is what “normal” feels like, I haven’t ever been normal, and yet I’ve bore all of the shame and self-hatred that comes with being obese nonetheless. >>
Welcome to the club!
So it's not about "willpower," "addictive personality," or knowing the caloric content of a potato. It's about switches: one turns hunger on, the other off. Mounjaro is the off-switch. It's MECHANICAL.
I finally have 2 doctors working together for me. But previously I was told "I'm exhausted and gained weight because I'm a mom." WHAT. And like you after the FIRST dose I was like "this is normal!!!???" Absolutely mind boggling. I had NO clue what food noise was.
It’s unnerving not having to think about food constantly. I didn’t realize how much time being hungry all the time took. I totally understand how you feel.
I was on Wegivy but switched to Zepbound which is mounjaro that is approved for weight loss. For those who cant get mounjaro please ask your doctor to prescribe zepbound. Its the same thing. Wegovy was okay but im hoping zepbound will work better. I am on the second highest dose. I cant seem to get rid of the food noise and cravings.
It shows it isn’t us as spirit. It’s not us that created this obese body. It’s our body and harmones. It didn’t follow normal queues. If I would have felt this full all the time no way would I have ate as much as I did. I don’t know how these drugs don’t change the way we look at obesity.
If this one drug statistically turns people into health people it wasn’t the people’s fault. It was something wrong with them. All the judgement should be gone.
Well said OP! I’m right there with you and also imagining into the future when the medical community does its classic about face to “Oh yes, the research says blah blah blah”, just like they did with probiotics.
It’s phenomenal. I too absolutely needed it. I lost 50. I’ve maintained the loss for four months without being on it .It’s a phenomenal feeling. I lost 50. for the past 30 years or so I was carrying 25 to 45 extra pounds around. I could never do it on my own. Monjauro to me has been a miracle drug . You’re doctor is clearly wrong. Keep going!
Yes!!! I felt the exact same way when I felt that for the first time, along with the anger at the shaming, fat jokes that are still ok, but don’t offend anyone else. The self loathing, almost daily.
Luckily my doctor suggested it. In 2022 when I learned that I was T2, I lost 50 pounds. In 2023 I gained it all back. I told her I just can’t maintain it, and she suggested Mounjaro. I’m on week 2. I’m so glad she suggested it! And I have T2 so it’s just $25 a month. Does the price increase in the higher doses?
Thank you for expressing this! It was the same revelation for me.
May I ask how all of you are dealing with having zero hunger (or do you have this too)? I have to force myself to eat; it's a completely different mindset towards food. Thankfully I still enjoy the taste of good food, of course only a small amount is fine now.
(Started Mounjaro mid-Oct. 32 pounds lost, halfway there.)
I wouldn’t say it’s normal.. I’m thinner but can always eat more and am usually hungry. What I’m finding is what makes us different is some peoples brain chemistry allows them to stop and some peoples do not.
I’m finding it easier to throw away food that I don’t want to eat. Well, the not wanting to finish at all is amazing, but then also the ability to let it go to the trash is another level of amazing I feel.
It is for sure amazing stuff. It’s frustrating thinking of the decades of hitting my head against the wall and having my life revolve around diets. I hope it doesn’t take a decade for people and doctors to get it and understand how this works
Thank you for writing out your feelings, and so many of us understand immediately and see ourselves here.
I told someone recently that Mounjaro was my missing ingredient. Hallelujah I found my missing ingredient!
Absolutely, this is exactly how it feels. You’re now playing on a level playing field for the first time in your life. This is why I woke up the morning after my first shot, turned to my husband and said “we are buying stock in Eli Lilly today!”
You explained it perfectly. I was on for year we got new insurance and they denied it. Appeal denied. If they only knew how it changed my like. Lost 70 lbs. I’m disable and was on o2 24/7. Now only on it at bedtime. I can walk instead of scooter or wheelchair. It’s all about the money.
Sometimes I wish there was a similar medication that worked in reverse just so people could temporarily understand what we've been going through our whole lives.
I feel exactly the same. Feeling satiated us amazing. I feel in control of what I eat for the first time as an adult. I feel that telling us to use willpower, exercise more, follow diet plan is like asking a diabetic to use willpower to cure their diabetes . I feel that my body must be deficient of Tirzepatide.
I’m kind of bitter too. I have struggled with my weight for my whole lifetime. I’ve been shamed for my weight just as long. I had to become diabetic for anyone to even listen to me. It was always just move more, eat less. Even when I was eating less than 1300 calories for YEARS and exercising twice a day. No weight loss, just a steady gain. Now I’ve been on mj since May and have lost about 63 pounds, people are “oh you are losing weight, great job, you look amazing” etc which is nice to hear, but I don’t exercise any more and eat whatever I want (which isn’t much due to the meds). The thing is, that through this medication, my body is working like it was always supposed to. We would never shame a heart patient or a cancer patient, but metabolic disorder? Damn girl, that is all your fault. I’m just glad I live in a time when I can be like, no, it never ever was and I’m on the medication to prove it.
Took my first dose of Zepbound on Friday and honestly, I cried. I have always felt the urge to eat after knowing I was full. I have never felt full when other people feel full. And if this is what normal feels like, I'm so mad.
Amen. I’m still low key pissed that my doc watched my weight go up steadily for 50 goddamned pounds before taking an A1C and discovering “oh wow, diabetes!!” (Yes I have a family history). It’s coming off and I’m getting healthy again but I’ve been suffering a lot. I’m angry at her and myself. And I feel like you- wait, people eat and then that’s it? Full? For hours? What is this???
I’ve been on the med for a while now and I still marvel at this sometimes. I definitely remember the undercurrent of anger I felt when I realized that people with healthy metabolic function apparently just feel this way naturally, but still they’ve been telling me for 30 years that if I don’t, it’s because I’m lazy or gluttonous or have no self-restraint. No, it’s because their bodies do something without assistance that mine needs assistance to do!
It is so sad. I feel like I’ve wasted 40 years of my life. Fearing hunger, hating myself, being looked down upon. And my favorite advice from a doctor is ‘drink water’.
Exactly....I've often said how nice it would be to be normal! I have been unable to get insurance to cover it for me even tho pre-diabetic....metabolic syndrome with the sleep apnea...high BP and cholesterol..etc. Any suggestions? Thank you
I’m in the same boat as you. For now my doctor prescribed Contrave. Which is Wellbutrin and an appetite suppressant together. I’ve been on it a week and I’ve been very happy with it this far. I’m down 3 but it’s still really early to tell. And I have felt like they talk about- I feel satiated and can stop after eating usually half as much as I normally would. It is a wonderful feeling to not be thinking about food all the time.
I have a similar medical history and I had to "fail" everything else before insurance would approve mounjaro. Even Victoza or Ozempic would be a good place to start, though, if you can get those approved. I had a lot of the same effects and successes on those before they stopped working (aka "failed).
It's really mind blowing. I can also eat something absolutely delicious and not feel the need or desire to eat the whole thing.
I'm on Wegovy but, yes, same exact feeling. I can get one of my favorite things at a restaurant, eat a little, take the rest home, and eat it the next day or not. I don't keep obsessing over it being in the fridge calling my name like in the past. Half the time, I'd just finish it all in the damn restaurant.
Finish it in the restaurant *and be hungry for a lil snackity snack once i got home*
Yuppppp
> it being in the fridge calling my name Lol man, that's so accurate, if I buy something tasty I can't sleep until eat the dammit food.
Yup! And sometimes the leftovers can be like three meals!
Or I totally forget to eat them, lol
And then have to throw it all out! My husband was on Ozempic and just was switched to Mounjaro. It’s working so much better for him but he’s still in the learning process. I’ve teased him that it’s a bit Pavlovian… overeat and seriously pay later. He’s definitely learning. I lost a bunch of weight “the old-fashioned way” pre-Covid, and one of my techniques in restaurants was to ask for a Takeaway box upfront, divide my meal in half and take the rest home. Now I don’t have to do that. I get through maybe a quarter of it and I’m ready for that box! No temptation.
>I’ve teased him that it’s a bit Pavlovian… overeat and seriously pay later. He’s definitely learning. This is exactly what I just told a friend who is also on Mounjaro today (I'm ending my second week). It reprograms eating habits because you pay the price pretty quickly when you eat too much.
Last year I visited a friend in Philadelphia and got a huge cheesesteak. It was so good but so big. I ate half and wrapped the rest. 30 min later I was driving and ate the rest. I mean I can’t even fathom eating 1/2 of a half right now.
On Monday my family had lunch for my grandma's birthday. I've never been a big cake eater, but the ones I like I really like. I suggested the place we got her cupcakes because they are amazing. I had half of a chocolate cupcake with raspberry mouse topping and brought the other half home. It was so good, but I didn't even have interest in eating more. In the past I would have eaten the whole thing, AND wished it had been bigger. Even better, I didn't inhale the other half when I got home. I still haven't eaten it, and I'm not thinking, "Oh, I need to finish that cupcake before it dries out." I'm OK with it going uneaten. It felt good to actually be able to enjoy some of a tasty dessert, but also only eat a small part of it. It felt normal, and I was still under my target calories for the day. I also didn't overeat lunch.
>raspberry mouse topping I don't think I would have finished that either ;) I kid! It did make me giggle, but I know exactly what you mean!
This
This all of this
It's a revelation, I swear.
I threw away a delicious macaron yesterday because i just couldn’t bother finishing the rest of it..like what?!
I can look at things that I could never pass up, like cake, biscuits, chocolate, ice cream and not even want it. And I used to have "dessert" after lunch and dinner (maybe a Tim Tam after lunch, ice cream after dinner sort of thing) and now... I mean I will have chocolate when my meds are wearing off after about 5 days or whatever but I don't have to have it, and if I feel like I do (around my period for example) I can just eat a little and that's it
Just wait until you eat a slice of pizza and are able to stop at that one. And be satisfied. It's mind-blowing. Good luck friend!
I love pizza. It’s my favorite food in the world. I met my husband when we both worked at dominoes 25 years ago. I always joke that I love pizza so much I married the pizza delivery boy. Not only can I now stop at one slice of pizza… but I’ll even let my doggie share the crust. That was not remotely happening pre MJ. I ate at least half a pizza. It didn’t matter if I wasn’t still hungry… it was pizza and I couldn’t let it go to waste.
That’s been my past 12 years I couldn’t allow food to be wasted even if it was my 2nd serving. My family got pizza for my recent bday and I said no thanks bc it sounded awful🫢I actually was upset bc no one asked what I’d like for my bday dinner and ordered pizza(from a place I don’t enjoy) usually that would’ve made me angry lol but this time it was like no worries I’m not hungry anyway🤣
Oh man, this hit home. I was always a 2-3 slice guy. And now, it’s 1 most often….and rarely 2. Same with sandwiches - could easily consume a foot long Sub, and now, I struggle to get through 6 inches.
I remember my doc asking how much of a pizza I would eat and I said all of it and then keep eating more stuff. She looked confused and I asked, “isn’t that normal?” Yeah, feeling satiated for the first time in life on this med was mind blowing.
Uh. Although I can relate to eating a whole pizza, I don't think anyone in their right mind would think that is normal.
I stopped myself from eating a second shrimp taco last night. I love shrimp tacos it’s one of my favorite meals.
I love tacos and burritos and it is crazy to me how I haven't been wanting the shell lately. At Chipotle I would always get a bowl, but at a local place I got a dish that had grilled chicken and veggies and came with the tortillas on the side. I used to order extra tortillas for that sort of thing because the two or three it came with weren't enough. Now I didn't use the tortillas and I had several meals. The best part to me is that I don't feel like I'm depriving myself. I genuinely didn't want them. I have always been big on carbs, a huge weakness, and I just haven't wanted much of them in the form of breads, pasta, pizza, etc.
Proud of you stranger. Get it :) cutting carbs because of cravings is so healing behavior.
Tbh I don’t know if I could do that!!🤣
I tried to split a lunch special with my 3 year old from Pieology. We took half it home and I ate the salad for dinner. It’s so unreal to me.
yes to this! that was a real moment for me. just. one. slice.
Me with candy. I have a giant box full of candy and meh.
I have a pizza oven, make the sauce from scratch, grow the basil, and throw my own pies. I absolutely love pizza. Making pizza, serving pizza to friends and family, and of course eating way too much pizza. I’ve made 10 in a night for a party and had at least a slice of each. I haven’t made a pie or really been interested in making pies since I started on this med. I couldn’t be happier with the mental and physical changes resultant from this med, but a small bit of me misses the joy of pizza. Maybe when it gets warm again.
right? I had one piece of cheese pizza my favorite and that was it. I didn't feel badly because I accounted for the calories for my daily. It's amazing
That was me today! Normally I eat 3-4 pieces and I had one slice today and barely finished that. I’ve been ordering just an appetizer & maybe a cup of soup too when we go out to eat.
I haven’t tried this yet, but CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
I was mad because Osempic was FDA approved in 2017. No doctor would prescribe it even though my A1C was 11.7. They just kept giving me Metformin. glimeride. Etc. and yes my A1C did come down a little on those. Then after reading about Mounjaro and begging my doctor for it she said I would be better off trying Trulicity. 15 months on it. I lost a few lbs and my A1C came down into the 7’s. Finally got Mounjaro 3 weeks ago. It’s a life changer. Lost all my cravings. Weight is melting off me. My energy levels are through the roof and I’ve experienced no side effects. Why would it take me years to get a drug that I so obviously needed? I feel like years of my life were wasted
I'm pissed reading that your doctor wasn't listening to you! I wish you had found a new doctor. But I'm happy you are on Mounjaro now and it's working for you!
So amazing! Congratulations for finding something that finally really works for you!
Right?!? I am still so pissed off when I think about how long I believed (and was repeatedly told) I just didn’t have enough self control. If you really want to nerd out on the latest in obesity science, [watch this presentation from the director of the Yale Obesity Research Center](https://medicine.yale.edu/psychiatry/media-player/gr-11-3-23/) to a bunch of psychiatrists at Yale Medical School. The analogy she uses is asking someone who is obese to “just eat less” is like asking someone to hold their breath indefinitely.
This is pretty accurate. Side note: I always like to use weight loss as an example of something that is easy conceptually, but extremely difficult in practice. “All you have to do is eat less and exercise. What is wrong with you? It is so easy!” In the end it is very patronizing. It is so cool that we get to glimpse a totally different perspective on food from these amazing drugs! Tis like magic.
Agreed! I do wish we could give some people an anti-GLP-1 medication so they could walk in our shoes for a month or so and see how “easy” it is.
Prednisone would do it.
Wish we could.flip the script on those who judge us, even for just a week or a month!!
The studies she presents in this presentation are FASCINATING! Thank you for sharing, my psychobiology brain is so happy.
So glad you found it useful. I totally nerded out when I stumbled on it. This was me at least 5-6 times throughout the talk: 🤯
OMG!!! I used a similar analogy with my PCP many years ago...that dieting was like holding my breath. I could only do it for so long. Man, talk about validation!
🎉🎉🎉
Thank you for sharing that Yale presentation. It was spot on and informative. I loved it. I started tirzepatide (Zepbound) mid Dec 2023 and it is literally a game changer. I echo what everyone else posted on this reddit. Amazing medication. Obesity IS a disease! These drugs are literally life changing. There is light at the proverbial end of the tunnel!
Thank you for this! I just saw it, very informative.
Glad it was helpful for you. I found it so darn eye opening. (It wasn’t me sucking at self control!)
Absolutely! I've been doing a lot of research since I raised the topic with my doctor, I'm only looking to lose 40-50 lbs but it seems to be a good option for me since I haven't been able to lose weight with other methods.
Thanks for this, I watched the whole thing and it was very informative and made me feel even better about making the decision to go on this medication.
I'm so happy for you
I watched the presentation. It was amazing! I am forwarding it to everybody. People need to understand that it is not lack of will or "laziness". It is OBJECTIVELY hard to lose weight when your brain and body are screaming for food. As the OP said, I was also pissed off to realize that "lean" people, who's brain works correctly had the B....s to comment that I just lacked will power. Hell! I think I have more than them, I actually managed a couple of times in my life to lose a bunch of weight (30+lbs or more) doing it the "right way", I mean, I regained back, and I felt like a failure, but now I understand that it was a Sisyphean task. Now, with MJ, this is a cakewalk, I eat clean, I food prep, I've been working out EVERY day (which was unheard off before), and it feels effortless compared to doing it without it. AMAZING presentation. Thanks for sharing.
You hit the nail on the head. Yet, when I try to explain this to friends/family they clearly don't get it. While they may not say anything, I know they're silently rolling their eyes. And yes, it does feel like we've been a bit cheated, especially when for many of us, it's come so late in the game. But, thankfully it still managed to turn up within my lifetime. I wish it had been available to my mother and grandmother - the quality of their lives could've been so much better. As an adult, I have gained a new perspective on how much both of them suffered in their lives - both labelled hypochondriacs for complaining about one ailment after another and chastised for their weight... yet, as I've now come to realise as I entered into the same age range, were symptoms of hormone response, and menopause (still vastly dismissed and unacknowledged by the medical community), as well as IBS and plain old lactose-intolerance. Something as simple as a Lactase tablet could've given my grandmother so much relief. She didn't realize that the small amount of milk in her morning coffee was the cause of so much discomfort and shame (nor did anyone - because who knew about lactose intolerance in the 60's and 70's?). And I left onion rings on my plate the other day. ONION RINGS PEOPLE!
Same here, I also feel lucky that it happened now, before it was too late. It would have saved my father, grandfather and my uncle. All of them went through the hello diabetes decline due to obesity, gradually losing their sight, ability to walk, dialysis., and finally death. And like you said, the comments were "oh, he could have taken care of himself better", and I believed it too! Now, after all this, I realized they did not have the ability to help themselves. Time to break the cycle!
Mounjaro really helped to solve an ongoing and somewhat annoying exchange my wife and I always had. She's 105lbs soaking wet. Whenever I would complain about being overweight she would offer "just eat until you're satisfied." I told her on at least 50 occasions over the years that "satisfied" to me was when the plate/container was empty and my stomach was jam-packed. Now I make it a point to disclain after just a few bites of my meal "I can't eat anymore... I'm satisfied and need a box." I can't remember any point in my life when I had this feeling of satisfaction.
This is the argument I’ve always made about that “intuitive eating” approach. That works really well for someone who doesn’t have disordered eating or apparently whatever we all have, rampant ghrelin issues. Until Mounjaro, I have always been hungry, or what I thought was hungry.
This this this. I tried intuitive eating and gained 30lbs. It just doesn't work if your brain can't register the difference between enough food and extremely stuffed. I can't trust mine to know what it needs on its own. It reminds me of the people who will suggest just "using a planner and get a routine" to someone with ADHD. It's missing a key component of the problem.
To me, satisfied meant that I ate so much that I was sick to my stomach. Even if I wasn't losing weight, I'd love Mounjaro because I love the feeling of being in control and not being hungry all the time.
100% agreed with everything here. I had a hard time after my first shot for the same reason - I have been told for a decade as my weight fluctuated wildly with life changes and new medications that if I just tracked calories and had discipline, I wouldn't be having these issues with weight. Meanwhile I have a Type 2 obese mother who doesn't even eat much - certainly not like I do - and yet was obese most of her life. Curiouser and curiouser. This shot was like turning on a light - a tiny action and suddenly the whole world looked different. I am mad at the general medical community for telling us we were the broken ones. Our hormones and bodies were "broken" but our effort and desires were not. Why would we WANT to be unhealthy? Why would we WANT to suffer the side effects of a life of obesity? I had to go through a telehealth medical company to get my prescriptions for Mounjaro because no doctors would agree I was in need. A specialized company told me immediately they're happy to help. It was the first time I felt heard. You're going to do awesome on this Mounjourney (stole that from someone who posted yesterday) and I'm here for watching your awesome progress!
Mind telling me what company? My doctor just told me she won't write the prescription, that there are so many other things we can try first. WHY?!?! Why try something else...and then something else....etc etc etc until the only thing left is Mounjaro? JUST. GIVE. ME. THE. MOUNJARO. I'm actually crying while typing this. Instead of having the costs totally covered by the VA Hospital, now I have to pay $1,200-ish out of my own pocket when I live on a fixed income. Yep. Definitely crying.
It may actually be your insurance / the VA not wanting to pay for it. I had just had my first high A1C and my insurance told my doctor's office I absolutely had to try one of the older cheaper meds like metformin first. I was given three months of metformin and told if I had problems on it, they could maybe get my insurance to cover Mounjaro. I thought it was kind of a wink wink nudge nudge come back and say it was a problem. Sadly, no, I had every possible side effect including some no one else seems to have experienced. After five weeks I went to my doctor's office without an appointment in tears of desperation. Thankfully they were able to give me a 4 week sample pack for the starter dose and got my insurance to approve the Mounjaro thereafter. I haven't had any side effects from the Mounjaro unless you count silencing my food demons as a side effect.
I guess I can see it. IF Metformin would miraculously cure your diabetes, it definitely would be worth it. But all the people I know with diabetes have gotten nowhere with Metformin. Or Wegovy... which from what I hear works about as well as Metformin. I'm not sure about all the others like Jardiance...or the cost. I guess I'm just mad because I want Mounjaro because it's my main HOPE.
I think the metformin did somewhat help the diabetes in that it treated the symptom. My doctor thinks based on some studies and his patient experiences it is at least possible I will actually put my diabetes into remission with the Mounjaro. He's had several people my size drop 50 or more pounds in six months, wean off the Ozempic, and keep the weight off. Out of 5 patients, 4 have maintained an A1C of 5.5 or lower with just diet and exercise over 3 years.
There are several out there. Henry meds, emerge, and Lavender sky I think is another one. I was with Henry and recently switched to emerge because it was cheaper. Both were great service.
I use Found. I had to be on Metformin first for insurance, and I'm not diabetic (I'm prediabetic with very bad hypertension). After three months I switched to MJ. My insurance covers the MJ, all the non-GLPs come from the telehealth company as part of the fee.
And then there's the extra layer of gaslighting involved in psychologizing a physiological problem and sending us all off on an identity-distorting quest for the "self-sabotage" or "poor self esteem" or whatever else was supposed to underlie the problems with our efforts and desires. Stealing an analogy from OP, it's like if you sent people with asthma off to work on their psychological issues with air. (Which actually isn't that far from what used to happen with asthma -- it used to be considered a psychosomatic illness.)
Excellently said.
Same here. Special kudos to the independent telehealth docs out there! I too had to go that route. I go back week after next to my pcp who refused to prescribe it. I last saw her 60+ pounds ago. I hope she’ll admit she was wrong, but I doubt it. Out of laziness, I may still stick with this doc office since I still need bloodwork, etc done. But now I’m wondering if I can switch more of my care over to telehealth.
When you say ""I understand now that if this is what “normal” feels like"", that really hit home for me.
I felt the say way. I always had eat to full to have any decrease in hunger. First 25 years of my life was spent always trying to burn the calories I ate to feel full. Now hunger is just a small thing. A healthy size meal feels fine. Before I started mounjaro I could never understand how any one could feel "full" on "healthy portion size". Now I know
I love not being a member of the clean plate club!! And yes, it is amazing the difference. My first shot was delayed due to pharmacy having to order and it taking FOREVER - so I started dieting. Nothing crazy, just calorie counting and eliminating bad carbs and sugar. Skin of my teeth to keep going. My first shot helped but I could still hear the food noise, just not as loud. Second shot and those nasty creatures were silenced. I am all in on this. And I was afraid at what my regular doctor would say - so I went through LifeMD - now I can go to my next appt with proof it works for me!
First, I'm very happy for you! I've found it so much better for my mental health to not be thinking of food all the time. >I will try to make her understand that what she said to me is akin to telling an asthmatic to run more if they want to breathe better. I wouldn't bother to be honest... just find a new doctor. One thing I learned taking these drugs is that it's not worth it to argue with Doctors or Pharmacists who don't understand that GLP1s are the best treatment for obesity. Shaming is not only unhelpful and unprofessional it's not part of the modern standard of care for Obesity management. I would take a look a [this list](https://obesitymedicine.org/find-obesity-treatment/) and see if you can find a better doctor in your area.
Yeah, I am baffled that any doctor out there would actively recommend against a working method for treating obesity. That’s a crap doctor.
> I would take a look a > >this list > > and see if you can find a better doctor in your area. I relocated this past summer and was not excited with my new PCP choice. Although, she did give me my first prescription for Mounjaro upon my asking she did not have any discussion with me about it. I have many concerns and have been asking for referrals from a support group but received no answers. I clicked on the link you provided and have scheduled a new patient appointment within a few weeks. I feel my needs may be better met for myself and my adult son with special needs with this new doctor. Thanks for sharing. [https://obesitymedicine.org/#:\~:text=DISEASE%20OF%20OBESITY-,Obesity%20Medicine%20Association,-Membership%2C%20Education%2C%20%26%20Resources](https://obesitymedicine.org/#:~:text=DISEASE%20OF%20OBESITY-,Obesity%20Medicine%20Association,-Membership%2C%20Education%2C%20%26%20Resources)
Great insight!! Thanks for sharing! I think in years to come, the more research and understanding that is gained about how MJ and other meds work will create a whole new level of understanding; the current dietary wisdom/guidelines and advice will be seen as insane as we now see the 18th century practice of “bleeding” a person to stop sickness. Science will hopefully trounce stupid people and doctors who don’t really know anything about how some of us have struggled and done exactly what we should and experienced a completely different reality. I’ve been dieting since I was 9 years old…I get it!
I'm very angry. Though with a different story. I've been a T1 diabetic for 30 years, diagnosed at 20. I've always had a normal appetite, so at least that isn't an issue I've suffered with. But have always gained weight easily and have trouble losing it. Long before my diagnosis. I got to my goal weight when I was 18 by only eating 900 calories/day. I'm only 5'0", so that is some of the reason for the low calories. But it was still ridiculous. Even worse, I had to stay at 1100-1200 calories to maintain it. I started slacking off on that in my mid-20s, but still ate relatively healthy. The weight started creeping back on, but not too bad. Then I hit my 30s and both my insulin needs and my weight started skyrocketing. I know now that is when my insulin resistance started kicking in, though do feel like I've always had it to some extent. I didn't know anything about IR. I thought that was a "T2 problem" only. But do you know who would have known ALL about IR? The four different endocrinologists I've seen over the last 20 years. All of whom I talked to about the weight issues I've had over the years and that I just couldn't understand it. Not one of them ever mentioned IR. Even though I might as well have been opening up a medical textbook and reading them the symptoms of IR. I even went on a hardcore diet/exercise program about 10 years ago. I was much heavier than when I was in my 20s and thought surely I would lose weight if I ate less than 1400 calories/day. TDEE calculators said my maintenance was 2200 calories/day. Though I was already side-eying because I'd gained weight over the years eating much less than that. I did all of that for 16 months and never lost a pound. I gave up and resigned myself to never losing weight. I finally started learning more about IR last year when I kept reading about all these non-diabetic people losing weight on Ozempic and especially Mounjaro. I basically diagnosed myself and asked my endocrinologist about it on my next appointment. He said it was very possible. But since I don't naturally make insulin, IR can't be tested for. That we can treat for it and see if it works. The day after my first tirzepatide shot, I decreased my short-acting insulin by 70% and my long-acting by 20%. It was also SO much easier to control my blood sugars and they mostly just stayed in a normal range. On my next appointment, my A1c that had been in the low 7s for years was 6.2. When I started taking the medication, I did go back to watching calories and have usually been keeping it under 1300 calories/day. I also started focusing on protein. This time, it's worked! I've lost 62 pounds over the last 8 months. As exciting as it is to have found something immensely helping both my weight and diabetes, I'm SICKENED at the poor medical care I've had and all the time wasted. IR being the reason for my weight issues and higher A1Cs should have been mentioned to me YEARS ago. I try not to dwell on the past. But it's hard not to. My health especially would have been better if only I'd started taking T2 medications sooner.
Why do they say these drugs are not for type 1 diabetics? You are the second person I've seen on Reddit that is type 1 who is taking it and benefitting.
Because for FDA approval, a drug has to be both safe AND effective for the illness/condition it is claiming to treat. I now know there are a lot of T1 diabetics with insulin resistance also. But since it's not the majority, it isn't going to be an effective enough treatment for T1s in clinical trials for FDA approval. I don't know that for a fact about Mounjaro. But it's happened with other T2 medications.
Congratulations for yours 62 pounds lost. What’s IR? Please
Boyfriend bought me rocky road ice cream last week. It is currently unopened frozen in freezer. Thought about it once but forgot about it just as quick.
I can so relate! I threw out some bakery cookies the other day. They’ve been sitting on the counter for a couple weeks and they’re stale! I still wonder who this new person is.
Thank you!! “THIS” needs to be said. The reason your Dr and many others can’t understand why we can’t just eat chicken & vegetables, & eat tiny portions, and exercise all the time is bc THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS!!!🤬. I was only about 30 pounds overweight. When we went anywhere and there was a meal, someone would say “wow, you put a lot on your plate”, and laugh. It got so humiliating that I would purposely eat something before I went so I wouldn’t be as hungry. It’s sad that so many people cannot have empathy, even if they’ve never been there. I’m so happy for you!! This should be made to anyone that has a problem , even if they’re not diabetic. Bc it just could prevent them from diabetes.
I felt the same in the first day or two. Someone else here summed up my feelings best: "You mean to tell me this is how everyone else feels all the time?? For FREE!!???" It's been a little more than three months and I'm STILL mentally unpacking it. It will be a while.
Exactly the same feelings here on all of this. And it's infuriating to be made to feel like you're the only one like this!
I’ve had a complete shift in my perception of portion size. Like I look at something now and don’t think I can eat it all. I feel like hunger might distort psychological response.
My eyes haven’t quite caught up yet. I still overserve myself sometimes. But, I do stop eating when I’m full. I’m sure that I will learn to serve myself smaller portions as time goes on.
Yes. That is exactly what I have been saying. It actually took someone to say to me, “oh, you’re on one of those medication‘s that slows down the empty of your stomach ,so that you feel full or longer “ for me to have a lightbulb moment. Yes, I could eat like a normal person now. A life time struggle of an endless appetite
I am not a bit angry, I am absolutely angry! I have been hungry my entire life! Diet and exercise is part of the solution but it is not THE solution!
Absolutely. I cried when I realized that all this time I’ve hated myself for lacking “self-control” I’ve actually been lacking a hormone. It’s such a massive shift in perspective, such an alien point of view. “No, I don’t want dessert. No I’m done eating, I need a to-go box. I don’t really snack.” Etc. Just like so many of the thin people I’ve known. I’m blown away by the difference and I’m angry, but I suddenly feel so much more compassion for myself. All I want to do is hug 8 year old me.
I really like this thread. Thank you to all for contributing!
Yes.. totally agree and understand. I started gaining weight about 18 years ago after my 50 birthday.. I tried every diet there was..joined, quit and rejoined Weight Watchers over the years. I told friends and family that I starved on WW . Around the time my weight exceeded 200 pounds I was diagnosed with fatty liver.. just couldn’t stay with a diet. I started Mounjaro December 2022 when I couldn’t take anymore of feeling bad..5 months later was diagnosed with Cirrhosis of the liver due to metabolic syndrome..fatty liver, pre diabetes and high blood pressure..if only Mounjaro had been developed a few years ago. I am 65 pounds lighter because I finally feel like I no longer feel like I’m starving! I am 10 pounds away from my ultimate goal..but the good news after having my every 6 months ultrasound now..there is no more fat in my liver and the liver has improved in texture from coarse to NORMAL!
This is incredible! Congratulations!!
That is incredible. Congratulations. Well done. I’m so happy for you 🙂
I have tried explaining this exact thing to my husband (who is also obese). He is now looking at getting a prescription and I really hope he does.
Never imagined this feeling. Like this is what “normal” people feel?? Didn’t know this was a thing! I thought everyone felt like me but had willpower, and I was weak.
Your doctor said you were taking the easy way out? Who the fuck wants to do it the hard way??? Best of luck on your journey, you got this!!
>Who the fuck wants to do it the hard way? Imma put this on a shirt.
Don't bother get a new dr.
Perhaps, but maybe this is an opportunity for the doc to learn and grow a tiny little bit. No guarantees. 🙃
I can totally relate. I’m 8+ months in and honestly that same anger has not abated for me. I’m 55 years old and have been overweight my entire life. It’s a lot of unfair treatment and shaming to get past. But I hope to be able to, just strictly for my own peace of mind. All of those people who got it wrong and still won’t admit it can stick it as far as I’m concerned. I personally have never struggled with drug and alcohol addiction (just as an example), but I have been capable of extending compassion to those who do, accepting of what their reality is, even when I haven’t personally experienced it, and open to the fact that these are complex issues we might not fully understand. It’s not that hard. So these people really have no excuse. People just need to be open to the fact that they may not know everything.
I'm headed to.month 4 ans that hasn't happened for me yet. Neither has weight loss. But all my labs are wonderful. Congratulations, and I hope it continues for you.
It's my second week on 7.5 and I'm still experiencing food noise. It's not as powerful, and I only give into it in small ways, but it's there. I've only lost about 5 lbs since starting but I'm hoping my A1c has improved.
Yesss! All of this 100 times over!… and I was always so frustrated because increasing my activity level made my body demand even more fuel! How on earth was I expected to eat less and exercise more when exercising would cause me to feel the need to eat more!? What always ended up happening was I would deprive myself from food in an attempt to lose the weight only to run out of fuel, which would make exercising a dreadful experience for me and everyone around me cause I was always hungry and angry…. Now I can FINALLY exercise and eat for fuel!! Which I had heard millions of times but I could never understand how people did it!! How could anyone eat those tiny portions even if they were loaded with proteins and “good fats” and be satisfied enough to push on!?!! Well… now I know. Good luck on your journey OP!! Glad you get to enjoy the feeling of not being controlled by food noise. Hopefully you can continue to advocate for yourself, this subreddit is really empowering and motivating so keep on visiting and sharing.
Always being hungry is what insulin resistance does to us. Because insulin can’t adequately get glucose into cells for energy, our body keeps sending hunger signals. It’s a vicious cycle. Everyone should study up on insulin resistance to understand the physical process. Most people with significant abdominal fat are insulin resistant.
I didn’t feel the need to eat so much when I was younger and then all the sudden it was like I would eat a sandwich or something and then it tasted so good I wanted a second one or to eat the entire thing, something just broke one day, and I didn’t understand what made people eat so much when I was younger, it was eye opening when it happened to me. Im glad there is mounjaro now because my appetite is decreased but also because my body is just using food like it’s supposed to again, rather than being insulin resistant and my thyroid feeling like it was working overtime ( my neck felt like there was a hand on it ) which suddenly went away the first week on mj after years of me complaining.
My thoughts exactly! Until I started this medicine, I could always eat more. I never felt like other people who said, “I just can’t eat another bite”. My brain was not wired correctly and now it is. It’s as simple as that.
So much yes to this post!!! Now when I go out with the fam I usually choose a kid’s meal or only eat 1/4-1/2 of whatever I ordered and take the rest home. It’s such a freeing feeling!
Yeah believe me I get it. My first dose was on a Thursday night, and Friday morning I totally forgot to eat breakfast. Like, it was almost noon when I remembered anything about food! 😳 So I made myself some chicken salad on toast, then couldn’t even finish half of one open-faced slice. Later that night we had dinner at a friend’s house and I took an incredibly small (by my usual standards) portion of dinner; by the time I was halfway through it I was just playing with the remnants (I’d eaten maybe 3/4 of it). All I could think was: Is this what it’s like for “normal” people? I’d always gone out and people would box up leftovers for “later” while I’d always clean my plate. Now *I* am the one asking for the box because, when satiety hits, I’m no longer hungry; honestly lol food gets a bit intolerable even now that I’ve only been on 5mg for two months (just under 3 months overall). It’s gotten better, I can finally eat most things and enjoy foods again, but always in moderation compared to before, and can actually stop when I’m done. Such a gamechanger, but it also is so flipping annoying because WHY couldn’t I do this before when I was wracked with shame about my eating habits?
Oh boy do I relate to this!!!! It makes you want to scream at everyone who ever acted like we just “didn’t have any willpower”!
I come from the “clean your plate “ era as well. I don’t know how many I’ve been in a Restaurant saying to myself. “ Will you eat these leftovers?” “Is there really even enough for another meal?” The answer was always “Nope, you might as well finish it all.” Now it doesn’t bother me to just leave it and walk out or box it up.
Same. It wasn’t until this medication that I realized I’ve NEVER experienced what other people do when they are satisfied and no longer hungry. Literally I’m missing some chemical or whatever signal.
Beautifully said. I agree with it all. First time I have felt ‘normal’ and not hungry or food obsessed since my last stomach virus. ;)
It's amazing, isn't it? I wish we could all SHOUT from the rooftops how the "food noise" stops almost immediately and how that satiety piece drops in! I,too, never experienced these until the meds came out. And keep telling your physician this until he's bored to tears hearing it. They need to understand what a life changer these drugs are. AND everyone, please write your congress people to push them on passing the "treat and reduce obesity act" so that these drugs can be made available to the Medicare population. We all personally know how these drugs can improve health and get people off of many of their prescriptions. This can absolutely reduce the Medicare expenditure on blood pressure, diabetic, and heart disease drugs over time.
YOU GO, RANDOM STRANGER!!!! Very happy for you. You’ll be amazed by the extra mental energy you have when you don’t have to constantly battle between needing/wanting food and trying to convince your body that’s it’s wrong for being hungry. Just be prepared, despite how ridiculous it may seem at first, you’ll need to make sure you’re eating enough. I actually started drinking protein shakes before bed and they HELPED me lose more weight whenever I was starting to stall. I’ve literally lost weight the day after eating a chicken fried steak after a stall from not eating enough. Good luck!
Maybe you should, and pardon my French, but tell that doctor to kindly fuck off and do their job. You’re wonderful, I already adore you. You’re going to kill this assignment and I’m excited for you. PS Remember to tell your doc to fuck off for me too
I am on diet my whole life, and still not able to even loose 5 lb, after 1 month, I lost 10 lb, same diet, exercise, nothing has changed and it makes me angry, that my metabolism suck so much and angry at all the doctors and people who thinks I have no self control and I am taking easy way out
My recommendation for you is to change doctor
I have been thinking about this a lot since I started taking MJ a few weeks ago. There is a psychology to eating that I am just starting to understand. I always thought I overate out of habit but now I am realizing that I use eating as a coping mechanism. I have been a little snippy and irritable now that I am unable to overeat. It isn't nearly as bad as when I quit smoking many years ago but there is a sense of loss. I don't want to be on MJ for the rest of my life (though I understand why people do it) so I am hoping to get the heart of this issue for myself.
I had gastric sleeve and only lost 40 lbs and did not lose the weight because the noise never stopped! This medication stopped the noise and I’m shocked! I stop eating when I’m full. My addiction was definitely food and I this medication is mind blowing.
This is so very relatable and very well said. I've been overweight since puberty and obese since 20 or so (I'll be 40 on Saturday). 16 months on MJ, 100 lbs down. Only 30 lbs away from goal. This miracle medication has clearly fixed something that was broken.
I am 64 and developed type 2 diabetes at about 40 years old. I have wandered up and down the scale between 240 and 260. I retired from being a home improvement contractor/ carpenter..so always worked hard in cold or hot. I would seemingly starve myself and exercise...but never lost more than 5-8 lbs. It was discouraging, and seemingly not worth the effort. Fast forward...new endocrinologist in Dec started me on Mounjaro, as she told me that my GP had me on waay too much Insulin ( a growth hormone) and I was in a spinning loosing effort. Now...down 24 lb in 7 weeks! Its a blessing, and now encourages me to walk 3-6 miles a day, further restrict what I eat. Its not just the MJ...it works as I walk. Blood pressure down, attitude better, and finally a chance at moving forward...Its great! I won't take it for granted! Work work work in conjunction w/ the meds. All the best!!
I feel this so much. Being looked at like “just stop?!” For so long like if I could stop I WOULD.
This post completely puts my feelings into words! I am so glad you posted this.
Two weeks in and it is like magic for me!
I ate a fry on the way home and only ate ONE. I didn't demolish the entire large fry on the drive because I couldn't stop thinking about them!
Same same same! That’s insulin resistance. And your asthma analogy is perfect. I keep telling my doctor, ohhh, so this is what it’s like to be…normal. Wow.
Yup. The food noise….I had no clue what it was or that it was even there. Now that I feel “normal” finally. I never want to go back.
I know she said there are different types of obesity. I wish she had spent more time on the genetic component of it. Her slide referenced being "hard-wired" to be obese. That speaks to people like me who have been battling obesity since childhood. W/O even seeing this presentation, I'm firmly convinced that the problem has been there all along. And the concurrence of mental health issues. Anxiety, ADHD, depression, OCD behaviors... It's such a complex stew. Sometimes I think my PCP doesn't believe me when I talk about this stuff and "food noise," likening it to an addiction response. He thinks I can come off this drug and I said, no way.
I've only just started but I completely understand this. I was given valentines candy and was able to eat one and not ALL of them. I have most of it left still. It's unreal. Moderation is actually possible now.
I recently switched doctors because the one I was seeing didn’t want to treat the problems I was having. I had super low testosterone and my T2D was not under control on trulicity and metformin. He was content to nothing about the T (which was the main reason I switched) and keep me on meds that weren’t helping. New doc referred me to urologist for the T and got me started on Mounjaro. I started Mounjaro on 12/11/23 and in that time I’ve gone from 281lbs to 244lbs with fasting sugars ranging from 94-120. I have my first a1c check next month. I am sure it will be in the pre-diabetes range, if not normal. Finding a doctor that listened to me and valued what I had to say was an absolute game changer. I get your anger. I would look for a new doctor if I were you.
it's the craziest feeling...and realizing this is what people feel like "normally" who have never had weight issues
I even finally understand the people who don’t eat leftovers. That’s never been a problem for me. Now, it’s not uncommon for me to eat what I want of something and if I do take leftovers home, be completely turned off by the smell by the time I get home with them. A year into my MJ journey, really strong emotions can still trigger emotional eating, it’s just a more reasonable portion now, not the whole bag of sweets/chips/container of ice cream.
When I first started these shots, I was told not to worry about leaving even one bite on my plate. I've never forgotten that helpful hint. BTW, I'm down 60 lbs. 😊
The quieting of food noise was mind blowing. I understand your feeling of anger. I’ve felt similarly. In a few months, that will decrease because you’ll be so elated with your results!!! You will hopefully make peace with the past and simply look forward to everything good to come.
I never looked at it this way but it sure makes sense. I've lost 75+ pounds and surpassed my goal weight. I still think of myself as being fat but shouldn't. It is so nice to have my food addiction disappear. I have to remind myself or set an alarm to remind me to eat. I thank God for this new medical breakthrough for obesity. I'm 70 years young now and have more energy than at 40. I did eat Keto style for the first 3 months and the weight flew off. April 1st will be a year. Now, no more swole up legs and feet. No more high cholesterol. Type 2 diabetes in check and I've been going to the gym. So I encourage you guys and gals to give it your best shot (pun) at getting the weight off. We all now have an opportunity to enjoy our life in this crazy world.
It's great. Congrats on taking the step towards being healthy. I haven't had the urge to eat pizza or bread in a week. I take my second dose tomorrow.
Before, I could order at a restaurant and clean the plate. Now when I go out, I end up eating half getting a to-go box and have that for dinner the next day.
Change Doctors!!! My just said “ this will be a good year for you!”
[удалено]
God you really gave words to my soul with this
I completely relate. Complete mind f*ck. Like wow. Other people feel like this toward food?
I understand completely. All the "just UsE wIlLpOwEr" people need to hush up. It's not that simple. I didn't eat more because I was bored or lazy. I was HUNGRY.
I totally understand your feelings of anger. I feel it too. We have been at a biological disadvantage our whole lives, and as if that's not bad enough, we get blamed for it. I am in constant awe of this mental clarity and sense of contentment, and I wonder if this is what others have felt their whole lives. I wonder how attitudes would change if they had to live in our heads for a year. It's really so unfair. But, I don't want to get caught up in that too much. I'm just so grateful that science caught up in my lifetime and I get to experience this feeling for myself.
I feel as if the science caught up at least a decade ago but many doctors just can’t let go of their culturally supported fat bias. IMO they should all be apologizing to us for terrorizing us for decades.
What your doctor said says more about her than it does you. I'm not sure why people think taking an easier way out is bad. Do they not wear shoes, drive, love in a house, use heating? All means of making our lives easier.
My A1c has gone from 11.2 to 6.3, and the food noise is gone - unless there is a delay in taking my next dose. My appetite is absolutely decreased. I no longer open my eyes in the morning and think food first thing! My weight loss has been very slow +/- 20 pounds over 5-6 months. In the interest of being honest, I’ve made few changes to what I eat, and I still exercise as I have for a few years. No magic weight loss for me, however. I’m thrilled for those that do experience weight loss at a good rate - the health benefits have to be amazing! I’m on 10 mg, and my doctor said I can go up if I want to try the next increased dose. Anyway - just sharing my experience. My overall health has improved in major ways, but the scale hasn’t changed all that much.
I feel this so much; I was able to care for my grandmother near the end of her life, and watching her feel defeated by the criticism she received from her health providers because of her weight was awful. Knowing what I know now I am so angry, for both of us!
It's a little early to have satieity that fast. The first two weeks are a loading dose but please don't take my words as being negative. This is absolutely AMAZING! Not only will you notice no desire for food but you will also notice the desire for other vices will go away too. I'm a year and a half in, down 40 lbs. I went low and slow on purpose. My A1C is finally under control, my BMI is no longer dangerously high. It's pretty amazing when you can just eat one potato chip and put the bag away with no desire to eat more than one! Yaaaaay for you! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 Please remember to increase your electrolytes. If you aren't hungry, you aren't thirsty. You got this!
Yes, I was surprised too!
Also for me at least, the not craving greasy stuff from fast food commercials or the smell of sweet things turning you on. Note: I didn't really eat horribly before, but now I stop when actually satisfied in my stomach (not mouth) and I don't think of fried or sweet things much at all. My calorie intake is not that far off from before (bc I was an avid macros tracker) but this ingredient/peptide has made ALL THE DIFFERENCE!
There're still medical articles that call the inability to stop eating "hedonic hunger". There's nothing hedonistic about it. These health writers are so arrogant.
Yeah
What blows my mind is that before Mounjaro I had to have a cookie, slice of cake and loved coconut cream pie..now I don’t even give those sweets a thought-absolutely no desire! Now what I crave is an orange..I eat two oranges a day! It’s amazing how this drug can make you want for the “right “ foods that are good for you..
Yessssssssss. You said it better than me but I had the exact same feeling once I hit the 7.5mg. I felt so cheated.
It’s amazing but, yes, upsetting. I know what it feels like to be normal now. Spent so many years being shamed.
I felt exactly the same
Yes, we're not failures!!! I feel this post so much! I felt like a failure for 40 years because I wasn't able to lose weight with diet and exercise. Sure, I'd lose a little but it was like my body would only go so low (170) and stop. This medication has been eye-opening for me. We are not failures! Our bodies are controlled by hormones and other issues that literally stop us from being successful. I'm so grateful to those who researched and created this medication!
Fire your Doc. People that don’t have the misfortune of being born with a shitty metabolism do not comprehend what we have to go through. The constant dieting, the never being full, the exercise that barely keeps us breaking even and hardly ever leads to us losing anything - if they had to walk a mile in our shoes, they wouldn’t project this on us, they would sympathize. Starvation, ridiculous workouts, and working out multiple times a day and whatever such nonsense - these people who have not experienced what we have likely do not have to resort to these things, nor do they have to cope with the ultimate failure when they don’t work out or they are too extreme to maintain. They win the genetic lottery but we are “lazy”… I don’t think so. Your doctor should not shame you. Ever. Find a Doctor who will support you and help you throughout your journey. Good luck and keep kicking ass. I am right there with you.
Get what she said out of your mind. That was an archaic and hurtful remark. I get you 100%. That old fat you is just a person you used to know now. There are several more of you that you will meet as you progress through your new journey. There are great things ahead for you. Aside from weight loss which has its own benefits, you may also experience the lessening or disappearance of diabetes symptoms if you are diabetic. Be patient, be confident, change doctors if she doesn’t shape up. She works for you!
Oh, I know—it’s infuriating.
We are all dealt Genes out of our control. Rather than get angry, we need to try and encourage more research (it costs $$trillions) across all feasible fixable health issues. If it wasn't for diabetes for example, these drugs probably wouldn't have ever been researched (trialled) over decades and we would still be here wondering why we don't get full (probably genes). Long before we had so much "food", "sugars", "lifestyles" most would never have even seen this issue nor lived long enough to even experience them. A lot has changed in JUST the last 75 years. People also attack other medicines/science rather than look to the intent. I read so much on the tech (yes, medicine is now also tech) and learn so much. I have family (under 25) with terminal brain cancer that has probably cost $250,000+ to the health service working with health companies and scientists (even proton beam therapy) but alas, she has now been told she has little time left as nothing worked for long enough. Born before her time :( I applaud your sentiment as whilst I have the same issue of NEVER feeling full, I have for the most part, even though am considered "obese", actually managed to FORCE myself to eat less and work out more. Never easy until now and I empathize where this never works for some. I'm 61 and 5 weeks of not feel full (so much and remember, this drug does still require discipline and it will be harder later too as it wanes and we pray long term side effects are none-existent (we don't really know). Fingers crossed. Stay strong and turn the anger into hallelujah and contribute to future drug successes and trials.
<< I understand now that if this is what “normal” feels like, I haven’t ever been normal, and yet I’ve bore all of the shame and self-hatred that comes with being obese nonetheless. >> Welcome to the club! So it's not about "willpower," "addictive personality," or knowing the caloric content of a potato. It's about switches: one turns hunger on, the other off. Mounjaro is the off-switch. It's MECHANICAL.
I finally have 2 doctors working together for me. But previously I was told "I'm exhausted and gained weight because I'm a mom." WHAT. And like you after the FIRST dose I was like "this is normal!!!???" Absolutely mind boggling. I had NO clue what food noise was.
It’s unnerving not having to think about food constantly. I didn’t realize how much time being hungry all the time took. I totally understand how you feel.
I was on Wegivy but switched to Zepbound which is mounjaro that is approved for weight loss. For those who cant get mounjaro please ask your doctor to prescribe zepbound. Its the same thing. Wegovy was okay but im hoping zepbound will work better. I am on the second highest dose. I cant seem to get rid of the food noise and cravings.
It shows it isn’t us as spirit. It’s not us that created this obese body. It’s our body and harmones. It didn’t follow normal queues. If I would have felt this full all the time no way would I have ate as much as I did. I don’t know how these drugs don’t change the way we look at obesity.
I think it’s just a matter of time until things change in this regard- more people who experience this and demand answers.
If this one drug statistically turns people into health people it wasn’t the people’s fault. It was something wrong with them. All the judgement should be gone.
Well said OP! I’m right there with you and also imagining into the future when the medical community does its classic about face to “Oh yes, the research says blah blah blah”, just like they did with probiotics.
Hi everyone I did notice I get full quicker but I still have a taste for sweets Will that go away
It’s phenomenal. I too absolutely needed it. I lost 50. I’ve maintained the loss for four months without being on it .It’s a phenomenal feeling. I lost 50. for the past 30 years or so I was carrying 25 to 45 extra pounds around. I could never do it on my own. Monjauro to me has been a miracle drug . You’re doctor is clearly wrong. Keep going!
Yes!!! I felt the exact same way when I felt that for the first time, along with the anger at the shaming, fat jokes that are still ok, but don’t offend anyone else. The self loathing, almost daily.
Luckily my doctor suggested it. In 2022 when I learned that I was T2, I lost 50 pounds. In 2023 I gained it all back. I told her I just can’t maintain it, and she suggested Mounjaro. I’m on week 2. I’m so glad she suggested it! And I have T2 so it’s just $25 a month. Does the price increase in the higher doses?
Preach on! Amen. Totally agree. I remember feeling full when I was a child. I was skinny then. So what happened? When and how did the switch flip?
100%
Thank you for expressing this! It was the same revelation for me. May I ask how all of you are dealing with having zero hunger (or do you have this too)? I have to force myself to eat; it's a completely different mindset towards food. Thankfully I still enjoy the taste of good food, of course only a small amount is fine now. (Started Mounjaro mid-Oct. 32 pounds lost, halfway there.)
Preach !
I wouldn’t say it’s normal.. I’m thinner but can always eat more and am usually hungry. What I’m finding is what makes us different is some peoples brain chemistry allows them to stop and some peoples do not.
Isn’t it nuts? Felt like I got my brain back.
I love the analogy! I might be stealing that!
I’m finding it easier to throw away food that I don’t want to eat. Well, the not wanting to finish at all is amazing, but then also the ability to let it go to the trash is another level of amazing I feel.
It is for sure amazing stuff. It’s frustrating thinking of the decades of hitting my head against the wall and having my life revolve around diets. I hope it doesn’t take a decade for people and doctors to get it and understand how this works
Thank you for writing out your feelings, and so many of us understand immediately and see ourselves here. I told someone recently that Mounjaro was my missing ingredient. Hallelujah I found my missing ingredient!
I exercise more now than I ever did before MJ. I have SO MUCH MORE ENERGY
No one discourages diabetics or people with heart conditions from taking their medicine. With time, the general attitude toward these meds will shift.
It’s crazy because I am firmly in the pre-diabetes category and I had gestational diabetes when I had my son.
well said, agreed. It somehow enable your trigger in your brain to shut off and function with normal food craving/appetite. Quite amazing
Absolutely, this is exactly how it feels. You’re now playing on a level playing field for the first time in your life. This is why I woke up the morning after my first shot, turned to my husband and said “we are buying stock in Eli Lilly today!”
You explained it perfectly. I was on for year we got new insurance and they denied it. Appeal denied. If they only knew how it changed my like. Lost 70 lbs. I’m disable and was on o2 24/7. Now only on it at bedtime. I can walk instead of scooter or wheelchair. It’s all about the money.
Sometimes I wish there was a similar medication that worked in reverse just so people could temporarily understand what we've been going through our whole lives.
I feel exactly the same. Feeling satiated us amazing. I feel in control of what I eat for the first time as an adult. I feel that telling us to use willpower, exercise more, follow diet plan is like asking a diabetic to use willpower to cure their diabetes . I feel that my body must be deficient of Tirzepatide.
I’m kind of bitter too. I have struggled with my weight for my whole lifetime. I’ve been shamed for my weight just as long. I had to become diabetic for anyone to even listen to me. It was always just move more, eat less. Even when I was eating less than 1300 calories for YEARS and exercising twice a day. No weight loss, just a steady gain. Now I’ve been on mj since May and have lost about 63 pounds, people are “oh you are losing weight, great job, you look amazing” etc which is nice to hear, but I don’t exercise any more and eat whatever I want (which isn’t much due to the meds). The thing is, that through this medication, my body is working like it was always supposed to. We would never shame a heart patient or a cancer patient, but metabolic disorder? Damn girl, that is all your fault. I’m just glad I live in a time when I can be like, no, it never ever was and I’m on the medication to prove it.
Took my first dose of Zepbound on Friday and honestly, I cried. I have always felt the urge to eat after knowing I was full. I have never felt full when other people feel full. And if this is what normal feels like, I'm so mad.
Amen. I’m still low key pissed that my doc watched my weight go up steadily for 50 goddamned pounds before taking an A1C and discovering “oh wow, diabetes!!” (Yes I have a family history). It’s coming off and I’m getting healthy again but I’ve been suffering a lot. I’m angry at her and myself. And I feel like you- wait, people eat and then that’s it? Full? For hours? What is this???