Ozempic - for those of us a few months in - Part 2

[Peridot1]

Just spotted the other thread had filled up so started I new one.

Weight has actually increased this week after no change last week despite eating better (swapping my lunches to no carb and high protein, e.g. salmon, spinach and scrambled eggs) and only being about 3 months into taking 1mg. I’m blaming ovulation, sometimes I do really bloat and then it takes my period starting for me to actually lose anything. Still, not a great feeling paired with the big cost increase.

I’ll try being as overkill as I can with drinking water this week and see whether I can persuade my body to let go of any.

I agree and I'm a bit worried about it. I've not been eating too badly. Or at least not too much. I tend to have a protein yoghurt for breakfast, an apple, a banana and a protein bar for lunch and then a normal family dinner - which can be pasta or whatever. I don't have puddings. I'm not drinking much alcohol.

I do my jab on a weekend and I am more likely to have something little or a glass of wine more so than the rest of the week.

Last night for instance I had a slimline g&t can and about 20 orange chocolate buttons.

So I'm not going crazy.

I've bitten the bullet and paid 225 for another 1mg pen from juniper.

If I was taking the 1mg dose I wouldn't have paid that but as I'm getting 8 weeks out of it it makes it less painful.

My type 1 diabetic partner tends to have a protein bar or a banana to boost his sugar fast when he has a low, so might be the culprits! Apples are fairly sugary too, potentially the yoghurt has added sugar? Might be worth looking into them anyway and seeing if they’re why. Can you have a protein shake rather than a yoghurt for example?

@Teddypops - you definitely need more protein in your diet. Proper protein though rather than processed protein bars etc. I find Babybels great as a quick snack. I tend to have a salad with tuna or chicken for lunch. Or an omelette with chopped red onion, peppers and feta for lunch. Boiled eggs are great too.

I think if you look up the sugar & carb values of these products & fruit on My FitnessPal you would be shocked. You will be spiking your blood sugars & the Ozempic will be working to bring it down. So you will end up with low blood sugars. Likewise with the choc. Buttons. There is also some evidence that sweeteners also cause an insulin spike & could be one of the causes for insulin resistance.

I've ordered my last pen for the meantime.Im not prepared to Scrabble around every month for these pens. Plus I need a higher dose now & it won't be available until Wegovy comes inline. I've finally ordered the 0.25 pen from Rightangled and will dose myself up with 1.5 mg, as the 1mg is largely ineffective on me now. This will cover the first week of my holiday to a food obsessed tropical country. I'm hoping it will stop me eating too much. Then I have a week at a beach resort & I will start Mysimba. Hope I don't react badly to it!

Weigh in day here, skipped last week because I felt so bloated.
Started 18 March: 15 stone (95kg), BMI 35.3
Today: 11stone 8lbs (75kg), BMI 27.8

Loss in the past two weeks: 2.6lbs (or 1.2 kg)
Total loss in four months: 3 stone 1lbs (20kg)

I stayed on 0.25 for the first six weeks, then 0,5 for six weeks, and then went up to just under 0.75 where I'm planning to stay as long as I can (counting clicks to get around three weekly doses out of a 0.5 pen and also spacing it out to every 9-10 days).

It feels odd to not be obese any more, people I haven't seen for a while don't recognize me at first and I feel ten years younger. My main side effect is constipation.
I'm short, 50, and my TDEE is extremely low so watching the calories carefully (under 1000kcal/day, often under 800) and focusing on getting at least 50g protein a day. Protein bars are too high in calories for the protein they deliver to work for me. Wafer thin turkey slices are my best friend! Also boiled eggs, kvarg, smoked salmon, prawns, tuna and babybel light. I make big salads and add lots of protein, or omeletts. In the evening I eat a normal dinner with family, but smaller portion and much less carbs. I take a good multivitamin and omega 3. If I do have something sugary I honestly don't feel great after, might be psychological though. I've felt a bit "weak" and cold at times, as in; "I need to eat now", but never famished or food obsessed/unable to stop eating like before.

I read that bariatric patients are recommended 60-80g protein a day and never over 1000 kcal/day and I've come to the conclusion that I have to think in the same way for life now, with or without the jabs. I think I was insulin resistent (as well as addicted to drink) which the jab removed almost over night, and I am so happy about it. Life changing. I'm obviously a super responder and have been able to given it my all, I'm sorry not everyone here have been so lucky.

The Kvarg protein yoghurts I have are 7.6g of carbs. I which I didn't think was too bad.

The protein bars vary but I try to buy the low sugar ones.

It was all for ease, but will make some better choices.

But Yeddypops protein bars and protein yoghurts don't really fall into the category of normal food and how will you keep them up without the appetite suppressant?? I'm not asking to be mean I just think they aren't great food choices day to day. Too sugary. More protein foods like eggs or chicken are good and filling

I have 1/2 pot of kvarg a day as part of my (roughly)150 kcal breakfast (Lindahls Peach & passionfruit 150g), it comes to 40 kcal, 2.5g carb and 7.5g protein. I know it's highly processed and has artificial sweetener, but it ticks enough boxes for me and I find it really satisfying.
I also have either two small boiled eggs or half a protein bagel thin with turkey.

looks like juniper is also out of 1mg now. Glad I managed to get a final 1mg pen last week, I’m not at all confident now in finding another one before I’m out again!

Just had an email from juniper saying they can no longer source the 1mg pens. They have given a few options including going on to a 0.5mg pen, doing a meal replacement shake or continuing without ozempic under their health coaches (no mention of cost for any of these options).

Just saw that too. It’s all popping off in the slack channel. I just received my 1mg pen but I’m worried about using it just to get used to side effects and then have to move back down to 0.5. Tricky!

Yes WhyDoesItAlways, I thought the lack of costings was quite telling. Are they expecting to charge the same for a 0.5 pen as the 1 pen ???

Yep I've just got the email from juniper.. I think the price for 0.5 is going to be the same. Should they be discounting them for those who usually get 1 mg +. Or issue 2 per month? I do understand that diabetics get first dibs though but a lot of obese people are pre-diabetic or at major risk of being if they don't lose weight. I am disappointed I can't lie as I've just moved up to the 1mg pen

I would assume so. They've always charged the same no matter what dose which isn't so bad when it's just for titration but this could go on for who knows how long. Wonder how long it will be before they run out of 0.5 pens.

I've only been taking 0.5 from my 1mg pens anyway so while loss is slowing and I would like to move up I'm going to stick there. I have a bit of a stash in the fridge too so not affected at the moment.

I would stay on 0.5 if I was you.

I think medical weightloss 4 u may still have 1mg pens but the cost now is quite incredible, when I was on it last year then it was £149 a pen and now it's £300

Yikes, I'm just expecting a delivery from Juniper, wonder if it'll be 1mg or 0.5mg. Will have to really make a concentrated effort with my weight loss now so I can come off it ASAP as I can't justify £300 per month!

My first 1mg pen arrived a week ago - I was thinking of going up to 0.8 rather than the full 1 and now I'm thinking of staying on 0.5. Luckily I think I'm a super responder (I've lost nearly 2 stone in 3 months on 0.25 and 0.5). Need to make contingency plans for coming off it though - I'd hate to have gone through these side effects (vomited again last night) to let it all slip once I'm off it.

Just had my 6 month review with Juniper and all they can offer is the 0.5mg. Don't really know what to do, my weightloss only really got going when I moved up to the full dose.

Just had the email from juniper too. Gutted with the shitty options. You'd think when they are no longer able to offer the therapeutic,prescribed 1mg dosage that we've all titrated up to that there would be the option of getting a discount with the 0.5mg. Or that they could give you two 0.5mg pens with some discount. Something to reflect the disruption in our treatment. Instead of a discount on a meal replacement shake ffs. I stayed loyal with juniper despite the prices rises so that I could have stability in my treatment. I know it's a global market supply problem but I feel really disappointed by juniper.

Oh boy….after10 side-effect free weeks, week 11 feels different. It’s a weird over-full, farty, burpy, nauseous feeling. It’s hard to describe but I don’t feel great.

It’s coincided with a weekend away and I’m wondering if I’ve eaten a little too much or too much carb. But I’m travelling with very thin, weight conscious friends who say I’ve eaten very little but I feel so full and sick.

All I’ve had today is a cappuccino and and turkey and avocado sandwich. Just typing that makes me want to puke.

Any suggestions?

@HolidayHappy123 Take some Rennie and handful of almonds when you can face them.

I got the Juniper email too. So frustrating as I had delayed my delivery of my next pen because I am away - now they are delaying sending pens out. I think it is possible there won’t be a pen at all in the end. Very frustrating. Not really sure what to do about that. I am not ready for this journey to be over.