Ozempic for those a few months in - part 3

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

Thread was full so I've started a new one. 😀

@Peridot1 Yes, it's all tweakable. I guess I'm not very hungry in the mornings since I have my main cooked meal/vast majority of my daily calories around 7pm each evening. But as you can see it's very little food in total. Not for everyone.

@VanellopeVonSchweetz99 can I ask why you take your magnesium in the evenings? I've just started taking magnesium/zinc but I've been taking it in the mornings. Is it advised to take it later in the day? I know I could Google this but I'm lazy and you clearly know your stuff 😉

@nebulae - I think it’s supposed to help with sleep. I take it in the evening too. Partly for sleep and partly for constipation.

That’s a worry!
I hope there are other people from Ireland on here who would be able to give you some advice.
Is it shipping to Northern Ireland or the South of Ireland?
Did they say why they have stopped, is it supply issues or geographical.
I have no idea where you would be able to locate from if the UK suppliers have stopped sending to Ireland

@VanellopeVonSchweetz99

Can I ask why you’re taking this medication?

It seems you have a strategy that’s working and you’re disciplined, so I’m just wondering what the reason for taking the medication was, as you’d lose the same amount of weight if you weren’t on it wouldn’t you?

The medication helps with the discipline.

@1month The appetite suppressing effect of semaglutide makes the calorie deficit possible for me. I have tried periods of calorie deficit before and although it's effective for me, the food chatter, hunger pangs and cravings made it absolutely miserable and all-consuming. It's substantially easier on this medication.
On a more psychological level, but also physical, I have had a tendency to over eat and drink- for most of my adult life, triggering my brain's reward system into releasing dopamine. This medication seems to have re-wired me in that sense, removing that level of addictive pleasure from food and alcohol almost over night.

Re. the magnesium citrate: Research suggest it can relax the nervous system and aid sleep, hence may be more beneficial to take in the evenings. I mainly use it for constipation though.

I have been the same with overeating and drinking and also feel the drug has changed that @VanellopeVonSchweetz99 I don't seek food for comfort. I just don't find it comforting any more.

(6 months on Ozempic, 5st down)

That’s amazing @TheGoodEnoughWife.

Sadly after a great start for me it doesn’t now have the same effect. I can eat more and I can still drink. I lost three stone in the first six months but am not losing now and in fact gaining. I’m on 1.5 mg of Ozempic. Still have food chatter. Still have cravings.

I am going to have a long think about it all and do a plan for next week and try to get back on track. I’m not eating enough protein I think. Or drinking enough water.

I watched a reel on Instagram by someone who is on it and has lost a lot of weight and she was saying it’s normal for the side effects of no food chatter and appetite suppression to wear off and I think I need to accept that and make a more concerted effort. Otherwise it’s all a colossal waste of money!

That makes a lot of sense.

I think over eating is usually psychological, so being able to re-wire your brain around it is very helpful and will hopeful help a lot in the long run when you’re off the medication too.

Great idea!

@Peridot1 I'm sorry to hear you didn't get that incredible 'side effect' that @TheGoodEnoughWife and I are experiencing. At times of stress, my thoughts don't immediately turn to food and/or alcohol now, but don't get me wrong, I still get huge pleasure from my favorite foods and a few glasses of wine at the weekend, it's just not that 'addictive, comforting pleasure' where I just want more. I can stop now, I'm happy to stop. I feel like a 'normal' person now, having treat-type things as an occasional treat and not every day. That's new for me, and I think the physical feeling of being sated quicker also helps. As well as being hellbent on making the most of this investment!
And not forgetting my general diet over hall, I'm sure it's helped too, ie the positive spiral of a higher protein diet helps glycemic regulation. In hindsight I'm wondering if my nightly urges to drink wine and binge on carby snacks was partly insulin resistance/carb addiction, spiking my insulin levels, as well as the good (bad) old comfort eating habits I formed at uni.

How much protein would you say you are getting now? I aim for 45g/day (while staying in deficit) and I'm often quite close if not over. Turkey, prawns and fish (tinned tuna, smoked salmon) are my new best friends, and I've come to accept that not every meal has to be 'fun', it's just fuel really. Protein does keep me fuller for longer as well.
It might be worth it for you to experiment with going up on the protein for a few weeks?
Re. the water intake, it really does work. It's essential to drink sh*tloads of water in order for the body to get rid of stored fat. I have at least a pint before every meal.

There's nothing quite like going on holiday to bring home how much weight I've lost so far on ozempic. Both the fact I fit into holiday clothes for years. But more so fact that our heaviest case (24kg) weighs almost exactly the same as I've lost to date (23.5kg). It's insane to think I was carrying that round day in day our 6 months ago. Its hard to even lift! Another 2 stone/13kg to go.

@gingerbubs I know the feeling. Nothing quite like it. The improved energy levels too, right?

@VanellopeVonSchweetz99 actually not as much as I would have hoped at this stage! But I'm hoping that my general fatigue is a side effect of ozempic and/or calorie deficit and will improve when I eventually stop it and work on maintenance. I do have a bit more energy than before. I think...

I started beginning of July and just went up to 0.5 as neither 0.25 or 0.375 were giving me any appetite suppressant.

It has dampened down a little, but not as much as I had hoped. I will keep going at 0.5 for at least five weeks though, as I know some people suddenly had bad side effects at this dose.

Ive not posted here before but have read these threads regularly, especially before I started on Ozempic. So thank you to all of you who shared you journey!

just saying hi and letting out some frustration because I was with juniper and when we were all
forced back down to 0.5mg I felt
the impact wane. They price has doubled since I started and I couldn’t justify an ineffective dose for such a lot of money.

I cancelled my juniper subscription and hoped I could hold
out until somewhere had the 1mg in stock.

Quickmeds do now but because juniper last sent medication in August they are making me be on 0.5mg for a month. 😭😭😭

so frustrating to have to pay such a huge amount of money for a dose that is no longer working for me.

if anyone has started a new subscription and been able to move straight to 1mg let me know!

I’m 37lb down in total since April. Really chuffed but am developing loose skin on my stomach which I’m not thrilled about.

@Headchecked I am with Juniper. When they had the supply issues I just paused my subscription and managed to get 1mg pens from rightangled. They sent a message to existing customers who should have been on 1mg to say this is the last month before they will be able to get the 1mg pens but we had to buy a 0.5 off them this month to guarantee the 1mg pen. I went ahead with that but still sourced a 1mg from Rightangled and sold the .5 to a friend! Juniper 1mg are supposed to be available in Nov at 225 for existing customers.... let's see if that happens. How much is thier new subscription.
Rightangled is a faff but it works if you fill out the form and then when you get to the order page just refresh until it says it is available. Do this just before 11am or 6pm.

I have continued with 1mg now and not Tapered down because of supply issues. I have today finally got into the 'Normal Weight' category!
15.2 down to 12stone. This has taken 8 months but I have been canny with my pens, buying higher doses and counting clicks. Also when I first started the pens were £135! Anyway, best £1000 I have ever spent. I have 7lbs to get to my target weight. My plan is to keep injecting 1mg till I do this and then I might start to taper down. I will buy the 1mg as i Taper to keep costs down.

All very quiet on here. Loved hearing about everyone. I think the supply issues/price has caused the excitement to wane a bit. Hope you are all OK.xx

@Circa1840 This is really helpful thank you. I had checked right angled but it always seemed sold out. I shall try this trick!

Hi all, still here and now have a BMI that starts with 25. 3.7kg to go. I'd plateaued a bit but paying more attention to calorie deficit , protein and water intake and upping the dose to 0.75 has got things moving again.

Nearly all my clothes fit again including tailored trousers and skirts, though I still have a bit of meno belly, just smaller. I can live with that.

Reflecting a lot on how over 15 years I let my weight drift up to the point I did.

Needing some advice/reassurance.

I went up to 0.5 last Saturday so am due to inject again tonight.

I have felt slightly nauseous this week, obviously attributable to dose increase, not a problem.

However, I woke this morning feeling really sick, like I am just about managing not to throw up. Do you think it’s still OK to inject tonight? I don’t really want to go back to 37.5 as that wasn’t giving me any appetite suppression and my weight has plateaued.

Sorry 0.375 obvs!!

@Zempy did you eat or drink anything last night which may have caused the sickness?

If you’re nervous then just leave it an extra day or two then do the 0.5ml.

I’ve been on Ozempic since Feb, and some things still make me feel sick. I sometimes forget how eating a bigger than normal meal makes me feel rubbish the next day.

No, there was nothing unusual. I did have a later night than usual as went out, but I don’t drink. Ate a normal small meal.

It has subsided now so I will probably inject later. I need to start losing again otherwise it’s a waste of my limited resources.