What's up, folks. I'm a 40-year-old guy who's finally admitting my diet has been complete trash for way too long. We're talking years of wings, pizza, and basically everything that tastes amazing but makes me feel terrible afterwards.

I've been researching GLP-1 medications and I'm both curious and overwhelmed by all the options. My eating habits are pretty much what you'd expect from someone who thought fast food was a food group, but I'm hitting that age where I can't pretend my metabolism is still 25, and I'm sick of feeling like garbage all the time.

I'm looking to connect with people who've been through this. Whether you're researching like me, currently on GLP-1s, or have experience to share. I'd love to hear about your journeys, what worked, what didn't, and get some realistic expectations. Also interested in how people changed their eating habits alongside these meds, because I know I can't keep living off junk food forever.

Thanks for having me, and looking forward to learning from everyone!

Hello SammyGold,

Welcome to the Bariatric Forum. I was on a GLP-1 since 2013 without knowing it was a GLP-1, and it changed over time. I was prescribed it by my endocrinologist for my diabetes. What I did once I started on Mounjaro was to lose about 70 pounds, and changed my eating habits to protein and veggies. That's all I ate. More Veggies than protein. I have a bad hip and decided I would take the next step and get the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Bariatric Surgery. While I am only 7 weeks out since surgery, I have seen a huge difference on the scale, and in the size clothes that I can wear already. My face doesn't even look like my picture anymore. I had to lose weight and get my BMI down so I can get a new hip, and I'll be getting that in August, I have exceeded the goal, and plan to keep on going. With the GLP-1s that I was on, I never experienced nausea, but that is a huge side effect for many. It has to be the right dose for you, so look carefully at the different meds, and find out what your insurance covers before you ask for a specific medication from your provider/doctor. Insurance companies are getting ridiculous about weight loss drugs and surgery. They deny due to the cost of the medications. 6 months worth of GLP-1s can cost what it would if you had a gastric bypass surgery!! So contact your insurance company to find out what they cover for weight loss. That is my big take away!

Nothing wrong with trying GLP-1s to see how they work for you. Cost can be an issue for a lot of folks, but as long as you have the means, then I'd definitely say give them a try. A few things to keep in mind:

1. Some people don't respond to GLP-1 meds at all, or may respond to one and not others. If you find out that the first one you try isn't working, be ready to try a different one.
2. Some people find that they quickly gain weight after stopping GLP-1s, which brings me to my next point:.
3. Keep in mind that these meds can be life-changing, but they are also just tools (much like weight loss surgery). The real goal has to be retraining your body and mind how to eat better. The meds alone won't do that, so unless you're willing to dedicate yourself to learning how to eat better and move more, you may end up right back where you started or worse.

In the end, these are not magic. They can reduce the "food noise", but they won't suddenly make you want to eat a salad instead of pizza. If eating better and feeling better is your real the goal, these alone won't do much.

I opted for surgery over the meds for a number of reasons including insurance coverage, med interactions and life long use of the GLP-1 meds. I did manage to lose quite a bit on my own when I woke up to the trash I was eating. A very simple tool helped me here. A phone app. It doesn't matter what you use (there are many to choose from) but actually logging everything you eat and drink even over just a week can be very eye opening. Read label too. Portions in restaurants are WAY too big. When I started keeping track and cutting back to actually serving sizes instead of overeating it helped a lot. If you start with that it will give you an opportunity to continue with researching the weight loss drugs while being aware of what you are actually eating. It is a pain to weigh and measure portions, but it makes a HUGE difference.

Best of luck with your health journey!

Hey, @SammyGold,welcome! I’m new here too and really glad I found this space. I have been managing type 2 for a few years and just recently, I started on a GLP-1 after metformin alone wasn’t cutting it. It’s helped curb my appetite, which made it a bit easier to shift away from junk food (though that wasn’t overnight). I’m still figuring things out, but happy to swap notes anytime.

Hi, I started Wegovy over a year ago and lost 100 pounds on it. I opted to stop taking it and get the sleeve done for a more permanent fix. I did really well on Wegovy and do recommend it.

What changed was the way I looked at food. I seen it as an enemy that just got me fat. I changed that thinking of it's not the enemy and I can work with it. I realized moderation, moderation, moderation is a huge key factor. Also if you tell yourself no I can't have that, you will fail. I had to change my whole thinking about food. I can eat anything but control it. I learned that the first 2 to 3 bites you are satisfied with that food and don't have to keep eating it. If you messed up and had more than you should that's ok, I learned to let it go and continue to the next meal. Because if you say I messed up and I will get back on track tomorrow, well that doesn't work. But if you say, well I messed up but it's ok and not beat yourself up and get back on track the very next thing you eat, your more successful.

You can do this, just go in with a open mind and try to put away the negatives. It really helped me working with a dietitian.

Good Luck you Got This 😊