Recently, I had put on up to over 20 pounds, for having moved in to temporary housing, and for being offered 3 square meals a day, whereas my mealtime was previously more sparse and erratic, and whereas I was previously living a more active lifestyle. I had tried out Metformin, which is another diabetic drug that is also given to patients who have been experiencing weight gain, but I was interested in Ozempic (alternately known as Wegovy, by another maker, which I’ve currently been prescribed), which had been trending recently, in news articles.
My experience with Metformin was short-lived; since it was prescribed to me as a twice-daily pill, I found that I’d regularly forget to take doses, and so I would sometimes double my dose when I did remember to take it, but I was still missing days of taking the pills, on a regular basis. The backdrop to my interests in maintaining my weight, recently, were mostly of that I was concerned about how quickly I had put on the weight, and I’d been suffering from bouts of feeling nauseous, for going out, which I’d somewhat associated with starting to donate blood plasma, at a donation center, which I’d begun doing regularly, since I moved in to the new home, where I’m still staying. The weight gain happened over about 2-3 months, and, being that it was 20 pounds, and I’d gotten up to weighing 210 pounds, being a 5’8” guy, in height, it was starting to measure strongly in to the obese category. I’d been more used to being around 185, which I’d maintained for a few years, at least, consistently. I was worried that the weight gain would continue, uncontrollably, perhaps due to the changes in lifestyle that I’d taken on, and, coupled with the nausea I was feeling, it had become a prominent concern.
I was excited to hear from my primary care physician, on my Medi-Cal subsidized health plan, that I could receive weekly shots of weight loss medications such as Wegovy, or Ozempic, as it’s otherwise known (it’s called semaglutide, as a generic; all the same), since I’d been reading about people’s experiences with the drug, such as in topics like “Ozempic Face,” which is in reference to a drooping of the face, associated with fast weight loss, over a short period of time, apparently. The reality of the situation, as it seems to work out, at least, in my case, is that patients might feel more full, on a consistent basis, throughout the day, thus requiring less of a feeling of even a need to eat meals on as regular a basis as three meals a day. GLP-1 agonists, which help manage blood sugar levels in Type-2 diabetes patients, are the class of drugs that medications like semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) belong to, and they’ve even been purported to show promise in treating a variety of conditions, such as alcoholism. Even though I don’t drink alcohol, myself, I found these reports to be intriguing.
I mostly have the impression that a person’s appetite is reduced, with less discomforting side effects of actually skipping meals, as a result. Here and there, I get some effects resembling indigestion, heartburn (burping feelings coming up, from my stomach), etc., but I’ve actually started to have less nausea, and fewer substance use cravings, perhaps akin to the reports on alcohol intake that have been showing up in news headlines. It’s a small price to pay for comfortably being able to skip meals, in order to take the weight back off, and I don’t mind, much, if some parts of me start sagging, due to sagging skin. I’m getting older, regardless. Getting a comfortable pass, from my body’s take on things, coupled with an associated feel of cooperation, in my mindset, that lends itself to weight loss (I’ve already gotten down to 200.8 pounds, after 2 weeks, or so, of using Wegovy). The results seem promising and fast-acting, and I’m optimistic about future quick gains, in losing weight.
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| Single-use weekly Wegovy injection pens that I was prescribed, to start out my treatment, using semaglutide. Injections are easy; they’re pain free and not difficult. |
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