Thank you for that info! Are you still taking the 5 weekly with plans to continue it indefinitely, if you’re maintaining weight on it? (Since I’m paying out of pocket, I would love to discontinue it eventually, but I know it doesn’t always work that way.)
You’re right, maybe if I get more confident, I’ll feel more comfortable going to the gym. Right now I’m fat and uncoordinated and don’t feel comfortable doing anything – but that will presumably improve as I drop weight and workout at home.
I have probably another 50 pounds to lose, ideally – but I haven’t been at that weight since my wedding 27 years ago, LOL, so I would be happy with less as long as I feel good and my bloodwork improves.
I am taking the 5 mg weekly. Occasionally I stretch it to 10 days or so. I’m fortunate that my insurance pays for it so it costs me $20 a month. I don’t know how much longer they will do that, but I’m going to keep taking it until they decide to stop. It’s working for me and I don’t want to rock the boat. My weight gain over ages 45-49 was about 10 lbs a year… at first not that noticeable, and then, impossible to lose. I would rather not risk getting back to that place again.
FWIW, my colleague swears by her weighted vest. I’m thinking about getting one based on her enthusiasm for it. I don’t think it’s a direct replacement for lifting weights, but it could be a terrific addition to your current routine and push you that much more in your workouts.
Congrats on your 10lbs! Zepbound is like a miracle to me and I shout about it from every rooftop.
Butting in here, but as an FYI, there are weighted vests and also backpacks/rucksacks. They distribute the added weight differently, but both are great options for weight-bearing exercise(s).
If you’re feeling fat and uncoordinated and a bit older than the rest of the gym crowd, this was a great starting point for me. I HATE yoga (but not as much as I hate running) and I really loved this. Her cueing is fantastic and I started with the 10 minute program knowing I could fit it in every morning. I did it in my pajamas. I felt stronger after only a few weeks and it started my fitness journey.
She also has some stuff on YouTube that you can try out to see if you like her. https://winwithyoga.co/
This is what I think is key to me. I need something I can do before I get dressed, that’s fast. Hopefully that will get me kick started because I’m just not exercising and I need to.
My weight is similar to yours, relatively speaking, but my fat percentage is much higher. It’s always been high. I’m trying to reduce it, but it’s stubborn! I’m going to the gym, lifting weights, eating lots of protein, etc. Oh, well, I’ll do what I can.
I hear you. I have been lifting and running for years and the fat percentage really only dropped when I lost the weight with Zepbound. But with that loss of fat also came loss of muscle. And age plays a nasty role in robbing us of our muscle. I know I’m supposed to cram in like 140g of protein a day, but I rarely make it to 100 let alone 140. Some of that is Zepbound related–I am not hungry enough to eat 140g of protein. Gotta get back on my protein powder game, I guess.
If anyone has a great protein powder recommendation, I will gladly take it!
Has anyone on this thread tried the Weight Watchers new program that includes 2 pills (Welbutrin and something else)? My Dr prescribed Welbutrin for me 25 years ago to stop smoking and it worked immediately by stopping the smoking noise. He said it would work for food too - I tried for that a few years later, not the same results. However, apparently WW is pairing it with another drug that helps as well. Just curious if anyone has tried this along with their new program?
It is probably Contrave, which is a mixture of bupropion (Wellbutrin) and naltrexone, a drug used to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders. Contrave is a combo pill with sustained release forms of both drugs, but they could be prescribing generic versions of each drug off label. It would be much less expensive than the GLP1 drugs, but much less effective on average with mean weight loss about 5% more than placebo. That doesn’t mean that some people won’t respond with more weight loss, though.
I was already taking Wellbutrin before starting phentermine (because I was feeling not depressed, but kind of “blah” a lot). It helped suppress my appetite for a little while, but then stopped. My doctor kept having me take it when I started the phentermine, because she said it is a good combination. Down 27.4 pounds now. I should be at a BMI of 25 for my nephew’s wedding next month. I still cringe at my photos of me in my sister’s wedding many years ago, ha.
Oh, interesting! That does seem to be the lowest price available out of pocket anywhere, though.
I pay $349 a month (plus $5 for syringes) for the 2.5 mg dose of Zepbound from Lilly Direct – it’s not pre-filled pens, but it’s not that hard to fill a syringe from a vial.
This is the starter dose, but I’ve lost almost 20 pounds in a little more than 2 months, so I’m staying at this level for at least another month. No side effects. I’m pretty happy with almost 10 pounds a month! I imagine it will slow down, though.
Lilly says the 2.5 mg dose is not approved for maintenance and is only meant for onboarding – anyone know the reasoning behind that? It does cost $499 a month if I move up to 5 mg, so I’m going to milk this as long as I can.
Also, I’m curious what the dosage is for the Noom “microdose” that they advertise – anyone know? If that actually works, then I’m sure I’m fine to stay at 2.5 for a little longer.
I’ve just found this thread. A thank you for all of the information shared here. I’ll be starting Zepbound as soon as my prescription is filled this week. My doc went straight to this as a recommend based on BMI, Cholesterol levels and snoring. She remarked that as a 54 yo on no regular meds I’ve “had a good run ” but it’s over now. She’s enthusiastic about positive impact on cholesterol, fatty liver, snoring, brain fog for me. And, oh yeah, weight loss.
Reaction from friends has been interesting. They don’t seem to see me as heavy enough for this but we all carry weight differently and the reality is that I find myself now in the obese category of BMI and weighing more than I ever have including through pregnancies. I should lose 50-60 pounds.
I find it curious that my biggest concern about this seems to be what if I don’t want to make dinner every night for my husband (and son when he’s here), and will they feel I’m abandoning them. Neither of whom demand I do it or have expressed any concern about that. I didn’t think I was running a “food as love” house but I guess I do. Fascinating.
So, I’m hopeful for all kinds of changes when I start this. We’ll see.
Welcome! And wishing you a great experience with this medication. I love this thread as a non-judgment place to exchange information and support.
I am generally cooking only for my husband and me. He’s totally fine with my approach, including the days I just don’t really want much at all–he’ll happily eat a frozen pizza or make himself a bowl of oatmeal. Plus he’s lost a few pounds from the healthy eating. Sometimes if I’m making just a protein and veggies, I’ll add some plain rice or pasta to the meal, or he’ll have some bread (he’s the breadmaker in the family, and sadly I barely eat it now.)
For the cooking dinner thing, I did better when my now-college-Freshman was home, because he was an athlete and NEEDED fuel. Plus I was in the routine of making dinner with all the things for him. Now that both my kids are away at college, it’s so hard to motivate to cook dinner. I think my husband would be fine with it if I didn’t cook half the time, he’s content to eat cereal or scrambled eggs or something. But I need to eat something and if I don’t cook that something is often something not healthy, or not protein or veggie laden. Like, Monday night, husband was out, I didn’t feel like cooking, so i had cheese and crackers and half an apple for dinner. And I’d be thrilled to eat that every night, but that’s not a great choice.
What do the rest of you have handy as a large snack or small meal? Like if I don’t feel like going to the effort, what can I grab? (I will admit, some of this is exacerbated by the fact that spouse and I are furloughed right now and, frankly, furlough makes me a little depressed and anxious and that makes me want cheese, chocolate, and carbs. It does NOT make me think “hey, go make a stir fry.”)
I still cringe at my photos of me in my sister’s wedding many years ago, ha.
” but it’s over now. She’s enthusiastic about positive impact on cholesterol, fatty liver, snoring, brain fog for me. And, oh yeah, weight loss.