HOW TAKING A GLP-1 AND TRACKING LED TO A 130-POUND WEIGHT LOSS THAT TRANSFORMED THIS WOMAN’S HEALTH
Laurie from Los Angeles 130 pounds lost
When Laurie learned that she was diagnosed with diabetes, she was scared and worried about what that meant for her future.
In her fifties and overweight for most of her life, she was no stranger to weight loss programs and had begun attending Weight Watchers (WW) in middle school and college. Still, she struggled with her weight, and “nothing stuck.” Her preferred diet of highly processed fast foods and avoidance of vegetables made matters worse, and she would often overeat and not pay attention to portions and serving sizes. “I would eat McDonald’s for breakfast and pizza and ice cream for dinner,” she says. The medical issues started in her twenties, with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and she took medication to combat these conditions.
“I’m average height and was wearing 3XL clothing. I ignored nutrition, and it was a free-for-all when it came to food. Being diagnosed with diabetes was a huge wake-up call,” says Laurie. “It scared me into taking control of my life.”
Working with a dietitian, Laurie lost 88 pounds in one year and was using both WW and Lose It! However, she regained about half of what she had lost during a stressful period of working from home and not exercising much. She determined that the WW plan, where she ate fewer than 900 calories daily, was not sustainable in the long run.
“I had gone cold turkey and cut out processed carbs and sugar for five months. But eating so little just wasn’t working for me. I dropped WW for good and continued to track on Lose It!” she says. “After years of neglecting my health, I slowly incorporated healthy habits, such as walking and strength training. I also became more mindful of nutrition, and the app taught me how to build a balanced, nutritious diet.”
A New Era: Weight Loss Drugs, Reining in Hunger, and Regaining a Sense of Balance
For years, Laurie contemplated undergoing weight loss surgery but never went through with it. When GLP-1s became available to patients as a way to manage their medical conditions, Laurie began weekly injections at the urging of her endocrinologist, despite a deep fear of needles.
“The idea of having to stick myself with a needle every week for the foreseeable future petrified me,” explains Laurie. “But being able to go off most of my medications and be at a healthy weight rested my fears.” She adds that managing diabetes “is my number one focus. Losing weight has been a hugely beneficial and life-changing by-product of that. Most importantly, my A1C levels are normal, I don’t need insulin, and I have reversed my condition.”
Laurie believes that if it weren’t for her diabetes condition, she would not be taking a weight loss drug. In her mind, living a healthy life means one where she isn’t taking multiple pills for various medical conditions. She’s now free from most medications, including insulin, and her BMI is in the healthy range for the first time in her adult life.
Furthermore, she is aware of the stigma and potential expense that come with taking a weight loss drug. “If my insurance stopped covering the medication, I wouldn’t be on it,” she states. “I trust my doctors and the advice my endocrinologist gives me. They urged me to go on a GLP-1. I ask myself, ‘Could I do this without the help [of a GLP-1]?’ and the answer is ‘No.’”
Armed with a supportive medical team and equipped with more knowledge when it comes to nutrition, Laurie has never been healthier and is relieved that her serious health issues are behind her.
“I’ve experienced nausea as a side effect of taking the medication,” she says. “However, I know that this isn’t everybody’s experience, and the benefits of the drug have greatly outweighed the negatives. I eat a balanced diet, just much less [food] than I once did. Taking a GLP-1 has helped me rein in my hunger.”
Mindset Matters: “My Mind Has Yet to Catch Up With My Body”
GLP-1 success depends on lifestyle changes and a shift in mindset, and it’s not, as Laurie puts it, a “magic bullet” solution. She has spent time navigating the psychological changes that come with losing a large amount of weight.
“I had to steer myself in the right direction and put in the work around understanding how food impacts your body,” says Laurie. “I’m at a point where logging is a part of my life. I have an over-1,500-day [logging] streak. I’ve formed habits like giving myself a weekly injection, walking my dog, removing junk food from my diet, and prepping vegetables at home. And I don’t have to deprive myself anymore. I eat treats occasionally, just much less than before. I’m still learning about nutrition, and it’s not something that happens overnight.”
Her weight is now in the low 140s and her clothing size has decreased from a 3XL to a size small in just one year. When she catches her reflection in the mirror, she is stunned that the person looking back at her is herself. It’s all been a big adjustment and she is still working through the disconnect between her smaller frame and her mind.
“My mind has yet to catch up with my body,” Laurie states. “I’ve been in a dressing room, trying on size small or extra small clothing and crying. It just didn’t seem real to me. When I first started the GLP-1, I was still buying clothing several sizes too big. I still saw myself as overweight.”
Leaning on support groups in the Lose It! community and talking about her experience while listening to what others are going through has been a tremendous help to Laurie.
Lifelong Health: Tools for Maintaining a Healthy Weight
A Lose It! Lifetime member, Laurie says that GLP-1 medication and the app are the two essential tools in her kit that helped her reach her health goals.
“I am still learning as I go, but what I’m doing now works for me. I’m optimistic about making minor tweaks — such as adding more strength training and exercise — to maintain my weight and become the best version of myself for me and my family,” says Laurie.
She continues, “I’m not naturally someone who wants to be in the spotlight and share my story so openly, but I hope that by sharing my experience, I can help others. Be kind to yourself. Surround yourself with people who will support you.”
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Learn how Lose It! can help you reach your weight loss goals at loseit.com.