Holidays in Moderation

 I've seen so many comments about people worrying about how to handle the holidays while trying to lose weight. I must admit that I'm bothered by them, because it worries me that people feel the need to be all or nothing. While the holidays aren't specifically about food, food is often a major part of how we celebrate with family and friends and really there isn't anything wrong with that. 

It's not the calories between Christmas and New Year's that make you gain weight; it's the calories between New Year's and Christmas. As long as you're making good choices the majority of the time, go ahead and have the cookie or the cornbread stuffing or whatever particular holiday food looks delicious. Try to have a sensible portion and enjoy it, but if you overindulge a bit? Don't worry about it. It's one day- just move on.

Realistically, we're trying to lose weight for the rest of our lives. If you reach that number you have set as your goal weight a week or two sooner, what affect does that really have on your life? Nothing. It's whether you'll be able to maintain your loss over time, not about the date on the calendar when you finally reach there. 

And if you learn to indulge in moderation, even if your loss is slower, it makes it far more likely that you'll be able to maintain it because you'll have learned a better way to balance food in your life. All or nothing diets don't work, and there's a lot of studies that show that. People can only handle feeling deprived for so long, and then their willpower fades and they start eating those foods again, and in greater quantity because they feel like they've missed out. And that's when the pounds start coming back on.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying your favourite treats during the holidays, or for a birthday, or on vacation, as long as the rest of the time you're doing your best to be more sensible.

So I've chosen not to do my weigh ins during the holidays this year. I know the scale will be going up with the salt and whatnot, and I'm okay with that. And I'll be ready to get my focus back again once the holiday break is over.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, however you choose to celebrate it! And have a cookie for me, too!

Exercise Update!

 

I just love this comic (by Sarah Anderson)! It's so true for many things in life, and really shows you how just a little bit of sustained effort can really pay off.

It has been about a year now since I started exercising, and I'm really proud of how far I've come. This is the first time in my life where I've managed to sustain an exercise program for more than a few weeks. While I have had my battles, especially with trying to restart again after I got sick in August, I've managed to keep fighting and even paid for those gym classes at F45 so that I really do have to go or lose the money! Yesterday I really, really wasn't feeling it- but if you cancel with less than 24 hours' notice you forfeit the class credit. They're far too expensive for me to do that, so I got up and I went and I let my trainer kick my butt.

Admittedly, I did make the mistake of telling her that she was right! A few weeks ago when I was in, she told me she thought I was getting stronger already. I didn't believe her- it's been what, a month? And now that my 2 week trial offer is over, I can only really afford to go once or twice a week at most. How could I possibly have gotten stronger that quickly? But then I did a Walk at Home video the other day that incorporated a resistance band, and I pulled out my trusty blue band that has been working just fine for me the whole time... and this time, I could tell it wasn't giving me enough resistance for a good workout. Well shucks- guess the professional that I pay to see is right about something! And now I need to get a stronger resistance band to use on the days I'm at home! 

Why did I call it a mistake to tell her that? Well, the outcome is that for some reason, the smaller weight dumbbells disappeared from the circuit today. Oops. At home, I started with 3lb dumbbells a year ago, and moved up to 5lb weights not too long after. I think I was starting to work up to 8lb weights when I got sick, so I hadn't had much time working with them yet. Well, my trainer had started me with 4kg weights which is close to the 8lbs and I figured I'd be there for a while, but after the first week the smallest weights were now 5kg weights. Then each session she was pushing me on the final set to move up to 6kg weights. Note the change from lbs to kg which is a big difference! And yesterday? Somehow, the smaller weights weren't there and the only ones out for me were 7kg! I've been trying to stick to that suggestion and do at least one set with a heavier weight each time but I wasn't expecting to move up that quickly. She told me she wants to see me at 10kg by the end of January. I think that's not going to happen since the bad weather will likely keep me from going as often as I'd like (it's a half hour walk each way to the gym) but it was certainly scary!

The biggest change, though, I think is my attitude. I still don't like exercising, but it's starting to feel like me time. Like something I am doing for self care, whether I like it or not. And that's really important, and I think it's helping me keep it up. This is something that I need to do for my body. It's good for me, and ultimately it will help me feel better and be a better version of myself, which is far more important than a little boredom or temporary discomfort. My heart will be stronger and work better. I'll have more energy. I'll be able to do things for myself around the house rather than asking for help (if I can press 10kg dumbbells, I will certainly be able to lift the 30lb jugs of water onto my water cooler by myself!), and it will boost my metabolic rate which means that even when I'm done losing weight, I won't have to go to a very low level of calories for maintenance. A body with a higher percentage of muscle burns more calories than one with a lower percentage of muscle, even at the identical weight. Even before maintenance- I should burn calories quicker, lose more weight, and my body will be more toned and have more inch loss because a pound of muscle is smaller than a pound of fat.

So do I still dislike exercise, even after a year? Yup. I don't like being all sweaty and there are always other things that need doing. Am I going to keep doing it? Absolutely. If you're able to- just get started! You don't have to buy a fancy gym membership or expensive equipment. There's lots of free bodyweight workouts on YouTube, or you can try a free week of the Walk at Home program and if you decide you like it, it's only $8.99 a month so not a big outlay. And you can do everything in the privacy of your own home!

I spent years ignoring what my body needed and instead did what I wanted. Now that I'm getting older, taking care of my body is not only a quality of life issue, but a quantity of life issue. My doctor told me when I got my T2 diabetes diagnosis that if I kept on the way I was going that I would die young. That was quite the reality check! Humans are very well known for having difficulty appreciating long term consequences. We should change now because something *might* happen in the distant future? Our brains simply aren't wired to fully recognize the gravity of the situation when it's so far from being immediate. I wish I had been taking better care of myself all along so that I wouldn't have gotten to the point I was, because there's certainly some damage that can't be repaired. I can't undo the past... but I can rewrite the future.

Things that have helped me keep going: The first one is wearing a fitness tracker. That little bit of feedback that reminds you to move your body, and to keep track of how you're doing over time really is a helpful push! Secondly, having a friend as an exercise supporter. It doesn't even have to be someone who is local to you- just someone who you can chat with about how you're doing and your struggles. And you can always do the same exercise video online wearing a headset with a friend who's far away (ask me how I know!!) and suffer together! Thirdly, finding something that challenges you without overwhelming you. I learned from the past if I try to do something that's just too hard to willpower through it, at some point I just won't be able to keep going, and then I give up entirely. By starting smaller and slowly ramping up to suit my fitness and energy levels, I can still make a lot of progress over time! I'm not Superman, and I can't leap tall buildings in a single bound no matter how hard I try to force myself to. But maybe I can jump higher and higher over time (OK, we all know I'm never going to be Superman, but I might just be able to be Super Susie!).

So take that first baby step... even when you hit the inevitable snags, have to backtrack a little, or stay in place for a while... you might be surprised at how far you can come in a year.

Week 58 Weigh In!

Well, at least it looks like being consistent is working for me again! I have tried very hard to get my exercise in and stay in a reasonable calorie deficit this week and it's nice to see some results! I'll enjoy it for now since I know that doesn't always have a direct payoff.

Not to mention this week has all the holiday events, and I plan to enjoy myself in moderation. After all, balance isn't about deprivation. It's simply making sure to get right back on track after an occasional indulgence.

I have had a hard time lately getting back on track, so I have to commit to focusing this time. To that end, I signed up for the (totally free) $5,000 HealthyWage Jackpot Challenge. Unlike when you make a wager to lose weight, for this challenge HealthyWage puts up a $5,000 pot and anyone can sign up for it. However many people achieve their weight loss will split that prize pool. Is it going to be a lot? No, but it might be more than usual around the holidays, and free money is free money! The challenge starts today and goes until March 11. Feel free to join me! It's a great way to try out HealthyWage without having to spend any of your own money.

I do have a very busy week ahead since I'm hosting Christmas this year, but if I have time I'll try to share some healthy appetizer recipes for events that I have found everyone likes, whether they're trying to cut calories or not.

Hope you all have a very happy holiday season, whatever you are celebrating!

OZ Year 1 loss: 68lbs (click here to see the week-by-week tracker!) 

OZ Week 53 gain: 1.4 lbs continuing dose at 0.75mg

OZ Week 55 gain: 1.6 lbs

OZ Week 56 loss: 0.6 lbs

OZ Week 57 loss: 2.0 lbs

OZ Week 58 loss: 2.4 lbs

Total loss on Ozempic so far: 70 lbs

Week 57 Weigh In!

 Lately, I'm just feeling overwhelmed with life. And I guess that is life, but it sure makes it so much harder to prioritize my health. I've made a point to try and stop the emotional eating, because I've been doing it when I'm not hungry. It's definitely a mental trigger rather than a physical one, but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with. Between that and feeling emotionally drained so I have little energy to exercise, I really am struggling.

The difference between now and before? I have Ozempic to help me keep going or at least tread water rather than backsliding too far. It's still not easy on those days where I just feel like making terrible decisions because I feel terrible. And it sucks that I'm losing the same weight back and forth that I've already lost. It's been a month since my one year post and I'm still not back to what I was at then.

But the reality is that some times are going to be hard. There's no magic bullet that will cure the emotional eating- that's pure and simple work that I'm going to have to do on myself. And it's going to take time, and it's not going to be easy.

In the meantime? All I can do is give myself grace and keep trying my best. Some days, my best is going to be better than others, and that's okay. Hopefully I can keep losing at least slowly if I can't be perfect.

In some ways I miss that I haven't been able to work out and in others I just don't want to do it. But I love how my body feels stronger when I've been exercising, and I like seeing in my healthcare stats app that my cardio fitness score is improving. When I don't exercise for a bit? I notice a pretty quick decline in my cardio fitness. Apparently I have to really keep it up, if I want to have a good score for my age, weight, and sex. When I'm feeling totally run down though it's really hard to summon the motivation to expend more energy.

So, it's been really hard lately. I think it will keep being hard for a while. Hopefully I can keep moving in the right direction. There's no need to raise my dose anytime soon because this one is controlling my hunger levels very well. I just need to control my non-hunger eating myself and do my share of the work!

OZ Year 1 loss: 68lbs (click here to see the week-by-week tracker!) 

OZ Week 53 gain: 1.4 lbs continuing dose at 0.75mg

OZ Week 55 gain: 1.6 lbs

OZ Week 56 loss: 0.6 lbs

OZ Week 57 loss: 2.0 lbs

Total loss on Ozempic so far: 67.6 lbs

Week 56 Weigh In!

Well, we're definitely at the stage where weight loss becomes a grind, rather than a sprint! But that's OK. Maybe slower loss will give my body some time for this loose skin to tighten up. And to be fair, I did say last week that I wasn't ready to get myself 100% back on track. I did exercise, but I haven't been tracking calories for several weeks now with all the upheaval in my life, and I only made the decision that I was ready to get started again two days ago.

So realistically? A loss is a win, even if the scale is still higher than where I wanted it to be. I have made very little progress over the last couple of months, but I'm ready to start focusing again.

And as part of that? I wound up buying myself a 25 class pack to the F45 gym as a holiday gift to myself. I really do enjoy the atmosphere there, and I like how the trainers will offer modification exercises if I'm not able to do the posted activity at a station. While the other members all seem fit, none of them has looked down on me for being fat or out of shape- to the contrary, they've all been super encouraging! 

I could have bought myself a monthly pass and it would have cost a bit less than paying per class, but I was worried that I'd get sick or wouldn't want to do the half hour walk to get there in the winter, or life would happen and then I'd be out that money. This way, the class pack doesn't expire and I can use them whenever works for me. I do plan to use them only for strength training classes, since I can do Walk at Home in my living room for far less money- I can get an entire month for less than the price of one class at F45!

Hopefully, the combination of kicking my exercise up a notch to build some more muscle tissue and paying attention to my calorie intake again will get the scale to start moving in the right direction again. After all, I've got a HealthyWager to win! 

I don't plan to make any adjustments to my Ozempic dosage. While I've been overeating, it's absolutely been on the emotional side. I wasn't actually hungry, I was just eating. That lesson came in crystal clear on Saturday when I decided that I wanted to be back on track with my food consumption and noticed no hunger pangs at all- I just had to keep an eye on when my body needed food so that I wouldn't go hypoglycemic because of my diabetes. Yup, even with the A1C under control, I will likely always have hypoglycemia since I experienced it long before the diabetes diagnosis. So it is important for me to continue to eat every few hours, but that doesn't stop me from being mindful of what and how much I'm eating, especially if I'm not having to fight those hunger pangs (thank you, Ozempic!).

Current plan: continue dosage at 0.75mg, strength training 2x a week at F45, Walk at Home 3x a week, and calorie range of 1500-1800 daily with a balanced, nonrestrictive diet. With the holidays coming up, there's going to be some wiggle room, but I'll do the best I can until then. One day at a time!

OZ Year 1 loss: 68lbs (click here to see the week-by-week tracker!) 

OZ Week 53 gain: 1.4 lbs continuing dose at 0.75mg

OZ Week 55 gain: 1.6 lbs

OZ Week 56 loss: 0.6 lbs

Total loss on Ozempic so far: 65.6 lbs

Week 55 Weigh In

 It's amazing how quickly your whole life can go upside down. The past two weeks have been horrible, and I am wrung out and beyond exhausted. Thankfully, everything will be OK, but for the past little while paying attention to what I'm eating and exercising has been nowhere near the top of my priority list, and I've been engaging in stress/comfort eating.

It was pretty awful. I ate an entire package of Oreos in one sitting. Not because I was hungry; I just wanted to drown myself in sugar. And that was just one moment in the past couple of weeks. Since I wasn't sleeping, there certainly was no energy for exercise, which means I lost the rest of my trial membership to the gym that I was enjoying. I can pay for more classes if I want to, but it's really, really expensive and I'm not sure that's in my budget at the moment.

I'd like to say I'm back on track as of today but honestly I'm still exhausted and I'm not going to make a commitment I'm not ready to keep. My survival methods when I'm worn out generally involve eating more because I need more calories to function on those days, which isn't helpful. At least I do have a fridge full of food so I won't be looking for convenience meals.

But I can't stay off track long because I have $1341 on the line in my HealthyWager! I didn't make a second wager with the intention of losing, that's for sure. I just need to get some sleep, get my head back on straight, and keep going.

Because while my health couldn't be high priority these past couple of weeks, ultimately it has to be a priority for me to take care of myself. You can't pour from an empty cup.

OZ Year 1 loss: 68lbs (click here to see the week-by-week tracker!) 

OZ Week 53 gain: 1.4 lbs

OZ Week 55 gain: 1.6 lbs

Total loss on Ozempic so far: 65 lbs

All Shook Up!

 So I mentioned in my last post that I had gotten a two week trial to an F45 gym that was within walking distance, and I'd never done F45 before. I decided to take it as a sign to go ahead with my new HealthyWager and use this as a little kick start to getting back my fitness groove.

Well, I have finished three classes and they are kicking my ass, but I am stubborn! I like how they come with a personal trainer to help make sure you're doing the moves correctly and to offer modifications if you need it. Readers- I needed them! Most of the other people there were all fit people there to build muscle, not people like me who still have quite a lot of weight to lose. But you know what? They were all super nice and welcoming even still. I didn't feel like anyone was judging me for using the lightest weights or needing to modify exercises or taking a break. The trainer told me I should be proud of myself for showing up and doing my best, and I am!

That being said, it's been hard on my body! My first class was on Tuesday and I've been pretty sore since then. I took today off, and I think I won't go to Saturday's class either. Hopefully by then my muscle soreness will have eased up and I'll be good to go on Sunday. That might mean I don't get to use all ten of my classes since the package is only for 14 days but I'll do my best! 

I don't know if I'll be able to go to this gym once my trial is over though. I am really enjoying it, but I had no idea that gyms cost so much nowadays. I was reminded that the last time I had a gym membership was over 15 years ago and of course things cost more now, but I wasn't expecting $229 a month (they offered me $199 as a Black Friday promotion), or I could pay $139 a month for 8 classes a month, or I can buy a 25 class package for $500. That seems like an awful lot of money to me when I pay my $8.99 a month for the Leslie Sansone Walk at Home subscription! To be fair, they have a lot of equipment at the gym that I don't have at home, and I know personal training is very expensive too. I just wasn't anticipating that much money. It was also pointed out to me that even the cheap gyms that run classes are about $80 a month, so this really isn't that much more. That being said, it might mean a gym is simply out of my price range for now. 

We'll see how I feel about it maybe in a few months. For now, I'm going to go to as many classes as I can and get as much use out of my trial membership as my body can handle! I've really been enjoying the hard push and having someone cheer me on and encourage me to work right up until the buzzer goes off. Those are things I don't have at home, either. Also, apparently I've been doing deadlifts incorrectly and I have to work on that.

I'm guessing that for now, I probably don't need to work out this intensely to lose weight. I'll probably be just fine with my Leslie Sansone videos. Maybe as I get closer to goal, I might need to step things up a bit and then something like this might make more sense for that kind of outlay of cash. I'll think about it anyway. I wish I had a few more weeks to stick with it and see how it's affecting my body!

One day at a time. Since today is a recovery day, I went for a nice walk at a fairly slow pace just to keep my muscles stretched out. I also upped my protein on the weight lifting days and drank extra water to help with the muscle soreness. Hopefully I'll be back to my usual sassy self in a couple of days!

Week 53 Weigh In!

 I noticed the past week that I was just not feeling disciplined, and after 8 months of doing my absolute best to exercise and stay within my calories so that I'd win my wager, I was okay with not going hog wild, but by just not really worrying about food and having what I wanted when I was hungry. So, no surprises that I have a little bit of a gain this week. That being said, I feel like I was mindful about my choices, I didn't binge, and I'm feeling good about getting focused again, so I think it was just fine to indulge a little bit.

And after playing with the Healthy Wager settings for a while, I decided to make a second wager after all! I was trying to make another conservative wager so I'd feel confident about it, but the payout ROI was much lower than it was on my first wager, so I guess the HealthyWage staff have faith in me! I found that the payouts didn't start to go past 100% unless I said I'd lose at least 35lbs and since I'm getting smaller and closer to my goal weight, that made me a bit nervous since I'd be approaching my goal weight and I know it's normal to hit longer plateaus at that point.

But since I am placing my new wager within 2 weeks of winning my last bet, they are letting me use my weigh-out verified weight for my new wager- and I made that one in the evening after eating dinner and drinking some water, so I'm already down a few pounds from there! So I figured that would give me a little bit of a boost. So here we go again- I have wagered $35 per month that I will lose 40lbs in 18 months, which is about half a pound a week. I'm hoping that I'll be able to average that, but it's a long timespan so we will see how it goes!

If you're thinking of making some money while you lose the weight you were going to lose anyway, you can get an extra $40 free on your wager payout by using my referral link!! Put it towards some nice new clothes that fit!

I am also still exercising at home with my Leslie Sansone Walk at Home subscription, but I decided to go along with this new wager that I'd give myself a little bit of a kickstart. I saw an ad on my Facebook page for an F45 gym that is within walking distance, and they were offering a pass for 10 workouts in 14 days for $29. I'll be honest, I have absolutely no idea what F45 is so I might have bitten off more than I can chew, but I decided that I would give it a try. Something to shake it up a bit in my gym routine so that my body doesn't get acclimatized. And maybe it will help boost my muscle development so that it becomes easier for me to lose more fat. 10 workouts in 14 days is a pretty crazy schedule but it's only for 2 weeks so I am going to give it a try. I'll be updating here how it goes!

OZ Year 1 loss: 68lbs (click here to see the week-by-week tracker!) 

OZ Week 53 gain: 1.4 lbs

Total loss on Ozempic so far: 66.6 lbs

One Year Weigh In!!!

 Wow- hard to believe it's been a year already! But on the same hand, look at all the changes I've been able to make this year! 

I'm really proud of everything I've accomplished this year. While it's been more than a year since I've been trying to take back my health (that journey restarted on April 1, 2022 when I got my T2 diabetes diagnosis), it's been exactly 52 weeks since I took my first injection of Ozempic.

And what a difference a year makes! By every indicator, I'm definitely improving my health and hopefully fighting back against my chronic conditions. First and most obviously, I am down 68 pounds! While it's slowed significantly, that's still an incredible amount of weight and I'm so grateful not to be hauling it around every day- I'm sure my joints are, too. Including the time before I started Ozempic, I hit a new milestone today and I am down 95lbs total!

I won my HealthyWager!!! In hindsight, I wish I had bet more because I felt like I was a sure bet. I'm considering placing a second wager but I guess it will depend on what kind of odds they are giving me! 

Secondly, while I didn't take measurements at the start of my journey (kind of wish I did but honestly I wasn't going to keep up with them), I have seen my clothes get bigger and bigger and become unwearable, which is awesome. And despite that niggling bit of anxiety that I've been in this place before, I am quite firmly getting rid of the ones that are too big to wear. I'm just going to have to deal with life and the demons that come up so that I don't regain the weight again because I genuinely believe I will die if I do. My body can't handle being the size it was. I started at a 4X, size 24ish depending on the clothes, and currently wearing XL, size 14-16ish comfortably.

Thirdly, my A1C dropped from 7.0 (confirmed diabetes) in April 2022 to 5.1 as of last week. That's not only not diabetic, it's not even at risk anymore. I have normal A1C! That's amazing and I'm ridiculously happy about that. No insulin, and no crazy restrictive diets or counting carbs, either- I couldn't live like that.

Fourthly, I'm making better choices- the soft positives rather than the hard positives of the numbers. While I'm not back to where I was in terms of my physical fitness before I got sick, I'm still battling my way back. My cardio fitness score has started to improve again, even if it's still below average again. And while I'm still struggling to get the frequency of my workouts back to my 4-6 times a week, I'm still getting in at least 1-2 a week plus long walks on 2 days, so I'm not back to being a couch potato. It's hard battling inertia, but it does get easier when exercise was just something that I did as a habit rather than something I had to make myself do. I'll get back there; I just need to keep working at it and not give up.

And fifthly- look at me! :)

July 2022

Nov 2023

The workout clothes in the first pic are a size 4X and the ones on the second pic are a 0X!

I still have more weight that I'd like to lose. I saved all my smaller size clothes from before I regained the weight, so I'm looking forward to having them all back. I'm already into some of them which feels great, but there's a particular pair of size ten jeans that are calling my name. I'm sure the journey forward will be slower since I have less to lose, but I will keep doing my best and take it one day at a time. Because all those individual days can really add up to a lot of progress! Look at what a year can do!

Start Date: November 7, 2022  0.25mg

OZ Week 1 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 2 loss: 2.2 lbs
OZ Week 3 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 4 loss: 4.4lbs

OZ Week 5 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 6 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 7: skipped weigh in  0.39mg (used "bonus bit" in the pen)

OZ Week 8 gain: 4.4lbs  back to 0.25mg (started exercising seriously)

OZ Week 9 loss: 6.6lbs

OZ Week 10 loss: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 11 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 12 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 13 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 14 loss: 1.6lbs

OZ Week 15 loss: 0.4lbs (took booster dose halfway through the week, so 0.25mg + 0.33mg)

OZ Week 16 loss: 4lbs  raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 17 loss: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 18 loss: 5.6lbs

OZ Week 19 gain: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 20 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 21 loss: 2.0lbs raised dose to 0.40mg

OZ Week 22 loss: 2.8lbs raised dose to 0.42mg

OZ Week 23 loss: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.44mg

OZ Week 24 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 25 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 26 gain: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 27 loss: 3.8lbs

OZ Week 28 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 29 loss: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 30 loss: 1.6lbs raised dose to 0.46mg

OZ Week 31 loss: 2.2lbs raised dose to 0.50mg

OZ Week 32 loss: 1.2lbs

OZ Week 33 loss: 0.8lbs

OZ Week 34 loss: 2.4 lbs

OZ Week 35 on vacation: no weigh in
OZ Week 36 gain: 8.4lbs

OZ Week 37 loss: 6.0lbs

OZ Week 38 loss: 4.6lbs

OZ Week 39 gain: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 40 loss: 1.8lbs 

OZ Week 41 loss: 0.6lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 42 gain: 2.4lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 43 loss: 3.2lbs restarted at 0.25mg

OZ Week 44 gain: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 45 loss: 1.6lbs raised dose to 0.50mg

OZ Week 46: 0.0lbs 

OZ Week 47 loss: 3.8lbs

OZ Week 48 loss: 0.2lbs

OZ Week 49: no weigh in

OZ Week 50 gain: 1.8lbs raised dose to 0.62mg

OZ Week 51 loss: 1.4lbs raised dose to 0.75mg

OZ Week 52 loss: 2.6lbs

Total loss on Ozempic so far: 68lbs

Losing to Win!

I did it, everyone! I bet $50 per month for 8 months that I would lose 30lbs. I figured that was pretty much a sure bet- since it's less than a pound per week. I'm definitely glad I gave myself some extra space because when I got sick and couldn't work out, my weight loss slowed right down. But I still made it with room to spare and I'm excited to collect my winnings!!! I win $1141!!!

I think I'll be putting this money away to spend on new clothes once I reach my maintenance phase. I still have some weight that I'd like to lose so for now I'm going to stick with cheap options like thrift stores and Marketplace so that I can wear clothes that fit and aren't too baggy, but also not a waste of money since hopefully I won't be in them for too long.

Definitely considering making another wager, although I have to take into account that my loss rate has significantly slowed since I have much less weight to lose.

If you haven't tried HealthyWage out, I'd definitely recommend them. You are absolutely allowed to take any medications you have been prescribed, including Ozempic and other GLP-1s. And if you sign up for your wager through my referral link, you'll get an extra $40 on your prize!

It really is a nice extra bonus to get paid to lose weight, and if you're paying for your Ozempic out of pocket, you can even use your wager as a way to fund the meds! Just play around with the prize calculator until you get a payout you are happy with. The minimum timespan is 6 months (no crash diets!) and the minimum amount of weight you have to lose is 10% of your starting weight. The minimum bet is $200 (total over the timespan, not per month!). Beyond that- you can play around with it and make longer timeframes, lose more weight or bet more money- the choice is yours to make it work best for you.

My best recommendation is to give yourself some wiggle room because bodies can be a little unpredictable. They do allow you to extend your wager if you're close but not quite there, but it's better not to need that safety net! Healthy weight loss is 1-2lbs per week, so I would definitely take that into account even if you think you can lose faster. Some weeks I did, but on average, I wouldn't have been able to sustain that.

But if you're already working hard and losing weight... why not get paid for it, too? It's a pretty exciting feeling to add to the excitement of losing! And something to remember when we have those moments where we want to backslide a bit. Just a little bit of extra motivation!

Week 51 Weigh In!

 Well, we're coming into the homestretch of my first year on Ozempic!

I'm sorry I haven't posted many recipes lately. Life has been just a little too busy to be focusing on my blog, but I'm doing the best I can, one day at a time. I intend to keep journaling a minimum of weekly about my progress, and I'll keep sharing helpful tips and recipes as I am able to.

I did increase my dose to 0.75mg last Monday, and I noticed that I felt the effects of the increase almost immediately. I really am glad that I chose to delay raising my doses for as long as I did so that now, when I do need that extra boost, that hopefully the increased dose will help me lose again. If I had taken the standard dose progression there would be nowhere to increase at this point since I've been on Ozempic for so long. I did notice more appetite suppression this week, and fortunately not much in the way of side effects. Hopefully this will continue for at least a little while!

The last few months really crystalized for me that I don't think I could have come this far on my own after all. And I think all along I was feeling like maybe I could have done this without the Ozempic because I have lost large amounts of weight before, twice. The first time was also mostly without exercise, but I was in my 20s then when everything is easier! In 2019 I had lost about 60lbs before covid hit, but wound up regaining it all and then some. This time? I lost 27lbs on my own before it started to get hard, and that's not really very much at all considering the size I was. I think that not only was my diabetes diagnosis making it more difficult to lose, but also the fact that I have yo-yo'ed so many times has damaged my metabolism, and it will probably take quite a while before it starts to return to baseline (if it ever does).

But the fact that my loss slowed down so suddenly and then I started to see movement again once I increased my dose? That tells me that a lot of this is out of my control and that the medication is helping my body function the way it should. I mean, obviously what I choose to eat is within my control. Exercise is within my control. But I can't control how my body responds to those things, and Ozempic can. So I am grateful that medications like this exist and will help me get and stay healthier. I can't do it alone, and the medication can't do it for me- but we can make a great team!

I'm still struggling with the exercise, but I'm trying to give myself a little grace because life has been so stressful lately that sometimes the last thing I want to do is spend even more energy. It's hard, because most of the time I know it will help me feel better, but that occasional time I feel completely drained and tapped out afterwards and that is miserable. I don't have a lot of extra energy to spare now, but I also don't want to waste whatever boost I am getting from the increased dosage, so I really do need to be more mindful of my choices.

One day at a time... as I've said before, the most important step in any journey is always the next one. We can't control where we were before, and we can't always control what comes next, but we can control what we do right in this moment.

Start Date: November 7, 2022  0.25mg

OZ Week 1 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 2 loss: 2.2 lbs
OZ Week 3 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 4 loss: 4.4lbs

OZ Week 5 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 6 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 7: skipped weigh in  0.39mg (used "bonus bit" in the pen)

OZ Week 8 gain: 4.4lbs  back to 0.25mg (started exercising seriously)

OZ Week 9 loss: 6.6lbs

OZ Week 10 loss: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 11 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 12 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 13 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 14 loss: 1.6lbs

OZ Week 15 loss: 0.4lbs (took booster dose halfway through the week, so 0.25mg + 0.33mg)

OZ Week 16 loss: 4lbs  raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 17 loss: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 18 loss: 5.6lbs

OZ Week 19 gain: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 20 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 21 loss: 2.0lbs raised dose to 0.40mg

OZ Week 22 loss: 2.8lbs raised dose to 0.42mg

OZ Week 23 loss: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.44mg

OZ Week 24 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 25 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 26 gain: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 27 loss: 3.8lbs

OZ Week 28 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 29 loss: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 30 loss: 1.6lbs raised dose to 0.46mg

OZ Week 31 loss: 2.2lbs raised dose to 0.50mg

OZ Week 32 loss: 1.2lbs

OZ Week 33 loss: 0.8lbs

OZ Week 34 loss: 2.4 lbs

OZ Week 35 on vacation: no weigh in
OZ Week 36 gain: 8.4lbs

OZ Week 37 loss: 6.0lbs

OZ Week 38 loss: 4.6lbs

OZ Week 39 gain: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 40 loss: 1.8lbs 

OZ Week 41 loss: 0.6lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 42 gain: 2.4lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 43 loss: 3.2lbs restarted at 0.25mg

OZ Week 44 gain: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 45 loss: 1.6lbs raised dose to 0.50mg

OZ Week 46: 0.0lbs 

OZ Week 47 loss: 3.8lbs

OZ Week 48 loss: 0.2lbs

OZ Week 49: no weigh in

OZ Week 50 gain: 1.8lbs raised dose to 0.62mg

OZ Week 51 loss: 1.4lbs raised dose to 0.75mg

Total loss on Ozempic so far: 65.4lbs

Week 50 Weigh In!

 Well, I've been sick so I missed last week's weigh in and have just been feeling worn out. I'm still doing the best I can, and I have been staying within my calorie range. I pulled a muscle in my back cleaning though so I haven't been able to exercise beyond going for walks, which I'm sure didn't help.

I was told recently by an endocrinologist that Ozempic weight loss slows down around a year, and that looks like how it's going for me as well. The last couple of months have been a lot slower compared to earlier on- slower than I'd like. Also, I've been working out less intensely than I was earlier in my journey and that's likely not helping. I'm already past the typical Ozempic weight loss of 20% as I'm now at almost 25% down of my weight when I started the medication (not my original starting weight before Oz- that puts me at over 30% and counting!) so I'm sure it will continue to be a struggle. That being said, I do still want to lose another 40-50lbs and then go from there.

I'm going to start trying my plateau breaking tips, which are really helpful for stubborn stalls! I haven't needed to seriously look into any techniques so far, so I suppose now is when I need them. Also, I still haven't even reached the therapeutic dose of Ozempic, so it might be time to increase my dosage beyond 0.5mg. I don't plan to jump directly to 1mg though! The last thing I want is to deal with side effects at this point in my journey when I haven't had too many so far. I'm not sure if I'll go to .625 or .75 first but I'll think about it today before I take my dose tonight.

It would be so nice to see that scale moving again rather than bouncing around! I plan to keep working hard, focus on rebuilding my stamina for exercise, and keep going. My cardiac fitness score is slowly starting to increase again, although it is still quite a ways from where it was in the summertime, but I'm going to keep working at it. 

One day at a time... look where baby steps can get you!

Start Date: November 7, 2022  0.25mg

OZ Week 1 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 2 loss: 2.2 lbs
OZ Week 3 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 4 loss: 4.4lbs

OZ Week 5 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 6 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 7: skipped weigh in  0.39mg (used "bonus bit" in the pen)

OZ Week 8 gain: 4.4lbs  back to 0.25mg (started exercising seriously)

OZ Week 9 loss: 6.6lbs

OZ Week 10 loss: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 11 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 12 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 13 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 14 loss: 1.6lbs

OZ Week 15 loss: 0.4lbs (took booster dose halfway through the week, so 0.25mg + 0.33mg)

OZ Week 16 loss: 4lbs  raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 17 loss: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 18 loss: 5.6lbs

OZ Week 19 gain: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 20 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 21 loss: 2.0lbs raised dose to 0.40mg

OZ Week 22 loss: 2.8lbs raised dose to 0.42mg

OZ Week 23 loss: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.44mg

OZ Week 24 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 25 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 26 gain: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 27 loss: 3.8lbs

OZ Week 28 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 29 loss: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 30 loss: 1.6lbs raised dose to 0.46mg

OZ Week 31 loss: 2.2lbs raised dose to 0.50mg

OZ Week 32 loss: 1.2lbs

OZ Week 33 loss: 0.8lbs

OZ Week 34 loss: 2.4 lbs

OZ Week 35 on vacation: no weigh in
OZ Week 36 gain: 8.4lbs

OZ Week 37 loss: 6.0lbs

OZ Week 38 loss: 4.6lbs

OZ Week 39 gain: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 40 loss: 1.8lbs 

OZ Week 41 loss: 0.6lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 42 gain: 2.4lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 43 loss: 3.2lbs restarted at 0.25mg

OZ Week 44 gain: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 45 loss: 1.6lbs raised dose to 0.50mg

OZ Week 46: 0.0lbs 

OZ Week 47 loss: 3.8lbs

OZ Week 48 loss: 0.2lbs

OZ Week 49: no weigh in

OZ Week 50 gain: 1.8lbs

Total loss on Ozempic so far: 64lbs

Week 48 Weigh In!

Well, with my son's birthday and Thanksgiving added into the mix, I'm not disappointed to see a small loss on the scale this week. I also haven't really exercised at all this weekend because it was so busy with the cooking and cleaning and entertaining- I'm going to remedy that this week.

Honestly, the more of a break I take from exercising, the harder it is to get back into it. When I was working out 5-6 days a week, it was just something I did, so like it or not I got used to it. Now? It's back to being something that is hard to do and my brain whines like a six year old about doing it. Sometimes I just have to remind myself to be the adult and do the thing that is good for me, whether I want to or not. My cardiac fitness score remains below average quite a bit- that drop from the month in bed was precipitous and it scares me. I really want to see some markers of improvement, and I haven't been exercising consistently enough for that. I've gone for a few walks this past week but that's not really enough to boost my fitness level. And I need to start lifting weights again as well.

With all the holidays, I definitely did overeat a bit this week, and that I'm okay with. Fortunately, I don't experience side effects from overeating, or for eating heavier foods. This doesn't mean I give myself carte blanche to stuff myself, but yeah, I did have a small plate of seconds I probably shouldn't have. As long as it's not my usual practice, I can forgive myself for a couple of times a year. And the leftover sugarfree pumpkin pie I had for breakfast was delicious!

The next major occasion is my birthday next month, so time to focus and see how far I can get before my next indulgences!

Start Date: November 7, 2022  0.25mg

OZ Week 1 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 2 loss: 2.2 lbs
OZ Week 3 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 4 loss: 4.4lbs

OZ Week 5 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 6 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 7: skipped weigh in  0.39mg (used "bonus bit" in the pen)

OZ Week 8 gain: 4.4lbs  back to 0.25mg (started exercising seriously)

OZ Week 9 loss: 6.6lbs

OZ Week 10 loss: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 11 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 12 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 13 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 14 loss: 1.6lbs

OZ Week 15 loss: 0.4lbs (took booster dose halfway through the week, so 0.25mg + 0.33mg)

OZ Week 16 loss: 4lbs  raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 17 loss: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 18 loss: 5.6lbs

OZ Week 19 gain: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 20 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 21 loss: 2.0lbs raised dose to 0.40mg

OZ Week 22 loss: 2.8lbs raised dose to 0.42mg

OZ Week 23 loss: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.44mg

OZ Week 24 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 25 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 26 gain: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 27 loss: 3.8lbs

OZ Week 28 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 29 loss: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 30 loss: 1.6lbs raised dose to 0.46mg

OZ Week 31 loss: 2.2lbs raised dose to 0.50mg

OZ Week 32 loss: 1.2lbs

OZ Week 33 loss: 0.8lbs

OZ Week 34 loss: 2.4 lbs

OZ Week 35 on vacation: no weigh in
OZ Week 36 gain: 8.4lbs

OZ Week 37 loss: 6.0lbs

OZ Week 38 loss: 4.6lbs

OZ Week 39 gain: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 40 loss: 1.8lbs 

OZ Week 41 loss: 0.6lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 42 gain: 2.4lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 43 loss: 3.2lbs restarted at 0.25mg

OZ Week 44 gain: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 45 loss: 1.6lbs raised dose to 0.50mg

OZ Week 46: 0.0lbs 

OZ Week 47 loss: 3.8lbs

OZ Week 48 loss: 0.2lbs

Total loss on Ozempic so far: 65.8lbs

Week 47 Weigh In!

This was a nice way to start off the week! With a lot of holidays coming up, I've been thinking about the possibility that my weight loss will stall, but I'm also very okay with slower losses and I don't want to miss out on celebrations and events. Today is my son's 14th birthday, and he wants to go to an all you can eat restaurant. So that's what we're going to do. I won't eat my money's worth but with restaurant prices, who can nowadays anyway? I'm just going to spend time with my son and enjoy what works for me. Then this weekend is Thanksgiving, my mother's birthday is coming up soon, then mine as well as two other family birthdays before Christmas! This time of year is crazy. But I made it through just fine last year on Ozempic and still enjoyed myself, and I'm sure I will this year, too.

While progressing milestones have been slower, I am still super proud of each and every one! I can't even imagine carrying nine gallons of paint for even ten minutes, let alone for every moment of my life. While that includes weight I lost on my own prior to starting Ozempic, I have worked hard for those pounds and they sure still count! 

Start Date: November 7, 2022  0.25mg

OZ Week 1 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 2 loss: 2.2 lbs
OZ Week 3 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 4 loss: 4.4lbs

OZ Week 5 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 6 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 7: skipped weigh in  0.39mg (used "bonus bit" in the pen)

OZ Week 8 gain: 4.4lbs  back to 0.25mg (started exercising seriously)

OZ Week 9 loss: 6.6lbs

OZ Week 10 loss: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 11 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 12 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 13 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 14 loss: 1.6lbs

OZ Week 15 loss: 0.4lbs (took booster dose halfway through the week, so 0.25mg + 0.33mg)

OZ Week 16 loss: 4lbs  raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 17 loss: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 18 loss: 5.6lbs

OZ Week 19 gain: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 20 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 21 loss: 2.0lbs raised dose to 0.40mg

OZ Week 22 loss: 2.8lbs raised dose to 0.42mg

OZ Week 23 loss: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.44mg

OZ Week 24 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 25 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 26 gain: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 27 loss: 3.8lbs

OZ Week 28 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 29 loss: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 30 loss: 1.6lbs raised dose to 0.46mg

OZ Week 31 loss: 2.2lbs raised dose to 0.50mg

OZ Week 32 loss: 1.2lbs

OZ Week 33 loss: 0.8lbs

OZ Week 34 loss: 2.4 lbs

OZ Week 35 on vacation: no weigh in
OZ Week 36 gain: 8.4lbs

OZ Week 37 loss: 6.0lbs

OZ Week 38 loss: 4.6lbs

OZ Week 39 gain: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 40 loss: 1.8lbs 

OZ Week 41 loss: 0.6lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 42 gain: 2.4lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 43 loss: 3.2lbs restarted at 0.25mg

OZ Week 44 gain: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 45 loss: 1.6lbs raised dose to 0.50mg

OZ Week 46: 0.0lbs 

OZ Week 47 loss: 3.8lbs

Total loss on Ozempic so far: 65.6lbs

Week 46 Weigh In!

Well, looks like I'm a little backed up with fiber this week! Throughout the week I was several pounds down, but on the weekend I was hungry so I ate a lot of raw roughage, and I think it's still with me. I'm sure it will be temporary! And of course, just another reminder that it's normal for bodies to fluctuate for various reasons. During the week I did weigh myself daily just to have an idea of what was happening and there was up to a 6lb spread between the highest and the lowest! So try not to worry if the scale isn't moving the way you'd like- you probably just caught it at the wrong moment.

I had planned to titrate my dose up a bit more slowly, but there was just a bit more than 0.5mg left in the pen and I didn't want either to waste it or to be doing clicks on a new pen if I didn't have to, so I just took it all :P  I had a bit of nausea during the week but no other side effects so I guess it was OK after all. Now I'm back to my previous normal dose, so I'll be staying here until further notice. I don't see the need to move up yet and I'd rather save the dose increases for when I am smaller, as the weight will inevitably be more difficult to lose.

Start Date: November 7, 2022  0.25mg

OZ Week 1 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 2 loss: 2.2 lbs
OZ Week 3 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 4 loss: 4.4lbs

OZ Week 5 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 6 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 7: skipped weigh in  0.39mg (used "bonus bit" in the pen)

OZ Week 8 gain: 4.4lbs  back to 0.25mg (started exercising seriously)

OZ Week 9 loss: 6.6lbs

OZ Week 10 loss: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 11 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 12 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 13 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 14 loss: 1.6lbs

OZ Week 15 loss: 0.4lbs (took booster dose halfway through the week, so 0.25mg + 0.33mg)

OZ Week 16 loss: 4lbs  raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 17 loss: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 18 loss: 5.6lbs

OZ Week 19 gain: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 20 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 21 loss: 2.0lbs raised dose to 0.40mg

OZ Week 22 loss: 2.8lbs raised dose to 0.42mg

OZ Week 23 loss: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.44mg

OZ Week 24 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 25 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 26 gain: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 27 loss: 3.8lbs

OZ Week 28 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 29 loss: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 30 loss: 1.6lbs raised dose to 0.46mg

OZ Week 31 loss: 2.2lbs raised dose to 0.50mg

OZ Week 32 loss: 1.2lbs

OZ Week 33 loss: 0.8lbs

OZ Week 34 loss: 2.4 lbs

OZ Week 35 on vacation: no weigh in
OZ Week 36 gain: 8.4lbs

OZ Week 37 loss: 6.0lbs

OZ Week 38 loss: 4.6lbs

OZ Week 39 gain: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 40 loss: 1.8lbs 

OZ Week 41 loss: 0.6lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 42 gain: 2.4lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 43 loss: 3.2lbs restarted at 0.25mg

OZ Week 44 gain: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 45 loss: 1.6lbs raised dose to 0.50mg

OZ Week 46: 0.0lbs 

Total loss on Ozempic so far: 61.8lbs

Week 45 Weigh In!

This past week I have been trying to boost my exercise a little bit. It still feels very hard, though. I think while I was sick, my body must have cannibalized a lot of the muscle I had been building and that just sucks. But it is what it is so all I can really do is work on rebuilding. Before, I was exercising 4-6 days per week, with a mixture of both cardio and strength training. Now, I have two days a week where I'm required to be consistently walking quickly for an hour plus per day for work and I don't have the time and energy to do an additional workout on top of it. I'm trying to do at least two half hour workouts during the week at this point, and hopefully increase it as I get some stamina again. Funny how three weeks basically entirely in bed will mess you up pretty badly, eh?

If you're wondering why I'm stressing the exercise so much, here is a really great article on why it's so important to work out even if you're losing weight just fine without it. Does it boost weight loss? Generally yes, as long as you don't eat all the calories you burn additionally (but do add a little extra protein if you're building muscle), but they're finding that exercise improves issues with insulin resistance, lowers cholesterol, controls blood sugar levels, as well as improving cardiac health. Before I got sick, my cardiac fitness VO2 max score was 27.4, which actually put me slightly above average for women my age! I had worked hard for that because before I started working out, my cardiac fitness was in the fair to poor category. With the sedentary month, my cardiac fitness score had dropped to 23.1 which is below average, and I didn't want to see it slide any further. There have been many real, measurable signs of how the exercise was benefitting my body and that stopping it erased those benefits. That's a good lesson on how important consistency is. I think it's much more important to try and exercise regularly than to try and push intensity, if you're just working on improving your health. I mean obviously a ten minute slow walk is not going to have the same effect as an hour long aerobics class. But if you can only manage the class once every week or so but you could walk every day? Go for that walk. Get your body into the habit of moving! And as you improve your baseline health, maybe you'll want to boost intensity a little. Something is always better than nothing.

Fortunately, this week my appetite regulating hormones have died down so I am back to eating my regular portion sizes on Ozempic and I'm much happier with that. I still get hungry regularly, but don't need to eat large portions to feel satisfied. I don't want my appetite to go away entirely. First of all, that's risky for me as a T2 diabetic since my blood sugar can and will go hypoglycemic if I don't eat every few hours. This is why programs like intermittent fasting do not work for me. I start to feel sick if it's been more than a few hours since I've eaten and I do much better on my meal plan of three meals and three snacks daily. But secondly? Hunger is a fine sauce for food and it makes it taste better. It's normal to be hungry and to learn to manage those feelings. Once the Ozempic removes the intense nagging hunger and the neverending desire to eat more, what's left is what I assume "normal" hunger cues, and I want to experience how they work and to teach myself to eat properly. I do think I will be on this medication or some variation forever because of my diabetes, but building healthy habits is never a bad thing.

While my weight loss has slowed down significantly due to all this upheaval in my life, the scale is still trending down, and I'm happy with that. Approaching some big milestones soon and looking forward to it!! Nearly a year on Ozempic, nearly 100lbs lost (total, including weight lost before Ozempic), nearly to ONEderland. Those will all come at different times and weights but it's exciting to see them so close by! 

Start Date: November 7, 2022  0.25mg

OZ Week 1 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 2 loss: 2.2 lbs
OZ Week 3 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 4 loss: 4.4lbs

OZ Week 5 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 6 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 7: skipped weigh in  0.39mg (used "bonus bit" in the pen)

OZ Week 8 gain: 4.4lbs  back to 0.25mg (started exercising seriously)

OZ Week 9 loss: 6.6lbs

OZ Week 10 loss: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 11 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 12 loss: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 13 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 14 loss: 1.6lbs

OZ Week 15 loss: 0.4lbs (took booster dose halfway through the week, so 0.25mg + 0.33mg)

OZ Week 16 loss: 4lbs  raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 17 loss: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 18 loss: 5.6lbs

OZ Week 19 gain: 2.4lbs

OZ Week 20 loss: 2.6lbs

OZ Week 21 loss: 2.0lbs raised dose to 0.40mg

OZ Week 22 loss: 2.8lbs raised dose to 0.42mg

OZ Week 23 loss: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.44mg

OZ Week 24 loss: 1.4lbs

OZ Week 25 loss: 3.4lbs

OZ Week 26 gain: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 27 loss: 3.8lbs

OZ Week 28 gain: 2.0lbs

OZ Week 29 loss: 1.0lbs

OZ Week 30 loss: 1.6lbs raised dose to 0.46mg

OZ Week 31 loss: 2.2lbs raised dose to 0.50mg

OZ Week 32 loss: 1.2lbs

OZ Week 33 loss: 0.8lbs

OZ Week 34 loss: 2.4 lbs

OZ Week 35 on vacation: no weigh in
OZ Week 36 gain: 8.4lbs

OZ Week 37 loss: 6.0lbs

OZ Week 38 loss: 4.6lbs

OZ Week 39 gain: 0.6lbs

OZ Week 40 loss: 1.8lbs 

OZ Week 41 loss: 0.6lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 42 gain: 2.4lbs skipped dose on dr orders

OZ Week 43 loss: 3.2lbs restarted at 0.25mg

OZ Week 44 gain: 0.6lbs raised dose to 0.38mg

OZ Week 45 loss: 1.6lbs

Total loss on Ozempic so far: 61.8lbs

Easy Full Day Meal Plan with Takeout!

 I haven't posted a full day meal plan in some time, because I haven't well felt enough to be doing much playing around with recipes. I am doing my best to get back on track though, and my meal plan yesterday was absolutely delicious. It was relatively low energy as well, since one meal was takeout and another was only 15 minutes from start to plate! Breakfast can be prepped in advance as well so save this meal plan for a day when you are tired/don't have a lot of time to be working on your meals!

Breakfast:

Raspberry Lemon Muffins:

1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour 
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine-grain sea salt
⅓ cup melted coconut oil 
½ cup Splenda or sweetener of choice
2 eggs, preferably at room temperature
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon extract
Zest of 1 medium lemon (about ½ tsp)
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Makes 12 servings.

The lemon extract combined with the zest and the fresh raspberries made these so flavourful, and the coconut oil made them smell delicious. The protein from the Greek yogurt keeps them lower on the glycemic index which will help keep you full without spiking your blood sugars.

The muffins, while delicious right out of the oven, can be made in advance and either kept in a container for 3-4 days, or frozen for up to three months if wrapped well. 

You could also boost the protein higher by using a substitute like almond flour, or even a high protein pancake mix in replacement of the flour.

Breakfast Summary: 142 calories, 7.5g fat, 15.5g carbs, 5.5g protein

Morning Snack:

I had a strawberry cheesecake flavoured Greek yogurt along with a cup of halved fresh strawberries- delicious! If you're close to a border with the US (or live in the US yourself of course!), definitely check out American grocery stores for awesome Greek yogurt flavours that aren't available in Canada. I love the Dannon Light & Fit yogurts especially because they taste great, are larger portions than the Canadian yogurt cups, and fewer calories. I took a day trip and brought home flavours like Raspberry Lemonade, Orange Creamsicle, Caramel Apple Pie, Tiramisu, Creme Brulee, Pumpkin Spice, Boston Cream, and others. I don't know why they aren't available here but I love getting them when I can!

Snack Summary: 103 calories, 0g fat, 14.5g carbs, 12.5g protein

Lunch:

So tasty! I got a quarter chicken meal from Swiss Chalet with white meat (I chose to remove the skin). Swiss Chalet is one of the healthiest takeout places you can eat at because it's easy to go high protein if that works for you, and they have lots of side dishes that aren't drowning in sauces or grease. I got a garden salad with fat free Ranch dressing and steamed mixed vegetables on the side. And of course, can't miss out on the delicious Chalet sauce!

This meal was huge, so save it for a hungry day or have only one side dish!

Lunch Summary: 371 calories, 10.5g fat, 24g carbs, 45.5g protein

Afternoon Snack:

I went pretty basic, since I wasn't really hungry after that large lunch! I had a string cheese along with an apple and 1 tbsp walnut pieces. While I love fruit, it's important to remember always to pair it with protein to reduce blood sugar spikes.

This snack was quick and easy, and I do love snacks with multiple components so that I can get a variety of different flavours.

Snack Summary: 176 calories, 7.5g fat, 22g carbs, 7.5g protein

Dinner:

Tiny Tacos:

8 oz lean ground beef (or protein of choice)

3 tbsp taco seasoning

2 oz shredded cheese of choice

113g yellow onion, diced

lettuce, tomatoes for garnish

2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

salsa if preferred

6 PC mini tortillas

Brown your ground beef in a frying pan on medium, and as it cooks, add the onions. Make sure you keep mincing so there are no large chunks. When there is no pink left, drain out any extra fat in your pan. Add 1/4 cup water and taco seasoning, and stir well. Raise the heat to high to boil off any extra liquid in the pan, and keep stirring. Once the liquid is gone, your meat is ready! Serve with your favourite garnishes.

This barely needs a recipe at all- I just threw it together quickly but it was delicious, filling, and high protein. Serves two portions. Feel free to swap the beef for your preferred protein of choice- this will work with anything from other ground meats (or meat substitutes) to seafood or tofu. Just make sure the protein is in small bits since the tacos are so small!

I didn't know how useful those little tortillas would be since they look so small compared to "normal" medium flour tortillas (let alone burrito sized ones) but honestly they worked just fine- and you can have three of them for fewer calories than one and a half medium ones, and who eats half a taco after all?

I used cotija cheese and tomatillo salsa on mine for a little bit of authentic Mexican kick but feel free to use what you like best.

Dinner Summary: 495 calories, 27g fat, 31.5g carbs, 32g protein

Dessert:

Sticking with our quick and easy theme, I picked a grab n go dessert. These chocolate covered hazelnuts are both diabetic and keto friendly and not only fairly low calorie but also relatively inexpensive. I would recommend giving their products a try! A little low in protein but nuts are healthy fats.

Dessert Summary: 140 calories, 13g fat, 12g carbs, 2g protein

Daily Total: 1427 calories, 65.5g fat, 119.5g of carbs, 105g protein

Hope you find this meal plan helpful!