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 3 gain: 2.0lbs
OZ Week 36 gain: 8.4lbs
