So, earlier this year I was treated for cancer, which thankfully has gone smoothly. As part of the recovery the doctors suggested I lose weight (to minimise the chances of recurrence). This was the “prod” that I probably needed. I was a frankly obscene 156kg (343lbs) when I was diagnosed and 150kg (330lbs) when treatment finished. I started on GLP-1 (Wegovy) at the beginning of August and as of today (19th Sept) I’m 131kg (288lbs) so I’ve lost close to 19kg in 7 weeks. The treatment is being carefully monitored by my medical team and I’m also combining it with specialist physical training.
I must admit it’s been an interesting experience, having been a real “foodie” in the past it now feels weird to eat a small meal (say a chicken filet and salad) and it to feel like I’ve eaten a 10 course banquet! One of the biggest issues is simply getting enough protein and I am making use of protein and nutrient shakes to top up.
But, it has made a huge difference to my sense of wellbeing and self-esteem. My target is to lose another 10-15kg in the next 8-10 weeks and then reevaluate things. I’ve also lost somewhere in the region of 14cm around my belly which is even more encouraging.
Has anyone else had experience of a GLP-1 medication, especially when used to aid recovery from major illnesses?
That’s very significant weight loss in less than 2 months, good to hear it’s boosting your wellbeing and self-esteem. Congratulations in doing so though do ensure you’re getting balanced advice on the weight loss rate you should be aiming at to get to a better level for you. If your weight was affecting opportunities to do gentle exercise/be active hopefully that will also improve over time.
Did you have to self-fund the Wegovy or was it dispensed by your existing healthcare team for medical reasons potentially separate to the cancer?
Thanks, I’m self-funding as, despite my medical history and recommendations from my clinical team, I didn’t qualify to receive it via the NHS.
I’m sure you probably know yourself, but the main reason I mentioned ensuring you are getting good (hopefully medical) advice on the optimal weight loss rate is that excessively rapid weight loss is not without potentially significant downsides and side-effects.
While 19kg in 7 weeks seems superficially quite impressive it’s over 2.5 kg a week which might well be too fast for some people. We’re naturally all individuals and will respond a bit differently to such things but many weight loss regimes (through whatever approach) will suggest up to 1 kg a week.
Congratulations on your superb achievement !
I lost 2 stone in 3 months on weekly Mounjaro jabs and I’ve just celebrated my first anniversary of maintenance (within a couple of pounds of my target weight, a BMI of just under 25).
I’ve just switched to daily pills of Foundayo (Orforglipron), which seems to be working well too. FD is being positioned as more of a weight maintenance drug rather than a primary weight loss drug, so it suits me well.
The big bonus for me from GLP-1’s has been a cessation of my IBS. This is a reported side effect, not an official claim by the manufacturer, but it’s the other reason I’ll likely stay on these drugs for the rest of my life, I suspect. My blood pressure also seems consistently lower, to the extent that I will discuss the option of reducing my BP medication levels. My alcohol intake levels have dropped by 50%
Downsides : I’m a bit “bunged up” (worse on FD), some lethargy (worse on MJ) and very vivid dreams (both).
FD cost - 30 x 2.5mg tablets are currently £127. I’m lucky enough to be able to self-fund these.
Congratulations. Both on your weight and cancer treatment.
Slow emerging evidence that the GLP-1 drugs are contributing to improving cancer outcomes, cartilage regrowth and some heart diseases even when weight loss is factored out. The new super drugs.
For those not on GLP-1 I found Psyllium husk helped me loose weight. It helps shut off the hunger noise. Minus 4Kg in two months.
2 weeks on and I’m down another 2Kg, currently at 129kg. Saw the consultant yesterday and he’s happy with progress. The plan is to switch to a micro dose at the end of the planned 8 month course so that I don’t just put all the weight back on
You must be delighted to have made such progress to date. Well done.
It will be interesting when you reach your initially planned target weight to see if you feel you’d want to go even further (though obviously not too low) if that weight was still considered excessive for your height and frame.
A lower maintenance dose (which I assume may take some trial and error to find the approrpiate dose) to stop you regaining the weight sounds ideal when you’re happy with where you’ve reached.
Best wishes.
Cheers. My initial target was to hit 120kg (and a belly measurement of 120cm - started at 140 and currently at 124cm). Assuming I hit both targets in the next 2 months or so then I’ll push for a target of 100kg and 100cm (but that might be a bit of a stretch!)
Sounds good.
I’m not that tall but used to be fairly ‘stocky’ and have been overweight since University.
I’m currently around 95 kg which is considerably better than the 105 kg I was for quite some time. That wasn’t great BMI wise but I’m probably back to where I was in my early 20’s. BMI of course doesn’t take into account your stature/physicality so many highly muscular individuals with little fat might well have high BMIs.
Oddly when I went to University I had a nasty ankle injury during a rugby match on the first weekend which affected my mobility for well over 6 months - went from playing as a quite average wing/centre at school to being considered a prop/hooker for the second team when I could eventually run again.
My ideal weight on paper really makes me think I’d look like a complete rake but it would undoubtedly be better for me from a metabolic viewpoint.
After my weight, blood pressure, uric acid, glucose, Hb A1c and some liver enzymes started to go up, I decided it was high time to shed a few stone from my 275 lb, 6 ft 3 fraim.
In addition I was suffering quite a bit of knee pain just standing up, or walking up stairs and had moderate sleep apnea.
So I started Zepbound, and have dropped close to 30lb in the first 9 weeks.
I have not redone by blood-work yet, but my sleep apnea, knee pain and gout have vanished. I expect the blood pressure and pre-diabetic markers to drop too.
I also am quite dispassionate about food and eating in general-which was a source of enjoyment before. My alcohol consumption also dropped close to zero.
My target weight is around 210 lbs, which would represent a 65 lb loss-if I can sustain it.
Here in the US, the monthly copay cost is $50. Cutting out the alcohol alone more than makes up for that!
It will be a while before I get back to the figure I had in my younger days…
For me I’ m 6 foot 6, and prior to Christmas came in at 16:8 stone. I had to go to A&E as I noticed different dilations in my pupils after talking to the GP about it. From there they found blood pressure 200/135. Diagnosed with Horner’s syndrome with lots of ensuing CAT and MRI scans (bloody brilliant NHS) found no cause. But GP recommended loosing weight etc so decided to go on Wegovny tablets (not adverse but prefer lot to inject). Now just under 15st. Feel brilliant, energy back, less impulsive, more drive. Can’t associate to the medication but a big factor (I think) and back running to near half marathon lengths. It’s been a game changer for me. The £150 a month is easily out weighed by so much less alcohol and a lot less food. So far, a win-win for me.
Very early days for me with Mounjaro, was prescribed it some weeks ago.
I’m not sure it’s done much if I’m honest so far on pretty low dosage, but another medication change a few weeks earlier which I’m convinced helped me is known for potentially adding a bit of weight so at this stage combined effects may be causing weight stability.
Good luck…it’s a journey and as with every journey it begins with the first step.
Yes, absolutely.
I was actually going to ask if others had had side effects - GI ones are pretty common.
Initially I think I had a bit of nausea and looser bowel motions, though in all honesty difficult to say that is not due to the other medication change which happened a month beforehand.
The nausea has certainly worn off.
What’s odd is that overall I don’t think I feel much different appetie wise and am probably not eating much differently. My food intake is odd as for years I rarely eat much until the evening surviving on loads of fluids, mostly water or tea with milk and sweeteers during the day.
Yeah, I’ve had nausea (usually about 30-45 minutes after a meal) and also low blood pressure (so I always get up slowly!) For me (on Wegovy 0.5mg) it has really suppressed my appetite, my meal tracker says I’m eating between 1200 & 1300 calories a day (with about 100g of protein) and I’m doing structured workouts 4 times a week. To be honest I’m finding it OK, really killed off any cravings I had and I can’t say that I’m missing food and drink that much. Maybe that’ll change after a few more weeks, and obviously the Christmas period will be challenging!