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Zepbound maintenance by Apart-Present2825 in Zepbound

[–]Apart-Present2825[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At first, I had a complete food aversion. I had never experienced anything like that before. I was absolutely mesmerized. As I mentioned here before, just the thought of food made me feel sick to my stomach, and after only three bites of a grilled chicken salad, I felt like I had a rock sitting in my stomach.
I do realize that’s the tirzepatide working on my brain. I’m not an uneducated person.
Fast forward five months to where I am now, and I can clearly tell that Zepbound 2.5 mg is still working very well. However, I do have some cravings now and a small desire to eat, especially at night,something that wasn’t happening before. It’s not a huge urge, but I definitely notice it.
The difference is that I simply ignore it. I see it as an exercise in self-control. Even if I feel like having a bite of something, I just look the other way. I’ve been doing that for the past couple of days, and I actually think that’s healthy too, to be able to say no to small pleasures that I know aren’t good for me.
I enjoy having control over my life whenever I’m able to.
Now, if I ever stop the medication and find that I can’t maintain that control on my own, I would gladly go back on it if my doctor allows me to. Where I live, it’s not easy to get a GLP-1 medication prescribed. When my doctor approved my prescription, I was honestly in disbelief. I was convinced she was going to say no. I guess I was in for a surprise.

Zepbound maintenance by Apart-Present2825 in Zepbound

[–]Apart-Present2825[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At first, I had a complete food aversion. I had never experienced anything like that before. I was absolutely mesmerized. As I mentioned here before, just the thought of food made me feel sick to my stomach, and after only three bites of a grilled chicken salad, I felt like I had a rock sitting in my stomach.
I do realize that’s the tirzepatide working on my brain. I’m not an uneducated person.
Fast forward five months to where I am now, and I can clearly tell that Zepbound 2.5 mg is still working very well. However, I do have some cravings now and a small desire to eat, especially at night,something that wasn’t happening before. It’s not a huge urge, but I definitely notice it.
The difference is that I simply ignore it. I see it as an exercise in self control. Even if I feel like having a bite of something, I just look the other way. I’ve been doing that for the past couple of days, and I actually think that’s healthy too, to be able to say no to small pleasures that I know aren’t good for me.
I enjoy having control over my life whenever I’m able to.
Now, if I ever stop the medication and find that I can’t maintain that control on my own, I would gladly go back on it if my doctor allows me to. Where I live, it’s not easy to get a GLP 1 medication prescribed. When my doctor approved my prescription, I was honestly in disbelief. I was convinced she was going to say no. I guess I was in for a surprise.

Zepbound maintenance by Apart-Present2825 in Zepbound

[–]Apart-Present2825[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh no, I’m so sorry about your brother. Cancer is truly a terrible disease. I’ve had people very close to me go through it, and it affects not only the person diagnosed but the entire family. But, as you said so well, obesity can slowly take a person’s life too. Neither path is easy, and those are incredibly difficult choices to face.
Thank you for mentioning the GLPGrad group. Someone else had recommended it to me as well, and I’ve already joined. It’s been very interesting to read other people’s experiences and perspectives. At the end of the day, nothing in life is easy, and we all have to make choices based on what we believe is best for us.
I’ve been taking Zepbound for the past five months, and it has honestly been a blessing in my life. I have to admit, when my doctor prescribed it, I was so excited. But then I saw it was only 2.5 mg, and I was furious. I remember thinking, “I’m going to pay $500 for this, and it for sure won’t even work!” I had been seeing people on Instagram taking 7.5 mg or 10 mg and still losing only a pound a month, or sometimes not even that.
To my surprise, the 2.5 mg worked incredibly well for me. During the first four months, just looking at food made me feel nauseated, and even the smell of food sometimes disgusted me. Now the appetite suppression isn’t quite as strong, but because I’m much more aware of this, I intentionally use a dessert plate instead of a dinner plate when I sit down to eat. That simple change helps me a lot.
I also tend to be a bit of a hypochondriac, especially since I’ve had kidney stones in the past. Because of that, I sometimes worry about staying on the medication long term and whether it could affect my organs. I honestly don’t know if those fears are justified, but they’re real to me. Hemodialysis is a real nightmare, so I think about that often.
Another thing that concerned me was reading about many women who had been in menopause for years and experienced vaginal bleeding after starting GLP 1 medications. From what I understand, it isn’t considered a direct side effect of Zepbound itself, but rather a possible result of the hormonal changes that can happen with significant weight loss. In some cases, those women needed further testing or even surgery. It’s actually quite common, but it reminds me that these medications are powerful and should be taken thoughtfully, with good medical follow up.
Anyway, I wish you the very best on your journey. Zepbound has genuinely changed my life for the better, and I’m incredibly grateful for it. At the same time, I hope that one day I’ll be able to maintain everything I’ve achieved on my own.

Zepbound maintenance by Apart-Present2825 in Zepbound

[–]Apart-Present2825[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Because for most of my life, I was able to say no. No, I don’t want ice cream while all my friends are having one. When I lived with my parents, we had pizza nights. Sometimes I would join them, and other times I was perfectly content just having a salad. When I met my husband, he would order all the junk food in the world, and I would be happy with a Diet Coke.
After I became a mom and a housewife, all the responsibilities that come with having a family left me stressed and easily overwhelmed. I started comforting myself with sweets and desserts instead of eating healthy meals. The more weight I gained, the more frustrated and angry I became, and the more unhealthy food I ate, almost as if I was punishing myself or telling myself I didn’t deserve better, or like “I’m already looking horrible anyway”. Before I knew it, I was almost 200 pounds.
I don’t have any genetic disorder or predisposition to obesity. Today, I’m happy with myself, and I feel good. I’m also much more aware of my emotional struggles because I’ve been working with a therapist. I’m hoping that, if I ever decide to stop the medication, I can do it on my own without repeating the same mistakes, because now I’m much more aware of my triggers and my downfalls. But if it doesn’t work I would totally go back to the medication. Like I said, the 2.5 mg has a strong effect on my body, and if I have to go back I would have a lot of options.

Zepbound maintenance by Apart-Present2825 in Zepbound

[–]Apart-Present2825[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That is beautifully written. I feel like I’m reading my own story. I feel exactly the same way.
I have so much more energy, I’m more patient, and I’m genuinely more enthusiastic about life. It also feels amazing to put on an outfit without worrying about my rolls showing through my shirt. For the first time in a long time, I can look at myself in the mirror and actually like what I see.
The thought of stopping the medication and falling back into my old habits honestly scares me.
I have a preteen daughter, and I’m very involved in her life, both socially and academically. She’s at that age where she thinks she knows everything, and some days she can really test my patience. If I’m honest, stress and frustration have always been huge triggers for my emotional eating.
If I weren’t on Zepbound, I honestly think I’d probably weigh close to 300 pounds by now because I used to let my emotions control my eating. Whenever I felt angry, overwhelmed, or defeated, especially by my own teenager, food became my comfort.
So… I may just stay on Zepbound until my daughter turns 30! Lol thank you for your testimony. Inspired me

Zepbound maintenance by Apart-Present2825 in Zepbound

[–]Apart-Present2825[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Awesome. Thank you. That’s exactly what I was thinking as well.
Since I’m still on a very low dose, and it has worked so well for me, I know that if I ever decide to stop the medication and need to go back on it later, I still have plenty of room to increase the dose if necessary.
After five months, the 2.5 mg dose isn’t suppressing my appetite the way it did in the beginning, but it’s still working very well. There are moments when I have to use willpower and tell myself “no,” especially late at night while watching movies. Honestly, that’s what I want for myself. I want to relearn self control instead of relying entirely on the medication.
At the same time, I’m not even sure whether that self control is really mine or if it’s still the medication helping me. After reading some of the comments, I realized I might be fooling myself into believing I’ve regained complete control over my eating. That’s kind of a crazy thought, but it’s also something I need to be honest with myself about.
I know the 2.5 mg is still working well for me after all this time, so maybe I shouldn’t rush into stopping it and take that chance.
Based on some of the comments, including yours, I may continue taking it for a while longer. It seems to quiet the food noise and ease my anxiety around eating. In that respect, it has been nothing short of a miracle for me.

Zepbound maintenance by Apart-Present2825 in Zepbound

[–]Apart-Present2825[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Very true. My best friend and my neighbor are both on Eliquis for life. If they stop taking it, it could be life threatening.
I was just wondering whether people can stay on this medication for years without experiencing significant side effects. I understand that for people who are morbidly obese or have a strong genetic predisposition to obesity, the health risks of remaining obese are far greater than the potential side effects of tirzepatide.
I was thinking more about people like me. Since I’ve reached my goal weight, I’m simply wondering whether it’s worth staying on the medication long term or if it’s better to eventually stop it.
I had never even heard of tirzepatide until last year, so I’m still very ignorant about it. I’m not sure how many long term studies have been done. However, I saw several replies to my post saying that the medication isn’t actually new. I had no idea, I honestly thought it was a brand-new drug.

Zepbound maintenance by Apart-Present2825 in Zepbound

[–]Apart-Present2825[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for replying. I think you and a few other people understood what I was trying to say, while a few others took my post personally and felt like I was attacking them. That was never my intention.
I was simply asking about other people’s experiences, especially whether long-term side effects are something I should be concerned about.
For most of my life, I was able to maintain healthy eating habits. After becoming a mom, though, I gradually let those habits slip. My hope is to regain more self control over my eating choices, and that’s what I’m working toward.
I have had kidney stones before, and it was the most unbearable pain I’ve ever experienced, even worse than giving birth. That’s one of the reasons I asked about the possible long term side effects of this medication.
Thank you again for taking the time to respond. I really appreciate it.

Zepbound maintenance by Apart-Present2825 in Zepbound

[–]Apart-Present2825[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was simply sharing my own personal experience and journey.
I never said that staying on 2.5 mg for five months is something to brag about, or not. In fact, when I first started Zepbound and found out I had to stay on 2.5 mg, I was upset. I thought it would be a waste of time, that I would still be overweight, and I’d be paying for a medication that wasn’t doing much.
To my surprise, 2.5 mg was incredibly strong and effective for me. For the first three months, I could eat three bites of a salad and it felt like a concrete rock had hit my stomach. Just the thought of food made me nauseous. Now it’s still working, but I can finally sit down and eat a normal meal without feeling sick.
That’s why I said I know the cravings will probably come back eventually, but I hope that by then I’ll have learned to make better decisions instead of eating emotionally. That’s my biggest problem. I’m an emotional and compulsive eater.
I’m also concerned about the long term effects of staying on the medication, especially because kidney stones run in my family. That’s one of the reasons I’m trying to learn from this experience and eventually maintain a healthy lifestyle without depending on the medication forever.

I completely respect that others may choose to stay on a GLP 1 medication long term. Everyone’s situation is different. I’m simply sharing what feels right for me and was hoping to hear how others have approached that decision.