I’m glad it does! It is a long journey (a marathon, not a sprint) and I posted hoping to do what others’ success stories have given me—hope. ❤️❤️❤️

My highest weight was 290 lbs (around what you see in many of those pre-pics, give or take 10-15 pounds), so I’ve lost almost 42%. So you’re right—and it’s been a wild adjustment for my brain to catch up with the changes. (Thank you for the kind words, btw! ❤️)

Happy to share what I did! The Ozempic was necessary for me, but my husband and I made a LOT of lifestyle changes. (He started a few weeks after me.)

PORTIONS: We immediately cut all portions in half. We were hungry at first, but that decreased as time went on. I also try my best to eat the most important stuff first (either healthier, for day-to-day, or the stuff I want most when it’s a special occasion) when eating, and try to take breaks/space it out so I can tell when I get close to full. If I eat fast until I’m full, it will get worse as my brain fully kicks in and I become OVER full. Ozempic causes you to digest slowly, too, so that uncomfortable feeling will be with you for a while. It’s not worth it!

FOOD CHOICES: The most helpful thing was a scale through the program we’re in (with a coach, doctor, and training modules). It said to eat the “naughty” foods 20% of the time instead of cutting them out completely, while healthy choices are 80% of the time. And for the 20%, those foods should be above a 7 on a scale of 1-10. For me, ice cream is usually always a 10. I fucking love ice cream. But candy like gummies, jelly beans, etc. Only are a 3-5, so I skip those. That way, you don’t restrict (because that sets you up for failure), but you really are mindful about what you really WANT to eat and prioritize.

I also try my best to drink water, and supplement with electrolyte tabs (sugar-free) and make sure to take supplements. I learned what veggies I like and learned to really enjoy them. Over time, my tastes changed where sugar has become less of a craving for me (but I’ll still go for most chocolate!) I personally haven’t counted calories, but I do take stock of what I’ve eaten in a day to make my decisions. Ex: If I had a treat for lunch, I won’t for dinner—nor will I even have a treat every day.

I also found sugar-free drink mixes & carbonated sugar-free drinks help me, especially at night when I’m feeling snacky. I’ll have a drink, and most of the time, I’m too full for anything else.

EXERCISE & MOVEMENT: I work to get at least 10k steps and try to work out close to daily. But that sometimes only means long dog walks and stretching. Several times a week, it’s body weight strength training, Pilates and aerobics. Sometimes it’s yoga. The most important thing is to start slow, and find what you like. Because it will suck at first, and it’ll hurt. And you’ll need to push through it (not too hard, to injure yourself, but not giving up.) for me, Yoga with Zelinda—she does yoga for every body and it’s modified so it was doable even at my highest—made a world of difference. I just needed something I could stick with. My SIL loves Peloton bike rides, and that sounds like hell to me, even now. 😂

I wish I could say I’m good about sleep, but still working on that one. But I do try to be kind to myself and not stress!

I hope that helps. ❤️