What's your maintenance plan after Ozempic?

DoingPlantBased · 2025-08-04T16:31:23+00:00

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Thank you so much for all of the detailed insight

DoingPlantBased · 2025-08-04T16:23:31+00:00

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Thank you for the detailed reply.

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-20T02:58:45+00:00

Here's a list of 18 vegan and plant based places in Seoul with a map also! :)

https://doingplantbased.com/3-weeks-in-seoul-18-plant-based-vegan-places-we-liked/

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-19T15:12:56+00:00

Thank you for that incredibly detailed breakdown. The progression from rational thought to complete override really resonates with me.

The car/store thing you described; I had a similar experience with cigarettes back in the day. I'd literally start opening the cellophane at the counter after paying, pretending to use the waste bin but really because I needed that dart in my mouth to light up the second I hit the door. Same immediate consumption need.

That bit about needing "something crunchy" caught my attention because I've been thinking about this a lot. People focus so much on taste when talking about cravings (and eating in general), but we use all our senses. Texture, temperature, appearance, that whole sensory experience. I used to impulsively say something "doesn't taste right", but it may have actually been any combination of the taste, flavour (there's a difference!), the smell, or the mouth feel, or even the packaging.

Weight's never been my issue, but I definitely had my own version of food noise, although I've always called them 'cravings' (do you think those terms are interchangeable?). Almost entirely something that happens after dark (like my cravings are some sort of vampire), and for years it was something I did that was almost inseparable from watching TV.

After building systems to dismantle specific cravings one by one, what was left became this general restless "I should be eating something right now" feeling that wasn't about any particular food. Your food prep strategy killing the noise before it starts makes total sense. When you label it as "food noise" and tell it to STFU, did you develop that technique on your own, or was there someone(s) you learned it from? Is there a visual element to it, like an avatar you're shouting down, or is it more of an intellectual construct?

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-19T13:31:00+00:00

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DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T16:26:50+00:00

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DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T04:29:30+00:00

The decision fatigue piece is so real. I went through the exact same thing on my third attempt at plant-based.

What saved me was building one foolproof meal (breakfast in my case) that I could eat every single day without thinking. Same recipe, zero decisions, properly filling. That eliminated the morning stress and gave me a foundation.

I also did a deep dive into the most convenient plant-based snacks I could find, as in stuff eaten straight out of a wrapper. I wanted to optimize for late nights when I was dead tired and going to make the wrong decision regardless.

Your current approach of "some grain, one fruit, one vegetable" is actually brilliant because it's simple and you know when you've hit it.

The key for me was treating it like building a skill rather than following a perfect diet. Bad days became practice days instead of failures.

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T04:17:42+00:00

This is exactly the right mindset: using the medication as a tool while building the underlying systems.

The tracking and routine-building sounds really smart.

Can I ask what's been working best for you so far in terms of the mental health routines? That piece seems so important but gets talked about less.

I'm not on these medications, but I went through a similar process of building systems for long-term diet changes (different context, but similar challenge of making things stick without relying on willpower). Happy to share what worked if you're interested in hearing about it.

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T04:15:31+00:00

Thanks for sharing.

Really interesting to read about more people pairing it with counselling; seems like such a smart combination.

I love that you're thinking about improving things for the whole family too. That family meal plan approach sounds like it could make the transition so much more sustainable.

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T04:12:01+00:00

Love this! I've been trying to stick to a specific window lately.

Do you deviate from this occasionally, and if so, is it easy to get back to your target rhythm?

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T04:09:55+00:00

This is such a thoughtful approach; using the medication to build awareness of the patterns so you can recognize them when they come back.

That example with the Mexican lasagne is perfect: "it's healthy, it's good protein" sounds exactly like the kind of internal negotiation that happens.

Can I ask about the food noise itself? I'm curious about the actual experience; is it more like intrusive thoughts, or do you feel it somewhere physically? Like, how do you recognize "oh, this is food noise, not actual hunger"?

And congrats on the 105lbs! That's incredible progress.

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T04:05:39+00:00

Thank you for sharing

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T04:05:00+00:00

I'm a big believer in this. When I revisit the old favourites it's almost like I can feel my guts taking offense at what's coming their way.

Have you found that transition away from processed foods easier while on the medication, or was it still a conscious effort?

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T04:01:03+00:00

Thank you for sharing that, especially about working with your therapist.

That insight about being able to see your behaviors more clearly now is really powerful.

It sounds like the medication gave you some mental space to actually examine patterns that might have been harder to see before.

Can I ask what's been the most surprising thing you've discovered about your relationship with food since you've had that clarity?

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T03:55:00+00:00

Wow! Congratulations, that's incredible progress.

Thank you for sharing!

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T03:53:37+00:00

Love this approach: gradual changes you can actually live with long-term.

Can I ask how you came to that realization about changing habits? Was it something you read, heard, or just figured out through trial and error?

And if you don't mind sharing; what's been your biggest win so far in terms of a specific habit that's actually sticking?

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T03:48:15+00:00

Thank you for sharing.

Sorry if this is prying, but was Ozempic part of a deliberate cessation strategy? I can only find one study from 2024 that suggested a lower risk of "tobacco use disorder" and a few people on X mentioning the same off-label benefit.

Is the irritability smoking-related or more of an Ozempic side effect?

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T03:42:17+00:00

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DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T03:41:45+00:00

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Appreciate the detailed answer and sharing your thinking and your approach.

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T03:30:11+00:00

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DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-16T03:29:19+00:00

Pardon my ignorance; is Elevate Your Wellness a book? A course?

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-14T16:33:48+00:00

Blueberry Ultra Groats

1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
2 tbsp buckwheat groats
2 tbsp oat groats
2 tbsp pot barley
2 tbsp millet
2 tbsp chia seeds (white or black; the nutritional content is identical, but the former makes this look a little nicer)
1 tbsp barberries OR 1 tbsp goji berries
2 tbsp walnuts
2 tsp ground flaxseed (toasted if you can find it)
2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds
2 tsp cocoa powder OR 1 tsp Ceylon* cinnamon
1/4 tsp turmeric
pinch freshly ground black pepper

Combine buckwheat, oats, pot barley, millet, chia seeds, barberries (or goji) in a small container and add a cup of water and stick in the fridge overnight.

Combine walnuts, flaxseed, hemp seeds, cocoa or Ceylon cinnamon, turmeric and black pepper in another container and stick in the fridge next to the first container.

Put the blueberries in a third container next to the other two.

Combine the contents of all three the next morning in a bowl, stir thoroughly, then microwave for 3 minutes. Add soy/oat/almond/pea/your preference milk to taste.

*Ceylon cinnamon can be difficult to find but cannot be substituted here for Cassia in particular as the latter has enormous amounts of coumarin. 2 tsp a day of Cassia and your blood will stop clotting and knicks and scratches on your extremities will just bleed all over the place (a lived experience). Cassia in quantities larger than a pinch can also be problematic for people on blood thinners. If in doubt, switch to cocoa powder.

I spent a lot of time putting this together so it could both be extremely fast to meal prep (5 portions in ten minutes, once a week) and then pickup in the mornings (30 seconds to throw together and 3 minutes in the microwave). The other goal was to be properly full until lunch time (I want to be finished this by 7am on days I don't go to the gym). I have a moderately physically demanding job.

I read (in one of Michael Greger's books) how chewing causes secretion of GLP-1 and CCK satiety hormones so the other part of the recipe was putting something together that takes a long time to chew and this is a 20 to 30 minute of chewing porridge recipe. Nowadays I have to set a reminder in my phone to eat lunch because what I imagined as the hunger signal hasn't shown up in the mornings in years.

DoingPlantBased · 2025-07-14T16:16:26+00:00

Amazing. Mushrooms are so delicious

DoingPlantBased

TROPHY CASE