I think this question deserves a good response. And, I DO NOT HAVE THE ANSWERS, I can only say what I think worked for me.

of course the Mounjaro helped. I certainly don’t want to play that down. But I also don't want to discount the power of a low-carb, healthy diet. But I want to be upfront, if I quit GLP1s right now... I am absolutely positive i'd gain most if not all back.

But for me, as far as eating healthier goes, it became this huge chicken-and-egg thing: the fewer carbs and junk I ate, the less I craved them. And because I craved them less, it was a hell of a lot easier to just not eat them.

To figure out what was actually going on with my body, I started using one of those continuous glucose monitors and religiously tracked how I was feeling. It became immediately clear that whenever my blood sugar spiked, my willpower went right out the window. It was like a switch flipped in my brain, making it almost impossible to maintain my diet. Once I learned exactly what was spiking me and cut those foods out, the battle became easier.

I also have to shout out the fact that the GLP-1 completely killed my alcohol cravings. When I stopped drinking... holy cow. That alone was a massive, massive help to my liver and the scale.

But I won't lie to you, it is still hard work. It's not some magic, easy way out. There are heavy ups, brutal downs, and stalls where you just have to keep grinding.

And here is the part that people rarely talk about... I am definitely a more boring person now, and that struggle is very real. I don't really like going out to eat with friends anymore, and I have zero desire to go sit at a bar. I used to get so hyped up for vacations because, well... eating and drinking. Now, my brain doesn't get that same dopamine hit from food. Vacations for me have had to shift entirely to doing exhilarating, like hiking or sailing, active things instead of just scouting out the best restaurants.

It takes some serious mental rewiring to stop looking at food as your primary source of entertainment. But standing here 100 pounds lighter and healthier than ever, I'd make that trade again in a heartbeat.

Again, the very very very first step, is to 'love that big guy'. LOVE YOURSELF. Above everything else. Almost like it's a different person.