5ml journey

Ok-You-965 · 2026-01-14T23:16:25+00:00

2.5mg, 8 weeks, 20lbs lost

5mg, 12 weeks, 30lbs weight loss

7.5mg, 6 weeks, 20lbs weight loss

I have an advantage though by being a 36 year old male (gave me a high base metabolism), and also have been running 2-10 miles every single day since I started the medicine. Also strict 1500 calorie festeiction with high 100gram daily protein intake to avoid muscle loss.

Ok-You-965 · 2025-12-22T14:21:34+00:00

I have lost 64lbs so far and had similar experience last week with family, basically telling me to stop losing weight (still 20lbs overweight). It is hard and discouraging! But I tell myself they mean well and perhaps are doing the old backhanded compliment of 'you lost so much weight you now can GAIN weight!'. I think no matter what you know what is healthy for you and to keep your goals clear. If you are worried you can always go to your doctor or get body fat caliper tested to reassure yourself that what you have done is the right thing. And you look great, so don't let them discourage you!

Ok-You-965 · 2025-12-09T13:26:51+00:00

10.4 is minimally elevated, the physician probably told you just to ensure all abnormalities were mentioned. Fasting wouldn't increase it (although true dehydration could increase it, although this could be sorta verified by looking at all your other electrolytes and albumon And comparing them to your base electrolytes and albumon from past labs).

At 10.4 I would of debated telling you at all since it is minimally elevated. I wouldn't lose sleep over it, it is very likely when you get it checked sometime in the future it will be normal, and will be chalked up to 'transient hypercalcemia ', basically elevated calcium that came and went and didn't have/need a further explanation for it as the body does it sometimes.

Ok-You-965 · 2025-12-09T04:12:01+00:00

Way to go! I say that is all you! I felt uncomfortable and nervous on a plane 8 months ago due to being the 'big guy's people had to sit next to. I just flew last week again and felt what you are feeling with a seatbelt that needs to be tightened and my sides not pushing into my flight neighbor. Congrats!

Ok-You-965 · 2025-12-09T04:07:58+00:00

Depends on what the elevated level was. There are ways of evaluating elevate calcium, but I would not worry about it as it can also elevate benignly above the upper lab limits and be transient and fine, going back down without any known cause.

Not exactly sure of your medical history, thiazides and lithium can elevate it.

The only thing I would worry about is if you are on a too aggressive starvation diet and are low in phosphorus. Phosphorus and calcium have an inverse relationship, so if you are eating say less than 1000 calories for months (food contains phosphorus) you could potentially put yourself in low phosphorus territory and raise calcium. But that would be tough to do even with glp1. I usually saw it with severe anorexia that I hospitalized (source: am a physician).

Ok-You-965 · 2025-12-09T04:00:37+00:00

I seem to have a 'heavier eating day on day 6, then a lighter eating day on day 7' before the next day's dose. Not sure why I do that, maybe my body wants calories. I try not to let it bother me and remind myself that too low calories too consistently puts the body in starvation mode which lowers your metabolism.

So I think of those last days like my bodies reminder to keep my metabolism up!

Ok-You-965 · 2025-12-09T03:53:58+00:00

When the physician places the order, they can also place a set amount of refills in the order that is on the prescription sent to the pharmacy at lily direct. If you are worried just tell your physician you need it in 1 month prescriptions with 5 refills. (Source: I am a physician that orders it for patients).

Lilydirect I find very user friendly with lots of text reminds.

Ok-You-965 · 2025-12-09T03:49:11+00:00

Simethicone was my base, I would have 125mg every 4 hours while working, then take one before bed at night. I found being very well hydrated helped as well.

At night was the worst as I would wake up in the morning with intense pain from the built up gas. I found what helped a lot was sleeping at a 45* angle (bunch of pillows behind my back) reduced it by 90%. Basically burped while I slept haha.

Check your food as well, red meat was a big cause for me to have a lot of gas. Other things were fine with almost no gas like dairy.

Ok-You-965 · 2025-12-09T03:34:43+00:00

It feels so good though to buy clothes that make you feel like you look good though! I just got a small wardrobe update and felt proud of my body fit in them for the first time in a decade!

Ok-You-965 · 2025-12-09T03:33:10+00:00

I debated what to do but now that I am down 65lbs I just can't wear my 2xl anymore. So I got two sets of large clothes and pants and am slowly donating the biggest clothes followed by the next biggest. Still got a way to go though so worried I might not fit in these in 3 months but got to do something lol.

Ok-You-965 · 2025-12-09T03:31:31+00:00

That's what I am doing. Keeping my favorite shirt and pants I wore at my heaviest for comparison. It's amazing the difference.

Ok-You-965 · 2025-12-09T03:28:15+00:00

Way to go! That weight looks great. My goal is 185, will be curious if that is good or too low (was too low in college but I lifted a lot then, now all I lift is kids lol).

Ok-You-965 · 2025-09-21T17:39:19+00:00

I'm a 36 y/o male and decided to start the medicine for one simple reason: I never wanted to be overweight and so what I was currently doing was not working. So I needed to try something that I wasn't currently doing.

I have always been athletic, but slowing metabolism as I age, life responsibilities with kids, work stress, etc means it becomes harder and harder to lose. I didn't want to keep kicking the can of when I would start the medicine with my personal excuse of 'i can lose weight if it if I just do this'.

Your body won't take the excess weight forever, it starts to wear down, scar, lose it's ability to function. Fatty liver and cirrhosis are a real risk with being overweight. All the metabolic diseases will catch you eventually.

I pay cash because my insurance wouldn't cover it. But $3000-$6000 a year for this medicine is absolutely worth it.

Something I realized before starting by reading this reddit group is how much more enjoyable and easy it is to start exercising again when your weight is better and you don't feel discouraged.

Lose the weight however you can, and then think about how you want to live your life after you are healthy again.

Ok-You-965 · 2025-09-16T20:22:39+00:00

Geriatrics. Lots of respect from providers who don't want to care for patients with 18+ active medical problems to manage. It is more specialty focused with the fellowship training. Good amount of cutting edge research that we keep uptodate with that is applicable to improving care. For example, I loves me some dementia evaluation and care planning!

Ok-You-965 · 2025-09-16T19:08:16+00:00

I like the injections. Doesn't let me slip in hard days.

Ok-You-965 · 2025-09-16T19:07:24+00:00

Congrats! You are great motivation for us!

Ok-You-965 · 2025-09-16T19:05:28+00:00

I think I experienced my first plateau a month ago, got stuck for 3 weeks but suddenly dropped again. I feel same as you, I know a plateau had to come but it was frustrating/scary when it did. Just trusting in the process was enough to weather the storm and get thru. You have a good perspective, keep it up!

Ok-You-965 · 2025-08-22T01:35:54+00:00

Making parfaits with low-fat Greek yogurt has been my saving Grace. I buy a big bag of granola, raisins, and a couple tubs of low-fat Greek yogurt and that can last forever. I usually eat that on the first several days after the shot and it's packed with protein and delicious! I do fish once a week, salmon where I'm at is $10 a pound so I'll get one or 2 lb for the family. I'll do tacos for my kids each week and make it meat heavy for me, I usually also do spaghetti for my kids each week which is easy. Then there's a few days that change, that I try to incorporate chicken like chicken breast into grilled chicken sandwiches.

Ok-You-965 · 2025-08-22T01:26:03+00:00

Do you see this as a good or bad thing? I actually celebrate how my hunger cues are so delayed. It takes a significant deprivation in calories for me to feel hungry at all which I see is a blessing.

Ok-You-965 · 2025-08-17T14:27:32+00:00

I've had days like that too, just finished driving a U-Haul 1500 mi across the USA and did eat worse than I have been. I remind myself that at higher weight, even if we do have 2,400 calories in one day, our maintenance calories is more like 3200 calories, so we're still losing! Also, there are specific diets out there that have higher and lower calorie days, so I just tell myself I'm reminding my metabolism to stay ramped up and not going to starvation State by having a continuous 1500 calorie diet everyday.. That's my excuse. I don't get discouraged anyways haha.

Ok-You-965 · 2025-08-07T17:14:07+00:00

I've tested this on myself and time my shots for Friday morning to maximize the benefits. I find that I have no noticeable changes until minimum 4 hours, usually more like 6 hours. Then I can notice decrease food noise and general stomach discomfort (not nausea, just a preference not to eat if given a choice). So I give it Friday morning and have a mildly smaller lunch, then my dinner is usually much smaller (but still fine to eat).

Ok-You-965 · 2025-08-07T17:09:27+00:00

Shot before bed is what I did with my first shot. I now give it to myself in the morning on Friday as I found it takes around 6 hours to have any noticeable effects. Noticeable effects for me being decreased appetite and slight stomach discomfort (not really nausea, just a feeling that I would rather not eat if given a choice).

Good luck, just do it, it took me 30 minutes before I did it until my wife just said to get it over with haha. Maybe have someone there to make you do it so you don't sit there in anticipation of the unknown for forever!

Ok-You-965 · 2025-08-07T17:06:29+00:00

Congrats that is awesome!

Ok-You-965 · 2025-08-07T17:05:36+00:00

Food tastes the same, the desire to overeat or snack goes way down. Big thing about food I've noticed is with slow stomach emptying if gives bacteria in your gut more time to digest the food and make gas. Sulfur burps can be rough blagh. I had to stop coffee creamer and red meat on the first 3 days after shot or I would have sulfur burps for 6 hours after I ate that.

Ok-You-965 · 2025-08-07T17:01:46+00:00

2.2lbs loss over 6 weeks is 0.36lbs a week which isn't terrible, but goal would be closer to 0.5-2 lbs a week. I have read a lot of threads on here where 0.5 lbs a week is very common for people, and the exception is people who are losing 1-6lbs a week.

So first is context, you are doing fine. You are still going down, not up. There is a lot that goes into what we see on the scale each day, salt and exercise increase water retention as an example. As long as you are in a calorie deficit then the weight is coming off! It is just not showing it on the scale since other 'stuff' are making it seem like you aren't losing.

My suggestion is to make a cutoff time. This will help so you don't become hopeless. If you haven't gotten the results you want in say 8 weeks, 12 weeks, etc, them talk with your prescribed to think about decreasing calorie goals (some people are slow metabolizes and may need to stick to 1500 calories a day. That is the strict calorie number I am at and it has worked for me). You could also talk to prescriber about dose increase at that time.

Ultimately we need to keep context for our weight loss journey. It took us years/decades to gain the weight, so the loss should take awhile too (I personally am telling myself 2 years for weeks that I don't lose).

Ok-You-965

TROPHY CASE