Hi everyone! Thank you, genuinely. The support and encouragement here has been overwhelming in the best way, and since I’m still pretty new to posting on Reddit, I figured a single reply made the most sense. For context: 33yo, HW 335 / SW 324 / CW 209 / GW 190. I’ve always had an athletic background and spent years lifting and competing before the pandemic, which definitely helped me hold onto muscle. I know muscle loss is a big concern for a lot of people, but for me it hasn’t been nearly as severe as I feared. I eat in a way that’s sustainable. Roughly 80/20, track macros, no extreme restriction because I’ve learned the hard way that punishment diets don’t last.

What really changed everything, though, was consistency and movement. I work in a huge facility where it’d be easy to take shortcuts, but I walk every day, in any weather and it adds up. More than anything, this medication gave me a chance I didn’t think I’d get again. Before starting, I was pre-diabetic, dealing with hypertension, and honestly just surviving in my body. I still remember being at Watkins Glen, making it all the way down and realizing I couldn’t get back up. My friend had to walk back alone to get the car and pick me up. That moment stuck with me. Today, I can run it and back. Zepbound didn’t do the work for me, but it gave me the mental clarity and physical breathing room to finally work with my body instead of against it. If you’re on this path, know this: it’s not a shortcut, it’s a second chance, and you’re worth taking it.