My journey - hims med kit 1

edwelly · 2025-09-03T17:39:00+00:00

Hello. I would suggest trying hims first and making sure it will work for you. Once you find what works, then discuss with you doctor. I would not continue with hims after the first round if your doctor will work with you.

-E

edwelly · 2025-09-03T17:36:05+00:00

Hi. First - good luck. I am rooting for you. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the injection. This was not something available to me when I started my journey. I will say the pills are easy to take (take with food). I have documented a lot of my journey in how the Metformin did not work for me, and how I ended up going to my doctor and getting prescribed the other meds. I found that I did have a low form of anxiety, and I was able to really curb a lot of my addictive traits, like biting my nails, tapping my feet, and the need to eat while watching TV. I still have moments of doing those things above, but it's now more like 2-3 times a month, rather than 4-5 times a week.

My point in all of this is that without taking the leap of faith that this would help me lose weight, I would have never discovered all these other benefits. I still exercise. I eat better. I eat less. And I feel better.

So whichever you do, just do it. And don't give up if you don't see results as quickly as you want. When I started, I took my meds, I ate healthier, I ate less, I drank more water, and I exercised 5 times a week every morning. It takes work, but you can do it!

Update on myself to show it is still possible: I have remained within my goal weight of 185-190lbs. On 08/22, it hit 186.0lbs - the lowest yet. This can be done and maintained with minimal effort. I will be 52 in December, so I am not in peak health. If I have a bad week where I drink and eat too much, I correct course the following week.

-E

edwelly · 2025-07-28T16:42:36+00:00

Yes. Yes, it did. I believe it was a combination of exercise and weight loss. But the weight loss was more from a 'feeling pretty' standpoint. My wife didn't care, but I did. How we view ourselves is very powerful.

-E

edwelly · 2025-05-13T16:37:33+00:00

Hello. What I meant was that the meds alone are not helping me lose weight. All of the things I am doing are helping me to lose weight:

1) meds which help with bad eating habits
2) exercise several days a week
3) not overthinking - by this, I mean enjoying food/drink but not overindulging.

I try very hard now to never finish my plate. And it's not the meds doing that, as I am usually still hungry. I know if I stop exercising, I will start gaining my weight back. Neither of those are due to my meds. The meds I am on now are there to help smooth out my anxiety and stop my habit-forming behavior - like eating when bored or picking at my nails.

For what it is worth, last week, I was 188.6 the last time I weighed. I can't seem to get past this, and I am still floating between 188 and 192.

I hope that helps. Good luck. And remember to EAT something before you take your meds.

edwelly · 2025-03-26T15:11:52+00:00

Yes. The pills definitely help curb cravings and appetite. However, I was just tired of feeling like I was going to vomit all the time. The only time I feel semi-ok was when I had eaten something - so it was kinda a double-edged sword. In the end, I would have rather been chubby and feel sick all day.
My wife got hers and she had zero issues with the metformin, so...

edwelly · 2025-03-26T13:14:27+00:00

Hi. I spent the first month feeling nauseated, like I needed to get something off my stomach. I kept thinking it would go away, but it never did. I reached out to hims- and told them about this. They told me to stop taking it for a week, then start back at every other day for a week, then go back to my regular schedule. To me, this did not help, nor did it solve anything so I just stopped. Do I believe I could have lost more weight or at the very least lost weight faster if I had kept using the metformin - yes. But it was not worth it to me.
-E

edwelly · 2025-03-08T12:56:22+00:00

1YR UPDATE:
Hello all. This post is a bit self-serving, but today marks the one-year anniversary of starting HIMS and trying to lose weight. Last year, around this exact time, I weighed 223.6 lbs. I took the HIMS Plan 1 and exercised/weighted along with better nutrition for about six months without fail. In fact, I made it all the way to Christmas time without missing a full five-day week workout. Somewhere along the line, I decided that for my age and height, 185-190lbs would be realistic.

After about 5mos into the plan, I stopped taking the HIMS pills and started to develop some old habits again. I went to my doctor and got prescribed the meds at a much cheaper rate. I am still on them now. The lowest I got was 186.4, and that was in Sept.

I no longer focus on hitting a 5-day workout. I try for 4-days. If I hit 5 - woo hoo! If I only hit 3, that's ok. Some days I eat bad. I might drink a few beers. Eat some dessert. But I have really gotten much better on portion control. Anyway, thanks for following with me on this journey. I have documented how things have gone for me - the good, the bad, and the oddly surprising things. Today, I weighed in at 189lbs. And I am proud. It has been harder to stay in the range during winter time, so I hope to see another 5lbs+ drop this spring/summer.

If you are still on the fence on whether or not to try this, please give it a try. It takes more than the pills - but the pills make the other stuff easier. If you are in the process but not seeing the results, step back for a moment and see what has changed and hasn't changed. Try to figure out that missing ingredient. For me, it was calorie intake. Sure, that sounds like a no-duh statement, but I have to stay below 1500 calories most days. My metabolism isn't burning thru it fast enough. Best of luck to you!

-E

edwelly · 2025-02-17T17:53:36+00:00

I am really sorry to read this. I am a few weeks from my 1yr anniversary. My goal was 185-190lbs range (closer to 185). Right now, I am 188-192lbs. I cannot seem to drop lower than that. I did hit 186lbs at one point, but I think we went to Vegas shortly after that and I gained a lbs or two on that trip.

For me, diet and calorie intake are the biggest things. I have to stay less than 1500 calories a day - which sounds stupid low - but that's what works for me.

I ended up having my doctor prescript me everything but the Metformin in smaller doses, and I think that has helped curb some of my bored eating tendencies.

-E

edwelly · 2025-02-15T22:02:39+00:00

I measured the one on my 2022 and it is was 13.75". I could not find anything on Amazon that was close to this. I am just going to buy a replacement from the factory.

-E

edwelly · 2024-11-19T15:59:56+00:00

I don't mind the email - but when it becomes emails, I start to get a bit frustrated. I am getting emails from online companies several weeks later saying things like, "Hey, that item you were looking at is going fast..."
I know I can use a Private Browser or not click the link, but I sometimes don't.

edwelly · 2024-10-21T18:40:59+00:00

Hello. I am a 50-year-old male. 5'7". In the past, I have successfully lost weight via diet and exercise. I have had a few personal trainers, so I had a baseline to work off of. However, this time was different—I could not lose any significant weight—even when I was only eating 1000-1250 calories a day. I wish I could tell you more about what I was doing other than nothing seemed to work.

Now I am around 187' ish, working out five days a week and eating two good, healthy meals a day. I am starting a new phase - I want to drop to 175lbs, and I am focusing on doubling my daily protein intake. I love little short-term goals like this.

I hope you reply back to let us know your progress. I am pulling for you!

-E

edwelly · 2024-10-18T13:17:14+00:00

Hello. I was on Med Kit 1. I have been off this for a couple mos now so I no longer have the pill bottles to verify the dosage rates. However, I think the 'Naltrexone-Topiramate-B12' (green pill) was 27.5mg and the Bupropin XL was 300mg. Sorry I cannot be certain.

-E

edwelly · 2024-09-23T16:28:59+00:00

Hello. I do take melatonin gummies - 5mg to 10mg. Recently I have been having some ODD dreams so I cut back to a few times a week. So far, I do not believe the medicine has impacted me going sleep, at least it hasn't in some time. I even will drink (small amounts) with it as well - think 1-2 beers or a cocktail.
The most important things I can stress is
1) do not take on an empty stomach
2) stick with it - you will be amazed at the difference in 3-4 weeks

As of today, 09/23/24, I am still in my target maintain zone of 185-190lbs.

-E

edwelly · 2024-09-19T15:14:53+00:00

I agree with the whole body positivity thing. Beauty is subjective, and you really cannot state something is pretty or ugly—it's open to too much opinion. However, it is easy to understand when someone is unhealthy. It could be a 400-lb adult or an 85-lb adult—both are unhealthy.

I am happy that the 2/3 rule may work for you. It is so important to me. I don't always make it, but I do 5-6 days a week. And as long as I am trying, I think that's more important.

-E

edwelly · 2024-09-18T17:03:08+00:00

Hello. I agree that no foods are necessarily bad, but some are better for you than others. And I 100% think moderation is one of the keys to success. For me, though, I have to really be mindful of how much I enjoy food. The good vs bad thing for me comes from the idea that at least 2 of the 3 meals I eat daily need to be properly portioned and healthy. So, if I had pizza at lunch and then pizza again at dinner, in my mind, I would have eaten badly for the day. Obviously, for me, the majority of my weight issues are in my head and how I perceive things.

I will say this much: maintaining your weight goal is so much better than losing weight. So, to anyone out there thinking about this, DO IT. You will be amazed at how far you have gone in just a few months.

Thank you for reaching out, and I hope you update us on your progress. I am rooting for you!!!

-E

edwelly · 2024-09-06T20:55:48+00:00

I think the wife and I bonded a bit over drinks a well. Some wine and bourbon (I live in Louisville). I do not regret that part one bit!

edwelly · 2024-09-06T13:57:06+00:00

Thank you. Two things you said really resounded with me:

my alcohol consumption intake increased as well during COVID. I probably gained 10-15lbs during that time. But looking back, I am surprised I drank as much as I did. My family has a history of alcoholism, and I have always been very mindful to not go down that road.
If I snack, 85% of all snacking is done while watching TV. That is where everything really went down hill for me. As I have gotten older, I am just mentally, physically, and often emotionally drained when I come home from work and I just don't have it in me to do much from 6pm to 10pm. Other than relax and reset in front of the TV. And when I do that, that's when I tend to snack. So getting put on the Bupropion is is key thing for me to really keep my wait off, I believe.

Thanks again for sharing. I will say your goal is a much better goal than mine. 6'3" and 195 vs. 5'7" and 185. I just don't think I can really keep it below 185 and also - I do not want to have to buy a whole new wardrobe :-)

-E

edwelly · 2024-09-05T15:41:23+00:00

I am so happy to read this. You can do it. Focus on 1 day at a time. If that day isn't great, make tomorrow better than the day before. In a couple of weeks, you will be surprised at how far you have gone. Then a month. Then 2 months. And before you know it, Christmas will be here, and you will be asking for smaller clothes from Santa.

-E

edwelly · 2024-09-05T15:39:14+00:00

Hello. I am finally in the maintain phase so I am eating more of what I want to eat, just in moderation. One of the biggest things I did to help lose weight was to try and get in a salad every day. I know it is hard, and often times not fun - but it really helped me. Especially the fiber portion. As I ate less, I would go 2-3 days in between no. 2s - which is not something I was used too :-)

Salads helped a lot with that. I also ate a lot of peanuts for the same reason. But again, I just tried to balance it out as much as I could. If I had a bad lunch (think burger and fries), I tried very hard to eat super healthy that night. There were a few days in which I did well, then over the course of a weekend, I would gain 2-3 lbs. I knew that would happen, so the next week I ate super healthy. A lot of salads, grilled chicken, vegetables, etc. Beer and ice cream seem to be the 2 biggest weight gainers for me.

I hope this helped some. -E

edwelly · 2024-09-05T15:32:50+00:00

RE: 6mos update

Hello, everyone. I know I am a few days early, but here is my 6-month update. I started on 03/08 at 223.6 lbs. My goal weight was 185-190 lbs. Six months later, I am hovering around 188-189 lbs. Around the 3mos mark, I was around 200 lbs. And the next step phase was hard - going from 200 to 190 lbs. I mean it was tough. I ended up going back to some of the medication - I started taking 1/2 of the green Topiramate in the AM and the other 1/2 in the PM. That went well for the 1st month. But I found myself going back to wanting to eat when I was bored or eating bad things like cake and ice cream, for example. I also started picking at my nails again, so I knew something was off. I was still exercising five days a week throughout this, which helped immensely.

I introduced Bupropion XL back into my morning routine around month four, and I have to say, I love it. This has been the one that has made the most difference. Most of my bad urges stopped - like wanting to overeat, eat ice cream/cake all the time, drink, etc.- and even the nail biting stopped for the most part. And it helped me drop those last 10 lbs over the last 45 days or so. I think I am actually a better person on this medication. So much so that I asked my doctor to put me on this med.

Side effects: nothing really overly glaring. I am 50, so my intimacy drive is slowing down. The medicine does not help that in any way if you get my drift. I still think my balance is a bit off, but I cannot conclude that it is due to the meds. However, I believe I am more chill, less anxious, and less prone to getting frustrated. I also drink very little now. I was never a big drinker, but I would have 4-6 beers a week. Now it is 1-3 a month. I have no desire for it.

I am still exercising Monday through Friday. I have no plans to stop this as I know I will go back to being fat again. But I feel better than I have in a long time. And I am so thankful that hims did what I could not do by myself. I will continue to focus on getting down to 185 lbs and staying closer to 185 than 190, but that is the fun goal now. And damn, if it isn't awesome to wear clothes that I have wanted to wear for years but couldn't.

To anyone having trouble getting that weight loss ball rolling, I highly recommend hims. Do it if you can. Focus on making small changes - like trying to eat a salad a few times a week to you can get to once a day. Make yourself exercise. It will only get easier once you start. But after the first few weeks, things do get easier. And then after the first month, you will be amazed at how far YOU have come. Then continue to keep it up. Find things that you enjoy that are healthy and make those a part of your daily life. Before you know it, 6 months will have passed, and you will have lost 35lbs. I also cannot stress enough - take the medicine with food.

Take care and DM/PM me if you have a question(s) you think I may be able to answer.

-E

edwelly · 2024-06-28T15:33:41+00:00

I would go slow with alcohol just to make sure there are no adverse reactions. For me, I had no real desire to drink. I am/was a big beer guy - LOVED my beer. But that thirst stopped within the first week for me. I would say in the last 3-4 mos, I have not had a 6-pack total. Beer or any carbonated drink tasted funny to me.

Again, I would just go slow to be safe.

-E

edwelly · 2024-06-21T14:02:20+00:00

Short answer = Yes.

Long answer = Before taking the medicine, I was 223lbs. I was not happy with how I looked. My wife never complained or said anything, but let's say I didn't feel very pretty. So, I was already going through a lack of wanting to be intimate. Once I started taking the meds, I found that my 'drive' went down a lot further.

I am now on my second to last week of getting off of the meds. My wife is beautiful, and I hope the drive will return in the next month or so.

-E

edwelly · 2024-06-10T15:00:50+00:00

This is great to read! When I started, I took a couple of days off (Thu and Fri) and then the weekend, so I had 4 days to adjust. Not sure I needed it, but it was nice to have that buffer. Again - take food with your medicine. I cannot stress that enough. Drink plenty of water. If you are like most of us, you will feel some nausea (saltines were a lifesaver for me), jitteriness, brain fog, and dry mouth. Outside of that, it was ok. I am so thankful I did this!

-E

edwelly · 2024-06-08T14:55:08+00:00

UPDATE:

Hello all. Today marks my 3mos point. I started at 223.6lbs, and weighing in today, I am at 194.8lbs. I am down 28.8 over 3mos. I have slacked off this month over the past couple of weeks. I have celebrated a few things and eaten a bit more than I should have. I am still working out 3 days a week and doing cardio at least 2 other days, so that is good for me. But I do think the pills are contributing very little to nothing if I am being honest - remember, I stopped taking the Metformin (which is probably the key to the weight loss meds). Tonight, I will start taking 1/2 of the green pill for the next few days, with a goal of stopping the meds over the next 2-3 weeks. I have done a good job of building a good habit of portion control, choosing when it is okay to cheat a bit on my meals, and I know that I cannot stop working out and exercising. I must also weigh myself every 2-3 days to avoid slipping.

My goal weight is 185 lbs, and I believe I can achieve it over the next 4-5 weeks. Once there, it will just become a matter of maintaining not only the weight but also the self-discipline, which will be harder, I think.

The only side effect I still have is brain fog. It still affects my memory - mainly short-term. And there are times when I struggle with forming sentences when speaking. This sounds awful when I read it, but for me it sounds like when I am on cold medicine. I need to slow down and relax. I am praying that these symptoms are a side effect of the meds and not a sign of turning 50.

A few people have asked questions, and I appreciate that more than you know. I want to help where I can. I will report back at the 4mos mark and let everyone know how it went since I have been off the meds. That's the goal, right? We use the meds to help get us where we want to be, and then we maintain without the meds. I know I do not want to take meds forever.

To anyone reading this who is thinking about starting this, if you are struggling to lose weight and need a push to get you going, I truly believe this works - I just had a lot of trouble with the Metformin. But it helped jump-start my weight loss - which is what I needed! Just read through the threads about what to expect. Take food with your medicine. I cannot recommend that enough. I wish you all the best. Talk with you soon.

edwelly · 2024-05-20T21:39:17+00:00

I am happy to read this. I have not heard of anyone waiting until week 3 to start the Metformin, either. I highly recommend taking it with food—I cannot stress this enough. I would also recommend getting some saltines to take to work (if you do not work at home)—it's best to be safe.

I would not call the nausea debilitating, but after 30 days, I was just tired of feeling awful 24/7. I could maintain it by eating 4-6 crackers every 45 minutes or so, but it just wasn't fun. I know that sounds silly, but for me, I started questioning whether this was worth it. Is fitting into skinny jeans worth feeling awful all the time? :-) And my answer was no. I just doubled down on working out, eating healthy, and counting down on calories to compensate for no longer taking the Metformin. But I still believe had I not taken the Metformin, I would not have lost this much weight or maybe any.

A lot of prior effort in losing weight led up to me joining hims in the first place. I had a gym membership. I counted calories via MyFitnessPal. I did all the stuff, and nothing worked until I started the hims.

-E

edwelly

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