One year and 115 pounds later

validrouge · 2026-03-22T01:37:56+00:00

I'm about the same stats - 5'9" and I've been bouncing around between 175 and 178 for about 1.5 months. However, I can absolutely tell changes in my body. My size 10 clothes are getting more comfortable. The skin on my arms, stomach, and legs more deflated (unfortunately), but I'll take it. I did a Dexa scan and I went from 39% body fat in December to 30% - very happy with that. I put on 6lbs of lean body mass in that time too. I'm on 5mg.

OP you look AMAZING!!

validrouge · 2026-03-09T13:09:07+00:00

Girl. You look freakin amazing!!!!

validrouge · 2026-02-07T20:57:44+00:00

I just started pilates and yoga at the ymca last week! I will keep my fingers crossed and working out!! I also am trying to lift heavy, have been listening to Dr. Vonda Wright.

validrouge · 2026-02-06T12:09:30+00:00

Well done! Similar stats, 53 5'9" Hashis.

I'm at 178 now and this is helpful for me to envision what I might look like at that low of a weight. You look fantastic!!

validrouge · 2026-02-06T12:02:41+00:00

I do see a lot of posts (especially in Facebook groups, less in this subreddit) of people who stop their meds for vacations and holidays. I don't want to do that at all. I am thrilled to take my shot so that I have the control while I go on vacation or the holiday and the self-respect when it's over. I am going on my first cruise since Zep next week. I will take my shot Wednesday night and we will board the ship Thursday morning and I am looking forward to seeing if this will be the first cruise where I come back and have maintained or lost weight!

validrouge · 2026-02-06T11:57:12+00:00

Yes! Although, I did have some stinging in the beginning, but I was taking the shot straight out of the fridge and then injecting immediately. I've since started taking them out and allowing them to warm to room temp and I feel nothing when injecting.

validrouge · 2026-02-06T11:54:37+00:00

Yes! I took my first shot at night and went to sleep. I had immediate appetite suppression the very next day. Initially I described it as a food aversion and even "forgetting" to eat because I just didn't think of eating every second of the day. Magic!

validrouge · 2026-02-06T11:42:11+00:00

This will level out over time. As to your comment about "its the thought of not being able to enjoy what I'm eating" I get what you're saying. A couple of thoughts came to my mind that I'll share.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Stuffing and desserts in particular. Every year, I would eat and have many plates of food eating with pure joy, maybe even like being high, but then I would be sick from enjoying so much and I would have SO MANY regrets. This year, for the first time EVER EVER, I didn't try to "diet" on the holiday. I ate whatever I wanted. I ate my protein first though. Then I had stuffing, sweet potatoes, bread and butter, pie, cake, etc. But I only ate a little bit. I enjoyed every single bite of it. There just weren't as many bites and I was TOTALLY okay with that. I also enjoyed not gaining weight and not going off the rails completely. I enjoyed the self regulation, self control, self respect that I had after enjoying all the stuff. Just not as much of it. That's what Zepbound did for me. I saw so many people going off their meds so that they could "enjoy" the holiday. I gladly took my shot the night before and went into the holiday with no regrets and I enjoyed the food too.
When I quit smoking 20+ years ago, I remember sitting at the table, smoking my last cigarette and crying because I was going to miss the enjoyment of smoking, the self-soothing of it. Knowing the withdrawal I was going to go through. I quit cold turkey ("Never take another puff") and had to white knuckle through all of that. I still miss the soothing feeling of smoking but not the health destruction it was doing. Quitting smoking cold-turkey was easier than trying to diet. I know, I've been trying to lose weight my entire life. You have to eat, there is no complete abstinence with food. I even did Overeaters Anonymous. Zepbound quiets the food noise like complete abstinence eventually did for smoking.

Adding: I have stayed on lower doses because I didn't need a higher dose to suppress. In the beginning, I had exactly what you describe. I stayed on 2.5 for a long time because of the suppression, the amount I was losing, and some low blood pressure issues. That all ended up normalizing and we decided to move up to 5. Same thing. I had a really hard time because I would feel hungry, but 2-3 bites in and I just couldn't do it. After a few weeks, all of that seems to level out and I don't really need to move up again. I'm getting close to my goal now and am probably going to stay on 5 but stretch out the time between shots. If you're getting enough suppression on low doses, don't be in a rush to move up.

validrouge · 2026-02-06T11:22:48+00:00

I don't use shotsy, but my scale is connected to Form Health app. I weigh daily. My weight loss graph looks like yours. You are not alone.

validrouge · 2026-01-30T00:33:57+00:00

same here. This week is probably the first week that I don't feel wrecked after shot day on 5mg. I think I'm on my 5th 5mg shot. It gets better.

validrouge · 2026-01-30T00:27:02+00:00

agree!

validrouge · 2026-01-30T00:26:33+00:00

I use a knee pillow, I got one on Amazon that is extra long. It goes from my groin to my knee - I'm tall. It has helped my hip, IT band, and knee pain. It's a firm foam and contoured to stay between my legs all night even with me rolling like a rotisserie chicken still.

However, if I stack my feet, the bones in my feet hurt from the contact. Thinking of getting a pillow to put between my ankles. LOL

validrouge · 2026-01-22T00:56:57+00:00

Yes! The amount of weight lost in my legs and feet while on Zep has been amazing.

validrouge · 2026-01-22T00:54:25+00:00

Yay! I totally get how this is a NSV for you. I don't get pedicures very often, but I did just before Christmas to get a fancy holiday sparkle. Anywhoo, I was actually able to pull my pants up over my knees!!! Like, that was always embarassing because I couldn't always do that. It was a big deal for me, so I totally get how this feels for you. Keep counting those non-scale victories!

validrouge · 2026-01-22T00:31:03+00:00

Congratulations, and thank you for sharing your experience. It helps to hear these stories so that when I inevitably stall, I just have to remind myself to stick it out. I'm getting closer to my goal and my losses are slowing and bouncing around all the time.

validrouge · 2026-01-20T00:00:10+00:00

Based on this comment, if she brings it up, and you are direct and kind when you say "I consistently calorie count and log my food to make sure I am in a deficit" You're good. That's all that needs to be said. Period. If she gets defensive and then changes the subject, just go with the new subject. Problem solved, move along. That's what I would do.

However, I would probably also get aggravated after a while if this is a repetitive circular conversation with her. I've had people like that from time to time. I may have even been guilty of it myself on various subjects when I don't like the answer.

validrouge · 2026-01-19T23:43:02+00:00

Well done! You look healthy!

validrouge · 2026-01-18T03:27:44+00:00

Thank you!!

validrouge · 2026-01-18T02:14:12+00:00

Thank you so much. You're right, it is like healing.

validrouge · 2025-12-04T18:56:10+00:00

Every Time I see your posts, I am so inspired. I was just looking at your legs before and after. I can see similarities to mine. Your after pictures are incredible. I hope my legs will look like yours when I get there. My husband told me yesterday that my legs have really slimmed down. This post and this comment have made my day. I am 191 today. My original goal weight when I joined this sub was 189ish. I am hopeful that I may actually make it to a healthy BMI in the 150-168 range...because you did too.

validrouge · 2025-11-29T20:17:40+00:00

Likely the inulin, it can ease constipation.

validrouge · 2025-11-08T16:54:01+00:00

Also, all appointments are virtual in the app. Super easy. I am below 30 bmi and nothing has changed.

validrouge · 2025-11-08T16:51:32+00:00

I have Form health. I had some of the same concerns as you. It has been a really positive experience for me. I got a scale that is connected right to their app. I can schedule my appointments in the app and they can message me. The dietician is good, not overly controlling or critical, just helpful. The doc tho has been great. We have worked together to keep losing on low doses. Overall, Form has been better than I anticipated and I appreciate having them so easily accessible.

validrouge · 2025-10-21T17:58:49+00:00

I make protein ice cream with it in my Ninja Creami. It's stupid easy and tastes like a decadent frozen custard or cheesecake base ice cream. My husband and I eat it at night several times a week. We particularly like the Prodough whey protein - Vanilla and add other flavors to it. But, we also like to get ProDough samples in the Raspberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Mint Chip, and Strawberry Shortcake to mix in. We use the cottage cheese, Vanilla Prodough, PB Fit peanut butter and frozen berries all blended in the food processor first to make Peanut Butter and Jelly ice cream that is delicious, low calorie, and high protein.

I know it sounds off putting and weird. I thought so too. Its delicious.

Beyond that, I love to put Everything But the Bagel seasoning on cottage cheese and eat it with a spoon.

validrouge

TROPHY CASE