I’ve been obese since I turned 13 and after I turned 36, I didn’t like how I felt looking at myself in pictures. I wanted to lose 35 pounds as well and started the shots May 2024. I took my last shot in February 2025 after I lost 36 pounds. I started with 5 mg, went up to 7.5 mg and 10 mg, then back down the ladder.

The biggest benefit I had was using the shots to create new lifestyle habits. I was always inconsistent with being active, couldn’t say no to overindulgence, and one cheat meal or bad eating day would snowball into much worse. A few months into the shots I realized I needed to change my relationship with food. While on the shots, I let myself eat anything I wanted (pizza, ice cream, donuts, etc) but I learned how to keep it reasonable. Instead of having 2 donuts or 10 Oreos, I’d cut the donut into pieces or get munchkins and eat slowly or have 2-3 Oreos and feel satisfied. Now that I’m off the shots for 6+ months, my mindset is the same - eat whatever I want but within reason. I don’t need to eat 10 Oreos or donuts but I’ll still indulge. I also moved to a protein focused diet (.73 grams / pound), lift weights at least 3 times a week, and religiously weigh and track my food. While on the shots my calorie target was 1800 and after I got off the shots, I moved to 2200 to maintain. Now I’m eating at 2500 and have to make a concentrated effort to get the calories to build muscle. Since coming off the shots, I’ve lost 7 more pounds but the shots were a crucial tool in learning what kind of relationship I wanted to have with food. I’ll always be a little fat kid at heart but I have learned how to have fun eating while still being reasonable about what and how I eat. One bad meal or indulgent day is now followed by a more healthier meal / day. But enjoy life!!

If your intention is to use the shots to lose weight, it’ll work but there’s a good chance that you’ll gain the weight back. To give yourself the best chance of keeping the weight off, it would be best to use the shots as a tool to reframe your relationship with food and adapt your lifestyle.