Tag: GLP-1

On My Way

I’m making progress on getting to my goal. It’s slow-going now, but I’m not unhappy with my new life as a thinner person. Most of the goals I had for this journey, I have achieved. It’s a great accomplishment.

Here are two selfies (untouched) I took yesterday. Remember the first time I could wear a belt? This belt is from Free People, one of my favorite stores. It’s so satisfying that I can actually shop there now. That dressing room on the right is theirs, btw.

The main issue I have right now is my saggy skin. There are surgeries for this sort of thing, but I’m kind of unwilling to do that. You can see it on my right arm if you zoom in. I still have a lot of fat to lose on my lower abdomen, hips, and legs, but again, it’s not that bad. I’m able to fit in normal-sized clothes now. These are size 14 pants I’m wearing.

I started working out with a trainer again too. It’s resistance training. I’m doing it for mostly health reasons. Trying to rebuild muscle and get stronger.

My newfound music passion has been super rewarding too. I’m getting better at playing guitar and this Friday I will release my third album. It’s definitely my best one yet. I basically write stories from the past and the present, considering I don’t have much of a future to write about, haha.

I do know this: when my wellness coach from South Dakota asked me, “What would your life be like if you reached your goal weight?” My response was, “Everything in my life would be better.” I could see that future possibility.

And now I’ve made that happen.

And it is.

How it started. How it’s going.

I got serious about not wanted to live my life as a morbidly obese person in the summer of 2017. That’s nearly 7 years ago. So, my trek to lose my excess weight has been ongoing for nearly a decade.

This blog has captured my journey– all of it. The physical milestones, the successes and failures, but most importantly, the psychological introspection that has been key to understanding my own relationship with my body and my self-image. More than the weight loss itself, I’m really pleased I’ve kept up documenting every step along this long path.

Where am I in this moment?

I’m about two-thirds of the way to where I want to be. Most of the weight loss I did organically by changing how and what I eat and how I live my life. When the GLP-1 drugs emerged on the market, and I had hit a plateau on what I was able to do on my own, I made the decision to get an assist in order to get to the finish line.

The drug is definitely working, but not as rapidly as it works for some. I only lose a few ounces a week, and if I eat “normally” (which means carbs/sugar), I will quickly gain a few pounds. That’s alarming, as I realize once I stop the drug, it’s going to be really difficult to not regain any weight.

I’m currently at the lowest weight I’ve been in 30 years. But, as you can see, I still have a long way to go. That red slice represents 50 lbs. I’m hopeful insurance companies and Medicare will begin to cover the GLP-1 (and newer variations) drugs. It’s obvious there are preventative health benefits. I know I feel healthier than I have since I was in my 20s and 30s. And, frankly, I look so much better.

The looking better thing is controversial, I know. What I have to say about this is: it’s an individual choice. Part of my goal with the wholesale radical transformation I’ve been going through the past few years is reclaiming my identity. I self-identify as a confident, self-satisfied woman. There’s no shame in that. I feel if more women would look inwardly to explore who they truly believe they are, and then put the work in to realize that vision, there would be a lot more secure, strong women in the world. And, hell, we need that in many ways.

In other words, I only answer to myself. I am accountable to me. I am working to satisfy my own standards.

I’ll wrap this up with this. I have become a major fan of a young Country singer, Megan Moroney. She’s got the right attitude and expresses how I feel in this song: