I Started Weight Loss Injections a Year Ago & This is What Happened
January 20th last year, I gave myself my first weightloss injection and it was the best decision I’ve ever made for myself.
It is a shame but people have some pretty negative opinions about weightloss drugs. I think it comes from a lack of understanding, and probably even lack of empathy because they must not really know the struggle some people have with their weight. It isn’t always as simple as calories in vs out. I was dealing with a multitude of health struggles- physically and mentally, and I finally decided that I wanted to try the medicine.
I started working with Dr. Chelsea Rodenberg who owns Parkville Concierge Medicine. She and I talked about my concerns and decided that the Tirzepatide compound would be the most effective and best choice for me. She has been an actual god-send to me and to so many of my friends who started working with her per my recommendation. Of course, they aren’t for everyone, and none of this is medical advice, but I want to share my experience with those that are curious about them.
Over the course of a year, I’ve lost 50 pounds, but the numbers aren’t that important to me. What has been important has been the positive impact it has had on my overall health. Here are some non-scale wins:
My Plantar Fasciitis is gone. I developed PF after I had my daughter in 2022 and it was incredibly painful to walk, especially in the morning after waking up, or after sitting a while. After four months of injections, my PF symptoms were gone.
My PMDD Episodes have become much less frequent. I’ll be even more vulnerable and share I was having monthly episodes of PMDD (Pre-Menstrual Dysphoria Disorder) every month. It was quite literally ruining my life. I still have episodes every now and then, but they aren’t nearly as intense as they were. My theory is that losing weight has helped balance my hormones.
My body is healthier. I had a big blood panel done, and while some things could still be better, my cholesterol and blood sugar are back in a healthy range, which is a change from the previous two years.
I don’t dread getting dressed every day. I’m still working on finding clothes I feel good in, but I have clothes that I like and I don’t dread getting dressed. I can look in the mirror and recognize myself. When I see myself in photos, it feels like me.
I don’t have any food noise anymore. Thoughts of food consumed me before, and now I feel like I have a much healthier relationship with food. I don’t have intense cravings and I don’t binge. This has felt like complete freedom to me, and it’s why I will continue taking the injections for as long as I can. Being on the medicine makes me feel like I did before I had struggles with food… and it’s amazing to feel that freedom again.
The pros have far outweighed the cons, but there has been a couple negative side-effects. The main one being hair-loss. I think it’s probably avoidable if you are really diligent in your nutrition and are making sure you get enough protein and calories. It just wasn’t as much of a focus as it should have been for me, and I had quite a bit of hair loss. It’s growing back slowly, so I’m hopeful that my hair will be back to normal in the next few years. The only other side-effect I had was when I was on a higher dose, my appetite went away almost completely. I was never hungry and even slightly nauseous. I never got sick, just never felt hungry and I didn’t like feeling that way. I guess there is one more con- and that’s the cost. It’s not cheap when you aren’t doing it through insurance. I wish my insurance would cover it, and maybe one day they will, but it still has been worth it.
Ultimately, for me, the medicine has been life-changing and I’m so grateful to have crossed paths with Dr. Rodenberg. I couldn’t be more thankful for the positive impact it’s had for me.
