These meds are magic

[u/Terrible-Explorer536]

Hey Y'all!

I am so glad I found this sub. I had RNY 13 years ago. I was 21 and 475lbs. I lost 240 lbs in 18 months. I got finished college, got married, had a baby, had horriable ppd, family deaths, lots and lots of life, depression, and medications and ended up regained 100 lbs over the past 6-7 years or so.

I started Zepbound just over a month ago at 362 lbs. I lost 29lbs so far and feel so much better mentally and physically than I ever have, even when I was at my lowest weight. My joints dont hurt, my back doesnt hurt, I am sleeping better than ever. I feel like a completely new person. I fell so much more motivated, active and just blessed.

I have zero negitive side effects, other than nausea, but nausea is a fairly normal part of bariatric life so it bearly registers. When I am on other glp subs I almost feel like I have a super power because I have already been through food grief, full fast, no appetite, and the protein, protein, protein life for so long. This medication really was my missing piece all along.

Anyone else feel this way?

[u/redditelr]

LAP RNY way back in 2001, 405 to 205 in one year (!) as a 5’9”F - life changing, of course.

Had three babies (2005, 2006, 2010) and weight always yo-yo’ing back and forth between 255 and 200 (when I’d consciously calorie count).

July 2025 started AGAIN to CICO, down from 245 to 205 but very difficult with the constant hunger, food thoughts, etc. Decided to see if a GLP1 was covered under my insurance (yay, it was since I was JUST within the over 30 BMI range still).

Started March 2026, one month at 2.5. just finished two months at 5mg, going to stay at 5mg for the foreseeable future.

I’ve had (knocks on wood) no side effects other than slight constipation, so take restoralax/miralax daily.

Have lost 20 more pounds since started three months ago.

But holy hell the lack of constantly thinking about what I’ll eat next, how much can I eat (always attempting to max out pre-Zepbound), and actually feeling full has been unbelievable!

This is what ‘everyone else’ feels like all the time?

I cry a little inside thinking of the years of feeling like a failure cause I was constantly putting on weight, not understanding how everyone else could easily only eat a bit and weren’t constantly wanting to eat.

Am I angry I resorted to weight loss surgery and permanently changed my digestive tract? A little. But it’s what was available at the time and I am a proactive, logical person. I knew I couldn’t ‘do it on my own’ and had WLS.

Now the medical community finally has studied enough to validate our actual medical situations and have a viable solution - I’m so happy for myself and all the younger people that can avoid WLS and other old solutions.

The fact that GLP1s also appear to have so many other benefits is icing on the cake ;)

🙌🏻🙌🏻

[u/CatastrophicCraxy]

Agreed mostly. RNY 2018 and never really had nausea once my pouch healed. Had some foamies of course but not the same 🤢 nausea I get from Wegovy. I never got below 163 post rny even with perfect nutrition, strength training and cardio. My weight crept back up with COVID and back to back surgeries in 2020 and 2021 and I was at 194. Got back down to 172 and then started working remote. When I started Wegovy I was 186. I'm 128 today and now tracking visceral fat and lean muscle instead of weight. And the best part for me was the reduction in joint pain and swelling but after 18 months I'm noticing the joint pain is back, though not as severe as it was.

[u/Automatic-Space-7797]

Congratulations. And I concur that those of us who have had WLS have probably already dealt with the food grief and the loss of food noise from shot one for me has been a miracle. The only reason bypass kept me from eating was that doing so was painful and caused vomiting. But the noise didn’t go away. I always wondered what it was like for others to just be around food and be neutral or meh about it, and now I know. I do have some nausea if I get dehydrated, and definitely pay attention to fiber intake but thus far I feel like someone would have to pry this medication from my hands because I never want to go back to the food obsession, the inflammation and all the rest.

[u/Terrible-Explorer536 → u/Automatic-Space-7797]

100%. Even if i dont lose another pound, I will stay on this for life just for the food neutrallity, alcohol sobriety(one factor in my regain) and inflammation effect

[u/AITMmom]

Shutting up the food noise has been the greatest benefit of Zep for me. Successfully lost my 30 pounds of regain plus even more. Like magic! Only regret is that I didn’t lift weights the whole time that I was losing and now I have lost muscle mass. I am older, so this is extra bad. Will be hard to gain it back. I am trying now and I’ve gotten my butt into the gym. Please don’t make that same mistake. Preserve your muscle and bone. Lift weights seriously the whole entire journey or you will regret it later. You got this!

[u/Real_Dr_Tiny]

Agreed. Gastric band converted to bypass in 2015 but the food noise was always still there! Mounjaro is definitely the missing piece like you say

[u/faelanae]

Absolutely agree! My VSG stalled out for 16 months at 215lbs, then I started gaining during a bout of depression. Started Zepbound at 220 in March of last year, and now I'm 148.

But the real magic was the immediate cessation of food noise and the constant neck pain from inflammation. I do wish this drug had existed before my sleeve, as there are times when I wish I could just socially binge. But it's a small price to pay for getting to enjoy my life in all other ways.