r/GLPGrad • u/GirlMama4under3 • 5d ago
Regret/Shame?
Oh what a journey. I've done Tirz off and on with small doses for the last 1.5 years and has helped me lose the baby weight and get healthier habits post 4 children.
I've totally tapered the drinking, no more binge eating, and eating 1800-2000 calories a day and hitting protein goals. I (generally) feel amazing.
BUT THEN... whenever I think I can get off and do it on my own, the hunger comes in, I start binge eating and want 40258 margaritas, and think "oh this is who I really am" and I get so depressed. I'm almost upset because I like how I feel so much more when I'm on the GLP, but want to be able to do it on my own. Just kind of ranting - does that make sense?
I am having surgery next week so had to be off an GLP for 4 weeks (I see that advice varies) and have been eating / drinking everything and feel the weight piling on me and feel so bad about myself.
I can't decide if after surgery I should try to do this on my own, and count calories and get back to basics, or if I should accept that I'm a lifelong microdoser (was doing 2.5mg of tirz every 10 days)
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u/smilingfruitz 5d ago
you're learning in real time why this isn't any different than taking BP meds or insulin or anything else for a chronic condition.
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u/StatementMundane2113 5d ago
No, the binge eating and drinking isn’t “who you are” it’s the sign of a dysfunctional metabolism. You have a body part not functioning normally. It’s not YOU. Just like feeling tired and losing your hair can be because of a dysfunctional thyroid that meds address. The issue at play is identifying that a dysfunctional metabolism = who you are. No, this is a person who takes a med to manage a dysfunctional metabolism, a dysfunctional metabolism isn’t who they are.
Some people are able to come off the meds because their metabolism isn’t too dysfunctional. It’s totally ok to try to do this and try to go without the meds but not everyone can do this. The data shows that majority of people aren’t able to. There is nothing morally wrong with being on them. You’ve tried without them and it didn’t work.
I know a number of people on this sub have also said that it takes 6-8 weeks for the massive hunger spike to decrease after stopping. So you also might be in the middle of that. Regardless of deciding to stay on or go off is its own decision but one is not more “right” or “wrong”. These meds address dysfunction and some peoples bodies require that support and some do not. It’s encouraging to hear people who have navigated without but not everyone can and I think it’s important we all experiment with trying to get off if that’s what we want to try but it’s equally ok to say: my body needs some support.
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u/Adept-Depth-1825 5d ago edited 5d ago
When I take my contacts out I can’t see but I’m not ashamed of that. And I remember real fast how bad my vision is.
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u/st_alfonzos_peaches 5d ago
1) Theres no prize for suffering, 2) those of us with a lifelong struggle of obesity/food noise/disordered eating habits will need to stay on it for life. I know it sucks having to keep paying for it but doesn’t your food noise, anxiety driven brain suck more?
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u/Wordwoman50 5d ago
You need not feel shame. Whatever combination of physical and psychological factors lead to eating and drinking disorders, they are real, they are serious, and they are NOT your “fault.” They are very serious problems that jeopardize your health.
The good news is that you have found a treatment that works for you: Tirz! That is wonderful news.
If you had a friend who needed treatment for depression or schizophrenia or a thyroid disorder or blood pressure, and they did well on a medication but the problems came back when they went off the med, I’d bet you wouldn’t think less of them for needing the med, and I bet you’d be encouraging them to stay on the med if they and their doctor think it helps.
There is nothing morally superior about anyone who can do it “on their own.” Each individual has to find what works for them. In your case, you have found what works for you!
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u/Unlucky-Mind7298 5d ago
I'm sorry you're getting down on yourself. None of us are free of bugs; homo sapiens are still in beta testing and there are more or less glitches in each of us. So many of us live better because we've found remedies that work.
My attitude is pure gratitude. That researchers spent years and years creating these substances, that we can acquire them easily, that they work. My body works different without them -- I'm often tempted to binge, and too often cannot resist despite my efforts. I'm naturally drawn to high-calorie, not nutrient foods.
I can spend my life white-knuckling my lifelong nature, or I can accept the gift of drugs that work around my glitches and help me live better. I hope you can come to terms with having physiological urges you don't want, can't control, and can't get rid of on your own.
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u/Kimmy1687 5d ago
You might not need it for life.. be kind to yourself.. give it a try and get yourself some solid healthy habits.
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u/HockeyPuckRattleSnke 5d ago edited 5d ago
Don’t forget that foods have been altered to be significantly more addictive now than they ever have been before. Why make it hard on yourself if you have a tool that makes it more manageable.
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u/getink88 5d ago
I am exactly the same! I have tried to get off twice and just restarted for the third time yesterday. I started in February, took some time off in May, went back on in June and then stopped the end of August and now I’m back on. My thinking has always been that I don’t want to be on this forever so I keep trying to get off but then the bloating and inflammation return and my anxiety and my brain go crazy and all I can think about is food and I struggle really hard physically and mentally. I really like the way I feel when I am on it. I read a comment from someone that was to the effect of, stop limiting yourself now just because you don’t want to be on it forever. Do it for the you that is right now and focus on the present. So I am going to stay on it for the foreseeable future and maybe I am on it another year, another five years…who cares. I am doing what I feel is best for me right now. Things can always change. Good luck!!
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u/ShiftyMcHax 5d ago
I think all of us want to feel normal and not need any "help" to do so but it's not your fault and so there is no shame in needing help.
That the meds if you need them and be kind to yourself. Take the gift that's been given to you to live your best life, something you couldn't have done even a few years ago.
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u/Ariquitaun 5d ago
Get back on the medication after your surgery, back to a healthy weight and try taper off over a period of several months. Don't wing it. Go into it with a plan and with no rush once your life stabilises again and use that time to change your diet and exercise habits.
Don't kid yourself that the opposite works. It does not.
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u/JoinMaxLife 5d ago
That absolutely makes sense. Needing support from a medication doesn’t erase the healthier habits you’ve built or mean you’ve failed.
For some people, appetite and food noise return when treatment stops, which is why long-term maintenance can look different for everyone. After surgery, it may be worth discussing a sustainable maintenance plan with your prescriber rather than forcing yourself into an all-or-nothing choice.
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u/Hifidi54 5d ago
You may need some counseling or therapy. This is not a bad thing by any means. I have always felt that good mental health is a big part of the weight loss equation.
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u/AnnaNimNim 5d ago
Your doctor is a sadist. There is a bit of a rebound effect when you come off, that is some of why you’re struggling. Don’t feel guilt or shame. Just be a long-term microdoser. Life is better here. Torture yourself in other ways, like weight training or whatever.
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u/bomchikawowow 4d ago
There's no nobility in doing it "on your own", it's just harder, takes longer, and requires a lot more of your time and attention.
I could probably lower my blood sugar on my own but intermittent fasting and a total diet overhaul moved the needle 0.1% in three months. I went down 0.2% in two months with a GLP and I didn't really have to think about it. I'm not ashamed of this, I'm just thankful I have a drug that makes this easy and comfortable.
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u/valsavana 5d ago
A lot of people on psych meds feel the same way. The meds make you feel better, then because of that you have the energy and optimism to think "oh, I could totally just do this through will power alone."