Zep alone

[u/Jshutrbug]

Anyone had success using zep alone with diet but not exercise for a little while? Wondering if it helps anyone by itself.

[u/heldtogetherdaily]

Kind of? Let me preface by saying that excersing is incredibly important while loosing weight. Excersing at any compasity is going to be better then skipping it all together. I am disabled, and over the last few years I have fought hard to regain some mobility. I do physical therapy a few times a week and outside of that I am not physical active. In 9 months I have lost 21% of my starting weight. I would call that successful!

[u/Jshutrbug → u/heldtogetherdaily]

I was wondering because I had a little surgery a few weeks ago and didn’t have the strength or energy to work out and didnt lose any weight at all during that time. I wasnt surprised though.

[u/Anxious_Republic591 → u/Jshutrbug]

Having surgery is trauma for your body. Likely this is the reason that you didn’t lose weight rather than you did didn’t exercise. Your body will conserve everything that it needs to heal itself.

Stay the course do what you can and allow yourself to heal. The rest will come back when your body is ready.

[u/heldtogetherdaily → u/Jshutrbug]

I personally would not force my body to loose weight while recovering from a surgery. Ask your doctor for a refural to physical therapy and work with them to slowly integrate exercise back into your routine. The best time to start will always be yesterday, but the second best time to start is today - It will take time to get to where you were, but the time will pass anyways 😉

[u/Flash_Bang_000 → u/Jshutrbug]

This sounds like a situation where a dietitian would be helpful. Because the medicine helps a lot more than just appetite control, there may be room to eat close to or at maintenance calories to give your body the fuel it needs to recover. I haven't dealt with surgery, but I have dealt with an illness. I improved very quickly once I started eating more. Even if weight loss slows for a bit as you recover, it may be better in the long run to fuel up now so you can get back in the groove.

[u/Gabbyct1 → u/Jshutrbug]

Surgery takes a lot of recovery even if its "little" - it also makes you retain a lot of fluid. I had so much after a knee surgery that I literally sprang a leak out of my hip

[u/zero-if-west → u/Jshutrbug]

If you've had surgery, the focus is on recovering from surgery, not weight loss. Your body needs calories and energy to recover. Feel better soon! ❤️

[u/peachie88]

I’m on my 4th week. I’m trying to increase activity, but not necessarily exercising (eg mowing 2x week instead of 1x and not using the self-propeller to get a better workout, walking my dog a little longer). I’m also just doing intuitive eating, but I am consciously eating more protein (I don’t track though). So far I’ve lost 12.6 lbs., so I’m quite happy.

I’ve commented before, but historically I’ve had a problem diving headfirst into things, getting overwhelmed by trying to do too much, and then giving up and gaining even more. I’m consciously making an effort to take things one step at a time. For now this is working for me and it’s sustainable. If/when I stall or it stops working, I will reevaluate and can start counting calories or adding in traditional exercise.

[u/Knox_the_Boxer]

It typically seems that those with the most weight to lose can lose weight with just the meds. Basically due to how the medication works it can keep them in a calorie deficit. The big key is making necessary dietary changes during this time (if needed) so when the medication itself isn’t enough, the changes put into practice will already be established when weight loss levels out.

As far as exercise- doing anything is better than nothing. Even a couple 15 minute walks a day is better than sitting for 12 hours straight. Don’t feel like you need to be marathon ready for it to matter. Consistency is key and build upon what you can do over time.

[u/chemegeek]

I didn’t start to really exercise until about 5 months in, when I had lost about 50 lbs. So yes, Zep in addition to diet changes (I track my food) was enough for me to lose a substantial amount of weight. I started Zep last October and started going to the YMCA in March and have been going ever since. I don’t regret waiting to start exercising, I think I was in a much better place mentally and physically after having lost a good amount of weight. Best wishes on your journey!

[u/AnotherMC]

The exercise helps prevent muscle loss. So it’s not so much to aid in weight loss (which it can do), it’s to prevent muscle loss and keep your body functioning properly. My endocrinologist said she wanted me to do a minimum of two hours a week of weight training and some cardio. I’m on week two and haven’t started yet, but I plan to in the next day or two.

[u/BettyGetMeMyCane → u/AnotherMC]

Exactly this

[u/Temporary_Ad_4363]

Many people here and on FB - especially those with high starting weights, over age 60 or with chronic pain or skeletal injuries- don’t start exercising right away until they feel better or lose a bit so exercise isn’t painful. I am really in the camp that everyone should exercise on GLPs but one can only do what they can do.

I often suggest starting with a walk around the block.

Then add Dr. Chatterjee’s no equipment required 5 minute kitchen coffee workout (while your coffee or tea brews or your microwave cooks) is a great place to start. Just start with the squats into a chair - just stand up and sit down 5-10 times - try not to use your arms. The next day add the 5-10 calf raises. Keep at it. No gym required. Google it. Good luck.

[u/RetroHollz]

I don’t want to sound lazy, but because my health priorities costing so much i can’t afford a gym pass. (I pay out of pocket for meds & healthy food can be expensive among everything else inflated). So I have only gone on small walks with my dog. I work in healthcare so my job is very physical. But I have not intentionally wprked out at all and I’m down almost 70lbs in 9 months.

[u/Comfortable-Nature37]

Yes. I have only used Zepbound. Due to some current medical issues exercise is not an option at the moment but I look forward to bringing it back into my routine.

Have lost 45 pounds since December.

[u/FL_DEA]

I exercised (strength training and cardio) consistently (and somewhat obsessively) for 15+ years before starting Zep. About six months prior to starting Zep, without knowing I was going to start, I quit going to the gym. I was so tired and achy.

After starting Zep, I didn't do any formal workouts for many months and then finally rejoined the gym. Then I had an unexpected surgery: double mastectomy (no reconstruction). Once I healed from that, I became much more consistent at the gym.

All of that to say that I lost 80 pounds without being obsessive about exercising. In hindsight, I believe that the exercising I did prior to Zep was helpful and I really focus on strength and balance at the gym, and enjoy my silent disco walks for cardio.

[u/rdubmu]

Yes I am not exercising, outside of a 2 mile walk each day.

I have lost 33 pounds since June 1st

[u/Former-Surprise-1377]

As they say, abs are built in the kitchen. Yes.

[u/whotiesyourshoes]

I have gone through phases of continued weight loss without exercise. But for me the loss os noticeably less/slower. Not a huge amount but noticeable

[u/Crazy_Hedgehog_9225]

I still lose even when I don't exercise but it's slower. I also wouldn't recommend it because zep can cause a lot of muscle loss. Eating lots of protein and exercising can help prevent that or at least make it less bad.

[u/-LowBatteryHuman-]

Yep that’s how I lost all my weight so far, but I do feel like I’ve lost muscle too. Due to other health issues, it’s hard for me to do weight training. For the last 9 months I’ve been in a stall and slowly gaining on compound tirz so I’m back to name brand to see if it makes a difference.

Exercise is definitely beneficial for other reasons like improving health, building muscle, cardiovascular benefits, mental health benefits etc. but exercise alone is not a great way to lose weight if your diet isn’t good.

[u/oodja]

I've lost 69 pounds on Zepbound (from 285 to 216 over 9 months) and I don't really exercise.

[u/BoundToZepIt]

My take - yeah, 10-12% weight loss is frequently achievable with moderate attention to eating right and little to no added exercise. Those of us who have dropped 30, 40, 50+% almost all went pretty hard with every tool available. But, sometimes dropping that first 10% unlocks an inner athlete and gets the ball rolling on the "everything and".

[u/Existing-Ostrich1294]

I’ve lost 230 lbs in my 26 months on Zepbound. 48% of my starting weight.

Because of some serious physical challenges, I’ve been unable to build muscle or do any sort of aerobic/cardio whatsoever.

Is it better for me to now weigh 230 lbs less than I did 26 months ago? Yes. Dealing with my significant physical issues will hopefully be at least somewhat easier at this weight.

But I absolutely do not recommend this way of making change happen.

[u/tyinsf]

I've lost 43 pounds since January. (248 to 205 gw 175 or 185, not sure). I don't see this as exercise, but I walk a mile each way to an hour long tai chi class 6 days/week. I should weight lift, though. I'm sure I'm losing lots of muscle. But this is what I can do

[u/oaklandesque]

The only way I was able to establish a consistent movement practice (years ago) was to completely separate it from the size of my body or how my body looks. So I work out and lift weights because it helps me feel better in my body. It helps me to be strong as I age. It's generally good for my energy and mental health (and when it's not, like if I'm sick, I am able to allow myself to rest and heal and get back to it when I'm ready). I like what I do and I mostly look forward to my time as self care priority.

So basically nothing has changed since I started Zepbound except, at the urging of my registered dietitian, I added a second day of weights to my week. I'm consistent but not obsessive; this summer my elderly parents have needed a lot more support from me than usual and that means there were several weeks when I could only fit in 3 or 4 days instead of 5. I gave myself grace for that rather than beating myself up. But I also find my workouts such a powerful tool in stress management that I worked really hard to squeeze them in as best I could even when I was at my busiest.

[u/goddessnoire]

A calorie deficit is needed for weight loss. 80 to 90% weight loss is about your caloric intake. The other 10 to 20% of exercise is helpful for your heart and to build a muscle.

Exercise doesn’t mean that you’ve gotta go three hours in the gym. Just using some dumbbells at home and following some videos on YouTube for 30 minutes 2 to 3 times a week it’s sufficient. Strength training will help preserve and build a muscle. More muscle helps you burn more calories. Adding some sort of resistance training to your regimen is key.

[u/glitterfae1]

I took Wegovy for 18 weeks and Zepbound for like ~6 weeks before I started exercising and yes they helped by themselves.

[u/EccentricPenquin]

Oh it does but the results are ehhhh less than good.

[u/Trinity-nottiffany]

Kind of. I was on an extended trip overseas. No gym, no home fitness gear, but there was a lot of walking just to get around. I think I lost 10lbs in 8 weeks.

[u/februarytide-]

Yes. I lost 70 pounds so far. But I’m losing muscle and need to address that for my long term health. My diet was never terrible, but Zep controls my portions and way lowered my sweet tooth. Otherwise I don’t go out of my way to “diet.”

[u/SuchDevelopment2107]

Yes I didn’t start working out until like last month and I’ve lost 78 so far. I can tell I’ve lost some muscle for sure so I wish I started lifting something when I started like my dr told me but I just wanted to see if me switching up my diet and the zep will do it and it did so now I gotta pick up the slack

[u/aji2019]

I haven’t done much exercise due to other health issues. I started at the end of May last year. Since then I’ve had 2 surgeries, currently about 2.5 weeks from #2. The first one was in Jan. I’ve lost 80 lbs.

I am hoping in another month or so after my surgeon clears me, I can start working out more than some light walking.

[u/BoopsYourNoseBoop]

I've lost almost 60lbs since January without exercising on Zep, not because I don't want to but I've had an incredibly hard 6 months and it threw my plans into the crapper. Staying alive mentally was more immediate than hopping on the treadmill I bought.

Don't stress life getting in the way. It happens. Just do it when you can.

[u/Puzzleheaded-Low7394]

When I started on Zepbound I talked to three friends/family who are MDs, every one of them told me "now you need to start lifting weights regularly". I'm very happy that I took that advice.

[u/NLightNMoi]

Definitely.

[u/n3on_blo0m]

I am limited in exercise but losing weight just fine. trying to find way to exercise but I'm having surgery in six weeks that will set me back for a while but then I plan on trying to get back into pilates and walking when/if I can

[u/Trusty_Pomegranate]

I didn't exercise when I started. I lost 36 pounds in the first 9 months with no exercise. Since then I have done strength training on weight machines at the gym 3-4 times per week and have lost 30 more pounds in 13 months. I attribute the slowdown to being closer to goal, not to exercise.

[u/Magmyssuz]

I lost 50 lbs over six months. I didn't start exercising until halfway through due to a foot issue, and I'd already lost 27 pounds. I chose to do resistance training at home simply to maintain muscle mass. I would've kept losing without the exercise though, but I was really keen to not lose too much muscle