​Non-scale Victories and Behavior Change

If you are on a health journey, you probably say things that were never in your vocabulary before. I have caught myself saying things lately that I never would have said in the past! Such as:
 
“We need to throw those away; they have been in the fridge too long because I forgot to eat them.”
 
“Let’s sit in a booth instead of at a table.”
 
“I need to exchange those pants for a smaller size.”
 
“I can’t finish this In & Out cheeseburger, I am too full.”
 
“This chocolate is so good, but one bite is enough because it is too rich.”
 
“Let’s go to a mall to walk around soon, I haven’t been to one in over a decade.”
 
“Wow, my blood pressure is never that low.”
 
Obesity is a disease. But it does involve behavior issues, too. I am not a person who gives up trying. I was always trying. Trying to do things differently but believing that trying should have been enough to get to a healthier weight, and it never was enough. This made me feel stupid, inadequate, and like a failure. My entire adult life.
 
Then, 2.5 years ago, I started Ozempic. And I have lost 100 lbs so far. More to go. It is a slow process for me. The difference between those years of trying and now is this: It was never about effort, character, or a moral issue with food. It was about the underlying biology (which did impact behaviors, for sure, but behaviors were not the root cause; biology was). Medication addresses the biology. Some of you don’t believe that, and that’s ok. I know what I believe, and I have come to accept what researchers and medical experts are saying, which has changed my life.
 
GLP1 medication is only a tool. It is not a cure. It does not force you to change behavior. But it helps you to change behavior in ways that involve more science than I understand. No matter how you lose weight, one thing is consistently true: you have to be in a calorie deficit. On a GLP1, you can still overeat, eat poorly, and crave food for all the wrong reasons.
 
It took me until my late 60’s to get the right tool that made it possible for those behaviors to change (thanks to the broken biology being addressed by medication) so that I could get to a healthier weight. I say that because maybe you need this tool as well, and have tried for a long time without success, it is never too late. If you are young, it is so great that you might get healthier now and avoid alot of the things I have been through. I don't wish two knee replacements, diabetes, high blood pressure, missing out on life, on anyone. This tool worked for me, and it might work for you, too. Follow the doctor’s orders and trust the process if you want to and can. It has been entirely worth it.
 
Not to get skinny. That was never my goal. (I do admit it is very nice to get out of the plus-size department, though! Did you know that plus sizes tend to cost more?)
 
But to get healthier. My diabetes is in remission, my blood pressure has improved, my inflammation is down, I was able to get my knees replaced, and my other medical “numbers” are all in a healthier place. Not perfect, I am almost 69 years old, and the body will continue to wear down like everyone’s will, but it’s better. Better means a better quality of life. I am getting there. I am not where I want to be (I hope to lose a bit more weight, and my knees are still slowly healing, and walking is still more difficult than I want it to be), but I am so much better off than I was.)
 
There is a huge problem with access to these medications for a lot of people. But if you have access, and courage, and trust in obesity specialists who know far more about all this than most of us, and if you qualify medically, let me know if you want to talk about it. I won’t try to persuade you, but I'll share how it's worked for me without any regrets. Just be sure to listen to science, not opinion.
 
You can contact me here or via social media message/text/email. I can be found in all the usual places!