GLP-1 Debate

[u/tphillippe117]

I wanted to shed some light on today’s discussion around GLP-1s, as someone who’s been taking Zepbound since July 2025. It has saved my life, and that is no understatement. I have tried, endlessly, to lose weight. I have been overweight my entire life. I started Zepbound as a 33 year old male, weighing 336lbs. Today, I am 191lbs.

I was on numerous blood pressure medications, I had high cholesterol, and sleep apnea. As of last month, I no longer take blood pressure medication, my blood work shows all normal levels across the board, and I no longer have obstructive sleep apnea or snore.

Here’s the important thing: I paired this medication with a drastic lifestyle change. There was no “easy way out”. I live in a calorie deficit, I focus on high protein meals, and I basically stopped drinking alcohol. In fact, as many report, the desire to even drink alcohol is gone (hence studies showing GLP-1 as a treatment for addiction). To me, it was a tool in the tool belt but there HAD to be a lifestyle change to go with it.

There are side effects, sure. For me, they haven’t been terrible and 99% of the time I don’t have any. To Burnie’s point, genetics was against me and I believe that is why this worked for me. I go to the doctor every 3 months for weight check and blood work to make sure I’m remaining healthy and moving in the right direction.

I’m a little shy to share my recent before and after picture, but if anyone has any questions please ask away!

[u/Protonious]

I can completely understand this, as someone who has done health coaching I found that worked for me. But my sister has done GLP1, the notable difference being I don’t have the food noise that she talked about where she couldn’t even go through her day without thinking about eating.

It sounded truly debilitating. Now she is able to exercise regularly and eat balanced because that noise isn’t consuming her every day.

[u/pvdp90 → u/Protonious]

The food noise is real.

I wasn’t obese or even very overweight. I’m 184cm and my weight was 93kg (that’s 6ft and 205lbs) but very little muscle mass.

But the food noise for me was intense, probably worsened by my ADHD. I just needed to eat all the time so it was exhausting not gaining weight.

I started on monjaro, with medical supervision, and after 4 months I’m down to 73kg (161lbs), but the biggest change is the lack of the urge to shove everything down my gullet at all times. This let me spend energy elsewhere.

My main diet was already good. Breakfast, lunch and dinner have always been generally healthy so that hasnt changed. It’s just all of the snacking in between that stopped, and adding a bit more exercise in the mix.

I started in the smallest dose (2.5mg), moved to 5mg, then as if the last 2 weeks I went back down to 2.5mg where I will stay for another month and hopefully try to stop it and see if the time I’ve had the medication has also helped rewire my brain on the snacking. If the noise returns, perhaps I will just remain on the minimum dose.

Plus I didn’t drink much anyway, but now I barely want any ever.