I’ve been on Ozempic for 31 weeks now. The past week or two has definitely had some ups and downs.
If you would like to read about my experiences with Ozempic from the beginning of my journey, you can click here.
Let’s dive into the post so I can report how life has been going.
Side Effects:
Ozempic side effects were out in full force these past couple of weeks.
Ozempic burps were fairly prevalent. To me, they are one of the oddest side effects of the medication. There’s an odor to them that is not pleasant. Also, it’s not a regular ‘burp.’ It’s a rolling burp that stumbles out, as if it’s a bowling ball falling down two sets of stairs. That may be a little more of a description than you would have liked, but it’s an accurate explanation for what I experience.
Another piece of the Ozempic life has been the feeling of fullness directly after you start eating. For me, this is not an all the time thing, and seems to be something I can push through if I try to do so.
My reason for starting Ozempic was to lower my A1C. It was solely about trying to control my Type 2 Diabetes. Weight loss was a secondary side-effect that could also help with the Diabetes.
This past Wednesday, I had a day at work that was filled with obligations. I didn’t get to eat lunch and was, consequently, starving by dinner time. Brian and I were out at a restaurant where I ordered a side salad and a cheeseburger basket with fries. It was probably around 7:00 at night by this time.
The salad was in a small cup-size bowl. I was so excited to dig in. I ate half of it, then looked at Brian.
“You have to be kidding me,” he said. “You only had a few bites.”
“I’m getting full,” I replied, “but I’ve been waiting all day for dinner so I’m finishing this little salad.”
Anyway, I pushed through the Ozempic wall, ate the salad and munched on a few fries once the burger basket came. Brian ended up eating his meal and the rest of mine.
This type of thing doesn’t happen every day, but it happens more often than not.
Sugar Levels:
My sugar levels continue to be right where they should be, for the most part.
I did have one time last week when I checked my sugar and it was high. My head was hurting, I was thirsty, and my eye sight was a little blurry. I realized that my sugar must be out of control.
I had just ate one of those chocolate covered Nutty Buddy wafers. You know the ones. You can can pull the wafer goodness apart and there’s peanut butter filling the crevices encased between the wafer and chocolate. They are amazing, but not your friend when diabetic. Anyway, I checked my sugar and saw that it was in the high 200s. It has been the highest number I’ve seen in a while.
Beyond that one time, my glucose numbers have been in an acceptable range anywhere from low 100’s to high 100’s. This morning, the glucose meter read 120.
The Ozempic is doing what it was supposed to do.
Weight Loss:
I’ve lost 1.4 pounds in the past two weeks. It’s not record-breaking when you think of Ozempic and how much people are able to lose on the medication. It put me right back in the same frame of mind I’ve been in for the past month.
I really should take advantage of the medication and lose more weight while I’m on it. I realize I haven’t disclosed my current weight on this blog, but I could definitely stand to lose 40 more pounds in addition to the 25 I’ve already lost.
Why do I ‘push through’ and continue to eat at times when I’m already full?
Ozempic’s number one job for me is to help with my A1C. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t take advantage of other benefits of the medicine.
The number one message here is that Ozempic is not a miracle drug. I still need to be proactive in my choices. I can not look at Ozempic as a free pass to do whatever I want.
I’m still learning that lesson.
- Week 1: -4.5 lbs
- Week 2: –1.5 lbs
- Week 3: -1 lb
- Week 4: -2.8 lbs
- Week 5: -1.6 lbs
- Week 6: +1 lb
- Week 7: +1 lb
- Week 8: +/- 0 lbs
- Week 9-11: – Didn’t Weigh In
- Week 12: -3 lbs
- Week 14: -3.4 lbs
- Week 15: -1.4 lbs
- Week 16: -2 lbs
- Week 17: +1 lb
- Week 18: -0.8 lb
- Week 19: -2 lb
- Week 20: -1.4 lbs
- Week 21: + 1.2 lbs
- Week 22: Didn’t Weigh In
- Week 23: -1.6 lbs
- Week 24: -1 lb
- Week 25: -1.2 lbs
- Week 26: +0.8 lbs
- Week 27: Didn’t Weigh In
- Week 28: +1.2 lbs
- Week 29: -1 lb
- Week 30: Didn’t Weigh In
- Week 31: -1.4
- Total Lost: -25.4 lbs
Feeling Healthier
While I may just be plodding along in my Ozempic journey, I definitely feel healthier. The headaches, thirstiness, and blurry vision are less prevalent.
Also, while I’ve only lost 25 pounds at this point, it’s still 25 pounds lighter than I was in the fall. I can definitely tell a difference with my clothes and just overall movement.
It is unrelated to this post, but today would have been my Mom’s 68th birthday. She passed away 3 years ago, and to say that life has been a struggle without her, is an understatement. I think she would have been happy with my Ozempic journey and would be interested in any progress I have made. She would have made sure I knew how important it was to stay as healthy as I can, but also she would be telling me that it’s okay if I only lost a pound and a half this past week. Life is too short to worry about weight just for the sake of what you look like.
Being healthy is a whole different matter.
Goals for Today:
- Organize the Bedroom
- Spend Time in my Writing Cabin
- Visit the Cemetery & Have a Talk with Mom on Her Birthday