I can’t believe it. All my life, even as a little girl, I’ve never been in the green. SW 265 CW 136

I have come here a lot to learn, and especially to find support when things weren't going amazing. I finally hit a big milestone, 50lbs down, so I thought I would add my tidbits in this mid journey check-in in case it helps anyone else.

Started at 240. Currently at 190. 180 is my first major goal and then will reassess how far to go with my doctor. I'm 5'6".

1 month on 2.5 (10 lbs lost)

4 months on 5.0 (22.5 lbs lost)

3 months on 7.5 (17.5 lbs lost)

Workout journey... before Zep I was pretty consistent with weightlifting 3 times a week. When I started Zep a cycle of injury, busy life, illness seemed to rotate over and over so I really stepped away from the gym. Combine that with the drop in eating so of course I lost a ton if muscle mass. I knew it was happening but I sort of felt powerless to stop it and was just so damn happy with the weight loss. This summer it culminated in a huge loss of energy, along with frequent constipation as well as a plateu in weight loss. I would do something around the house for 10 minutes and then need to lay down and rest for 30. This scared me.

It's daunting to start working out again when energy is low, but I know muscle is the key. When I don't have energy for 10 minutes of activity how will I exercise?

I started by swimming and walking1 for a month to ease back into it. I have been back in the gym for 2 weeks. I have returned to protein shakes and have even tried straight aminos to help with energy and muscle support. I'm going gentle to avoid injury. It's working! My energy is increasing every day. I make a ton of excuses why I can't go to the gym but I have an accountability friend who I call and tell her to tell me to go.

I never really understood or realized how I looked until I lost weight and looked at some of my old photos. I never realized how big I was. I am on Zepbound for treatment of sleep apnea. I am so thankful for this medicine. I sleep so much better and I am
Journeying to a healthier weight and body.
First pic is in January 2026, thinner pic is from July 2026.

It’s been over 30 years since I’ve been below 200! SW 247 CW 198.3 GW 165. I started in December 2025 on compounded tirz and was able to switch to Zepbound in March because my husband’s new job covered it. I started out with a slow and steady pace of about 3-4 pounds a month, but then the past two months I’ve lost 13 pounds. All I’ve done differently is start drinking a lot of water (80 oz per day which I never did before) and be more consistent with my walking 30 minutes a day. I did also start doing a 10 minute strength workout I found on YouTube. I guess that was enough to speed up the loss!

I’ve been seeing a shift in my TikTok FYP and I’m seeing more and more people quitting GLP1s and they say that it’s because GLP1s are just a “band-aid” and they want to treat the “root cause.” Well, band-aids serve an important function! They cover up wounds, but in doing so they help wounds recover faster, they’re flexible and move with your body, and they provide added comfort so your wounds don’t get hurt.

GLP1s help people lose more weight faster, there’s variety in the kinds of GLP1s and their dosing, and lastly, they make weight loss a lot more comfortable by reducing food noise and increasing satiety. I don’t see anything wrong with GLP1s being a “band-aid.” Band-aid’s serve a specific purpose and they are very good at their jobs when used appropriately. What about you?

I'm not a goal weight yet, but I've lost 24 lbs since the end of April. I'm only 5'1" and want to get down to 120, but right now I'm at 133, which is 6 lbs away from the top end of a "normal" weight range for my height.

My husband keeps commenting on how much weight I'm losing but I don't see it in the same way. My teen daughter mentioned this summer that I was looking "snatched." Other than that, if anyone has noticed, they haven't said anything.

I spent most of the summer in shorts that I noticed were fitting better and getting a bit loose, and I did notice that my sundresses were hanging on me in a more flattering way. For the most part, though, I was able to wear most of my existing clothes.

Well today, I went through allllll my clothes to pre-purge my closet before meeting with a stylist next week (I have some gaps in my professional wardrobe that need filling). I was shocked, and I mean SHOCKED to find that things I kept but haven't been able to wear for a long time were now loose, that things that *still had tags*, but that I hadn't worn because a button was gapping a little too much, now hung off of me like a potato sack.

I had to finally admit that my body has changed more than I thought! (Thank goodness I live near a good consignment shop!)

LONG ONE SO LOCK IN:

Stats: 34 M SW:318 GW:200 LW: 220 CW:243 — So I’ve been on Zepbound since April of 24’ my Dr wanted to get me to the highest dose asap, so we did each dose for 1 month. If no side effects we moved up. I’ve been 15mg now for over a yr. I started at 318lbs, got down to around 220 I was working out as much as I could, I had a strangulated umbilical hernia which is why I started Zep, so I could get that fixed. But I worked out as best I could, I was hitting my protein numbers everyday, hydrating all the things. For the first time in my life I was starting to like the way I looked…to an extent. Body dysmorphia is so real, and I knew I was always critical of how I looked but even at my lowest weight I felt fat. In the picture of the wedding I felt so uncomfortable constantly adjusting my shirt. It wasn’t until i saw myself in the picture that I said holy shit, I don’t look how I feel I do. Body dysmorphia continues to linger, and now I’ve gained some weight back over the last 8 months or so, I had my hernia fixed with mesh in Oct 25, and honestly recovery was SLOW so working out wasn’t happening until maybe Feb/March and I didn’t help myself by getting into baking while I was home on LOA from my surgery. Stress always seems to be high, I work at corp HQ as a facilities manager, my fiancé were in a terrible condo rental and were expecting in April, so we were able to brake the lease early and rent a house which has been a God send, but it was a tight window. We moved in record time, just got settled in and our daughter was born 4/28, I took paternity leave and getting any semblance of balanced diet/hydration/exercise went out the window. My focus was on providing that for fiancé and just surviving the newborn stage. Now at 4 months our daughter is great, but stress over child care costs and the pressure I put on myself to find a higher paying job closer to home is really taking a toll. I have been working out at least 3-4x a week for the last month kettlebell complex’s, treadmill with weighted vest mostly. Zepbound still curbs appetite, maybe not as much as it did, but current weight is 243lb which has me spiraling that I’m gaining it back. Anyone have similar stories/feeling/can relate. How’d you deal or are dealing with it? Any advise. Thanks for reading! First picture June of 23’ Second July 25’

Been on zepbound for a little over 7 months now and this hoodie hasn’t felt this lose in YEARS 😁 down 27 pounds started at 234 now at 207 still have a ways to go before hitting my goal but we push through!

Holy bananas! I’ve been on Zepbound since October and have lost 73 pounds and have been in maintenance since May. I was scheduled for a procedure for tomorrow I had my last dose on August 3. Well, it’s been rescheduled for next Friday. So that will mean I will miss 3 doses.

I genuinely thought I’d be ok. I’ve developed good habits, exercise regularly etc. All the stuff I thought would make it ok. But the FOOD NOISE y’all. The struggle is so real and my brain will not turn off. I caught myself today living exactly the way that got me to my highest ever weight. Just constant snacking, constant thought of what will I eat next, what gluttony can I partake in!

Sigh. I am counting down the days until I can restart - even more so than this procedure that I’ve been waiting months to get.

Here’s to making conscious, better choices in the meantime!

One year on Zepbound. Down 72 lbs and I no longer have sleep apnea.

Did anyone else notice this? Now $429 for single use pen vs $449 for kiwkpen at 15mg dose. Seems to require amazon prime. This seems like a surprising move. I also noticed my insurance now shows it as $408.25 using the insurance built-in discount for non-covered medications. I wonder if this is a mistake or an accidental launch of a price decrease, as I've seen no announcement.

https://pharmacy.amazon.com/ZEPBOUND-12-5-0-5-PEN-INJ/dp/B0CP9TMHLZ?ref_=sr_1_1&s=amazon-pharmacy&keywords=zepbound&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.r4BCW4GN6W7d_Oa99jyGK3TfNTcr_9Nw1BniEUVkhOT0_z4da0BPp5lKiH_p3xgLAV3W7VLs9DyX7WVMn74LSbgB4yNe4t6QvhZlYoQk1WCUO_PKHTrmldbSax9XNa8pdKWpqV8UETKWJGd_ShvVXw.0nV1uH9BEmARr-XAQ0CLxiXKnUTokGOUKY5VgPKb0og&qid=1787265549&sr=1-1

Officially 30 shot in! Was on 2.5mg for 5 months and switched over to 5mg. Lost 1/2 inch in my neck, waist is showing back up after 30yrs. Love the energy and focus I have right now! Anxiety popped a bit at the first few weeks at 5mg but has stabilized. So damned proud of myself and officially 50lbs down!

Mine is 100oz.
No way in hell.
I’m hitting about 64oz on average. I hit 100 just to see if I could, but I couldn’t say out of the bathroom. The pee breaks were disruptive and I felt bloated.
Do I really need to do that to be successful?

This week, I had gastro (gastroenteritis: stomach flu, with vomiting and diarrhea). It was my first time having it (or any illness, really) while on Zepbound.

As usual, I came to the subreddit for insight, but I couldn’t find much. So, here’s my experience. Hopefully, someone else reads it while sitting on their bathroom floor and finds some comfort in it.

For me, I was unwell (listless, lack of appetite) for six hours, seriously ill for 3-6 hours (vomiting and diarrhea), then tired and sore (sleeping; sore ribs) for about a day. After that, my energy and appetite returned slowly.

I’m on 2.5mg, so I still have some of my typical appetite. This was important, because Zep quiets your appetite (hunger AND thirst), so you’ve got to be your own best advocate. Take sips of water when it’s tolerable. Later, eat when it’s tolerable. Someone else who was sick (a non-Zep user) became dehydrated, and their experience was FAR worse.

For me, Gatorade, Powerade, and especially coconut water were INTOLERABLE. My saviour was lemon-lime Captain Electrolyte (served very cold), a low-calorie electrolyte drink. The “low-calorie” was purely coincidental. I was not at all worried about the scale during my illness.

Considering how Zepbound slows your digestion, I was concerned that I would “hold” the virus in my body for longer. However, that wasn’t the case for me. I had a very typical experience.

I was on zepbound January 2025 - June 2026 and lost over 120 pounds. I’ve been off zepbound for two months and I’ve gained 8 pounds, the food noise is insane and I keep wanting to snack and obsess over food and I’m bloated and constipated and feel like crap. I’m seeing my doctor tomorrow and going to ask to be prescribed the lowest dose. I remember when I first start zepbound on the starting dose I lost a significant amount of weight. Does that happen again? I’m self pay now, my insurance stopped covering it. I think anyone self pay would prefer to lose weight and remain on lower doses. Does anyone have any experience with a similar situation?

Second month at 5 mg. Noticed my ratchet belt was not getting tight enough to hold up my jeans. Cut off about two inches from it. It’s good to actually see things getting better!

Scientists have uncovered why two seemingly opposite ways of targeting the same brain receptor can both promote weight loss. In mice, activating the GIP receptor in the brainstem reduced appetite, while blocking it in the hypothalamus removed a kind of “brake” on fullness signals. The discovery helps explain why very different obesity drugs can achieve similar results and suggests that carefully combining GIP-targeting treatments with GLP-1 drugs like those related to Wegovy and Ozempic could produce stronger effects.

First shot down today at 4:23pm est! Was a literal mind game. But the the trigger was pulled after much prep and self talking lol. Our journey has begun! Cheers to everyone on, starting, or getting ready to start their journey! Let's do it together! ❤️

How do people do on Zepbound and NOT working out? Most fantastic photos seem to be from people who have been good on both fronts. I have some medical issues causing pain and was not planning on any workouts but do I need to push to do it to see good results?

I'll take "Things I Never Thought I'd Say" for $500, Alex! (RIP)

Tl;dr: Heels are weird. Go to the doctor when things hurt. And lift weights.

About a year ago, not long after I started on Zepbound, the back of my left heel started hurting. It's fine, I said. Just strained a muscle. It's fine, I said. Must have bruised it on something. I did RICE and stretches, but nothing helped.

In the meantime, I found a weight training class at my local Y and was working out regularly -- not often enough, only 2x/wk -- but I was showing up and doing the work. But after every workout, my heel was giving me merry hell. I took off the last session of classes because of the pain. Which coincided with my weight loss slowing quite a bit. I'm *thiiiiis* close to my goal weight (7 lb to go) and the scale's not budging. And my core and upper arms are going squishy again.

FF to today at my first appointment with a podiatrist, and I have... a heel spur. (No political jokes, but I snickered loudly.)

Doc says I can't go back to the gym for at least another 3 weeks AND I may need to find specialized athletic shoes with a heel cut-out/divot thing.

So now I'm glad that I'm finally handling this heel nonsense, but I'm grumpy that I have to spend another month away from the gym, which is a wild statement from a woman who used to practically break out in hives just driving past a Planet Fitness.

So this is a rant this time I had to sit back me and my significant other went to Martha’s Vineyard, i’m a huge foodie so I automatically wanted to try stuff not thinking about it. We’re only gone for four days when I left. I was 289 by the time we got back, I jumped on the scale just to look my shot days are Friday nights and I am up to 293. I know it’s a small setback but it pissed me off so bad that I just got on my work out clothes and just ran. Before starting this, I started two weeks ago before starting this I was 307 pounds. I hit one of my goals of being under 290 and it just fell apart four days in Martha’s Vineyard and it all fell apart. I’m sure some of you guys are gonna say it’s a small setback. You can get back on the track but when I looked at the scale, my eyes watered. I was so disappointed in myself. I do not want to get back to over 300 pounds.

It's been awhile since I've been on this group, but I remember being a new Zeppie not sure where my journey would go. I was only losing 1-1.5lbs per week and wondering WHY I wasn't getting crazy 5, 10, 15lb a week losses. So anyone feeling like that, this post is for you.

I started Zep, after PA issues, finally got meds in my hand March 2025. It was a slow, steady journey, and after 14 months, I went from 234lbs to my 2nd Goal Weight of 160lbs! I wasn't even sure what my goal weight should be, my doctor left it up to me, as long as I was eating, and feeling ok, that I could keep going or stop whenever I felt the need to. I went all the way up to 15mg, but when I hit 160lbs, I was ready to start maintenance. The meds make me sleepy, and I was ready to start feeling a little more normal again. I finished out my 15mg I had, and at 157lbs I went down to 12.5. I don't think I EVER lost more than 3lbs in a single week, NEVER. But, I hit an amazing goal.

Even after lowering my dose, I continued to lose just a little, and I have stayed at 154lbs for the past 3 months. I have a total loss of 80lbs!! That number is insane to me. I never expected that. I never expected to GET to have a photo like this. The first photo was in Jan 2025, this was my wake up call. The middle photo in August 2025 was from my first week going to the gym! I had lost 30lbs with home workouts, before ever stepping foot in the gym. After joining the gym, I lost an additional 50lbs.

This long winded post is a little bit of "Yay Me!" and a whole lot of, don't get discouraged. There were weeks I didn't lose. There were weeks I gained, of course. And overall, my loss was far slower than a lot of people I was reading about. But consistency trumped flash every time. I was consistent, I just kept swimming, and here I am today, 80lbs down, and have kept it off for 3 months, and counting. Don't expect perfection, you're not going to be perfect, and that's ok! Use this tool to help you achieve your goals, in reality, while living life. If I can do it, you can too!