Health Update-Spoiler Alert-It's Good News

I heard a quote that said, “I wish I weighed the same as I did the first time I thought I was fat.” 

For me, it all began when I was twelve years old. Over the past fifty-four years, I have devoted countless hours, days, months, and years to grappling with my thoughts about weight and health. I’ve bought numerous weight loss books, cookbooks, various scales, gadgets, and specialty foods. I’ve been on nearly every diet and lost weight only to gain it back. It has been a journey filled with anxieties and questions, particularly this past year. 

During the past six months, I saw that my cholesterol and A1C numbers were rising above the “normal” range, which was called to my attention through my membership with Lifeforce. My primary care doctor at the time was not concerned, but I was, so she sent me for a Calcium Score CT.  After the results, she then became alarmed and prescribed statins. I wrote about this in a previous post, Line in the Sand for My Health.  

Since then, I’ve obtained a new primary care doctor who is willing to answer all my questions and concerns, even if other patients are waiting, because they know she will do the same for them. She thoroughly reviews my labwork as Lifeforce does and offers suggestions and options, not ultimatums.

Whew, what a difference in healthcare.   

My new PCP and I talked about red yeast rice,  an over-the-counter supplement that is a “natural” statin that my friend and gym owner recommended. My doctor thought that was a good start to see how quickly my numbers changed.  (UPDATE:  In just two months, my total cholesterol went down 23 points, and my LDL (bad cholesterol) went down 21 points.)  Not bad for a natural alternative. 

My previous doctor told me nothing else would work other than a prescription statin (with side effects), and by not taking it, I was setting myself up for a heart attack.  

My other main concern has been my ballooning weight over the past year. I wish I could say it was because I was eating chocolate cake every night. After all, I could just cut that stuff out, but a heavy carb intake was not the cause.  

Since May, I’ve thrown everything at my weight loss that I knew to do:   

• Logged my food

• Lowered carbs

• Joined a gym (strength training 2-3 times a week) 

• Increased protein 

• Used red light therapy two times a week 

• walking/using FitBit

• Using Lumen

• Intermittent fasting 16/8 (8-hour eating window)  

In addition, Lifeforce suggested I try Metformin, which has been around for years and prescribed to type II Diabetics and people like me who have tried other ways to lose weight with little results.

•  I started taking Metformin in mid-September.  

 Despite all these efforts, I have lost only 7 pounds since May, weigh 3 pounds more than in March, and weigh 10 pounds more than last year. Talk about frustrating. As I said in the beginning, I’m not new to losing weight, but it seemed that once I turned 65, my metabolism retired and moved to the Caribbean. 

(Picture from last April 2024 )

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Recently, I have been researching the brands Ozempic and Mounjaro. Both are available through Lifeforce at a lower cost because they’re sold through a compounding pharmacy rather than the original manufacturer. 

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Ozempic acts like a hormone your body makes. Mounjaro works similarly, but it acts like two hormones instead of one. Compared to Ozempic, Mounjaro might work even better for weight loss. One study showed that a 15-milligram dose of this drug taken every week led people to lose more than 20% of their body weight.

Mounjaro works better to lower A1C compared to Ozempic

The trial compared three Mounjaro doses (5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg) to the 1 mg Ozempic dose over 40 weeks (about 9 months). People receiving any dose of Mounjaro had a greater reduction in hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C or A1C) compared to people receiving Ozempic.

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I had an extensive discussion with my doctor about the two medications, and she stated, “hands down,”  that Mounjaro was the better choice. It offers numerous health benefits, including improved heart health and weight loss, and it has been shown to be more effective overall. She was excited about the drug, saying it was “going to help so many people”, and those that she knew that had taken it (including many doctors) saw amazing results. She was interested in knowing that I could receive the drug at a reduced cost because if she prescribed it to me, which she was willing to do, it would cost approximately $1200 a month.  She believes it will work well for me, and after all my research, I do as well.  

My first prescription is on the way. 

It may seem a little crazy to start now since Thanksgiving and the Holidays are just around the corner, but you have to know how determined I am to get back to a healthy weight and improve my energy, heart, cholesterol, A1C numbers, and overall health. It’s been a long battle that I intend to win.   

Some may question why I would even bother at sixty-six to lose 30-35 pounds.  

Who cares? 

Me.

I care. 

Some may think I haven’t tried long or hard enough to lose weight and improve my heart health the “old-fashioned way.” Some may think I’m “cheating.” Some may think I don’t look “that bad,” so why am I putting myself through this? Some might say it is not worth the expense.

All I know is that I feel like I have been trying everything to lose weight for well over a year with little to no results. I want to do all I can to be around my family and my precious grandchildren for as long as I can.  I want to be healthy and full of energy while we are together. I want to be able to say I did everything I could to achieve that.

I know I won’t be here forever, but I want my remaining years to be the best.  I’m excited for the future.

I will keep you posted on my progress. Would love to know how you feel about this topic and if you’d like to know more.  

Thanks for reading. 

Keep smiling!

xx