I just began climbing down Mt Mounjaro 8 weeks ago. Started at 245 have only lost 10# as I’m in a sedentary phase w 10 hrs a day laptop work. But your first essay got me excited to take the plunge, so thanks!
I think the key is to not GAIN the the weight in the first place. The average USA corporate medico diet is TOXIC and fat sneaks up on most of us during the work/life stress years of 30-60. Then we realize, Holy Fuck, I’m FAT. And w/o drugs, we’re screwed.
I’ll start my exercise program soon. And I do hope to get off the meds, but not if the weight returns. We shall see. I was a skinny kid, so there’s that.
I see no reason to stop taking the drug. I have lost 70 or more pounds half a dozen times, and shrunken stomach or not, I have eventually regained every pound and more.
I'm curious, though. Why do you think that I should consider stopping the drug? I get that from everybody it seems like, and it frankly makes no sense to me. Could you explain your thought process here?
Jul 21, 2023·edited Jul 21, 2023Liked by Bill Quick
Congrats on the transformation and thank you for the inspiration.
I've been on the Mounjaro for just over 4 weeks and I've already lost 17 lbs without doing anything different, except for eating less because of the drug's effect on my appetite. And my wife says I look like I have lost even more because I'm less "puffy" through the shoulders and belly and face.
I am genuinely happy for you. We are the same age and after a 70 year war, I think I have finally won. I wasn't too overweight as a kid, partly thanks to high school sports and farm work, but college was a different era. I fought and lost many battles with diet and exercise, until the brief marathon running phase. I was overjoyed that I could eat as much as I wanted of anything I liked and not gain an ounce. That phase ended with leg/foot problems which also ended my running and shortly thereafter gratuitous walking....plus a bad habit of eating large quantities of food.
This all escalated during my reluctant casino buffet phase where I really added some ugly belly fat. Then around 2015 I blew out in my canoe full of camping gear. In my mind it was a matter of too much weight in the canoe. [They become harder to control.] I had some creature comforts on board that no backpacker would consider carrying, but I wasn't going to give any of them up. That left my weight.
I weighed 240 pounds on a 6'3" frame. My brother and his wife decided enough of the diet insanity and did their due diligence. End result was nearly everything the public health experts told us about nutrition was at best a lie. Covidiocy taught us that public health experts are not honest or competent....or both.
I kept eating bacon, eggs, cheese grits in the morning, albeit with smaller servings, e.g., a half a slice of bacon. I saved all the bacon grease and eat it daily. I have a complex salad for lunch which includes a host of pickled vegetables, some eggs or fish (sardines, Underwood deviled ham, etc.) and a small dinner that varies a great deal, often Spam, Vienna sausages or cowboy beans. Sometimes I eat friend chicken. Once or twice I have had a Popeye's biscuit.
I work far harder and longer than I wish, but now I weigh 168 (a few minutes ago) and my weight as stabilized 167-172. I do not eat bread, potatoes, rice, pizza, hamburgers, corn or most other carbs, but I do eat them every now and then. I like sushi and we have a Japanese cafe where I can eat my fill of it and fried chicken/shrimp etc. I actually like my dishes and eat the other foods less and less often.
My blood pressure is ok 140/60 range with medication. I take some vitamins, but my life is as active and strenuous as it has been for the last 20 years. I don't know about any of those other parameters as I have never been interested enough. My regular doctor is an old paddling buddy and I trust that he will analyze my blood and urine results each year and let me know if we need to talk.
Physically I look a lot like you. You can't lose 70 pounds without losing some muscle mass. I haven't noticed the loss causing me problems, but then it is hard to separate the deficits that come with age from losing muscle. I am about to go outside now and start a long hot job spraying Round Up on this Moby Dick of a yard where we either planted or allowed every danged horrible, invasive species to take hold.
I wish you good luck and expect you'll do fine. My instinct tells me that after your stomach has shrunk enough you will continue to eat small portions. You might find that it is now easy to maintain your weight without this drug. If wrong, and you see an unpleasant gain, you could always resume taking the drug, right?
I just began climbing down Mt Mounjaro 8 weeks ago. Started at 245 have only lost 10# as I’m in a sedentary phase w 10 hrs a day laptop work. But your first essay got me excited to take the plunge, so thanks!
I think the key is to not GAIN the the weight in the first place. The average USA corporate medico diet is TOXIC and fat sneaks up on most of us during the work/life stress years of 30-60. Then we realize, Holy Fuck, I’m FAT. And w/o drugs, we’re screwed.
I’ll start my exercise program soon. And I do hope to get off the meds, but not if the weight returns. We shall see. I was a skinny kid, so there’s that.
I see no reason to stop taking the drug. I have lost 70 or more pounds half a dozen times, and shrunken stomach or not, I have eventually regained every pound and more.
I'm curious, though. Why do you think that I should consider stopping the drug? I get that from everybody it seems like, and it frankly makes no sense to me. Could you explain your thought process here?
Congrats on the transformation and thank you for the inspiration.
I've been on the Mounjaro for just over 4 weeks and I've already lost 17 lbs without doing anything different, except for eating less because of the drug's effect on my appetite. And my wife says I look like I have lost even more because I'm less "puffy" through the shoulders and belly and face.
It is absolutely amazing.
I am genuinely happy for you. We are the same age and after a 70 year war, I think I have finally won. I wasn't too overweight as a kid, partly thanks to high school sports and farm work, but college was a different era. I fought and lost many battles with diet and exercise, until the brief marathon running phase. I was overjoyed that I could eat as much as I wanted of anything I liked and not gain an ounce. That phase ended with leg/foot problems which also ended my running and shortly thereafter gratuitous walking....plus a bad habit of eating large quantities of food.
This all escalated during my reluctant casino buffet phase where I really added some ugly belly fat. Then around 2015 I blew out in my canoe full of camping gear. In my mind it was a matter of too much weight in the canoe. [They become harder to control.] I had some creature comforts on board that no backpacker would consider carrying, but I wasn't going to give any of them up. That left my weight.
I weighed 240 pounds on a 6'3" frame. My brother and his wife decided enough of the diet insanity and did their due diligence. End result was nearly everything the public health experts told us about nutrition was at best a lie. Covidiocy taught us that public health experts are not honest or competent....or both.
I kept eating bacon, eggs, cheese grits in the morning, albeit with smaller servings, e.g., a half a slice of bacon. I saved all the bacon grease and eat it daily. I have a complex salad for lunch which includes a host of pickled vegetables, some eggs or fish (sardines, Underwood deviled ham, etc.) and a small dinner that varies a great deal, often Spam, Vienna sausages or cowboy beans. Sometimes I eat friend chicken. Once or twice I have had a Popeye's biscuit.
I work far harder and longer than I wish, but now I weigh 168 (a few minutes ago) and my weight as stabilized 167-172. I do not eat bread, potatoes, rice, pizza, hamburgers, corn or most other carbs, but I do eat them every now and then. I like sushi and we have a Japanese cafe where I can eat my fill of it and fried chicken/shrimp etc. I actually like my dishes and eat the other foods less and less often.
My blood pressure is ok 140/60 range with medication. I take some vitamins, but my life is as active and strenuous as it has been for the last 20 years. I don't know about any of those other parameters as I have never been interested enough. My regular doctor is an old paddling buddy and I trust that he will analyze my blood and urine results each year and let me know if we need to talk.
Physically I look a lot like you. You can't lose 70 pounds without losing some muscle mass. I haven't noticed the loss causing me problems, but then it is hard to separate the deficits that come with age from losing muscle. I am about to go outside now and start a long hot job spraying Round Up on this Moby Dick of a yard where we either planted or allowed every danged horrible, invasive species to take hold.
I wish you good luck and expect you'll do fine. My instinct tells me that after your stomach has shrunk enough you will continue to eat small portions. You might find that it is now easy to maintain your weight without this drug. If wrong, and you see an unpleasant gain, you could always resume taking the drug, right?
Keep the water under the boat.
b