I Took Ozempic
(This is not medical advice. Speak to your doctor. Also, I’m using Ozempic, the brand name for semaglutide, and semaglutide interchangeably.)
I first became aware of Ozempic in late 2021 after I booked a $70,000 fat loss bet. In a short span of time, my partner in the bet started using it, and a Twitter follower, @dmarknewman, told me about his experiences with this miracle drug, so I decided to try it out. I started out taking a .05 mg injection a week before ramping up to a .2 mg dose for the last few days of the challenge. I barely made my target with just days to go, and I don’t think I would have done it without semaglutide.
After my final fast, I completely went off semaglutide. I allowed myself to occasionally drink again, and my appetite slowly returned over the next few months. Semaglutide doesn’t prevent metabolic adaptation (when our body adjusts to become more efficient and burn fewer calories as we lose weight), so most people tend to regain (the majority) of the weight they’ve lost once they’re off it, and I was no different.*
When I started the bet in late 2021, I was 150 lbs. I barely worked out, and I went out drinking almost every night. After three months of calorie tracking, consistent workouts, and semaglutide, I weighed in at 123 lbs. For the first three months, I didn't gain a single pound, but nothing good lasts forever, and as summer rolled around, most of the weight crept back on.
Some of you might ask why I ever stopped it. Firstly, I’m not interested in being 20 lbs skinnier if I have to take a drug for the rest of my life. Secondly, as much as I liked how I looked at my lowest weight, my intention all along was to reevaluate after I had hit my target and determine if that was the weight at which I felt the healthiest.
I loved the way I looked, but towards the end of bet, I was eating <200 calories a day and working out relentlessly. At the time this photo was taken, I was constantly hungry, irritable, and dizzy.
Effects
After my first injection, the most noticeable difference was that I no longer craved food. However, as someone who previously snacked excessively whenever I was bored, it took a few days for me to retrain that habit.
One of the best effects of this medication was that it not only suppressed my appetite but also provided an undeniable action-consequence connection. Every time I ate a large meal, I would feel some combination of constipation, nausea, and the sensation of feeling like there’s a rock in my stomach.
As far as side effects go, it seems like dosing plays a significant role. Generally, doctors recommend diabetic patients start at .25 mg, but because my goal was to suppress my appetite, I started at .05 mg and had little to no side effects.
Restarting Semaglutide
I wanted to jumpstart getting back in shape, so getting back on semaglutide was an easy decision. I’ve restarted at a .1 mg dose, I’m a week in, and I feel amazing. Let’s talk about the benefits:
Time and Money Efficient
The average American spends 67 minutes daily eating and drinking, 6 minutes grocery shopping, and 33 minutes cooking/meal prepping.** Through a combination of semaglutide and mostly drinking Huel (a meal replacement drink), I’ve reduced my time expenditure on food-related activity to below 5 minutes a day. Not everything has to be optimized, but I love having an extra two hours a day!
Furthermore, as someone who used to rack up thousands of dollars in Uber Eats orders a month, semaglutide appears to be paying for itself by eliminating that cost. (Without insurance, Ozempic ranges between $700 - $1,000 a month.)
Increased Energy Levels and Improved Mood
I’m currently fasting at the moment, so I’m consuming 300-400 calories a day in the form of a Mosh bar, a piece of fruit, and/or a bottle of Huel. I have much more energy, and I’m not experiencing any spikes or drops in my energy levels. As a result, my overall mood has improved significantly.
Should You Take Ozempic?
The short answer is that I don’t know. I’m not a medical professional; this isn’t medical advice. However, I can tell you that I’ve recommended this drug more often in the past year than just about anything else.
If you’re close to the normal BMI range and you want to try this out, the hardest part of the process will be finding someone to prescribe it, whereas if you are overweight or diabetic (even pre-diabetic), I’d highly recommend looking into it and talking to your doctor. This is one of the best anti-diabetic and weight-loss drugs on the market. Good luck!