Going on a diet has always been a torturous process for me. I don’t like being hungry and even though Weight Watchers insists that you never have to experience that empty feeling, I do on every diet. Going on a GLP-1 (Zepbound, in my case) has freed me from the thing I hate most about dieting. I’m simply never hungry.

A couple of days ago, I realized that I didn’t need to eat all of my Weight Watcher points to continue to feel comfortable. The scale is cooperating better since cutting back some on the size of my meals. And I’m doing this without the least bit of discomfort. What a discovery!

One thing I am keeping in mind is the inevitable transition to maintenance. I plan on staying on Zepbound through August, giving me seven months to lose about 50 pounds. At that time, I will employ every maintenance strategy in Stop Losing and Win.

What are your thoughts about the new weight loss drugs? We’d love to hear from you.

Well, I did it. I started on the new weight loss drug, Zepbound, a GLP-1. My doctor had originally prescribed Wegovy, but my pharmacy didn’t have it. The doctor was gracious enough to change my prescription, knowing that weight loss drugs are in short supply, even given the astronomical costs (this one is $1200 out of pocket each month).

For two weeks, I have been taking the low dose of Zepbound. I have noticed a few striking changes. First, and most importantly, I am never physically hungry. I have been able to eat lightly each day. Even at three o’clock, my hungry time, I am not rummaging around the kitchen looking for a snack. Second, I have lost just over four pounds, not a massive loss, but respectable. Third, I have mild side effects. I was bothered by a sensation that was like heartburn, but not quite. That seems to be tapering off.

Next month, I switch to the higher dose of Zepbound. In all, I’m glad to be free of hunger as I diet. I expect that the high dose of the drug will dampen my appetite even more. Overall, my experience on Zepbound is like any other diet, but quite a bit easier—easier on everything but my pocketbook, that is!

If you are like me, you are intrigued with the potential of a prescription medication to make weight loss easier. As someone who has dieted and lost (and regained) hundreds of pounds, I can attest to the difficulties inherent in having an intractable weight problem. At this moment in my journey, I can safely
say that a lasting solution would be a welcome addition to my weight management portfolio of strategies.
A few months ago, my doctor prescribed me Wegovy for weight loss. Because insurance doesn’t cover weight loss drugs, the out-of-pocket expense would have been over $1500 per month. I decided not to fill the prescription at that time, but since then I have read several interesting things about these
diabetes drugs and I just might change my mind.
Three interesting facts: (1) Ozempic is going off patent this coming year, potentially making that medication more affordable in the near future. (2) A number of popular programs are offering weight loss drugs, among them Weight Watchers. (3) Even weight loss advocates including Oprah support the
use of weight loss drugs to aid in weight management efforts. The trend seems to be in the direction of more weight loss medication use, not less.

Although this blog is dedicated to all things “weight management,” I want to take a little detour and talk about the holidays. Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday and Christmas is around the corner. And while I know that imminent holidays cause feelings of dread in many people, these occasions fill me with uncomplicated childish joy.

Life is so much more than watching your mouth and watching your weight, even though much of the advice we receive (as women, perhaps) is to do one or both of these things consistently, around the calendar. As the holidays approach, my tendency is to joyfully engage with family and friends. We’ll do some feasting and make goodies that only come around once a year. Come January, there will be time for moderation and even self-control, but right now it’s time to party!

So, enjoy these little interludes, knowing you can get right back on the moderation horse tomorrow or next month. As we have said over and over again, weight management is not a religion. Instead, it is a set of strategies that you can apply as they make sense. This year, rather than fall off the horse, I am going to gently let myself off the beast and wander around the barnyard, at least for a little while.

I am fascinated with what I am learning about the new weight loss drugs. One bit of news that came through my computer this week was that Ozempic and Wegovy are going off-patent this coming year. The prices are bound to come down considerably when that happens. Wegovy has been approved as a weight loss drug but most insurance companies are not covering it. The cost is currently over $1600 per month, way out of most family budgets, a fact that could change soon.

That bit of news aside, what I find interesting is how drugs work. They seem to quell all cravings, not only for food but for alcohol and drugs, even gambling. It’s so interesting that a drug that works on the brain would turn out to be helpful in the weight management process. And the same drugs could help people with addictions.

One of the issues with these drugs is that, as you might expect, people gain back the weight when they cease taking the medication. What is it worth to you to have some help with weight loss? Is there a monthly amount that you would gladly pay? What if you had to stay on the drug for a long time?

We tend to rely on the scale for objective feedback about the results of our weight management efforts, but are there other ways to get feedback? Fortunately, there are. First, let’s evaluate your physical activity. Are you breaking into a sweat three to four times each week? Are you working out in classes or with weights or machines or bands as well, challenging your muscles? Do you end the activity feeling euphoric but exhausted? If so, you are on the right track.

Second, are you eating fruits and veggies at every meal? Is your dinner plate half covered with steamed, roasted, or sautéed vegetables? Do you end each meal with a piece of fruit? Are you choosing a snack of produce such as fruit or bean salad? If so, you are on the right track.

Third, do you sleep and relax well? Are you able to unwind and enjoy a good night’s sleep? Can you happily read a book, complete a puzzle, or watch a movie without climbing out of your skin? Those are excellent indicators that you’re on the right track.

Tuning into what you are doing each day and how you are feeling gives you immediate feedback about how your body fares. When the scale is just not cooperating, pay attention to other indicators. What matters most is that you are fit, nourished, and well-rested.

We are so excited to tell you that Stop Losing and Win is on its way! We are doing the final edit right now and have asked our graphic designer friend, Karen Shein, to design the cover. It’s just a matter of weeks now before you’ll be able to buy the book on Amazon.

Writing together has been a wonderful process for Karen and me. Through hundreds of Zoom meetings and phone calls, months and months of studying books and articles, and innumerable hours of sweating over our hot computers, we have brought to light aspects of weight management that we’ve never seen published elsewhere. For example, we talk about the social pressure to eat and drink like your friends and family, dealing with body image, how to sustain your motivation over time, what’s in the weight loss research, and even the practical problem of getting nutritious foods into your house and then into your mouth.

Stop Losing and Win is a fun, informative, and practical guide to the science and skills involved in weight management. From determining your own “just right” weight to maintaining it over the years, this book is packed with strategies that will both challenge and support you in your own weight management journey. 

I hear you, and believe me, I’m trying to! And although my body doesn’t get as many new clothes or pictures snapped of it now, I’m treating it tenderly.

One thing we do is to go to the gym several times each week where we enjoy the dubious pleasure of getting sweaty together—and feeling so good afterward. We get out for walks and stay as active as before. We’ve also been on a big family vacation where we had to throw caution to the wind and wear a swimsuit. And we survived.

Even with a sudden and noticeable weight gain, I have not fallen into self-loathing as women often do. The reason for my recent equanimity is probably my work on Stop Losing and Win, now compiled into 250 pages of wisdom for how to love your body. Four years of research and writing add up to being able to accept myself when I am slim and not-so-slim.

Insurance companies consider weight problems to be behavioral, not medical. This minor reconceptualization saves insurance companies from paying for any treatment associated with weight management. As a matter of fact, overweight is such a prevalent issue that insurance companies might go broke if obesity were treated as a medical problem.

Diabetes drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy have been proven effective for weight loss. Insurance companies, however, are holding the line, refusing to cover the treatment of overweight and obesity, even though most of the leading authorities agree that “thinner is better” when it comes to cardiovascular health and even cancer prevention.

The out-of-pocket cost of these drugs is prohibitive. When my doctor prescribed Wegovy for me, the pharmacy quoted a price of just over $1000 per month. Very few household budgets would be able to absorb Wegovy. Moreover, there is a major drawback: People are almost certain to regain their weight after going off these new weight loss drugs.

We are within weeks of finishing our book Stop Losing and Win. In this book, we teach readers how to maintain their weight. Weight management has never been more salient. Besides the millions of people who want strategies to maintain a healthy weight over time, there is a whole new market of people who lost weight by using a diabetes drug and need to learn how to maintain it after the very expensive drug is withdrawn. What would have been timely and relevant before has become essential reading. Now, how do we make our book widely available to everyone who will need it?

Today I realized that I have a fear of going hungry. And I know where that fear originated. I developed a fear of hunger by going hungry when I was dieting. The fear floats to the surface when I’m just sitting on the couch—a little niggling sensation followed by the question: Am I hungry? Usually, I really am not, but I’ll eat something anyway, just to be safe. Otherwise, I feel a little panicky.

Dieting traumatizes us in so many ways. You’ll never find a doctor or nutritionist who agrees with you, but it’s true. Losing weight isn’t natural even when being thinner might be healthier. It’s been six years since I lost forty pounds and a couple of months since I gained them back, I’m still reacting to any threat of a calorie deficit: Am I hungry?

There is a deep social imperative to be thin. Even though we are living in a society where plenty has replaced want for most of us, we are supposed to get thin, be thin, and stay thin. This requires saying “no” several times a day and ignoring that little voice, asking “Am I hungry?” It pays to tune into your thoughts and feelings, especially when you’re asking yourself to do something hard.