Today I’m opening up and sharing about my GLP-1 weight loss journey. So buckle up, we’re diving into the good, the bad, and the ugly. Like, really ugly. Reader discretion is advised. I am not a medical professional and this article should be considered a personal review and not medical advice. Always consult your own physician before beginning or altering your own weight loss journey. I was sent a 10 week supply of Semaglutide from Delilah in exchange for my honest opinion. This blog article was not a part of the partnership and is an extra review I wanted to share with you. As always, all opinions are completely my own.
my 3-month GLP-1 weight loss journey
I’ve always been tall and would never describe myself as a petite person. My body type was just always a little more fluffy than many of my peers. However, it wasn’t until I had my first miscarriage that I really started struggling with my weight. With 15 years of pregnancies, breastfeeding, and postpartum hormonal changes my weight was a constant fluctuation of ups and downs–but mostly ups.
Although I was able to get down to my wedding weight (145 pounds at my 5’10” height) after baby number four with a Keto diet, once the third trimester hit while pregnant with my fifth, the weight came back with a vengeance. To be honest, my own health just wasn’t much of a priority for me. For years I made excuses for why I couldn’t start running again or work out consistently. Lack of time, a history of asthma, bad knees, a weak pelvic floor (if you know, you know)… the list goes on and on.
background: how did I get here?
When my kids went back to school shortly after my 39th birthday in 2024 something finally clicked. I decided I was done making excuses. I had tried Keto and counting calories multiple time but that was all about trying to lose weight. With only one year left until I turned 40 I wanted to feel healthy. I was tired of being so gosh darn tired all the time, so tired of feeling old as I hobbled down the stairs every morning. And with a naturally round face anyway, I was also tired of being disappointed with how I looked in pictures.
That first morning my kids went to school I put my 18 month old in our regular stroller (not a lightweight jogger–remember, no more excuses) and went for a run. Well, a jog. A very slow jog with a distance of one mile, and I couldn’t even run the whole thing.
However, I kept with it. I found that I looked forward to my runs, my body even began craving my runs. After a month I joined my local gym and started weight training. I was beginning to notice changes in my body and my physical abilities. My runs got longer and longer. I remember after my first 5k distance I cried because I hadn’t run that far in over 14 years.
Yet, despite doing such a 180° from a fairly inactive lifestyle to running and going to the gym 5 or 6 days a week, in six months I had only lost two pounds. I know what you’re thinking–it’s all about calories in and calories out! You can’t rely on exercise alone! Trust me, I know. However, I was shocked that with all the extra calories I was burning without taking in more that I wasn’t losing more weight. I did feel much better, but I really wanted to fit into the bulk of my closet again.
my personal results
It was in early spring that I first received an email from Delilah offering me a free trial of a Semaglutide GLP-1 weight loss treatment plan. I glanced over the first email and kind of ignored it for awhile. With all the things I had tried over the years I was skeptical that it would work for me. In fact, I was so skeptical I never bothered to take before pictures.
However, I kept thinking about–in fact, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Then, I talked to Mike about the email and he asked me, what would be the downside if I just tried it? So, I emailed the Delilah representative back and decided to give their GLP-1 weight loss supplement a try.
I started taking Semaglutide in early May and finished up my free trial through Delilah about 10 weeks later. In the two and a half months that I was taking GLP-1 treatment for weight loss, I lost 30 pounds. It has now been about 3 months since I took my last dose and I have gained 8 of those pounds back, but that was all within the first month.
In the research I’ve done, it seems like my results are not necessarily typical. Many people do not lose that amount of weight in such a short time. I really do think that besides suppressing my appetite, the fact that GLP-1 medications work to regulate your metabolic function and your hormones are what really helped me.
side effects of GLP-1 weight loss
My experience with Semaglutide for GLP-1 weight loss was not all rainbows and unicorns. I want to be very transparent about how sick I felt while I was giving myself injections.
For the first six weeks, at least, I felt like I was in my first trimester of pregnancy. Low grade nausea all the time that was a major influence in how few calories I consumed. I also had very little energy during the day. Whether this was due to my lack of calories and nutrients or a side effect of the medication, I don’t know. When I would try to run or go to the gym it felt like my legs were lead weights. Another weird side effect I wasn’t expecting is that I felt so thirsty all the time.
The worst side effect occurred four or five times throughout my 10 week Semaglutide journey. I would get violently sick in the evening, similar to bad food poisoning. The first time it happened, what I threw up looked like the green muck from a dirty pond. I had never seen anything like that come out of a person’s body before, and I hope to never see it again. This violent illness would last for a few hours, and usually occurred a couple of days after I would go up in dosage.
The combination of feeling so sick all the time, having such low energy, and being gone for a bulk of the summer, meant that my running and workout routine came to a halt. My runs and weight training went from a regular six days a week routine, to sporadically happening once or twice a week. I lost a lot of the progress I had made before I started my Semaglutide GLP-1 medication.
Follow along with my running journey on Instagram!
the lessons I’m taking with me
It has been about 3 months since I finished my 10 week trial of Semaglutide GLP-1 through Delilah. As I mentioned earlier, I’m still down about 22 pounds, which I’m very pleased with. I am fitting into clothing that I haven’t worn in years and it feels great to be able to utilize more of my closet again.
As frustrated as I was that I’d lost so much progress on my running journey, I’m pleased to share that I’m back to where I was before I started my medication back in the spring. In fact, I’ve been running distances I haven’t run since I was in my late teens. My times are even still improving!
Although my appetite is back, I am a lot more thoughtful with the food I consume. I used to overeat because I love food and I hate for it to go to waste. My stomach definitely shrank while on the medication and I don’t like to feel full. I always ask myself–am I actually hungry? Could I just eat this treat tomorrow instead? I also crave sweets far less than I used to and drink a lot more water.
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would I recommend a GLP-1 weight loss treatment?
I wanted to wait a few months after my last Semaglutide dose to share my experience. That’s because I really wanted to see how much “bounce back” I had. I knew I would have some, and many people report gaining all their weight back. That is something I’m really trying to avoid because I did not like how sick I felt.
Yes, I lost weight with GLP-1 Semaglutide, but I feel so much better when I’m not on it. I know that many people are on it long term. However, I believe that with the right lifestyle changes it can be a temporary aid for people to reach their goals.
That being said, I’m very thankful I finally responded to that email from Delilah and decided to give it a chance. A lot of people look down on GLP-1 medications for weight loss and think it’s an “easy way out.” After my experience, I can state emphatically it’s not easy, but for me it was worth it.
I was hesitant because I felt like I wasn’t eating that much to begin with and was under the impression that GLP-1s are merely appetite suppressants, but they do so much more! I truly believe we’re on the cusp of realizing just what a miracle drug GLP-1 medications are.
Have your or someone you know tried GLP-1 medications? What was their experience? Let me know in the comments!
