A Diary of A Foodie on Ozempic Part 3| Vicki James
Photo by Samuel Ramos on Unsplash
As I stood poised to step on the scales at my third appointment, I felt a bit of trepidation. I wasn’t sure I had lost weight, and the month had been filled with challenges. First, I hosted my Book Club early in the month. We were reading a book by an English author, so I decided to go with a coronation theme. I made an absolutely wonderful Coronation Chicken Salad from a New York Times recipe that included real full-fat Mayonnaise, golden raisins, mango chutney, and toasted slivered almonds. What a calorie bomb! To round out the meal, I made buttery, flaky scones from scratch, served with double cream and strawberry jam. We also had a cheese spread, a fresh berry salad, and an assortment of tea cake slices. My guests loved it all. Luckily, I persuaded some of them to take leftovers home with them. Nevertheless, we had plenty of scones and cake left. Not good.
A few days after the book club meeting, we left for a week in the Blue Ridge mountains to celebrate my husband’s birthday. Although we visited several of our favorite restaurants, I found I could make good choices (i.e., seared tuna instead of roast duck). With Ozempic, choosing healthier options is easier, and I didn’t feel deprived. Most evenings, I was unable to finish my meal. Either my husband polished it off for me, or half of it came home with me to be eaten later. I was happy to return home to find I had not gained weight. My husband assured me I was eating far less than I used to.
Memorial Day weekend came soon after our return. We grilled out but cooked lean cuts of beef. My husband had a small birthday cake, which we consumed. My pieces were tiny, but still - I was worried I would balloon. I didn’t, but I did have an unpleasant night two days later. I think it must have been the cake - or the two martinis. Anyway, suffice it to say I had misbehaved a bit. The question to be answered was: could I get away with it?
And the answer? Yes and no. When I weighed in at the clinic on June 1st, I lost five pounds, but unfortunately, three of those lost came from lean muscle mass. I had not been exercising as much while I was on vacation. The goal is for nearly all the weight loss to come from fat. Amy, my nurse, suggested I meet with their dietician. I need to make sure that what I eat is nutritionally dense. You need to make every bite count when you can’t consume much food. I need lots of protein, fiber, fruits, and vegetables. That leaves little room for cake, scones, or double cream. Luckily, Ozempic changes your food desires, so empty calories are not that hard to resist. Usually….
I read an interesting article about Ozempic recently. Researchers have noticed that it seems to curb many kinds of harmful behaviors. It’s being tested on substance abusers of all kinds. Alcoholics and drug abusers find it easier to stay sober. It’s even being tested on overspenders. Early results indicate it may quell all kinds of cravings. I know I’ve been drinking much less. I’ve gone from consuming two glasses of wine almost every night to losing interest about halfway through the first glass. I haven’t been buying much, but that’s because I don’t want to spend money on clothes that may not fit in a few months (fingers crossed).
On Monday, my dose increases. My last dose increase caused me to experience some gassiness and a bit more heartburn. It wasn’t too bad and soon subsided as long as I didn’t overeat rich food. I am wondering how the increase will affect me this time. Hopefully, when I meet with the dietician, I will gain some new knowledge that will help my weight loss come from fat and help me choose foods that won’t aggravate my side effects. I’ll let you know.
As you can see, I’m still a foodie. I still love to cook and enjoy delicious food. But sometimes, my heart wants me to eat things even if I’m not hungry. I miss some things I used to eat even when I didn’t want them and was too full to eat. It’s very, very weird. I’ll keep you posted!
Here are the links to my first two blogs, so if you need to catch up, you can:
A Diary of A Foodie On Ozempic Part 1