I’m currently in the middle of week five of my GLP-1 journey. This past Friday, I took my fifth injection and had my first dosage increase. The dose doubled from what I had been taking during the first four weeks.
So far, I’ve been fortunate not to experience any significant negative side effects. I have noticed that I simply don’t feel like eating very often. Because of that, I’m making a conscious effort to ensure I’m getting enough nutrition each day. My focus continues to be on protein, fiber, and plenty of water to support both my overall health and my active lifestyle.
If we’re looking strictly at the scale, there isn’t much to report. During the first month, I’ve essentially lost and regained the same two to three pounds. Surprisingly, that doesn’t bother me nearly as much as it might have in the past because weight loss isn’t my primary goal in this journey.
For the past two years, I’ve been taking a statin to help lower my cholesterol. Unfortunately, I’m one of the people who experiences muscle soreness as a side effect. Most days, the discomfort sits somewhere between a four and a five on the pain scale. While that’s manageable, dealing with it day after day for two years has become exhausting—especially for someone who enjoys running, strength training, and staying active.
My hope is that improving my health markers through the GLP-1 will eventually allow me to reduce or even eliminate my need for the statin. That possibility is one of the biggest reasons I decided to pursue this path.
While the scale hasn’t changed much, I have noticed some encouraging signs. A few shirts that had become a little snug are fitting more comfortably again. Changes like that remind me that progress isn’t always reflected in a number. Of course, I also give a lot of credit to the time and effort I’m putting in at the gym. Strength training remains an important part of this process, and I’m committed to maintaining as much muscle as possible along the way.
As always, I’m grateful for everyone who has shared their own experiences with weight loss medications and for those who have supported my decision to try a GLP-1. Hearing your stories, advice, and encouragement has made this journey feel much less lonely.
I’m committed to continuing to share both the successes and the challenges as they come. My goal is to be transparent about what this experience is really like, because I know there are many others who are trying to make informed decisions about their own health. Every journey is different, but sometimes it helps simply to know that you’re not walking the path alone.
Coach Kareen 