thoughts on ozempic and the like

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Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,338 Member
    Yeah but I don't think the receptors in every single cell that we've generated over the last 2 million years were waiting around for a drug to make us healthy. :#
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,074 Member
    I seem to be in the ~13% non-responder category. :'(
    Been on Wegovy since May and have not seen any of the incredible results so often touted.
  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 4,043 Member
    Have you seen the new Nestle's Boost that is supposed to do the same thing as wegovy, zepbound, etc?
    It's 125 ml, about 1/2 cup, 10 grams protein, low sugar. At $10.99 a 4-pack, it's about $247/30 days 3 meals a day. Much cheaper than drugs?
    Suggested you drink 1 container 30 minutes before each meal. Would 1/2 cup water or milk or clear soup lower your appetite as much? Would 10 grams worth of protein made with your favorite protein drink?
    Just thoughts.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,928 Member
    Corina1143 wrote: »
    Have you seen the new Nestle's Boost that is supposed to do the same thing as wegovy, zepbound, etc?
    It's 125 ml, about 1/2 cup, 10 grams protein, low sugar. At $10.99 a 4-pack, it's about $247/30 days 3 meals a day. Much cheaper than drugs?
    Suggested you drink 1 container 30 minutes before each meal. Would 1/2 cup water or milk or clear soup lower your appetite as much? Would 10 grams worth of protein made with your favorite protein drink?
    Just thoughts.

    There are foods that tend to increase natural GLP-1 production in the body. The effect doesn't last as long in the body as the drugs do, but it's complicated.

    If that's the mechanism we're talking about, then water, milk, clear soup, or protein powder (with nothing else significant in it) probably wouldn't have that effect. Like I said, it's complicated, but as a loose generalization, the foods that increase natural GLP-1 tend to be high in certain fiber types or contain certain types of fats. Transit time matters from the standpoint of how long the effect lasts, I think.

    I'd be cautious, because I think the research is still evolving, and there's lots of woo-woo on the web about the subject.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,338 Member
    edited December 2024
    Corina1143 wrote: »
    Have you seen the new Nestle's Boost that is supposed to do the same thing as wegovy, zepbound, etc?
    It's 125 ml, about 1/2 cup, 10 grams protein, low sugar. At $10.99 a 4-pack, it's about $247/30 days 3 meals a day. Much cheaper than drugs?
    Suggested you drink 1 container 30 minutes before each meal. Would 1/2 cup water or milk or clear soup lower your appetite as much? Would 10 grams worth of protein made with your favorite protein drink?
    Just thoughts.

    What Nestle is actually saying is that consuming their formulation can help manage blood sugar levels for people with diabetes and use the terminology like "Glucose Control", "HELP MANAGE BLOOD SUGAR", "DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE WITH DIABETES."

    Well, that is no doubt a health claim which needs to have FDA approval, which they do not. There's actually a class action lawsuit against Nestle for their misleading claims and that the products do not control glucose levels as advertised, it's actually a silly presupposition and quite arrogant in believing they could actually get away with making claims like this, in my opinion of course.

    For example their boost formula has 16g's of protein, 4g's of carbs, all sugars, and 9g's of fat totaling 190 calories
    4 ounces of boneless skinless chicken breast is 26g's or protein, no carbs, 2g's of fat for a total of 125 calories. Even beef flank steak will have around the same calories as Boost with 23 g's of protein and about 10g's of fat

    The chicken breast will elicit a smaller glucose response and therefore be more effective than any random let alone formulated protein drink, so will the steak.

    Here's the total ingredient list for Nestlé Boost Glucose Control:

    Water, Milk Protein Concentrate, Tapioca Dextrin, Canola Oil, and Less Than 2% of:

    Fructose
    Soy Protein Isolate
    Cocoa Processed with Alkali
    Calcium Caseinate
    Sodium Caseinate
    Fructooligosaccharides

    Vitamins and Minerals (Calcium Phosphate, Sodium Ascorbate, Choline Bitartrate, Magnesium Phosphate, Ascorbic Acid, DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Ferric Pyrophosphate, Zinc Sulfate, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Copper Sulfate, Chromium Chloride, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin K1, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin D3, Sodium Molybdate, Vitamin B12)

    As well as Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum, Salt, Cellulose Gel and Gum, Soy Lecithin, Sucralose, Carrageenan, Natural and Artificial Flavor




  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 4,043 Member
    wzbzl0aokw07.jpg
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,338 Member
    edited December 2024
    Semaglutide is the active ingredient in the medication of wegovy and it's actually a synthetic analog of GLP-1, meaning it's designed to resemble GLP-1 closely in the body and whey protein isolates are not that but simply a nutrient when consumed with food will slow digestion, period, but so do vegetables and fat. The gap between whey protein isolates or chicken breast is a canyon compared to an actual synthetic analog of a GLP-1 agonist, not the same thing at all.

    Saying it "Promotes GLP-1 natural response to a meal" is disingenuous and taking advantage by way of marketing and imo shameful simply because they know better, that is, what Nestles is doing is supplying the foods that are contributing to the health crisis and then reformulate those same foods to offer a health solution, a cure to obesity, crazy stuff really unless of course, your a shareholder of Nestle. :)
  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 4,043 Member
    So @neanderthin, what you are basically saying is
    Nestle is following the lead of big Pharma and government agencies who take $ from specific interest groups to promote their products? Or ?
  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 4,043 Member
    I'm not interested in taking these products at this point.
    Just interested in Nestle's claims. Not even picking on Nestle in particular.
    I can't find a protein bar, jerky, or any high protein snack that would be quick and easy to run in and pick up when I'm out and about and get hungry that isn't full of more chemicals than food. I usually settle for a Larabar. Closer to a candy bar than a protein bar, but healthier than anything else I see.

    Why?

    Back to the new Boost. I did the figures. IF you thought it would work like the drugs (big IF!), then Isopure whey isolate in the same portions would cost $64.66/mo at my local Walmart. Of course you would have to supply the flavor and that would add cost and calories. Doesn't matter, cause I agree it won't work the same as the drugs.
    However, I do think the whey isolate instead of the Boost would produce the same result at a considerable $ saving.
    And it's an interesting idea. People have been saying for a long time that a glass of water before meals lowers appetite. Protein lowers appetite for many people. Many people supplement protein intake. Just thoughts.
  • Adventurista
    Adventurista Posts: 1,967 Member
    edited December 2024
    I continue to believe this is currently a legal option and choice to consider with the doctor.

    There are other medical reasons being explored such as possibly for Kidney disease. I have a bit of trouble following the science argument for all the possible benefits and harms, so fall back to if it is legal, then a choice until it is not.

    And, surprised to stumble across the shot as a topic of a Dr Phil show this week. Had 4 guests (2 parents with their child) a doctor and a body positivity influencer as well.

    Interesting discussion. Audience surveyed if older kids should be treated with shot for obesity. I think 58% did not think kids should be on shot, and 40% something thought maybe ok. I found the 40+% rather shocking.

    Of note too were some shocking social media trends with watching people gorge on food, and separately the spread of the body positivity movement attitudes when it crosses/has evolved into harmful stuff like glamorising obesity.
  • dearjulie1
    dearjulie1 Posts: 6 Member
    My doctor is on these meds. She's short and probably needs to lose 50-60 pounds. I asked about the side effects, particularly the possible permanent effects on the Vagus nerve and about gastroparesis. Her answer was that each person needed to make a risk/benefit calculation, and the people she was prescribing it to were those with immediate health risks due to their weight. She refuses to prescribe it for what she called "vanity."

    So, even if I needed to lose a lot of weight, I wouldn't take it. Too many unknowns and too much potential for negative side effects. But for those with immediate health risks, they need to do a risk analysis.
  • ShowPoodleGirl
    ShowPoodleGirl Posts: 28 Member
    My brother is taking it, at the lowest dose, and he finds it very helpful. It simply makes him crave food less.
    I'm doing it 'the old fashioned way' and I'm hoping not to go on it. I'm doing great currently. I'm 4 months in, really enjoying the gym, and not struggling with my eating, but also not being restrictive in a way that doesn't let me enjoy things like the holidays. However, I have done great in my weight loss plans before for months at a time and then fallen off track and not managed to get myself back on track again. So I feel like if I start to fall off track, I may consider taking ozempic to try to get me back on track then hopefully come off it fairly quickly again. I haven't done a deep dive into researching the med yet, so that may change my mind, but it is a fall back plan that I have considered to get me over a hump if need be.
  • Mermaid828
    Mermaid828 Posts: 9 Member
    GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is a hormone that your body naturally produces in the gut. Its main job is to help regulate blood sugar and appetite.
    1. Blood Sugar Regulation:
    When you eat, GLP-1 is released, signaling your pancreas to produce insulin, the hormone that lowers blood sugar. It also tells your liver to stop releasing extra sugar into the blood.
    2. Appetite Control:
    GLP-1 acts on your brain to reduce hunger and help you feel full sooner, so you eat less.
    3. Slowing Digestion:
    It slows down how quickly food leaves your stomach, keeping you satisfied longer and preventing blood sugar spikes.

    The magic is not in the medicine, your body already produces it, some people just have a deficit and need the help. You are the magic that by using the glp1 as a tool can make positive changes in your lifestyle.
    If you do decide to use a glp1, I believe tapering off and not just stopping is the best way to go. There is also the option of microdosing for a maintenance phase.
  • damianzhang86
    damianzhang86 Posts: 40 Member
    If you are not on any medication that affects metabolism (strong psych meds can do this).

    Simple solution, bugger off cardio (apart from walking everywhere you can, lift weights and eat less. Saves you ££££ and injecting yourself like a druggy.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,891 Member
    edited January 17
    @ladymagenta

    May I rephrase yet again for you?

    You are 37% of the way to your goal.

    That’s well over a third. In a short while, you’ll be 40% of the way there. That’s 2/5 of the way.

    50%, or halfway there, is barreling up on you. It’s so close you can taste it.

    Once you pass 50%, you’ve crested the summit and you’re on the way downhill. You’ve done the hard work now you can let your experience carry you home.

    That’s how I thought of weight loss. That’s how I thought of swim laps this morning when I was sure, once again, I couldn’t reach my distance goal (I had just done a tough hour with my personal trainer, changed to bike shorts and immediately jumped in the pool.) I did dice it into portions, reached my goal, and even went an extra quarter mile. Ding! Ding! Right as the clock hit the hour and my “time was up” (makes me think of Sister Mary Elephant. Ho’boy, that shows my age!😂😂😂)

    That’s how I think of January, which is 5-minute plank month in yoga. Ten easy breaths is a minute. Can I make them longer? I get so engrossed in counting and lengthening that I forget time
    Is even passing.

    Anything is achievable if you break it into digestible pieces.

    I listened to a podcast yesterday that says the human brain can’t conceive of billion, much less trillions. My brain has a hard time with big, threatening numbers right in front of my nose, so digestible bits it is for the win.
  • dlramirez4home
    dlramirez4home Posts: 2 Member
    I have battled weight my entire life also. Like you, for the first time ever it is about health and wanting to stop, if not completely repair the damage i have done to myself. I had bypass surgery about 10-15 years ago and managed to get around that too. Of course when I woke up from surgery i was VERY HUNGRY! How could that even be possible?! Anyone I knew of couldn’t even stand the sight of food for quite a while, not even on commercials. Of course I gained most of it back. But about 6 months ago I finally accepted that I wasn’t going to get any healthier and most likely on my way to speeding up my departure unless I made a real commitment to changing my food
    and activity (which was pretty much NONE).
    I have several health problems that affect me significantly on a daily basis. I can’t say Ive noticed much improvement in any of them but least emotionally I feel better and this makes it easier to deal with the physical.
    I started using this app and for the first time in my life I have been able to consistently log and track my food. I think psychologically I no longer feel deprived or “on a diet”. The act of “spending” my calories (deducting instead of adding) gave me a sense of freedom. I now see it is my CHOICE on how and what I “buy“ with my calories. I didn’t intentionally restrict myself from my favorite foods. It just kind of happened when I looked things up and saw how much it would “cost”. Sometimes the “cost” was worth it, sometimes it wasn’t. I also started working with a personal trainer once a week, as well as starting a health class for healthy weight management. I lost the first 21 pounds on my own but was afraid I wouldn’t be able to lose anymore. So, under the management of a physician I started on Ozempic. In the last 4 months another 23 have come off. The plan, per my doctor, is to stay on it for at least another 6
    months to a year, gradually tapering off the medication and see if I manage to keep the weight off. They believe if I am able to do this it will give my body time adjust to the change. It will also be a reflection of whether or not I am really on my way with long term lifestyle changes that will make it more likely that I succeed. Yes, I can also say, like you, that for once I’m finally proud of the progress and changes I’ve made. I have confidence that I will maintain my new healthy weight 🙂
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,891 Member
    @dlramirez4home what a wonderful, inspiring, and thoughtful post.

    I always think of my calories as a budget, too, but I particularly like this:

    The act of “spending” my calories (deducting instead of adding) gave me a sense of freedom.


    I’m interested, too, that your doc has a timeline and a plan to wean you off.

    Continued success to you, and sincerest hopes we’ll see more of your great posts around here!
  • Carriehelene
    Carriehelene Posts: 180 Member
    Lady_Magenta wrote: »
    @springlering62

    You can always rephrase (yet) again for me. As of today, I have lost 41.3 pounds and it's all me. This morbidly obese, elderly lady is doing it. After years of yoyo dieting, gaining, and losing, I finally have taken control. This is a lifestyle change, not a diet. This is knowledge and a sprinkle of willpower, mixed with the wish to succeed. For the first time in my life, it's not about weight, it's about health. It's about my (our) future, not about looks.

    The way this weight loss makes me feel is priceless. This cannot be injected or bought, this comes from within. The knowledge that I finally realized that I had to relearn how to plan, cook, and eat, feels so good. I am undoing what I have done to myself and I think I needed that more than anything.

    The key for me? Moderation and may I add that I am still on two meds that have "weight gain" listed as a side effect? (Prednisone and Hydroxychloroquine). I am stunned.

    This has done wonders for my self-esteem. I show pride now, and it's something I am not used to in my private life.

    @Lady_Magenta This is beautiful and inspiring ❤️
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,914 Member
    The two concerns I have about these drugs are:

    1. They apparently affect other addictive behaviors than just food. I don't want to take something that will mess with my brain like that.
    https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/01/health/weight-loss-drugs-addictive-behaviors/index.html

    2. Too many people treat it a win button and make no other changes to their lifestyle, because it doesn't seem necessary since the weight comes off regardless. However, without adding in lifting and better eating choices, people losing weight rapidly will see a higher % of that lost weight coming from their existing muscle mass. Then when they come off the drug, the weight comes back on, all fat, and the net result after that yo-yo is that they risk ending up fatter than before. Some people seem to assume from day one that this is a drug they'll have to take for life, but it shouldn't need to be, if they also make lifestyle changes.

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