It's really helpful to hear what people's actual lived experience while taking semaglutide because most of what we hear is sponcon. Especially the experience of people with a history of eating disorders.
Thank you for sharing & allowing yourself to be so vulnerable! My journey is different, but shared in so many of the feelings. Establishing a healthy relationship with food & my body has been challenging and worth the struggle. I’m grateful that entering my Fuck it Fifties I finally feel some ease & contentment around food & my body image, the acceptance isn’t 100% and that’s ok because there’s awareness & mindfulness around it all AND a much kinder internal dialogue that reminds me that I am worthy. I am sending you the BIGGEST HUG from across the country. Thank you for your insight & incredibly beautiful heart, body & soul😘🤗
OMG I second ALL OF THIS. I LOVE the Fuck it Fifties, and am gonna use that now for my Fuck it Forties because it's true - it gets a little easier with age, but like you said - not quite 100%, and maybe that IS ok. Thank you for your support...it always means so much. 💗
Thank you for this honest, thoughtful, vulnerable essay. I'm going to be 70 on my next birthday and am finally, FINALLY beginning to sort out my relationship with food + eating + my body. This culture is not easy to navigate if all one wants to do is nourish oneself joyfully. You're helping!
Oh Judi, this comment means so much to me! Firstly, thank you for your kind words. Secondly, I'm in my forties and it's actually SO helpful to hear that you're JUST figuring it out...To me, that takes some of the pressure off. It's like - "We may not get to the point where we have this thing locked down, so maybe we should just try as best we can to be as COMFORTABLE as we can on our journey." It is a journey FOR SURE!
Thanks for sharing so vulnerably about this—I feel like there aren't that many honest accounts of people's experiences with Ozempic because there's so much stigma attached to it!
Yah, I haven't heard a lot of people talking about either which is crazy because so many people are on it! Thank you for acknowledging the vulnerability it took...it wasn't easy so I really appreciate you seeing that. 😍
Wow thank you so much for opening up and sharing this part of your story! There's so much talk about Ozempic generally, but I really appreciated this first person account of your journey with it. I'm thrilled to hear you've found your way back to the food that brings you joy. The world makes it so hard doesn't it? Thank you again for the vulnerability!💖
Thank you, Jordan! The world DOES make it hard...tuning out that noise can be difficult, but I guess we just keep trying. Thank you so much for your kind words. 💞
Thank you so much for sharing your story with such honesty and vulnerability. I know it’s not an easy journey and it probably never feels ‘done’ but hopefully it feels a whole lot better.
I used to work as a nutrition therapist specializing in eating disorders and one of the biggest consistent challenges was managing a healthcare system that was influenced by cultural beauty standards and often completely uneducated about nutrition.
Navigating this challenging system and still managing to find your way to a truly healthier relationship with food is a huge accomplishment! I’m so glad you found your food joy 😊
Oh thank you so much, Jeanine...obviously, you get it! You are SO right in that it never feels "done" and I'm not sure it ever will? But yes, it feels better (some days...some days it doesn't but I try to remember healing isn't linear). I completely agree about the lack of education about nutrition...I've had some conversations with people who are so clueless and it's wild! Thank you for making me feel so seen with this comment. 😊💗
Mate this was a tops article and thank you for writing it. There's so much positivity in the weightloss help space it's really helpful to hear these narratives. I think food freedom is the holy grail and you're a star for prioritising that.
Thank you so much Carly and thanks for the restack! You are SO right - food freedom IS the holy grail!…Something about that wording is SO. FREAKING. LIBERATING to me, so thank you for saying it that way!! 🙌
Great essay! I can totally relate. I investigated Ozempic recently and opted out. I need to make peace with my body at any size. I’ve been plagued with disordered eating for most of my life. For me, it’s not about food, it’s about feelings. I have to get to the bottom of that. I have a Substack, too, called The Next Write Thing. It started as a way to document my positive experiences working on myself in an empowering 12 Step program. It feels great to deal with this part of my life in a healthy and patient way.
YES, totally agree that it's all about the feelings and what we're trying to 'fix' with food. I remember Oprah saying once, "I thought I just really liked potato chips!" I ALSO thought I just really liked food! Alas, the issues go way deeper! I checked out your Substack as well and it's just beautiful.
Yes. Up until my mid-30s, I didn't eat that much. I was anxious, high strung, and and on and off smoker that lived in cities like NY and Paris where you walked all the time. I was petite but I didn't have an eating disorder. I just didn't really enjoy food that much because I was so nervous and frantic I didn't ever slow down enough to eat. I was full after a few bites. I was someone who might not finish their slice of pizza but did order pizza. I loved a bagel and cream cheese but didn't finish it. And yes, Im sure my metabolism was faster. But then as I got less anxious, quit smoking, calmed down with Lexapro and the wisdom age combined and, I started enjoying food more. Then I was trying to eat to nourish twins I was carrying and started eating high fat healthy foods. When I gave birth (and yes menopause and all that is starting to play a part - I had a hysterectomy), I forgot I didn't need those high fat foods anymore like whole fat yogurt and tons of avocados and peanut butter but I kept eating them. I don't like carrying an extra 30 lbs but I wouldn't want to stop enjoying food and a good IPA either. I talk about this stuff on my podcast Actual People a bit if you want to listen.
First of all: Lexapro! 🙌 Second of all, YES, I feel like some people (you, me) get to a point where they decide: Do I want to sacrifice my enjoyment of avocados/peanut butter/etc. in order to maintain a certain weight? I decided the answer was no and it sounds like you did, too! And obviously our bodies are so different when we're younger. I'm in my forties now and have noticed so many physical and emotional shifts, and it's reassuring to know that THAT'S LIFE and is completely beyond our control! Your podcast sounds great - I will definitely have a listen for sure!!
I was prescribed Ozempic for Type 2 and I also don’t like not feeling hungry. I make myself eat because I love food of all kinds. Not having an appetite is weird and I really look forward to the day when I get my numbers down to the point where I won’t need Ozempic anymore. Thank you for being so open about your journey.
Wow, thank you so much for sharing this (and also for the repost)! Isn't it the WEIRDEST feeling not being hungry? It just goes against nature. Hearing that our experiences are similar makes me feel really understood because I think many people who take Ozempic are EXCITED not to be hungry, but it seems that, for us, we were missing the pleasure that food gives us. I know it's hard on Ozempic - but I hope you're at least able to derive some joy from the food you're eating. 💗
This is a great article! Thank you for being so open about your journey. I've had an ongoing curiosity about the conversation between individuals and their doctors when starting drugs like Ozempic. While yours is one story, it really confirms how much research we need to do on our own to be our best advocates in the health care world! Weight loss is such a journey, and a private one, so thank you for sharing!
Wow, thank you so much for those kind words! It's crazy - I thought the convo between me and my doctor would be so much more....thoughtful?...but it was just like, "Here, try this." It was barely even a conversation. Totally agree about being our own advocate and speaking up for what is right for us!
Idk why we ascribe so much meaning to the food we eat when really, the issues lie in our behaviours around food! I hate the culture we have around food and think other cultures are much healthier when it comes to food. Ramen is a gift from the gods, no one should ever feel guilty about it.
ITA about wanting to feel food joy. Covid took maybe 60% of my tongue…I can’t taste anything. It’s depressing. Food annoys me. I want that joy back. Glad you got yours!
Ramen IS a gift from the gods, thank you for validating that! I hope I can fully enjoy it one day. (Now, it's 50% enjoyment, 50% guilt...but I'm working on it.) I'm SO deeply sorry about your Covid experience and truly hope that 60% increases...I completely understand food annoying you right now. Isn't it amazing how it can be such a deep and emotional thing?
Thank you so much for sharing this! I so appreciate your honesty in writing about your experience with Ozempic and how you're working to change your thoughts about your body, food, and diet culture. I know I'm not the only one who can relate to so much of what you said here - I am working so hard to change my own thinking and behaviors when it comes to food and my body and it's so affirming to read things like this. <3
It is SO HARD, Maddie - all of this body image/diet culture stuff. I feel like it's something I work at every day, so to hear that you can relate makes me feel better, too! Thank you for saying that - it makes me feel understood! 🥰
This was a brave essay and I'm glad you wrote it - I think the more we can break down the stigma around weight and our bodies, the better off we'll all be. Reading stuff like this makes me feel so less alone. Thanks again!
Wow. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I never would have guessed the journey you’d been through. I’m in Hollywood and the pressure to be thin can be all consuming and daunting. Really think more people need to hear this perspective.
Thank you Ashley. 💗 YES, that pressure CAN be daunting, but I can imagine it's 100 times more daunting in Hollywood, omg. Thank you also for re-posting, it means a lot and so does your support!
It's really helpful to hear what people's actual lived experience while taking semaglutide because most of what we hear is sponcon. Especially the experience of people with a history of eating disorders.
I'd never heard the term sponcon either. I had to look it up! Yes, it's so hard to wade through the promotional content. I'm so done with all of it.
Lol I had to look it up too! But yes, I agree - there's WAY too much of that promotional content.
Thank you so much for saying that! It's wild that more people haven't told their stories!
Thank you for sharing & allowing yourself to be so vulnerable! My journey is different, but shared in so many of the feelings. Establishing a healthy relationship with food & my body has been challenging and worth the struggle. I’m grateful that entering my Fuck it Fifties I finally feel some ease & contentment around food & my body image, the acceptance isn’t 100% and that’s ok because there’s awareness & mindfulness around it all AND a much kinder internal dialogue that reminds me that I am worthy. I am sending you the BIGGEST HUG from across the country. Thank you for your insight & incredibly beautiful heart, body & soul😘🤗
OMG I second ALL OF THIS. I LOVE the Fuck it Fifties, and am gonna use that now for my Fuck it Forties because it's true - it gets a little easier with age, but like you said - not quite 100%, and maybe that IS ok. Thank you for your support...it always means so much. 💗
Liked for 'fuck it fifties!' :-)
"Fuck it Fifties". Never heard of this but love it!
Lol, SAME! 😂
Thank you for this honest, thoughtful, vulnerable essay. I'm going to be 70 on my next birthday and am finally, FINALLY beginning to sort out my relationship with food + eating + my body. This culture is not easy to navigate if all one wants to do is nourish oneself joyfully. You're helping!
Oh Judi, this comment means so much to me! Firstly, thank you for your kind words. Secondly, I'm in my forties and it's actually SO helpful to hear that you're JUST figuring it out...To me, that takes some of the pressure off. It's like - "We may not get to the point where we have this thing locked down, so maybe we should just try as best we can to be as COMFORTABLE as we can on our journey." It is a journey FOR SURE!
Thanks for sharing so vulnerably about this—I feel like there aren't that many honest accounts of people's experiences with Ozempic because there's so much stigma attached to it!
Yah, I haven't heard a lot of people talking about either which is crazy because so many people are on it! Thank you for acknowledging the vulnerability it took...it wasn't easy so I really appreciate you seeing that. 😍
Wow thank you so much for opening up and sharing this part of your story! There's so much talk about Ozempic generally, but I really appreciated this first person account of your journey with it. I'm thrilled to hear you've found your way back to the food that brings you joy. The world makes it so hard doesn't it? Thank you again for the vulnerability!💖
Thank you, Jordan! The world DOES make it hard...tuning out that noise can be difficult, but I guess we just keep trying. Thank you so much for your kind words. 💞
Thank you so much for sharing your story with such honesty and vulnerability. I know it’s not an easy journey and it probably never feels ‘done’ but hopefully it feels a whole lot better.
I used to work as a nutrition therapist specializing in eating disorders and one of the biggest consistent challenges was managing a healthcare system that was influenced by cultural beauty standards and often completely uneducated about nutrition.
Navigating this challenging system and still managing to find your way to a truly healthier relationship with food is a huge accomplishment! I’m so glad you found your food joy 😊
Oh thank you so much, Jeanine...obviously, you get it! You are SO right in that it never feels "done" and I'm not sure it ever will? But yes, it feels better (some days...some days it doesn't but I try to remember healing isn't linear). I completely agree about the lack of education about nutrition...I've had some conversations with people who are so clueless and it's wild! Thank you for making me feel so seen with this comment. 😊💗
Mate this was a tops article and thank you for writing it. There's so much positivity in the weightloss help space it's really helpful to hear these narratives. I think food freedom is the holy grail and you're a star for prioritising that.
Thank you so much Carly and thanks for the restack! You are SO right - food freedom IS the holy grail!…Something about that wording is SO. FREAKING. LIBERATING to me, so thank you for saying it that way!! 🙌
Great essay! I can totally relate. I investigated Ozempic recently and opted out. I need to make peace with my body at any size. I’ve been plagued with disordered eating for most of my life. For me, it’s not about food, it’s about feelings. I have to get to the bottom of that. I have a Substack, too, called The Next Write Thing. It started as a way to document my positive experiences working on myself in an empowering 12 Step program. It feels great to deal with this part of my life in a healthy and patient way.
YES, totally agree that it's all about the feelings and what we're trying to 'fix' with food. I remember Oprah saying once, "I thought I just really liked potato chips!" I ALSO thought I just really liked food! Alas, the issues go way deeper! I checked out your Substack as well and it's just beautiful.
Thank you, Amy! And, damn those potato chips!
This took guts to write - thank you. I'm glad you've worked out the best way to be you - go ahead, eat the good stuff and enjoy life! x
Thank you so much Will! Eating the good stuff DEFINITELY makes life more enjoyable!!! 💯
Yes. Up until my mid-30s, I didn't eat that much. I was anxious, high strung, and and on and off smoker that lived in cities like NY and Paris where you walked all the time. I was petite but I didn't have an eating disorder. I just didn't really enjoy food that much because I was so nervous and frantic I didn't ever slow down enough to eat. I was full after a few bites. I was someone who might not finish their slice of pizza but did order pizza. I loved a bagel and cream cheese but didn't finish it. And yes, Im sure my metabolism was faster. But then as I got less anxious, quit smoking, calmed down with Lexapro and the wisdom age combined and, I started enjoying food more. Then I was trying to eat to nourish twins I was carrying and started eating high fat healthy foods. When I gave birth (and yes menopause and all that is starting to play a part - I had a hysterectomy), I forgot I didn't need those high fat foods anymore like whole fat yogurt and tons of avocados and peanut butter but I kept eating them. I don't like carrying an extra 30 lbs but I wouldn't want to stop enjoying food and a good IPA either. I talk about this stuff on my podcast Actual People a bit if you want to listen.
First of all: Lexapro! 🙌 Second of all, YES, I feel like some people (you, me) get to a point where they decide: Do I want to sacrifice my enjoyment of avocados/peanut butter/etc. in order to maintain a certain weight? I decided the answer was no and it sounds like you did, too! And obviously our bodies are so different when we're younger. I'm in my forties now and have noticed so many physical and emotional shifts, and it's reassuring to know that THAT'S LIFE and is completely beyond our control! Your podcast sounds great - I will definitely have a listen for sure!!
I was prescribed Ozempic for Type 2 and I also don’t like not feeling hungry. I make myself eat because I love food of all kinds. Not having an appetite is weird and I really look forward to the day when I get my numbers down to the point where I won’t need Ozempic anymore. Thank you for being so open about your journey.
Wow, thank you so much for sharing this (and also for the repost)! Isn't it the WEIRDEST feeling not being hungry? It just goes against nature. Hearing that our experiences are similar makes me feel really understood because I think many people who take Ozempic are EXCITED not to be hungry, but it seems that, for us, we were missing the pleasure that food gives us. I know it's hard on Ozempic - but I hope you're at least able to derive some joy from the food you're eating. 💗
“Missing the pleasure that food gives us” this is SPOT ON!!!
🙌
This is a great article! Thank you for being so open about your journey. I've had an ongoing curiosity about the conversation between individuals and their doctors when starting drugs like Ozempic. While yours is one story, it really confirms how much research we need to do on our own to be our best advocates in the health care world! Weight loss is such a journey, and a private one, so thank you for sharing!
Wow, thank you so much for those kind words! It's crazy - I thought the convo between me and my doctor would be so much more....thoughtful?...but it was just like, "Here, try this." It was barely even a conversation. Totally agree about being our own advocate and speaking up for what is right for us!
Idk why we ascribe so much meaning to the food we eat when really, the issues lie in our behaviours around food! I hate the culture we have around food and think other cultures are much healthier when it comes to food. Ramen is a gift from the gods, no one should ever feel guilty about it.
ITA about wanting to feel food joy. Covid took maybe 60% of my tongue…I can’t taste anything. It’s depressing. Food annoys me. I want that joy back. Glad you got yours!
Ramen IS a gift from the gods, thank you for validating that! I hope I can fully enjoy it one day. (Now, it's 50% enjoyment, 50% guilt...but I'm working on it.) I'm SO deeply sorry about your Covid experience and truly hope that 60% increases...I completely understand food annoying you right now. Isn't it amazing how it can be such a deep and emotional thing?
Thank you so much for sharing this! I so appreciate your honesty in writing about your experience with Ozempic and how you're working to change your thoughts about your body, food, and diet culture. I know I'm not the only one who can relate to so much of what you said here - I am working so hard to change my own thinking and behaviors when it comes to food and my body and it's so affirming to read things like this. <3
It is SO HARD, Maddie - all of this body image/diet culture stuff. I feel like it's something I work at every day, so to hear that you can relate makes me feel better, too! Thank you for saying that - it makes me feel understood! 🥰
This was a brave essay and I'm glad you wrote it - I think the more we can break down the stigma around weight and our bodies, the better off we'll all be. Reading stuff like this makes me feel so less alone. Thanks again!
Re: Breaking down the stigma: Couldn’t agree more! 🙌
Wow. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I never would have guessed the journey you’d been through. I’m in Hollywood and the pressure to be thin can be all consuming and daunting. Really think more people need to hear this perspective.
Thank you Ashley. 💗 YES, that pressure CAN be daunting, but I can imagine it's 100 times more daunting in Hollywood, omg. Thank you also for re-posting, it means a lot and so does your support!