My life with Ozempic – a weight-loss diary
Last weekend I went to a party. I wore a leopard-print Alexander McQueen pencil skirt with a black jumper. A belt was cinched around my waist. I bought the skirt in the mid-’90s and had let it out over the years until I just couldn’t fit in it any more. Recently, I had it altered to its original size. It fitted perfectly. I felt at ease in my clothes for the first time in years.
I’m on Ozempic, the “miracle” drug designed for type-2 diabetes and controversially embraced by people seeking dramatic and near-immediate weight loss. It works by mimicking the action of a naturally occurring hormone, GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1), to delay the digestion process, and thereby manage hunger.
I don’t have diabetes, but I do have high cholesterol and arthritis. Ozempic can be helpful in managing both of these conditions but, for me, this is – if you will forgive the food analogy – just the icing on the cake. I have long struggled with my weight. (Obesity runs through my family, and I carry five to six kilos more than I should for my age and build.) More so than ever since I hit the menopause in my late 40s. I’ve spent long, tedious years thinking, talking about and denying myself food – or overeating and feeling guilty. Despite all the talk about body positivity (hard to embrace for someone of my age, 60), my relationship with my weight and food has never been an easy one.
But I only started to think about using it myself after running into my supremely sensible gynaecologist Claire Mellon, who had lost a lot of weight and looked fantastic. An Ozempic enthusiast, she thought it was very beneficial for women who struggled with menopausal weight gain and described how positive the experience had been for their self-esteem.
I’ve been nervous about writing about Ozempic. Although semaglutide (the medical name of the drug itself) has just been approved by the NHS for weight loss, I’m worried about other people’s judgement – for wanting to be slim in an era of body positivity, for it being seen as lack of discipline and a “quick fix” that won’t work long-term. Then there’s the fact that the makers of the drug have been suspended from an industry association for being in breach of its code of practice. Though I am being monitored by my doctor via regular blood tests, I also worry about whether there will be any nasty surprises as to the long-term effects. But the truth is, I feel the best I have in years, and have more confidence. My GP told me that this is a holistic journey and that I needed to put the work in with exercise and a healthy diet, and not just count on the drug. I have been.
My hope is that I will exchange Ozempic for more evolved, relaxed, less punishing eating habits. I hope to maintain this healthier relationship with food and with my body. Ozempic may not be a long-term solution, but it has made me understand that it is possible to have a healthy attitude to eating. And that must be worth it. Right?
This story originally appeared on: Financial Times - Author:Fiona Golfar
