The Invisible Asterisk
How losing 127 pounds on a GLP-1 medication left me feeling like a walking caveat.
In May of 2024 I was at my wit’s end. I was as big as I had ever been, tipping the scales at 282 lb. At my doctor’s appointment, I swallowed the Gen-X-shaped pride and asked her about the possibility of starting an injectable weight loss medication. To my relief, she was very supportive and wrote me a prescription for Zepbound.
Like Wegovy, whose counterpart Ozempic is used to treat diabetes, Zepbound is used to treat obesity. While Wegovy and Ozempic both have semaglutide as their active ingredient, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, Zepbound (like its diabetes counterpart Mounjaro) has tirzepatide as its active ingredient. Tirzepatide is a dual receptor agonist, working on both GLP-1 and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) receptors. They work in your gut and your brain, leading to appetite regulation, increased satiety, and a reduction in obsessive cravings.
After trying and failing to get a prior authorization approved through my insurance, I decided I wanted this opportunity bad enough to pay out of pocket — an option made more palatable by a manufacturer’s coupon. On May 16th in the afternoon, I took my first dose. The next day I was a changed person. I felt…normal. I no longer…
