GLP-1 and Weight Loss: My Experience

As are many middle-aged men, I am over-weight. In another blog I described my slow but steady weight gain between my 30's and 50's. By 2 years after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I was at 209 pounds. That put my BMI solidly into the obese category at 32.7. At that point I knew I needed to lose weight, as all my important bio-markers were in the danger zone (A1C, Cholesterol, ALT). I had NAFLD, high blood pressure (controlled) and pre-diabetic A1C. Once the pandemic was easing I modified my lifestyle somewhat to increase exercise, adjust supplements, and tried to lessen carbs in my diet. I very slowly started to lose weight, but by 2023 I was only down to about 204 pounds (BMI 31.9). At that point my doctor put me on a prescription stimulant, Phentermine, to speed weight loss. On that drug over 4 months I dropped 6 pounds to 198 (BMI 31.0). As soon as I went off, my weight went back up to 202 (BMI31.6).

My doctor recommended GLP-1. At first I was hesitant because of the injection delivery, but I knew I needed help, and my blood markers were not budging. In 2024 she put me on Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) injections. I received them for 9 months, and dropped from 202 down to 178! That is a 24 pound weight loss, typical for GLP-1 patients. That put my BMI at 27.9, right in the middle of the overweight range. But the most important factor was the blood markers. A1C, Cholesterol, and ALT all dropped down to high-normal levels. Both my doctor and I were very pleased!

I stopped the injections late in 2024. That is when the reversal began, which is apparently normal for most patients. All through 2025 I slowly regained weight, unfortunately. By the end of 2025 I was now at 193 pounds (BMI 30.2). That means I regained 2/3 of the weight I lost back. Part of this is my fault for not maintaining a better diet. I did maintain the same exercise regimen, and in fact increased it some. This goes to the point that diet has a much larger effect on weight than exercise. As a result, my blood markers have risen again, unfortunately. I am still below my original highs, but not by much. Needless to say, I have to re-lose at least some of this weight to improve my bio-markers. I'm not planning to go back on GLP-1 meds for reasons I will outline below. But my results show that GLP-1 meds can work, if you combine them with lifestyle changes that multiply the effect. If you don't make lifestyle changes, or return to your old ones, the weight will return.

There are many stories about GLP-1 drug side-effects. I can testify that some of them are true. I found that if you don't adjust your diet appropriately, you will experience bad gastric issues. Mine were not severe, but definitely bothersome. However I stuck with it and the weight loss progress was an incentive, particularly in the first few months. The loss tapers off over time, even as the dosages increase. When it becomes steady-state, you probably have lost as much as the drug will help you lose. My loss was 24 pounds. However be prepared to regain at least some of the weight back, especially if you don't stick to the lifestyle changes the drug almost forces you to make. Would I do it again? I would say no, only because I don't want to put that same strain on my body again. It's more important for me to adjust my lifestyle more and lose the weight back in a more sustainable way. GLP-1 drugs give you a significant jump start, but are not sustainable unless you also change your lifestyle. But they are effective and worth trying if other methods have been ineffective.