Weight Loss in Middle Age: My Journey

30 Pounds of Weight Loss

As a middle-aged man, I found myself gaining weight in my 30's and 40's. By the time I hit my 50's, my Body Mass Index (BMI) and grown from 21 to 30. Then the pandemic hit, and it grew to 32.5. So I went from normal, overweight, to obese over the course of 25 years. I contribute it to decreasing amounts of exercise, increasing amounts of the wrong kinds of foods, and a sedentary lifestyle. I have a white-collar desk job, which doesn't encourage much movement, plus I started working from home full time about 10 years ago, which even further lessened my need to move around. I'm sure this story sounds familiar to many of you men.

When I started seeing my new doctor about 8 years ago, I also started to improve my lifestyle. I began walking every day, started to eat a little better. My weight growth slowed, but didn't stop. Eventually my doctor suggested I go on a doctor-directed diet program. In 2023 I started on phentermine + a program of increased exercise and better nutrition. This plan was followed over the course of about 4 months. I did lose weight, and my BMI dropped from 32.5 to 31.2. But after getting of the drug, it went back up to 32. It's primarily because I didn't follow the nutrition program very well. However I kept up, and increased, my walking. I also started taking Berberine. I cycled the supplement, basically every other day, as it does have a tendency (for me at least), to cause constipation. However I started to slowly lose weight again. By the beginning of 2024, I had brought my BMI back down to 31.5.

This was positive progress, but my doctor was still concerned. This is because my A1C was at 59, which put me in the pre-diabetic zone, and my cholesterol was borderline high. She suggested I try one of the GLP-1 drugs. I agreed and went on Mounjaro for 6 months. For those who consider this route, be aware that there are side-effects. You eventually get used to them, but the key factor is you have to avoid foods that increase severity of the side-effects. There are many places on the internet you can research GLP-1 drug side effects. But to me it was worth dealing with those, because the result was very positive. The net effect of using Mounjaro, along with seriously following a better diet and exercise, is I dropped my BMI all the way down to 27.7 - this put me back into the overweight category. But more importantly, my A1C dropped to 54, out of the pre-diabetic range, and my cholesterol dropped down into normal range as well! She was very pleased with the result, as was I.

Post-Mounjaro, I did gain some of the weight loss back, which is very common with GLP-1 drugs. Some of was my body "bouncing back" and trying to regain what was lost, but it was also my slacking off the better nutrition. I did keep, and in fact increased the exercise. Currently my BMI is sitting at 29.3, so still in overweight range. I resumed the berberine, which I stopped when I was on the Mounjaro. As long as I maintain the exercise level, and keep up the healthier nutrition, I will continue to lose weight down to my goal, which is a BMI of 26. All through this journey I have been using the MyFitnessPal app on my phone. I did slack off using the app after got of the Mounjaro, which probably contributed to my weight re-gain as well.

Take aways: I needed doctor-directed assistance to lose weight. But the lifestyle adjustments are what will keep the weight off and continue to stay healthier. The outcome is I am no longer pre-diabetic, and my cholesterol is under control. If you are overweight or obese, getting your BMI closer to normal range will have positive health effects.