My Journey With GLP-1s: What I Wish I Knew Before I Started

We’ve all heard about the GLP-1 medications—Zepbound, Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy, Trulicity, Saxenda. We’ve heard about the insurance battles, the skyrocketing costs, the shortages, and the endless TikToks, Snapchats, and Instagram posts praising their benefits. We’ve heard the government is lowering doses or making changes, yet most of us still don’t know how to access what we need.

So, here’s my real, honest journey with GLP-1 medications—because maybe it will help someone else feel a little less alone.

2022 Before we started our journey.

Starting Out: Desperation Turned Into Hope

My GLP-1 journey started about three years ago. I was exhausted—tired of being overweight, tired of not having energy, tired of nothing fitting. Like so many others, I finally thought, Fine. Let’s try this.

I was lucky. My insurance covered Wegovy at the time.

But “lucky” didn’t mean “easy.”Wegovy came with the classic side effects: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sulfur burps, and practically no appetite. There were moments I genuinely wondered if it was worth it.

I followed influencers and forums, searching for anything that helped the side effects—and the biggest game changer was increasing protein. Once I did that, things improved.

Plateaus, Switching Medications, and Those Infamous Kankles

Eventually, I hit a plateau. I was frustrated. My provider and I decided to switch to Zepbound. I was nervous, mostly because Wegovy had helped manage my edema. But after a month on Zepbound, my edema was still under control. No more kankles. 😂

The weight started dropping again……but I still wasn’t doing the work. I wasn’t exercising. I wasn’t moving. I was relying solely on the medication.

And then I hit another plateau—again.

This time, it lasted nearly two years. I couldn’t break 200 lbs.

First Run Disney in over 8 years. Did not turn out how I hoped.

What Changed Everything: Training for RunDisney

My husband was losing weight faster than me because he was working out. So reluctantly, I joined him. And reluctantly, I fell back into running.

I knew I needed something motivating. Something fun. Something that felt like a reward. Enter: RunDisney.

We trained. Slowly. Inconsistently at first. But over 6–12 months, everything began to shift.

Running hit me physically and mentally—in the best way.

✨ I slept better

✨ I felt stronger

✨ My clothes from 20 years ago started fitting again (good thing they came back in style!)

✨ My mental health improved

✨ I started looking forward to my runs

I joined the Runna app. I synced with Strava. I found online friends who were also running. We started setting new goals—not just to lose weight, but to get stronger, go farther, and feel better.

The Real Lesson: The Medication Helped—But I Had to Change

Here’s what I learned:

The medication helped me get started. Running helped me keep going. But my mindset is what made everything finally click.

There are still days I don’t want to work out—trust me. But those are the days I know I need it the most.

And if you’re in the “I’m not ready” stage, that’s okay too. Truly. I wasn’t ready either—not until I was. Sometimes the mindset shift is slow. Sometimes it sneaks up on you. Sometimes it hits all at once.

But when it happens, everything changes.

You’re not alone in this. So many of us have walked this road—weight struggles, GLP-1s, plateaus, restarts, frustration, hope. And those of us who’ve been through it are right here cheering you on.

Keep going. Use the tools. Lean on the support. And don’t forget—you are worth the effort.

Dec 2025. I am now 50 years old and working hard at staying healthy.

Your journey begins the moment you decide you’re worth the effort.

We’ve got this—together. See you at the next run. 🏃‍♀️✨🏅