My 60 Pound Weight Loss Journey

Lessons from GLP-1 and Boosting Nutritional Habits

As the path to global social equity necessarily encompasses human health and wellness, I occasionally use this SmörgåsBlog to share personal observations that may benefit others. In this case, the topic is my weight loss experience that began when I hit a peak of 262 pounds back in late 2022. A confluence of factors led to this point, from generally not watching the quantity or quality of food that I’d been consuming for years, to a less active lifestyle partially attributable to Covid lockdowns and being a new parent. However, ultimately it came down to me and my will to trim down to an acceptable weight and metabolic health for a middle aged 6’2” male. 

Like so many others, I had tried various diets and exercise routines over the years, but nothing I tried stuck and nothing yielded the kind of results that made a lasting difference. I have been reading up on healthy eating for many years, but failed to put such lessons into practice. I was also frustrated that so many “experts” could offer so many varying approaches to the question of “what” and “how” someone ought to eat. I decided to get more focused on this question and started finding books, blogs, and podcasts from doctors and nutrition experts, whose advice resonated with me and seemed to gel into something approaching a consensus viewpoint.

In addition to this, however, I had become keenly aware of the emerging Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) class of drugs that were developing as treatments not just for diabetes patients, but actually as tools to stimulate weight loss. From all I had been reading, the impact of these drugs on early and clinical trial patients was unprecedented in human history as weight loss treatments went. I thus made up my mind to begin to implement this dual approach of getting on a GLP-1 weight loss drug while also setting better eating habits for myself. 

As of this writing in September 2024, I am roughly 20 months into my journey and have recently achieved the milestone of trimming down 60 pounds from my peak. While I still have a little way to go to hit my personal target, which aligns with recommended weight for a male of my height, I can say at this point that I am extremely happy with the results and my body and hopefully projected lifespan and healthspan will be the beneficiaries. 

In terms of the drugs themselves, I have been prescribed these by specialist weight loss providers. I started out with a daily injection of Saxenda (liraglutide) before supply ran dry (supply is still not meeting demand for this class of drugs), at which point I switched to a weekly dosage Wegovy (semaglutide), which is comparable to Ozempic, which is prescribed to diabetes patients. Having plateaued for several months on Wegovy, I requested a switch to Zepbound (tirzepatide), which is similar to Mounjaro. The evidence suggested Zepbound was even more effective than Wegovy. The key difference between the two is that Zepbound activates GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide), in addition to the GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) hormone receptors that are found in Wegovy and other FDA-approved weight loss drugs.

My weight loss journey started off particularly strong when I started with the injections early on. Later, it became a more gradual process. Simply put, the drugs have allowed me to feel full faster when eating and nearly always prevent me from overeating. It may not suppress the appeal of certain favorite foods, but at least it sets the course right for portion control. I detail some more of my experiences in a discussion that I had with my former Alumni Ventures colleague Grant Demeter, which is presented in his blog, Welcome to Wegovy: A Patient Journey.

I have been heartened to read about the effects on patients not just from weight loss, but in improving general cardiovascular health. While more data is still needed and proof points will evolve over time, the initial positive results for most patients appear to far outweigh some of the risks that have been observed in far smaller numbers of patients. Another piece of good news is that the side effects that some patients experience have, in my case, been quite tolerable (primarily related to occasional nausea). These side effects have gone from moderate to mild to virtually nonexistent. 

In going through the process of injecting myself on a regular basis, I have determined from the beginning that it is essential to instill in myself and to maintain healthy eating habits. The question for many is what defines healthy eating. The amount of misinformation and conflicting information that is shared with the world, even by “trained experts” is confounding and in some cases, quite appalling. It takes time and research to sift through all of this and land on what advice is actually informed by science and evidence.

One particular YouTube nutrition advisor, whom I feel does an excellent job of cutting through the noise and delivering practical advice for what to eat and what not to eat to optimize metabolic health is Dr. Eric Berg. Many of my personal eating habits are validated by his approach to food and vitamin consumption, although I do not necessarily adhere to 100% of his advice (I have not found success in intermittent fasting or maintaining a strict Keto diet, for instance). That being said, much of what I “flex up” on and restrict in my diet these days aligns with Dr. Berg’s suggestions.

Without going into deep explanations of each, here are some of things I have added more of and less of to my diet as I’ve been on my weight loss journey. I would note that the two most common pieces of advice that I and others receive for balancing the GLP-1 drug intake is to consume sufficient protein and get regular physical activity, including resistance training, in order to maintain muscle mass while I reduce the fat.

Here are some foods I am leaning into as I’ve worked on developing better habits:

• Grass fed meat and dairy products

• Greek yogurt

• High omega-3 fish such as salmon, prepared in nearly any form

• Leafy green vegetables (as I have a history of kidney stones, I prefer lower oxalate greens such as kale, arugula, and bok choy, rather than spinach, for example)

• Nuts and seeds in appropriate moderation

• “Super grains” such as quinoa and farro

• Lentils, lentils, lentils

• Whole foods, especially fresh fruit (preferably organic, especially if the skin is eaten)

• Organic berries that are packed with antioxidants, particularly blueberries and blackberries

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Probiotic-rich fermented foods, especially kimchi

• Water (more than I think I need, though not excessively so)

• Green tea

• Kompot (an Eastern Europe beverage favorite)

• I also take several supplements, including circumin, Vitamin D, a probiotic, fish oil, and a men’s multivitamin. It is hard to know exactly what effect these will have in the long run (aside from fish oil, which I tested under a doctor’s supervision, to prove that it has reduced my triglyceride levels). Nevertheless, evidence suggests positive effects are probable from these supplements and negative effects extremely unlikely

The foods that are on my avoidance list, which I try to adhere to, but can be difficult when not eating food that’s been prepared in my own kitchen:

• Ultra-processed foods of all kinds (rule of thumb is if it doesn’t come from the perimeter of the supermarket, be wary…)

• Seed oils - a lot has been written on this topic by many nutrition experts and yet the harmful effects remain unknown to many… basically, try to avoid chemically processed cooking oils, such as corn, sunflower, vegetable, and canola oil (unless it is expeller pressed, which is rarely used in restaurants or processed foods). Much better to go for extra virgin olive or avocado oil (which has a higher smoke point than EVOO). Coconut oil is fine as well, though the taste is slightly sweet, whereas avocado oil is basically neutral in flavor

• High fructose corn syrup and for that matter, nearly all artificial sweeteners

• Refined carbohydrates in foods such as bread, pasta, and pizza is tough for me to resist because I enjoy them so much, but I know that excessive consumption results directly in weight gain and tends to not make me feel great afterwards… I won’t give these up entirely, but keeping this in moderation or as a special treat has gone a long way

• Ice cream can be my biggest trap since it’s the dessert that I enjoy the most and could easily eat everyday… Life would not be the same without being able to dig in to a scoop or two once in a while, so I won’t go cold turkey. However, I’ve learned that a small amount is often enough to satiate my sweet tooth

I am getting closer to my stretch weight loss goal, but more importantly, my overall metabolic health seems in check. I have been tested by both a weight loss specialist doctor and an endocrinologist to validate that I am doing significantly better across multiple dimensions than I was two years ago. After a year in which I had several episodes of kidney stones, I have also recently been on a long stretch without having to encounter this painful issue. Is it causation or luck? I am not entirely sure, but so far so good. The way I intend to sustain this healthy balance is by continuing with proper eating habits and maintaining physical exercise, including doing a better job of incorporating resistance training into my regular schedule. I am no doctor or nutritionist, so please don’t consider this to be a recommendation for anyone individually. I share my story in case I, as one data point,  can help to inform or inspire anyone else who seeks to get on a similar journey or is simply curious about what it’s been like to go through such a meaningful life transformation.