Is a weight loss drug right for you?

To Oz*mp*c or not to Oz*mp*c, that is the question...

Eek. There has been so much talk about weight loss drugs lately. Everyone seems to have their own opinion. I’ve stayed rather quiet about them over the past year because using a drug to do what diet and lifestyle can do, just seems like an obvious no-go for me. So I didn’t think I wanted or needed to talk about it.

That’s changed.

Now, since all the new lawsuits are popping up against these companies, I don’t want to shut up about it! 

I’ve dug into the research…let’s just say it’s quite the rabbit hole to go down and not for the faint of heart, but a must if you’re considering taking a weight loss drug. 

Let’s get into it…

Weight loss drugs, like Ozempic, are projected to increase in use by 50% in 2024 and each year after. That number is expected to keep growing like wildfire. 

Which is weird. 

If weight loss drugs help you lose weight, shouldn’t fewer people be using them as time goes on because people have lost weight and don’t need them anymore? The law of supply and demand, right?

Unless there’s something sinister going on here…

It’s almost as though Big Pharma has found a way to make a drug that gives people BIG results really quickly, but those results go away as soon as they stop taking it. Thus, creating lifelong customers. 

That couldn’t possibly be what’s going on, could it?

Yes. That’s exactly what’s going on. 

Don’t believe me? I’m going to link here to a really great article written by a doctor I’ve been following for a long time. He does amazing research and cites all his sources so you can check out his claims for yourself. Definitely go watch the videos included in the article. They will blow your mind… and piss you off.

Rather than rewriting what the Doc has so eloquently already written, I’ll summarize here and give my two cents. Here are my top 2 takeaways from the article:

First, Oprah was put in a time-out for preaching personal accountability for weight gain. Huh? What that means is that Weight Watchers, the company Oprah is a spokeswoman for, told her to stop saying that lifestyle (including diet) contributes to weight gain. Now, she is saying obesity isn’t your fault, rather, it’s a medical condition. And to make matters worse, it’s also a medical condition that requires you to take expensive drugs for the rest of your life.

Did you know, Weight Watchers, once a company that promoted making healthy choices to lose weight is now a partner for weight loss drugs? It’s no longer about counting points. It’s about taking drugs for “medical weight loss”. They still encourage what they call “eating healthy”, but I’ve seen what people eat on Weight Watchers, and it’s not very healthy. Just because you can eat an entire pizza because you have “the points”, doesn’t mean you should. 

Over half the women I’ve coached have used Weight Watchers at some point in their lives, with varying degrees of success, so I have had amazing conversations with them about the program and they all said the same thing – they were hungry all the time.

My two cents: Yes, obesity is a lifestyle condition. Always has been and always will be. There may be a small genetic factor, but we know that genes only account for about 20% of our health, so we can no longer blame our genes when it’s really how we live that’s the problem.

If you’re not doing the basics, there’s no use in trying medical weight loss drugs. They are not a quick fix and even if you do experience weight loss, that weight loss isn’t sustainable.

What to do instead: Focus on doing the basics over and over again, and then do them some more. The basics work. Period. But most people don’t do them and then when they try something else they say it doesn’t work. Even weight loss drugs won’t work if you don’t do the basics. 

If you’re still struggling after consistently doing the basics really well, reach out to a coach or practitioner who can help you get to the root of what’s going on. Weight loss drugs, in my opinion, should not be a first line of defense.

Second, new lawsuits are being filed from people who have used weight loss drugs and had substantial medical issues when coming off of them, such as stomach paralyzation and gastrointestinal concerns. (Stomach paralyzation means that you can’t digest your food. If you can’t digest your food, you become malnourished. Yikes. That’s a major problem.)

Research shows that 30% of Ozempic users come off the drug within 3 months of starting due to side effects. Those users had the drug fully covered by insurance or government programs, so the $1,000-1,500 a month price tag wasn’t the reason for coming off.

A substantial increase in depression and suicidal thoughts has also been reported. 

My two cents: Changing your diet, exercise routine, and other lifestyle factors have very few, if any, side effects. And we know, without a doubt, they can help with weight loss. Why take the risk?

Yes, there are people who do not see results when they make lifestyle or dietary changes. But in my experience (almost five years of helping women lose weight), there are other things that are likely going on. And two of the most likely culprits are your gut bugs or your blood sugar control.

We have to address weight loss through your gut bugs. If your gut bugs are out of balance, you might not be producing the hormones that tell you you’re full. I can see that with a simple stool test and a gut health questionnaire. 

By supporting your gut bugs, you will naturally lose weight.

Weight loss drugs do not address the root cause of weight gain.

It seems really easy to give yourself an injection once a week instead of changing what you eat or how you live your life, but at the end of the day, we have to remember that if you’re gaining weight, your body is rebelling. What you’re doing isn’t working and things need to change.

Weight gain is a red flag your body sends to get your attention. “HEEEEYYYY!!! I need help!!!”

Your body is trying to tell you something. Are you listening?

Hi, I’m Lindsay 👋🏻 and I’m a holistic health coach specializing in gut health. I help women over 40 lose weight for good by supporting their gut microbiome. You haven’t seen weight loss addressed this way before! I would love to chat and learn more about your goals, ideas, and most importantly, what’s not working, so I can create a customized plan just for you! 

Click the button below to learn more about my coaching program and schedule your free consult to find out if I can help you!