Lakehouse diaries

Written by Jessica D
April 2nd, 2025

Semaglutide, Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy. Brands that we have all heard of and now know to be a form of the “miracle medicine” that took off in 2021. With the growing fad of losing weight with a simple weekly shot (or pill), people hopped on the bandwagon, depleting their bank accounts and companies, clinics and doctors cashed in on vulnerable people seeking help. Although this FDA approved medicine was doing wonders and saving lives, on the other side of the spectrum were diabetes patients being left with no medicine or price hikes for their refills. With the medicine now off of the shortage list, is it more acceptable to be on the medicine, and is it worth it?

As I am quickly approaching my two year mark on this life-changing medicine, I wanted to share my journey as I have learned a lot over the last two years to which I hope can help others.

Rewinding to year 2023, I was 214lbs, my health was at its lowest, and i was both mentally and physically unwell. I was so unhappy with myself as well. I spent many days while getting dressed for the day crying, ashamed at myself for how far I have let things go. I was ashamed because I let past trauma dictate my life and lead to me getting to an unhealthy point. All of that weighing so heavy on me, I was at rock bottom with a brain who absolutely hated me. I had enough of rock bottom and needed a serious change because I knew very well, if change didn’t happen, I would probably die. Now is the time.

Day One

My journey started in May of 2023. My husband had found a clinic that was based out of Florida and had raving reviews. Well, spoiler, my experience was nothing shy of horrible. But I did not let this set me back. I do hope, though, that my journey brings you the confidence you deserve to go on the same journey as me because I am truly happier and healthier now than I have ever been before.

Here is a great article if you are just starting out and want to know what you should and shouldn’t eat and how to avoid side effects. https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/diet-nutrition/ozempic-foods-to-avoid

Daily Log Journal

In May of 2023, I contacted the clinic. With a month long wait for a virtual doctors visit, in June I finally consulted with a doctor who ordered blood work. By the end of June, I had my bloodwork results which showed my thyroid number was very low. After my second virtual doctors visit, I was accepted for Semaglutide and in 2 weeks, I had both medicines on my door step. And this is where my journey begins.

• On July 9th, I had my first shot with a starting weight of 214.2lbs. This was also the first day of my Armour Thyroid medicine as I had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism after getting back my bloodwork results.

• On July 22nd, I had my first period on the medicine. I noted this because this menstrual cycle was vastly different from previous ones. I made a note stating that I had nonstop cramps that were so severe, it made me nauseous. I also noted that the symptoms and side effects from the medicine are either very minimal or nonexistent, and i was experiencing way more motivation and energy.

• On July 24th, I weighed in at 208.2lbs, which is a 6lb loss! On this day, I had eaten a few Hershey kisses and noticed a very odd taste in my mouth. It was as if I was ingesting chemicals. They really upset my stomach to the point of having extreme nausea. I now know this to be the medicine telling me “you are not supposed to eat this, so now you will suffer the consequences”. I still, however, never got sick or had any “back-end” side effects at this point.

• August 5th was my first 20ml shot. On August 9th, I weighed in at 204.6lbs, and weighed in again on August 25th at 203.2lbs. On this day, I noted that I was experiencing extreme exhaustion that was hitting around the 1-2pm mark. I contacted the clinic in regards to this to which they up’d my thryoid medicine from 50mg to 120mg. I also noted that periods are more heavy and painful than normal. On August 31st, I weighed in at 205.3lbs.

• On September 5th, I weighed in at 201.2lbs with no notes attached. On September 28th, I fell under 200lbs since before 2018. This made me very emotional! I weighed in at 195lbs! I noted that I had been feeling great since upping my thryoid medicine to 120mg. This month, we celebrated my sisters wedding and I remember being so incredibly sad that I didn’t look the way I had wanted to. It was still a very great day!

• On October 6th, I weighed in at 193.8. My MG’s were raised again to 80 units. I noted that I felt nauseous at first but it went away a little while later.

• On November 1st, I did a mid-day weigh in and was at 188lbs. I noted my period was 11 days late, and I remember this sending my husband and I into a frenzy haha! At this point, I was down 26lbs and was ecstatic about it! I did not do an end of the month weigh in.

• On December 2nd, I did another mid-day weigh in and was at 183.2lbs. I then weighed in 10 days later on the 12th and was at 180.3, which was a morning weigh in.

• In January 2024, I weighed in at 181lbs

• In February 2024, I weighed in at 176.6lbs

• On March 2nd, I weighed in at 172.2lbs and weighed in again on the 31st at 169.8lbs

• On April 3rd, I weighed in at 168.2lbs. Being under 170lbs and looking and feeling the way that I did, was so over joyous. On April 26th, I weighed in again at 164lbs.

This was my last weigh-in log, unfortunately. In the beginning, I gave myself no goal weight as I was just wanting to focus on present day and to not set any unrealistic expectations. When the weight started to shed off nearly a year later, was when I set a goal weight. I set it to 150lbs. I got 5lbs away from that goal weight before I had to come off of the medicine due to finances.

Perseverance At It’s Finest.

Like I said earlier, my experience was dampened by a money hungry clinic who completely took advantage of vulnerable people and depleted my savings account within four months. At first, I was assigned to a “patient care specialist” who genuinely seemed to care about me, my needs and getting me setup. But as time went on, a very short time at that, that care grew thinner and thinner. I was on medicine, two medicines at that, and this “specialist” literally vanished on me by month two. This clinic truly just cared about getting you roped in and cashing in on this “get rich quick” fad that was rapidly spreading nationwide. This surely was not a fad to me, and had I not gone on this medicine and lost the weight, my health concerns would be severely worse. After sad attempts to get me to understand why they were charging so much money, the final straw for me was when I had called in to order refills and the one “specialist” took my money and claimed to have ordered my medicine. Weeks go by and my medicine never comes nor does an email with a tracking number. When I had called in, I learned that not only was the medicine never even ordered, but whoever I spoke to had put my order down for the completely wrong dose. A dose that was way higher than what I was even on or what my chart showed. Since leaving this clinic, I have switched to a different clinic. Although this new medicine seems to be giving me side effects when I eat things I shouldn’t be, I am still losing weight, happy and no longer feel like i’m just a paycheck for this clinic. I wanted to share this experience because I am normally the person to just “take it” and not advocate for myself. Always advocate for yourself because no one else will.

Where Am I Now?

I am approaching my two year mark and very excited about it! After taking a financial break, as well as a small break off of the medicine, I gained ~15lbs. But you know what? I dam sure enjoyed all of those yummy Christmas cookies and treats I made during the season! haha! I am now back on the medicine. I have now fallen back under 170lbs and looking even more forward to hitting that goal weight and learning how to be consistently healthy without the medicine.

What Have I Learned? What Foods To Eat and What Not To Eat? What Things Should You Incorporate Into Your Daily Routine?

Remember those yummy chocolate chip cookies you once enjoyed? Those oh so delicious chocolate bars you once craved during periods? Or those scrumptious cheeseburgers you’d delve into on date night? Yeah, you can kiss those goodbye. Well, maybe not fully. I have personally learned that if I have something “bad” on day 1, 2 or 3 after taking my shot, I suffered the consequences HARD. The first time I had ever experienced side effects, it was in May of 2024 after a night with friends. We hung out at our backyard bar, enjoying homemade quesadillas while sipping on some 100 calorie alcoholic drinks. I woke up the next day in the pit of hell. I really thought I had a week long stomach bug. It was bad. A literal week later, I ate a cheeseburger on shot night, and this sent me for another few days of torture. I mentally had enough so I took to Google. That’s when I found that GoodRX link above and really educated myself on what I should not be eating. It made me sad to realize that I will no longer be able to enjoy some of my favorite meals such as spaghetti bolognese, chocolate, and so on.

Here’s a List of ‘What Not To Do’s’

• DO NOT EAT HIGH FATTY FOODS!
  • Ground meat, cheeseburgers, fried foods, greasy foods like pizza or donuts
  • High fat dairy foods such as ice cream, butter, cheeses, etc.
  • Sugary foods and drinks such as cakes, cookies, candy, soda, sweetened drinks, etc.
  • Ultra-processed carbs such as white bread, white rice, crackers, etc.
  • Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, etc.
  • Alcohol. Although can be consumed in small doses with no side effects, it would be a good idea to avoid as it irritates the stomach.
• IF TAKING BIRTH CONTROL AND YOU DO NOT WANT PREGNANCY, DO NOT ALLOW INSEMINATION. Semaglutide does not allow birth control to digest as it normally does. Please do your own research on this matter as I am not a doctor and these remarks shouldn’t be taken as fact without doing your own research. Many people on Reddit /Semaglutide forum have shared their experiences with semaglutide causing their birth control to not be as effective thus resulting in unwanted pregnancies.

The ‘To-Do’s’

• Incorporate a lean diet into your daily routine
  • Fish
  • Chicken
  • Turkey
• Low Fat Dairy products that contain proteins, vitamins and fiber
  • Low fat milk
  • Cottage cheese
  • Greek yogurt
  • Protein drinks/shakes. I suggest finding a great website with yummy recipes to make protein shakes where you can incorporate your daily vitamins, fruits, greens, etc. all into one drink.
• Low Glycemic fruits and vegetables
  • Leafy greens
  • Tomatoes
  • Carrots
  • Fresh berries
  • Apples
  • Citrus fruits
• EXERCISE!
  • Exercising is so great for your body. You do NOT have to go crazy. Even if you take two water bottles and lift them, it is better than nothing. Going for a simple walk every other day will also do you wonders. Find joy in working out and you will want to do it every day. Be sure to do some butt workouts to avoid “sema butt”.
• ALWAYS talk to your doctor!
  • Always consult with your doctor throughout your journey, especially if you have any questions or concerns. Your doctor is there for you and should be able to assist in getting any concerns answered or straightened out.

Tips + Tricks

• Try taking your shot before bed. If there is any nausea, you won’t know or feel it because you will be sleeping. If you can’t or don’t want to take it in the evening, take your shot before meals rather than after.
• Adding protein in with carbs will help balance your blood sugar.
• Try and eat meals slowly as you don’t want to over consume. This may also result in stomach pain from being over-full.
• Drink plenty of water. It’s important to stay hydrated, which also helps digestion.
• Be sure to incorporate fiber into your daily routine. Not only is this good for your system, but it also greatly helps prevent constipation.
• Since you can drink coffee while on this medicine, find different ways to incorporate a sweetener into your cup without adding sugar. For me, I use honey! Not only is it delicious, but it’s so good for you.
• It is crucial to take daily vitamins, and keep your protein up. Without adequate protein, the rapid weight-loss or lack of protein can result in hair loss or hair thinning. This is something I am still working on repairing and fixing.

I hope you enjoyed my first blog, but most importantly, learned from it. Please remember that I am not a doctor and all that was stated was either sourced information or were my own personal experiences. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

With Love,
Jess

Source: https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/diet-nutrition/ozempic-foods-to-avoid