I Tried Something New 6 Weeks Ago… and Everything Shifted
It started as a quiet experiment, but the impact on my mental and emotional wellbeing has been louder than I imagined.
About six weeks ago, I was sitting with my friend Katie, putting together plans for an event. I asked, "Do you think I should offer dinner at the event?" And she said, "No one eats dinner anymore—we're all on GLP-1s." "What do you mean, we are all on GLP-1s?" (Think Ozempic, Mounjaro, etc.)
Over the next few minutes, she was telling me how this medication had impacted her, and she looked so excited, so I got excited! Katie and I have always been open with each other about what medications we are on. She's one of the few people I know who talks openly about her mental health journey and what medications she's choosing to or not to take. There's something so liberating about being around a person like that. She's that for me, and I try to be that for other people. I try to be as transparent as possible with how I walk through the world. See Anna Today (remember that?), my blogs, and my books - The Courage to Become and A Gentle Return. 😉
After she finished with her excitement, I said, "Here's what I wish I could get rid of….THE CHATTER. I have chatter all day long about what I should eat, what I shouldn't eat, can I have a glass of wine, and will it impede my sleep and training recovery? It's a constant conveyor belt of chatter. It's exhausting." Katie replied, " Oh, yeah—the medication helped my chatter, too." Then I really leaned in.
The prospect of no chatter. Oh. My. God.
I asked her about the downsides, the side effects, etc., but I was already SO thrilled about the prospect of no chatter about what I do or don't put in my mouth.
"Sign me up," I said.
Within the first few days of my first dose, I signed up for an Ultra Marathon (a 50K! in late May) and booked a skiing trip. I had so much energy!
Over the next week, the most significant change I noticed was that things that usually had a strong hold on me were no longer as powerful.
At night, after everything is said and done and the kiddos are in bed – my favorite way to relax is to numb out. This isn't healthy – I know. And I do so many healthy things ( you guys know!), but I'm human, and a few times a week numbing out feels good.
My formula for numbing out was usually a glass of wine, some snacks, a TV show, and social media. I know…a platter of disaster. And I would always have deep shame about this 30 minutes – 1 hour. Why couldn't I just meditate? Take a bath? Read? Nope – it was like I had to numb out all the way just for a bit. So, on top of my bad habits, I had shame about the bad habits and more shame that I wasn't strong enough to break them.
I am tip-top most of the day! I am mature, healthy, and balanced, but for some reason, when the day is over, I need to lean on bad habits—even though I know they are holding me back.
But after the first dose, I realized that TV was boring, social media didn't have a stronghold, and I didn't want a glass of wine. I wanted to read, get more rest, and foam roll! I started to think about it, and I came to the realization that the medication had really done a number on my dopamine. I was craving good and sustainable dopamine instead of the junk dopamine I usually got from TV, wine, and social media.
Skiing in New Mexico with my advenure buddies
Over the last 6 weeks, I have realized something new every week. I am meeting a part of myself I didn't know existed. I am coming face to face with biases I didn't think I had about weight, judgments I didn't realize I had about people who were or were not able to keep their weight "under control," and face to face with the fact that I was expending SO much energy on consumption.
I have analogized the chatter in my brain to a few things. Once, I said it was like a strong gorilla and all day, I would have to wrestle that gorilla and KEEP IT IN CHECK, or else it would go wild. And I spent SO much energy wrestling the gorilla back into its cage. EVERY DAY – ALL DAY. "Don't eat this, do eat that, don't overeat, don't think about eating, you're evolved – you can think about eating. Food is good. Why are you having these thoughts anyway – be present!!!!!!!!!!!!!" And my idea of discipline was being able to keep my gorilla in check. I thought I was strong and good for being able to keep my gorilla down. But it was exhausting! So much of my energy has been wasted on keeping this in check.
I have also analogized it to being in an airport and trying to have a meaningful phone conversation while a staff member is speaking over the loud speaker. You can hear both at the same time, but you are trying to tune out the loud speaker so you can hear what your friend is saying on the other end of the line. It's annoying, exhausting, and disruptive.
Being on a tirzepatide shot has truly changed my life. I am not a doctor and don't know the long-term effects, but I'm thrilled about it.
I have stayed dilignet about healthy eating, supporting my gut microbiome and my overall health.
Have I lost weight? Yes. 10 pounds. Does that make me happy? Yes. I am an active and healthy person, I always have been. And being on the tizepatide shot has enabled me to be even healthier and happier. Truly. I think about food SO MUCH less, I have fewer bad habits, I find that I am increasingly present with my friends and family, and I have so much brain space to use. I used to use my energy to keep the gorilla in check. Now, my gorilla gets a tranquilizer every Tuesday morning, and my brain gets to think about fun and creative things that fulfill me.
Could I "buckle down" and have more discipline? Yes. Could I do it all naturally? Yes. Would it have been enjoyable? No. And that's where grace comes in.
There's no medal for being the person who did it the hardest way possible. I am a 41-year-old woman in perimenopause. I am a mama of 2, a wife, and a therapist, and I like to have fun and try new things! I am the product of decades of cultural expectations, and I do the very best that I can. I push myself where and when I can and give myself grace for the rest of the time. I can't be perfect and that's okay. I need help too. And the tirzepatide shot has uplifted me in a way that I would have never expected.
Training for an ultra marathon and stopping my my alma mater. Hook ‘Em
Each of our mental health journeys looks different. Some of us will need support in ways that others of us don't, and that's okay.
I wanted to share this with you in case you have a gorilla, too, and want to explore this option.
This is the med spa I use for my tirzepatide needs:
*This is not an ad – but if you contact them, let them know I sent you!
Preston Taylor and Nipa Dennison - Foudners of Luxe Lift in Drip
I am a huge fan of both of these people! Preston Taylor and Nipa Dennison. You will love them too.
Here is how you can contact them:
Here's to giving ourselves grace as we do the best we can where we are and with what we have.
Big hugs! -catia