The weight I lost with GLP-1s came back with taxes how I finally dropped 100 lbs and kept it off
The scale may go down, but it doesn’t always stay there.About 1 in 8 American adults now says they’ve used GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight or manage a chronic condition.But many also stop using them — and often regain the weight.“It came back with taxes,” said Pamela Melgarejo, a former GLP-1 user.
“I gained twice as much weight as I lost.”For Pamela, that cycle led her to a different option: bariatric surgery at the NYU Langone Health Weight Management Program.The results, she said, were dramatic — more than 100 pounds lost in six months — and the weight has stayed off for over a year.“I no longer crave the same things, and I can no longer consume the same amount of food,” she said.“It offers a big change in a small period of time, and then that change is sustained.”Her surgeon, Dr.
Loic Tchokouani, said her case reflects a broader shift as patients who stop GLP-1s and regain weight increasingly turn to surgery.“This is a scenario that is familiar and a major driver of patients seeking surgical treatment,” he said.“A majority of my patients have now tried a GLP-1, be it a sample or prescribed course, before seeing me.
I do think many patients are missing out on, or at least foregoing, a more effective solution to their obesity.”Pamela spent years working to lose weight, trying diets, juicing, fasting pills, acupuncture — even patches promising to melt belly fat.“I did metformin before metformin was fashionable,” she quipped.“Everything I did was successful.
But nothing got me near my goal, and nothing was sustainable.”Weight impacted her health, causing sleep apnea, back pain and menstrual issues.It was no picnic mentally, either, especially when it took the fun out of shopping for clothes.So, in 2021, Pamela came to NYU Langone.
At first, she explored lifestyle changes.When those proved insufficient, she turned to GLP-1s.They worked — in the beginning.
Pamela lost 30 pounds, and her blood su...