I went to the doctor today. It was my annual wellness exam and I was establishing myself as a patient with a new primary doctor at a new health center. As my doctor reviewed my information and read the medical history I provided, she paused at the section on existing medications.
“Mounjaro?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“Are you diabetic?”
“No.” The perplexed look on her face told me I needed to provide additional information. “I wanted to lose weight, so I got with a friend of mine who is a healthcare professional, and under his guidance, I began taking the injections as part of an overall wellness and fitness plan.”
“I see,” she commented. “How long have you been taking the medication?”
“Six months. Since last October.”
“And how much weight have you lost?”
“Sixty pounds.”
Although my doctor is from Brazil, the look in her eyes screamed a very Southern “Do what now?”
She and I went on to dialogue about how it wasn’t just the medication. It was actually a combination of the Mounjaro, changes in diet, and a new exercise routine. The more we discussed it, I thought about how the technique of balancing three knives on glassware serves as a good analogy.
Knife balancing on glassware is a display of opposing forces (gravity, friction, and the center of mass), where equilibrium is achieved through the precise manipulation of the physical principles at play. When three knives are carefully arranged on top of each other, their weight distribution and geometry come into play. Each knife’s center of mass must align precisely with the support point on the glassware to maintain stability. Additionally, the friction between the knives and the glassware provides the necessary grip to prevent slipping.
I firmly believe that in my specific case, the results I’ve achieved would not be attainable if not for all three factors at play.
By slowing gastric emptying, the medication keeps me feeling full longer and it eliminates the ‘food noise’ that used to crowd my head and lead to binge snacking. Couple that with a change in diet to focus on a higher intake of protein and fiber, both of which take longer to digest, and the result is eating a lot less because overall I don’t feel hungry all the time. This makes it easier to live week to week at a calorie deficit. Add in the new habit of working out, and now my body is burning more calories and building muscle mass.
The end result is I have more strength and energy, and it’s easier to do more because I weigh less.
I’m sharing this because I’ve had less-than-supportive reactions from friends and acquaintances about using medication to lose weight. Drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are not silver-bullet fixes to the problem of being overweight. You can’t get on the meds, continue to eat eight slices of pizza, and think you’re going to lose weight. If anything, the attitude towards food needs to change first. Understanding limits, portion control, and food swaps is critically important to the success of any weight loss journey.
Like the knives, everything works together. One component by itself can make a slight difference, but it takes all aspects of the process to reach the goals that can be life-changing. For me, if I don’t lose another pound, I’ll be happy with where I am today. That being said, I don’t want to view my success so far as a destination, but rather as a starting point. Achieving my initial goal has opened the doors for me to set new goals and targets as I build upon my new fitness foundation. Things I did not think possible when I started in October are suddenly within reach, and mental desperation and has given way to newfound determination.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the fourth – and most important – component in my weight loss experience so far: Prayer.
I’ve spent a lot of time both before and since last Fall praying for help with this journey. Praying for patience when it comes to results. Praying for discipline when it comes to meals. Praying for wisdom and discernment in trying to find out what workout routines work best for me. Praying for acceptance of whatever God has in store for me as a result of this experience. It’s been an exercise of taking to heart the quote from Mark Batterson: “WORK like it depends on you. PRAY like it depends on God.”
You’ve got to put in the work and trust God with the results.
Gil Gonzalez 