WTF = What The Fat?
Battling The Bulge + The Buttheads
FRIENDLY REMINDER
If youāre here to judge meāor anyone elseāplease scroll elsewhere. I have zero time or tolerance for unkind comments or unsolicited opinions. But do feel free to share your experiences. Thank you!
This post isnāt about seeking anyoneās advice or approval. Itās about telling the truth, my truth anyway. And right now, the truth is Iām seriously thinking about trying one of those so-called āfat jabā medications.
Youāve heard of themāOzempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and the like. Theyāre all the rage, sparking debates that range from hopeful to hateful. Some folks call them a miracle. Others call them cheating. Me? Iām just working with my doctors to figure out whatās right for me and my situation.
For context: I havenāt always struggled with weight. I was an active and relatively fit kid. But things changed after I had a botched tonsillectomy when I was eight.
The surgery was performed by a doctor my parents adoredāfor reasons that still escape me. He was arrogant, dismissive, and rude to everyone. And had the worst bedside manner (and breath). This dude wasnāt even a good doctor.
Not only did my tonsils partially grow back (yes, that can happen), but I started gaining weight right after leaving the hospital. A lot of weight.
Something about that surgeryāphysically and emotionallyāfelt like a switch flipped inside my little brain. My energy tanked. My relationship with food became tangled. And my overall health started slipping. And no one seemed to have real answers.
The doctor brushed it off as ānormal.ā And my mom, doing what she thought was best, put me on my first diet at the age of nine. Not long after that diet failed, she started taking me to a Weight Watchers-like program called T.O.P.S.āshort for Take Off Pounds Successfully. (Spoiler: I didnāt take off many, if any, poundsā¦I was ten.)
Fast forward to adulthood: Add a few decades of bad food choices, several medical challenges, and a three-plus year battle with agoraphobia, anxiety, and depressionāand yeah, Iāve gained more weight. A lot more weight.
Iām the heaviest Iāve ever been, so something has got to change.
Iām moving more. Iām watching what I eat more. Iām going to the gym more. And still, I keep gaining more weight.
Iām not whining or fishing for sympathy. Iām just stating facts.
So when I hear about these GLP-1 drugs and see people who say theyāve finally found something that helps? Yeah, Iām listening. But Iām also hesitant.
Not because I care what other people think. Frankly, those who call it ālazyā or āweakā can suck my dick. Bully me and I bully back, so proceed with caution.
In my experience, keyboard warriors have more issues than the National Geographic. So fuck them. They donāt know shit about shit.
So why am I hesitant and nervous? Because I respect my body enough to ask real questions. About side effects. About long-term use. About how these meds might interact with the rest of my health issues.
Iām not looking for a quick fix. The pounds didnāt exactly appear overnight and will take hard work to lose. But I need a real change, whatever form that takes. So Iām considering medication. Carefully. Intentionally. Not as a cop-out, but as a tool in a much bigger toolbox.
And if I do it, it wonāt be for anyone elseās approvalāor condemnation.
Itāll be for me. My health. My future. My life.
Keep calm and carry on!
Clint šāļø
P.S. To anyone else quietly contemplating the same decision: Youāre not alone. And you donāt owe anyone an explanation.
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FYC = RECOMMENDED SUBSTACKS
BOYSLUT // Coach Kevin Martin // Ford Knows Books // Gay Buffet // Good Queer News // Okay McKay // PalCinema, Television, & Music // Qstack // Queer Love Project // Sitting Queerly // That Trans Friendā¦ // The Caftan Chronicles // Undividing with Karl Dunn
ON THIS DAY = JULY 13
BIRTHDAYS
1863 = Mary Emma Woolley = American educator and activist š
1928 = Johnny Gilbert = American game show host and announcer
1933 = Piero Manzoni = Italian artist
1940 = Patrick Stewart = English actor, director, and producer
1941 = Robert Forster = American actor and producer
1942 = Harrison Ford = American actor and producer
1942 = Roger McGuinn = American singer-songwriter
1943 = Danny Lockin = American actor and dancer š
1944 = ErnÅ Rubik = Hungarian game designer and Rubik's Cube inventor
1944 = Joan E. Biren = American photographer and filmmaker š
1946 = Cheech Marin = American actor and comedian
1953 = Gil Birmingham = American actor
1954 = Danitra Vance = American comedian and actor š
1957 = Cameron Crowe = American filmmaker
1966 = Gerald Levert = American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
1969 = Ken Jeong = American actor, comedian, and physician
1974 = Deborah Cox = Canadian singer-songwriter, and actor
1988 = Colton Haynes = American actor, model, and singer
1988 = Steven R. McQueen = American actor and model
1989 = Leon Bridges = American singer-songwriter
EVENTS
1930 = The inaugural FIFA World Cup begins in Uruguay.
1956 = RCA releases Elvis Presley's single "Hound Dog", a cover of Big Mama Thorton's original, written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
1970 = In response to a letter asking if she considered homosexuality a disease, advice columnist Dear Abby responded, āNo! It is the inability to love at all which I consider an emotional illness.ā
1984 = The Brothers premieres on Showtime as the first US tv show with a gay lead character.
1985 = The Live Aid benefit concert takes place in London and Philadelphia, as well as other venues such as Moscow and Sydney, raising over $70M for African famine relief.
1990 = Ghost is released in theaters.
HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES
PORTRAIT + QUOTES OF THE DAY
āTo me, success is choice and opportunity.ā
Harrison Ford
āI am not the first man who wanted to make changes in his life at 60 and I won't be the last. It is just that others can do it with anonymity.ā
Harrison Ford
Clint, bravo to you for taking care of yourself in a wise way! I've been taking Ozempic for a few years, and it has worked for me when I heed my food intake. Avoiding carbs at a doctor's suggestion shed weight fairly effortlessly (once the craving subsides!) with the help of the Ozempic. This was not a magic bullet for me, but it certainly helps and has kept my A1C levels in check.
As your rainbow icon checker, please add one to Colton Haynes.I had not heard of him before your birthday list, but the link to Wiki discusses his coming out several years ago.
Your audience here is in your corner, Clint. Stay on your path, as we need you!
"Itāll be for me. My health. My future. My life."
Clint-- You are correct in how you are approaching this decision. I take Ozempic because I am diabetic and my Endocrinologist suggested I take it. I have been using it for almost a year and I have gone from 200 to about 150. It wasn't magic. It was slow at 5 lbs a month. My doctor explained to me that this is drug simulates fullness when eating earlier than normal. It reduces or sometimes eliminate my appetite and some foods no longer appeal to me. It is easy to skip meals if I am not hungry. If I overeat, I become sick to my stomach fast, which is a "great" way to control your intake, so I was eating about half as much to feel full. I was at 36"-38" waist and now a comfortable 32". My doctor is pleased with the results.
Things I did notice. I lost some muscle along the way and felt weaker in tasks I did. I have ramped up more strength through increased weight training. I have wrinkles where I was fluffy. Good part is my hip and back don't hurt. I can handily tie my shoes. I can't eat out in a restaurant, since I don't know when I will feel full and not finish the meal. I order food to go, and then save the leftovers. Most people said nothing to me about my weight loss, but a few brave souls asked me if I was alright. I explained this is under doctor's supervision to address their concern. And I have slowly gone from Large to Medium in my everyday clothes. I still kept the Large just in case, but I hope to never need them.
Since I am diabetic, I take other meds which also contribute and maintain my weight and health. I was able to reduce my insulin intake to a ten percent of where I was at before, which for me was a major cause of weight gain over the years. My previous doctor was not helping me.
Since this is a diabetic drug, I qualified for come insurance coverage, but it still costs me $200 a month for four treatments. Without coverage or on Amazon, it can be a lot more. It may be worth it, but it alone is not the "silver bullet." I heard it called "silver buckshot" meaning it can work if you include it with other serious weight loss healthy habits and give it time.
Ozempic and others, along with Continuous Glucose Monitor like Dexcom, should be made available to more people who may be PRE-diabetic to help learn how to prevent getting diabetes. They are excellent tools, but only with proper knowledge and motivation can they really help. Happy to answer any questions.
Charles