My GLP-1 weight loss journey has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. This post shares my GLP-1 weight loss journey — what led me to shots, what changed, and how it feels today.
To be able to experience a relationship with food the way people who were born with the other type of “genetics” do, has been SO INCREDIBLY EYE OPENING. It has removed so much shame. It’s been more validating that I ever thought it could be.
Courtney Rose
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional. This post reflects my personal journey and opinions. Please consult a licensed provider before starting or changing any medication. This post contains affiliate links; if you purchase through my link, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Why I Said “No Way” to GLP-1 Shots (At First)
For years I judged the idea of ordering any sort of prescriptions online. Getting shots from the internet sounded especially sketchy. Beyond the sketch factor, there was a pride factor, I wanted to do things the “right way,” that I could be proud of. I just wanted to be able to eat healthy, exercise and be patient and let time do the work. Technically, I had done it before, I lost over 100 lbs, by changing my food only, no drugs, no surgeries. However, because of the rigidity and mindset around the way I lost weight that time, I felt shame even considering anything else. Let me give some context.
Diets, Programs, and the 100‑Pound Loss
I’ve tried it all, but the biggest weight-loss I had had, had been a very rigid food addiction program. I am still grateful for the 12-Steps and everything I learned, and also, I’m happy to have found a way that is more in line with my current life stage and preferred lifestyle. My life trying to lose and maintain weight looked like this:
- Three meals a day, not.a.single.snack, not even a bite outside of my meals
- Absolutely no flour or sugar, not even a smidge hiding as an ingredient, NONE
- Weighed and measured every meal, wrote down every meal before I ate it
- Multiple weekly meetings + daily accountability with a sponsor
For ~3 years I followed that program with exactness. I lost over 100 pounds, and while I was in the program, I didn’t have sugar cravings, and I didn’t overeat. The tradeoff? The program was my life. No birthday cake with my kids, no churros at Disney with my sisters, so while I was free from craving sugar and carrying excess weight, I still felt like a prisoner to my food addiction. It dictated most of my life.
Life Happened, and the Weight Came Back
I experienced a high risk pregnancy, scary diagnosis, tender birth of a medically complex baby, 115 days of not knowing when my baby might pass, losing my baby, grief, autism diagnosis for a different child, sleep deprivation—just lots of real life rolled in real fast.
One justified snack during labor turned into cravings roaring back. Just like an alcoholic, I was on a sugar and flour bender! In less than 2.5 years I’d regained everything and then some, hovering around ~250 lbs. I still showed up online (puffy face and all) but it was so embarrassing after everyone had seen my drastic weight loss.
The Tipping Point—Seeing the Science
By 2024 GLP‑1s were everywhere, but still felt taboo. I watched an Oprah special on these groundbreaking medications and finally felt seen: this wasn’t about laziness or willpower—it was about biology. It was bigger than education, willpower, laziness.
I realized that the very survival instincts meant to keep me alive, were basically not ideally and were going to kill me eventually if my obesity progressed on my current trajectory.
I realized that the very survival instincts meant to keep me alive, were not functioning ideally, and were going to kill me eventually if my obesity progressed on my current trajectory.
I’d just like to mention right here, even SERENA FREAKING WILLIAMS is even using these medications. Even a professional athlete for decades, the epitome of self control and discipline, has still struggled fighting against her bodies own aging and hormones issues. But this is about me not her, so I won’t speak for her, carrying on!
First Scripts via My PCP (and Why It Was Hard)
Originally, I did get a prescription the “traditional” way, from my general doctor but…
- She was still unfamiliar with the glp-1’s for weight-loss
- Long drives across town to pick up at compound pharmacies
- Refill delays between vials
- Too easy to miss doses when life got busy
- No shade to my former compound pharmacy, but I genuinely feel like my where I ended up buying from (and still buy from now) seem to be more potent and have a bigger impact.
Switching to an Online Platform
I had some friends that were getting their meds delivered on schedule. They were having more success on their GLP-1 weight loss journeys than I was. They seemed to be a better support system. I finally decided to switch to their providers and I tried EllieMD and it was night‑and‑day:
- Providers who specialize in GLP‑1s
- Forms done online in ~20 minutes
- Cold‑shipped meds in 3‑month batches
- Included: needles, alcohol swabs, clear instructions, dosing journal
- Super fast and smooth process
- NO EXTRA CHARGES for the providers to prescribe!! (so many online programs charge separate for the provider and the medications!)
You can read my full EllieMD review.
Facing the Needle
I used to cry over flu shots. Truly. So I was hesitant to do anything with a shot. My husband did my first injections; now I do them myself—I lie down, inject in the fat on my stomach, this is where it works best for me. The needles are very thin and short so you can’t go too far on accident… which my squeamish self appreciates.
What Changed for Me (Beyond the Scale)
THIS IS WHERE IT ALL CAME FULL CIRCLE FOR ME!
GLP‑1s gave me back the peace I had in that old rigid addiction program—minus the rigid rules:
- Neutral feelings around food
- No bingeing
- Cravings calmed
- Losing excess harmful-to-my-health weight
BUT NOW I can live life in a way I’d like to model for my kids: eat a slice of birthday cake, have a piece of candy, and stop—not from “white‑knuckle willpower.”
To be able to experience everyday foods the same way people who were born with the other type of “genetics” do, has been SO INCREDIBLY EYE OPENING. It has removed so much shame. It’s been more validating that I ever thought it could be.
Where I Am Now in my GLP-1 weight loss journey
One reason I’ve been slow to share that I’m on this journey with weight-loss shots, because I don’t want my entire personality to be my weight.
I’m still on the journey. My weight is trending down steadily, yay! Inflammation is way better, noticeable in the first week! The food noise is quiet. It’s not perfect, but for the first time it feels sustainable. For the first time I feel like I could do this forever. I look forward to the cost of medications decreasing as time goes on, but a year of health is worth the cost of these medications to me.
How dare I share these medications without a new “after” picture to prove it works? Because the “after” isn’t something I can capture in a picture anyway. After I started taking these medications, almost immediately I had the mental load of managing and controlling my food lifted. The “food noise” as they called it, was so quiet.
There will be pictures as time goes on, my body will continue to evolve, as it always does. But I don’t need to wait a year to be able to share the peace my brain feels around food now. I’m not afraid to sit at a table with people and wonder how I’m going to be sure I don’t eat more than my share, and be sure I don’t keep eating once everyone else says “oh my gosh i’m stuffed” and it’s not longer socially acceptable to keep stuffing our faces!
If you’re are looking for the peace around food, feel free to do your research, but I’ve really loved EllieMD. I love purchasing through them. I do get a kickback if you purchase from them, but it doesn’t cost you anything extra.
If you want all the details—pricing, safety, pros/cons—here’s my full EllieMD review.
Ready to jump in?
If you are ready to just get started, head over to EllieMD and see how easy the process is! I don’t think you’ll regret it!
One more thing!
If you’ve gotten this far and you are just devouring all of the info you can right now on GLP-1 medications, or if you have family that doesn’t understand why you are turning to these, this podcast episode “#1 Weight Loss Doctor: The Truth About Obesity, Ozempic, Dieting, & How to Feel Better Now” by Mel Robbins is amazing!