My First Month on Semaglutide: An Honest Journal

I almost didn’t fill the prescription.

I’d been staring at my phone for twenty minutes, thumb hovering over the “confirm” button on my treatment plan. The voice in my head was loud: You don’t need medication. You just need more discipline. Try harder.

That voice had been running the show for about fifteen years. And for fifteen years, it hadn’t worked.

At 235 pounds and 38 years old, I’d tried keto (twice), intermittent fasting, Weight Watchers, calorie counting with MyFitnessPal, a personal trainer I couldn’t afford, and one truly miserable week of juice cleansing. Each time I’d lose 10-15 pounds, feel great, then watch it creep back. Usually with friends.

So when my doctor mentioned GLP-1 medications during a routine visit, I listened. And when I finally decided to try semaglutide through Remedy Meds, I told myself I’d document everything honestly. The good, the bad, the nauseous.

Here’s what happened.

Before We Start: The Numbers

Let me lay out where I was on Day 0:

• Weight: 235 lbs
• Height: 5’6”
• BMI: 37.9
• Previous diet attempts: At least 8 serious ones
• Exercise: Walking 2-3x/week, occasional yoga
• Biggest frustration: Constant hunger, even after full meals

I wasn’t looking for a miracle. I just wanted to stop feeling like my body was working against me.

Getting Started: The Signup Process

I went through Remedy Meds after researching several telehealth providers. The process was pretty straightforward. I filled out an online health assessment that took about 10 minutes, covering my medical history, current medications, weight loss history, and goals.

A provider reviewed my information within 24 hours and scheduled a video consultation. We talked for about 15 minutes. She asked real questions about my eating patterns, what I’d tried before, and what my expectations were. She wasn’t just rubber-stamping a prescription, which honestly made me feel better about the whole thing.

She started me on the lowest dose of semaglutide (0.25 mg weekly) with a plan to titrate up over the coming months. My medication arrived three days later in a small, discreet package with clear injection instructions.

Then came the part where I had to actually do it.

Week 1: The Rocky Start

Weight: 235 lbs (starting)

Day 1

I gave myself the first injection on a Sunday evening. The pen was easier to use than I expected. Small needle, barely felt it. I did it in my stomach like the instructions said, and waited for… something.

Nothing happened that night. I went to bed thinking maybe this wouldn’t be a big deal.

Day 2-3

The nausea arrived. Not the kind where you’re about to throw up, but a persistent, low-grade queasiness that sat in my stomach like I’d eaten something slightly off. Eating made it worse. Not eating also made it worse. It was this annoying middle ground where nothing felt right.

I forced myself to eat small meals. Crackers and ginger ale became my best friends, which felt ironic for someone trying to lose weight.

Day 4-5

Here’s where things got weird. I made my usual lunch, a turkey sandwich and chips. I ate half the sandwich, put it down, and realized I was done. Not in a “I should stop eating” way. In a “my body genuinely doesn’t want more food” way.

That had never happened to me before. Not once in my adult life.

The nausea was still there but less intense. I started eating smaller portions without really trying to.

Day 6-7

The food noise quieted down. That’s the best way I can describe it. You know that background hum of thinking about food? What’s for lunch, is there chocolate in the pantry, should I order pizza tonight? It got quieter. Not silent. Just… less.

I didn’t weigh myself yet. Too early, and I didn’t want to play mind games.

Week 1 honest assessment: The nausea was genuinely rough. I won’t sugarcoat it. Days 2-3 I questioned whether I could do this for months. But by day 5, something had clearly shifted in how my body responded to food.

Week 2: Adjusting to a New Normal

Weight: 231 lbs (-4 lbs)

The nausea faded to an occasional flutter, usually if I ate too fast or too much. I started to learn my new signals. My body was communicating differently, and I had to pay attention.

What Changed

My portions dropped by about a third without any conscious effort. I was eating the same foods, just less of them. A meal that used to leave me wanting more was now enough.

The biggest change was at night. I’m a nighttime snacker. Always have been. Cereal at 10pm, cheese and crackers while watching TV. That urge dropped dramatically. I’d think about snacking, consider it, and then… just not do it. Not through willpower. Through genuine disinterest.

What Didn’t Change

I still wanted flavor and variety. I still enjoyed cooking. I still craved certain foods. The medication didn’t turn me into someone who eats plain chicken and broccoli. It just turned down the volume on the hunger signals that used to override everything else.

The First Scale Victory

Four pounds in a week. I know some of that was water weight. I know the early losses are always the biggest. But after years of watching the scale refuse to budge, seeing 231 felt like proof that something was actually happening.

I texted my sister a photo of the scale. She responded with seventeen exclamation points. That felt about right.

The Injection Routine

By the second shot, I had a system. Sunday evening after dinner. Alcohol swab. Pinch the stomach. Click the pen. Count to ten. Done.

It takes about 30 seconds. The needle is tiny. I’ve had mosquito bites that hurt more. I was genuinely dreading the self-injection part before starting, and it turned out to be the least difficult thing about this entire experience.

I kept the pens in the fridge, set a Sunday reminder on my phone, and made it as routine as taking out the trash. Not exciting. Not scary. Just a thing I do now.

Side Effects Update

• Nausea: Mostly gone, occasional
• Constipation: Showed up this week. Not fun. Started drinking more water and adding fiber.
• Energy: Slightly lower, probably from eating less
• Mood: Honestly? Better. Less anxious about food.
• Injection site: Mild redness for a day, then gone. Rotating sides helped.

Week 3: Clothes Don’t Lie

Weight: 226 lbs (-9 lbs)

The Jeans Test

I put on a pair of jeans that had been living in the “aspirational” section of my closet. They buttoned. Not comfortably, but they buttoned. Three weeks ago they wouldn’t have made it past my thighs.

I ugly-cried in my closet. My husband pretended not to notice, which was the right call.

Energy Came Back

After the first two weeks of feeling slightly sluggish, my energy picked up in week 3. I think my body adjusted to running on less fuel. I added a fourth walk to my weekly routine, not because I forced myself, but because I genuinely felt like moving.

The Social Eating Challenge

Went to dinner with friends on Saturday. This was my first real test. Restaurant portions are enormous, and I’m the kind of person who finishes her plate because it’s there.

I ordered my usual pasta dish. Ate about half. Boxed the rest. Nobody noticed or cared. But in my head, it felt monumental. I’ve never voluntarily stopped eating pasta before it was gone.

The Cost Reality Check

Let me be transparent about something: this isn’t cheap. Without insurance coverage for weight loss (which mine doesn’t offer), semaglutide through Remedy Meds runs about $199 per month for the starting dose. That goes up as you titrate.

I’m treating it as a health investment, but I understand that’s a privilege. Not everyone can swing $200+ per month for medication, and that’s a real barrier worth acknowledging.

What I Was Eating

For reference, here’s a typical day in week 3:

• Breakfast: Greek yogurt with berries (used to add granola, didn’t want it)
• Lunch: Half a turkey sandwich, apple
• Dinner: Grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, small portion of rice
• Snacks: Maybe an afternoon handful of almonds

I wasn’t following any specific diet plan. Just eating what I wanted, which happened to be less than before.

Week 4: The 18-Pound Mark

Weight: 217 lbs (-18 lbs)

I stared at the scale for a solid minute. 217. Eighteen pounds in four weeks.

The clinical trial data from the STEP 1 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed average weight loss of about 15% of body weight over 68 weeks. I was losing faster than that pace, which my provider said is normal for the first month as the body adjusts. She expected things to slow down, and she warned me not to get hooked on these early numbers.

Fair warning taken. But still. Eighteen pounds.

The Physical Changes

Beyond the scale, things I noticed by week 4:

• My wedding ring was loose
• I could cross my legs comfortably again
• Walking up stairs didn’t wind me
• My face looked different in photos (my sister noticed before I did)
• Two people at work asked if I’d changed my hair. I hadn’t.

The Emotional Changes

This is the part nobody talks about enough. When you’ve spent years fighting your body, and suddenly it starts cooperating, the emotional whiplash is real.

I felt relieved. Also angry. Angry that I’d spent fifteen years blaming myself for something that was at least partly biological. Angry at every diet that promised if I just tried harder, wanted it more, had more discipline, I’d succeed.

Semaglutide didn’t give me willpower. It gave me a quieter appetite. Those are two very different things. And the fact that a medication could do what fifteen years of effort couldn’t made me realize how much of this was never about effort.

The Honest Negatives

I promised I’d be honest, so here’s what I don’t love about this experience:

The nausea in week 1 was bad. Some people breeze through it. I didn’t. If you have a job where you need to be 100% every day, plan your first injection for a Friday night.

Constipation is real and ongoing. I’m managing it with fiber supplements and water, but it’s annoying. I have to think about it every day.

I worry about what happens when I stop. The research on weight regain after stopping GLP-1 medications isn’t great. About two-thirds of people regain weight within a year of stopping. That means this might be a long-term commitment, and at $200+/month, that’s a significant financial decision.

Eating out is different now. I used to love the social aspect of big meals with friends. Now I’m the person who eats half their plate. It’s a small thing, but it changed a social dynamic I enjoyed.

Some people have opinions. When I told a friend I was taking semaglutide, she said, “So you’re taking the easy way out?” That stung. I’ve thought about it a lot. It doesn’t feel easy when you’re nauseous for a week. It doesn’t feel easy when you’re giving yourself a weekly injection. It doesn’t feel easy when you’re paying $200 a month. But I understand why people see it that way.

What I’ve Learned

Four weeks in, here’s what I know:

This isn’t a magic pill (it’s actually a shot). It reduces appetite. It doesn’t exercise for you, make healthy food appear in your fridge, or fix your relationship with food overnight. I still have to make choices. They’re just easier choices now.

The “food noise” reduction is the real benefit. More than the weight loss, the quieting of constant food thoughts has changed my daily experience. I didn’t realize how much mental energy I was spending on food until it stopped.

Medical support matters. Having a provider through Remedy Meds who checks in monthly and adjusts my dosing based on how I’m responding makes this feel like actual medical treatment, not just a prescription mill. When I mentioned the constipation, she had specific recommendations within a day.

You need to learn new eating habits alongside the medication. The appetite suppression gives you a window to build better patterns. If you don’t use that window, you’re setting yourself up for problems when the medication eventually stops.

It’s not for everyone. If you have a history of thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, or certain other conditions, GLP-1 medications aren’t appropriate. If you’re looking to lose 10 vanity pounds, this probably isn’t the right tool. It’s a serious medication for a serious health issue.

The Numbers at a Glance

For the data-minded people, here’s my month summarized:

The calorie reduction wasn’t intentional. I wasn’t counting. My provider estimated based on what I described eating. That drop happened naturally because my appetite changed, not because I was restricting.

What’s Next

I’m continuing semaglutide and titrating up to 0.5 mg next month, per my provider’s recommendation. I’ve also started working with a nutritionist to build eating habits that’ll support me long-term, whether I stay on the medication or eventually come off it.

I plan to keep documenting this journey. Month 2, month 3, and beyond. The early results are encouraging, but the real test is what happens over six months, a year, two years.

If you’re considering GLP-1 medication and want to understand the side effects better, I wrote about what to expect in our GLP-1 side effects guide. And if you want to see how Remedy Meds stacks up, here’s our full provider review.

For now, I’m 18 pounds lighter, significantly less obsessed with food, and cautiously optimistic for the first time in a long time.

That feels like progress worth documenting.

Rachel Torres is documenting her GLP-1 weight loss journey. She is not a medical professional. This article reflects her personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new medication.