Starting Zepbound in My 60s

Welp, I'm almost at the finish line of week 1. It was pretty smooth sailing all in all, until yesterday (Day 6) when I was literally hungry all day. I even woke up overnight with hunger pains. No matter what I ate, I was still hungry.  But despite the hunger, I managed to stick to my healthy eating plan. I didn't experience any wild, out-of-control, eat-everything-in-sight hunger, just a constant, dull ache. I had a lot more carbs (the good kind--whole grains and legumes) than earlier in the week, so that might've contributed. This morning I am still hungry, but will try to focus more on proteins. I have hit my protein/fiber/water goals every day this week and I am very proud of it! Tomorrow I will step on the scale and then take shot 2. Hoping for a positive result but determined to stick with this. I do think my pants are fitting just a touch looser but that could be because I haven't run them through the wash yet this week. 

So I've been tooling around these past few days and all was well until...BAM at about 5 PM on day 3 I hit a HUGE energy sink. I'd gone to back-to-back rehearsals after lunch (I'm a musician) and had forgot to bring a water bottle. Decided to run an errand on the way home, which took way longer than expected, and come 5:00, I felt like my body wanted to shut down. The good news though: I was surrounded by fast food places and had zero interest in hitting a drive through. I even thought about it, and my brain was like, nah. I just wanted to get home, get some water, and whip up an early dinner ( impossible burger on Dave's thin - 25g protein , 11g fiber - not too shabby).  I'll see how the next four days go, but I am wondering if I need to track calories . I feel like I've eaten enough when I look at my log, but man, that low energy hit me hard.  Will sip water for a bit and read a book to relax. I have a few more things I need to do this evening, but need to g...

The chills finally subsided around 2:00 AM. I woke up way overheated from my 2 layers of clothes and 2 blankets.  It's about 9:30AM now and I'm feeling pretty good. Had my coffee (black), and feeling a very slight hunger pain . Not an intense, gotta-eat-everything pain; more of a "oh-I-should-eat-something" pain. I'm planning an egg sandwich using Dave's whole grain thin bread (the absolutely tastiest healthy bread out there!) with a few mushrooms on the side: 19.6g protein, 6.5g fiber.  I seem to be avoiding the issue of exercise , so I need to work that out.  Post-breakfast update: While I didn't have to force myself to eat, I definitely found myself eating more slowly. I wasn't ravenously shoving food into my mouth, but instead, taking small, thoughtful bites. This wasn't intentional, so I think it must be the Zep kicking in! Fingers crossed. 

It's been twelve hours since the first injection. I've hit my protein and fiber goals, and am nearly at my water target.  So far I don't notice any changes to my appetite, although I'm only the lowest dose (2.5mg) and prepped the kitchen with plenty of options. I'm focusing on mainly whole foods, but did supplement with a protein shake and a protein bar for extra fiber.  I napped earlier, although I don't know if I was tired from the Zep or just tired from not sleeping soundly. I am hoping that as the weight drops off, my sleeping gets better. One side effect that's taken me completely by surprise though: the cold ! I'm in a 71 degree house, wearing multiple layers, and still shivering. It's like the chills that accompany a fever , but without the fever. I did some googling, and this seems to fairly common. It also seems to wear off, so hopefully I won't need to spend the summer bundled up.  The NP instructed me to get an A1c blood test before...

 I followed the NP 's advice and did the first shot on an empty stomach, followed by breakfast 30 minutes later. So far so good. The shot was extremely straight forward to administer, and for anyone wondering (I did!), it did not hurt at all. The needle is very thin and fairly short, and it slips into the skin painlessly. I've never given myself an injection before so had to read through the instructions to learn how to use the syringe .  I set up a spreadsheet to track water, protein, and fiber. My first "meal" was two slices of whole grain bread topped with a tablespoon of peanut butter : 10g protein, 7.5g fiber.  Yesterday I tracked fluid intake (coffee, water, propel) and seemed to easily hit around 9 cups, although I did have to really think about it and remind myself.  I should probably add exercise tracking to my spreadsheet as well. Once I get a sheet that seems to work for this plan, I'll share it on this site. Why not use a tracking app? I'm a spre...

Sooo....in all my planning, I never researched when is best to do the injections . During my telehealth visit , the nurse practitioner said first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, and eat 30 minutes afterward. However, now that I'm reading the included literature, the manufacturer instructions say any time of day, with or without food. Also, many internet users report taking it in afternoons and evenings due to the fatigue that can set in. So now I'm reconsidering my start day and time. My next couple months of Sundays are super busy. I'm a musician and have a ton of gigs coming up that I don't want to be tired or nauseous for. Looking at my calendar, Monday mornings look best. I read quite a few reddit posts from " before bed " advocates, but I am always so fresh and hopeful in the mornings, that it just feels like the right time of day. Plus my Mondays are very light days obligation-wise. My new plan: Take today, Sunday, to really hydrate . Bang...

 I just got the tracking info from LillyDirect ...the Zep arrives today, which means I can do the first injection tomorrow morning!! I think I'm all set. I've read the instructions and watched the video. I have meals & snacks planned out for the first few days. My calendar is clear for the first half of the week to give me time to adjust to any side effects . While I'm waiting, here's my current morning skincare routine (at the moment, I don't do anything before bed, but I probably need to start a retinol regime): Cleanse : Palmers Skin Therapy cocoa butter oil . I do this in the shower. I've tried other facial cleansers over the years, but this one outshines them all. Toner : I jump around a bit with toners. Currently using Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic alternating with Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Toner . Both of these are non-drying and help remove any traces of makeup or dirt. Serum : Cosrx 6X Peptide Collagen Booster Toner Serum : I apply this right aft...