Today I realised what it’s like to be normal again

I am the same way for several reasons and cannot handle counting or restricting everything I eat. I do better when I understand the basic nutrition in different foods and figure out what satisfies my specific cravings like crunchy or savory items. Tirzepatide quiets the noise enough for me to notice whether I am actually hungry or just thirsty. I have never found the physical fullness effect useful because it never stopped me from eating more if I wanted to. I assume I will need this or something similar for the rest of my life.

The calories in calories out idea has been repeated so often that everyone accepts it. If it were truly that straightforward people could eat normal meals for a week and see fat disappear at the same rate it appears. Many people develop insulin resistance, which makes the body better at gaining weight and worse at losing it. Adding constant food noise on top turns weight loss advice into telling an addict to simply stop using willpower. My own doctor once told me I just needed more willpower and no tests or medication. Later tests from another doctor showed my labs were off.

I had been on a GLP-1 for nearly two years when I caught an infection that put me in the hospital with an ileus. I was ill for about seven weeks and have now been well for three weeks but have not restarted the medication. I had forgotten what constant hunger and food noise feel like. It is exhausting and has shown me how much control the medication gave me over that constant pull. It feels completely ordinary until you lose it, and I am looking forward to getting back to that normal state around food.

My story is similar with lifelong obesity and repeated diets that never stayed off. I reached a normal weight range before starting these medications by following a very high protein low density eating plan with almost no rich or high glycemic foods. Even then the weight eventually stopped coming off on the same intake. I had real binge eating issues that were usually triggered by even small amounts of rich food, after which I would become extremely hungry later. Avoiding those foods completely worked but it was an extreme approach that I do not think calorie counting can match long term.

Congratulations, I feel the same way about what normal must be like. No calorie counting, eating reasonably, allowing occasional treats in small amounts, and still maintaining a healthy weight.

Your description matches my own experience including the childhood part. I am short and before these medications I almost never felt full unless I ate a large holiday meal. I was not always hungry but had no stop signal. I kept tracking calories for the first few months on the medication then one day simply stopped. It has been very freeing and reduced background stress I did not realize was there from weighing and logging every bite.

It feels strange to push food away from the table. The biggest change for me is the lack of nighttime hunger before bed, which used to be a constant problem. Feeling normal is odd after a lifetime of diet fatigue and repeated setbacks.

I may still be stuck doing it because I continue to count calories though the numbers are smaller and I am not miserable the entire time. Maybe that will shift once I reach my goal and stop lowering it further.

This has been my experience for over three years now. My relationship with food feels normal and it is very freeing. There is no noise and I do not have to worry about every single bite. I eat what I want for the most part because the portions stay reasonable and the urge to overeat has disappeared.

I am no longer part of the clean plate club. If food remains on the plate that is fine with me and I do not stress about wasting it.

This really hit home. People who have never dealt with constant food noise do not understand how different it feels. That moment of realizing you can be full and not think about food must be surprising. I am glad you have found some peace around eating and can enjoy life without tracking everything.

It is very liberating to eat without counting calories. I know people insist on tracking but I did that my whole life with no success. As soon as I started the medication I was ready to drop all of that. I have far fewer issues around food now and get to live more freely without it dominating everything.

It is helping me see the gap between the just stop eating crowd and myself. It was maddening to believe I was simply too lazy or undisciplined. Now I understand where those people are coming from. I am really happy for you that you are young enough to be free of this in your twenties.

Are people who were formerly obese going to act like former smokers and become harsher and more judgmental toward those who remain overweight than people who were always thin?