Enjoyment of food and drink on Reta

I have also lost some of the pleasure from eating. Now I eat because I need to, not because I am looking forward to something tasty. I hardly drank before, so I have not noticed any difference there.

My experience lines up with that. I still like food but find it easier to stop eating. So far it has worked out well for me. Certain foods are just bad no matter how little you have, yet occasional slips stay occasional. At first alcohol seemed much less appealing, but that passed and I drink more than I should again. It is annoying, yet still simpler to cut back because it uses up the calorie allowance for food. You are probably right that different drives are involved.

I tried to get a friend started on it. Most people I mention it to say it is not FDA approved or that phase 3 is not done. He said he did not want food to taste bad. From talking with him it was clear his life centered on eating and that was his main source of enjoyment. After not seeing him for a month my weight loss really struck him. He joined a gym soon after, and someone there who is fit told him about their own experience with it. That same day he asked me how to get started. Now he has swapped food for workouts and games. He seems pleased when he says he went the whole day without eating. Maybe he will find other interests besides food. He appears happier overall.

I also get less enjoyment from alcohol now. I went to a nice cocktail bar recently and liked the first drink, but I left the next three unfinished and gave them away. It felt like a waste of money. Food is still enjoyable but I eat smaller amounts and do not think about it or look forward to it the way I used to. Overall it makes things simpler.

I do not drink often so I cannot compare that. I do smoke though, and there are times when the urge is weaker and the gaps between cigarettes are longer. Food noise is lower but I still get hungry, just not as much as before. I also feel full sooner.

I have stopped drinking completely because of it. Before starting I was sometimes drinking too much and even using other substances while drunk. Since I began over four months ago none of that appeals to me anymore. Along with the body recomposition, it has been the best outcome for me.

I have lost interest in anything with strong or bold flavors, including wine that I used to love. It feels too intense now. Food still gives me pleasure but I no longer crave comfort meals. I want greens, whole foods, and fresh sushi instead. When I do have a glass of wine I regret it right away. A light buzz quickly turns into a bad hangover. After two glasses last time I could not get off the couch the next day because the fatigue was so strong.

I got a friend started recently and watched the effect hit him during dinner. It was funny. He had seen me eating small meals and thought I was exaggerating what the medication does. Last night he was looking forward to his meal until it arrived, some cheesy chicken dish. When it came he gave it a much less excited look. It seemed fine. He enjoys food and says his inner fat kid usually decides what he eats. He liked the first three bites but on the fourth he was suddenly finished and wanted nothing more to do with it. I laughed while he tried to figure out how a small shot could cause that.

Ozempic produced clearer food aversion than the other GLP-1s I have tried, possibly because I felt nauseous much of the time. I really did not want most foods and ended up eating the same thing daily for a year, which actually reduced my gut issues. The aversion does help cut cravings for unhealthy items. I still have some of that reluctance to try different foods and sometimes start something only to decide my stomach will not handle it. I am using fairly high doses of several GLP-1s to keep appetite down and maintain the weight loss. There is still some aversion but less than with Ozempic and less nausea. I believe the nausea, aversion, and illness feelings all come from GLP-1 activity and tend to happen together, and they are dose dependent. Being hesitant about new foods is not entirely negative when trying to stay consistent.

I stopped drinking completely on Mounjaro, though I had wanted to for a long time. I was not drinking regularly, only on weekends at gatherings. The medication made quitting much easier. I have not had any alcohol since last June and I understand where you are coming from.