This is a strange Editor’s Desk for me to write. Because of the way our editorial cycle falls, I am writing this the day before what many have called “the most consequential presidential election of our time”; however, it will publish two days after the election.
So unless the race is just too close to call and it has taken days, if not weeks, to find a winner, then you all know who the next president of the United States is, so I’ll ask: Are you OK?
It is pretty evident what my political leanings are and obvious who I voted for so I’m hoping you are reading this with a cup of coffee in one hand and a smile on your face as you look forward to the inauguration of our first female president in January.
If you are reading this more terrified than you were in November 2016 because we have four more years of a Trump administration coming, then know I get it but we shall survive and overcome this too.
Regardless of who won, know that the fight doesn’t end now. Even if your side won, there is still work to be done trying to repair the divide that is more than just the people running to be POTUS every four years, and it is time to begin the work to hold those who were elected into office accountable for the promises they made on the campaign trail.
Even as we continue the day-to-day fight for our rights and freedoms, we also have to make sure we are taking care of our day-to-day needs. One such need for me is to get healthier, something I have been working on for several months now.
Earlier this year, I wrote in this space about my new weight loss and health journey, one that began with going on the controversial drug Ozempic, controversial not because of whether it works or not but controversial because it is a drug that has not been identified by the Food and Drug Administration as something that is recommended for losing weight.
This argument has left many to go online to demonize its use for anything other than diabetes, and even caused several people to email me personally and tell me I was wrong for taking this medication. While I appreciate how professional they were with their responses to me and encourage anyone to message me about anything I or any of my writers here at Watermark write, I will say that I believe there is a world of difference between someone who is dealing with morbid obesity taking these drugs under the consultation of a doctor and someone buying these drugs online because they want to lose 10 or 15 pounds.
There are a lot of drugs on the market that are used for other issues and concerns outside of their original intentions. One of the more popular drugs that fall into this category is Viagra, which was initially developed to help treat high blood pressure and angina pectoris.As far as my journey, it has been a slow-moving track but one that has been moving in the right direction. Since starting the medication, I have lost a total of 46 pounds. I will admit I went into this reading stories online about people who went on this drug and the weight started to “pour off immediately.”
My experience with it is it moves a bit slower, especially at first. My doctor started me on the lowest dose and slowly cranked it up every month or so. I think this helped me to avoid a lot of the side effects I had read about, considering I had little to no side effects, but it did make it seem like the weight was coming off very slowly. A few pounds here and a few pounds there with plateaus every few weeks.
I’ve reached the max dose now of Ozempic, the 2mg dose, and my body reacted quite differently to it. The higher dose came with the side effects I had been warned about — intense stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, constipation, headaches. Many experiences I read online from females who are on the drug said the side effects are like an intense menstrual cycle. If this is what you all deal with on a monthly basis, I must say I have an increased respect for what you all go through and still carry on in your daily life. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed and cry. But even with the side effects, I am pushing through and working toward a healthier, more fit me.
One of the toughest times on a weight loss journey is coming up — the holidays! Soon Thanksgiving will be here, then it’s a month of on-the-go shopping, dining and enjoying the festivities, and it is easy to fall off track. Just know that it is OK if you fall down, just pick yourself up and start again. Also, give yourself some grace and let yourself enjoy the holidays. Don’t beat yourself up if you want a cheat day (or week), and know that there is help out there if you need/want it.
Happy holidays to you all!
