One week ago, I started oral Wegovy after seeing a number on the scales that finally forced me to admit things had drifted much further than I'd realised.
At 5ft 7in and with a long history of weight training, I've always been on the heavier side. I've carried a decent amount of muscle for most of my adult life, so I've never paid much attention to BMI charts or ideal weight calculators. The problem was that over the years the body fat had slowly been accumulating alongside the muscle.
When I finally stepped on the scales and saw 247 lbs (17 st 9 lbs), it was a genuine shock.
After spending years telling myself that I was probably somewhere in the mid-16 stone range, reality turned out to be very different.
So after plenty of thought, I decided to try oral Wegovy and document the experience honestly.
This is how Week 1 went.
The Numbers
My starting weight was:
247 lbs (17 st 9 lbs)
My official Week 1 weigh-in came in at:
240.4 lbs (17 st 2.4 lbs)
That's a loss of 6.6 lbs.
I'm realistic enough to understand that not all of that can be body fat. The first week of any weight loss effort usually includes changes in water retention, glycogen stores and digestive contents. I've also noticed changes in bowel habits since starting Wegovy, so I'm not reading too much into any single weigh-in.
For me, the important thing is the trend.
After years of watching the scales gradually move in the wrong direction, it's encouraging to see them finally heading the other way.
The result also leaves me just 2.4 lbs away from my first milestone of getting back under 17 stone.
Side Effects
Before starting, one of my biggest concerns was how I'd tolerate the medication.
The good news is that Week 1 was much easier than I'd feared.
I experienced:
- Mild nausea
- A brief overnight stomach cramp episode
- Some changes in bowel habits
- A reduced appetite
What I didn't experience was vomiting, severe illness or anything that made me question whether I should continue.
In fact, by the end of the week the nausea had almost completely disappeared.
If anything, I feel like my body is already adapting to the medication.
Exercise
One thing I wanted to avoid was falling into the trap of relying solely on the medication.
I've spent years lifting weights and I'd like to keep as much muscle as possible while reducing body fat.
This week I completed:
- A 60-minute treadmill session
- Two full-body resistance workouts
The first weights session reminded me that six weeks away from training is long enough to notice. By the third round of exercises I was feeling pretty stretched.
The encouraging thing was how quickly things seemed to come back. By the second session I already felt capable of increasing the workload again.
That's given me confidence that I can continue training throughout this process rather than simply becoming a smaller version of myself.
My goal remains the same:
Lose fat, not muscle.
The Biggest Surprise
The biggest surprise of Week 1 wasn't the weight loss.
It wasn't the reduced appetite either.
It was the lack of noise.
For years I've felt like I was constantly negotiating with myself about food.
I'd start thinking about dinner and then mentally work through every possibility.
Chicken?
Steak?
Chinese?
Pizza?
Kebab?
I'd keep searching until I found something that sparked a craving.
The problem is that once that craving appeared, I was already fighting an uphill battle.
Most people don't gain weight because they don't know what healthy food looks like.
They gain weight because eventually the voice saying "I probably shouldn't" loses to the voice saying "Ach, why not?"
Looking back, that's exactly what had been happening to me.
The Quieting of the Conversation
This week, that process felt different.
I still enjoy food.
I still want meals that taste good.
I still look forward to eating.
The difference is that I'm no longer constantly searching for the most tempting option available.
Instead of trying to discover what I crave, I find myself choosing between several perfectly good options and simply deciding which one I fancy most.
That might sound like a small thing.
For me, it's huge.
I've noticed snacks sitting around the house that would normally keep catching my attention.
They're still there.
I just don't particularly care about them.
That's a very strange feeling when you've spent years constantly thinking about what you could eat next.
Real Life Didn't Stop
One thing I was pleased about this week was that life didn't suddenly become perfect.
I had:
- A Chinese takeaway
- A few alcoholic drinks
- A family day out
- Some treats during the weekend
In previous attempts at losing weight, those occasions could often become an excuse to abandon the plan entirely.
This time they didn't.
I enjoyed them and moved on.
That feels far more sustainable than trying to be perfect.
What I've Learned
After seven days, my biggest lesson is that Wegovy hasn't removed my enjoyment of food.
What it seems to have done is reduce the intensity of the constant internal conversation around food.
The result is that I feel calmer.
More in control.
More able to make sensible choices without feeling deprived.
The weight loss has been encouraging, but if I'm honest, the mental change has been even more important.
For the first time in a long time, I feel like I'm making decisions about food rather than food making decisions for me.
Looking Ahead
Week 1 has given me a positive start.
The scales have moved.
The side effects have been manageable.
Training has restarted.
Most importantly, the constant background noise around food has begun to quieten down.
There is still a long way to go.
My first target is getting back under 17 stone. Beyond that, I'd like to work my way through the 16-stone range and eventually find a healthy, sustainable weight somewhere around 15 stone while maintaining as much muscle mass as possible.
This is only the beginning, but for the first time in quite a while, it feels like a realistic goal rather than just another attempt.
Week 1 Summary
- Starting Weight: 247.0 lbs
- Week 1 Weight: 240.4 lbs
- Change: -6.6 lbs
- Exercise: 1 cardio session, 2 weights sessions
- Side Effects: Mild and improving
- Biggest Win: Reduced food noise and fewer cravings
- Next Milestone: Under 17 stone (238 lbs)