I’m triggered by all the Ozempic talk…

I have avoided talking about weight loss drugs for a while because it’s an incredibly triggering topic for so many people, and I don’t want to give it more air time.

But this weekend is a holiday weekend here in the US, and many of you may be seeing family and friends you haven’t seen in a while. And I’d bet that more than a handful of you might be faced with Ozempic as a topic of conversation and/or the weight loss of people who are actually ON Ozempic.

This email is a “quick-guide” to help you navigate this scenario.

Consideration #1: Be mindful of your defenses.

I approach a lot of things from this angle: in what way is my response a reflection of my own insecurity/energy around something?

It’s hard to bear witness to other people losing weight, especially when body image is our area of contention. For those of us who have gained weight in the name of recovering from disordered eating/eating disorders, this can hit especially hard.

It sucks. Admittedly, even for me, it’s really really hard.

And I know that’s mine. That’s my stuff.

So I watch for my tendency to get resentful or criticize other people’s choices as a way of propping myself up against my stuff. And that might act as a band-aid for a minute, but it ultimately doesn’t leave me feeling very good.

So if you have family members who have chosen to be on the drug for reasons that make sense to them — remember that many people choose to do this to avoid the pain of being in a culture that discriminates against larger bodies, or to feel more comfortable in the world — then that is their choice. And it’s not our business to judge that choice*. It’s simply not helpful.

What will you be left with after you own what is yours?

Grief, probably.

Consideration #2: Be with your grief.

Grief is annoying because there is no way around it. And I love me a good loophole.

But grief just has to be felt, moved through. The dominant emotions I experience with body image grief are anger and sadness. Neither are fun.

But you might feel some anger and sadness. You might flood with it. It might feel completely overwhelming.

Floods make us feel like we are in danger, and that we need to DO something. Like maybe WE should go on Ozempic?

Don’t make any decisions from this place.

Expect grief to feel like a giant, insurmountable wave, and hold on.

Wait for your whole, level-headed, non-flooding brain to come back online. That might be next week. Wait for it.

Consideration #3: You can spam it.

This is what I do. I spam the entire thing.

Ozempic is not for me at this moment in time. If it’s not for YOU at this moment in time, that’s all you need to know. You don’t have to think about the future, you’re not responsible for any more than today.

I am not going to be using a weight loss drug right now, so I don’t want to think about it anymore.

I don’t want to think about it, talk about it, read articles about it, debate about it. I just don’t want to. It’s not good for me to spend too much energy on this topic, especially with folks who don’t understand where I’m coming from.

I focus on the people and conversations where this topic does not exist, and I allow my brain to focus on other things. I would set boundaries if I had to.

I know the parts of the world where this is not a discussion point (my social media space is one of them) and I know I can anchor there.

Consideration #4: Remember what you’re doing and how far you’ve come.

Maybe no one else can “see” your progress. Maybe no one else understands it, or validates it, or approves of it.

But recovery is like turning your life upside down. It’s sometimes brutal. Your milestones matter.

You are a warrior, my friend.

So in case no one told you today, you’re doing a good job.

You’re doing a good job.

You’re doing a good job.

I see you.

See you, too.