pepperlynne
I Just Joined!
Several months ago, I was served an article on the advancements in “reversing aging”. I let my curiosity lead me down the rabbit hole and stumbled upon the forum within a couple of hours.
I kept reading to glean from others’ experiences and compare “standard” advice with individual modifications. After a month or so of reading I started to feel more comfortable in the culture of the forum. I found myself looking for certain posters, as I noticed the quality of their posts and valued input. After another month or so I found myself wanting to participate in discussions. (I usually prefer to keep to myself and observe.)
I, like many, am a survivor of the low cal, low everything, intense exercise, diet culture, that permeates our society at large. It wasn’t until the past few years that no matter how much I followed the dietician’s protocols I was still gaining weight. I was already open to trying things to feel “normal” as I was taking so many supplements and had tried several methods that only had short term benefits. My labs were not improving and my doctor told me if nothing improved by my next annual check-up we’d have to talk about medications.
My mom was a Type I diabetic and in her later years I administered her insulin shots and medications. As I had spent my whole life eating a semi-diabetic diet, I had no problem following the advice given to me. It was the fact that it didn’t work for me at this phase of my life that had me finally caving to the idea that I may have to try a GLP-1.
I talked to friends who had started GLP-1 medications, to learn about their direct experiences. Then I would come to the forum and read. I decided to give one a try and in the 1st month I lost 13 lbs. without even trying. I found that an ultra-low dose (considered maintenance) was enough for me, as any higher and I lost the desire to eat at all. And I wasn’t about to entertain malnutrition as it would be counterproductive to a healthy lifestyle.
I also switched from oral to injectable for a couple of the supplements I was taking and am keeping notes on that as well. In the past couple of weeks, I have started protocols for “anti-aging”, and I’ve been toying with the idea of taking selfies to see my progress. I’ve always hated taking selfies, but it seems like it’s time to build a bridge and get over it.
One of the reasons I’m open to this research is that I used to work in an Emergency Department and one of my favorite things to do was chat with staff on the latest research and findings. It was always enlightening to listen to a doctor, nurse, or RT, etc. nerd out on the how and why of the newest information they could get and then discuss the benefits and ramifications of potential implementation. It was always about doing what's best for someone while keeping it as safe as possible.
Safety is important, and although there is risk with the type of research done here, I believe it can be mitigated by following known best practices and focusing on overall health and wellness goals. Will I wind up “aging in reverse”? It doesn’t matter. I just want to be the best version of me that I can at each phase of my life.
I kept reading to glean from others’ experiences and compare “standard” advice with individual modifications. After a month or so of reading I started to feel more comfortable in the culture of the forum. I found myself looking for certain posters, as I noticed the quality of their posts and valued input. After another month or so I found myself wanting to participate in discussions. (I usually prefer to keep to myself and observe.)
I, like many, am a survivor of the low cal, low everything, intense exercise, diet culture, that permeates our society at large. It wasn’t until the past few years that no matter how much I followed the dietician’s protocols I was still gaining weight. I was already open to trying things to feel “normal” as I was taking so many supplements and had tried several methods that only had short term benefits. My labs were not improving and my doctor told me if nothing improved by my next annual check-up we’d have to talk about medications.
My mom was a Type I diabetic and in her later years I administered her insulin shots and medications. As I had spent my whole life eating a semi-diabetic diet, I had no problem following the advice given to me. It was the fact that it didn’t work for me at this phase of my life that had me finally caving to the idea that I may have to try a GLP-1.
I talked to friends who had started GLP-1 medications, to learn about their direct experiences. Then I would come to the forum and read. I decided to give one a try and in the 1st month I lost 13 lbs. without even trying. I found that an ultra-low dose (considered maintenance) was enough for me, as any higher and I lost the desire to eat at all. And I wasn’t about to entertain malnutrition as it would be counterproductive to a healthy lifestyle.
I also switched from oral to injectable for a couple of the supplements I was taking and am keeping notes on that as well. In the past couple of weeks, I have started protocols for “anti-aging”, and I’ve been toying with the idea of taking selfies to see my progress. I’ve always hated taking selfies, but it seems like it’s time to build a bridge and get over it.
One of the reasons I’m open to this research is that I used to work in an Emergency Department and one of my favorite things to do was chat with staff on the latest research and findings. It was always enlightening to listen to a doctor, nurse, or RT, etc. nerd out on the how and why of the newest information they could get and then discuss the benefits and ramifications of potential implementation. It was always about doing what's best for someone while keeping it as safe as possible.
Safety is important, and although there is risk with the type of research done here, I believe it can be mitigated by following known best practices and focusing on overall health and wellness goals. Will I wind up “aging in reverse”? It doesn’t matter. I just want to be the best version of me that I can at each phase of my life.
