From: Clark (CLARKWS756) [#1]
26 Jul 2008
To: ALL
Yes, Byetta is primarily a diabetes drug.
But most of us t2 diabetics are overweight and want to lose weight. Losing weight is good for us in so many ways. So I know that for me one of the hoped for results of being on Byetta is weight loss. A lot of weight.
This is my 9th day on Byetta and I have lost 12 lbs. I know most of it is water but that is fine with me. It takes pressure off my feet and knees, takes a load off my heart and other organs and makes me pull my belt a notch or two tighter. Much of the puffiness in my face, arms, hands and legs is gone. My feet look normal, not fat hobbit feet!
I know that I will not continue to lose at this same rapid rate and that it would not be healthy if I did. But I want to know what lies ahead.
I read that some people lose a little weight, some people lose a lot of weight, some people lose fast, some people lose slow.
What is typical? What is your experience? What can I and other newbies expect?
Your input will be greatly appreciated!
From: Sue (SUSAN) [#2]
26 Jul 2008
To: Clark (CLARKWS756) [#1] 26 Jul 2008
What you expect and what you hope for can be very different from what happens with Byetta but mostly you can expect to see good blood sugars. The weight loss is optional but very welcome by most of us if and when it happens. I lost 32 lbs. on Byetta but I have stopped losing weight and have been at a standstill for a long time. I hope one day it will kick in again but I have to admit my exercise has not increased and I am eating more than I did in the beginning so it is my own fault I have not lost more. Also I am still on the 5 pen. My doctor and I discussed maybe going to the 10 to possibly initiate more weight loss but I'm still holding out atlhough I expect at some point I will make that move.
I understand that you want to know what you can expect but short of someone being a fortune teller none of us can answer what will happen to you. We can only tell you about ourselves and how we did or are doing. You just have to go along and see what happens and hopefully you will continue to feel well, have the good numbers and see the weight loss and keep it off.
From: Jan (JANICE) [#3]
26 Jul 2008
To: ALL
Hi Clark:
Welcome to the group. Lower blood sugars are the main goal and most of us see that result.
As for weight loss, as Susan said we are all different.
I too am on my 3rd month on the 5 pen and have now lost 18 lbs but to be where I should be I need to lose another 30.
I have been trying for over a year and a year ago I was 216, I'm 5'3" and when I started Byetta I was 183. Since Byetta it has come off much faster due to the slower stomach emptying and being full on much less.
I have increased my workouts lately to try and keep taking it off.
You can't just expect the Byetta to do it you will have to expend energy to burn the fat.
Good luck, keep posting.
From: toneylee in VA (TONEYLEE) [#4]
26 Jul 2008
To: Clark (CLARKWS756) [#1] 26 Jul 2008
From: Clark (CLARKWS756) [#5]
26 Jul 2008
To: toneylee in VA (TONEYLEE) [#4] 27 Jul 2008
I just finished reading the book earlier today. Yes it is great and helpful.
I know we are all different. I am just hoping to hear some individual experiences.
Thanks!
From: Geri in Co:Byetta(3-06) (GERI) [#6]
26 Jul 2008
To: Clark (CLARKWS756) [#5] 27 Jul 2008
I'm one of the oldtimers in the book so I'll tell you my experience so far with the spit. I lost 30 lbs the first year and I was on insulin too. I went off of insulin at the one year mark hoping to lose more weight and I lost another 6 lbs right away. Since then nothing and I've been on the spit over 2 years now. Recently I regained about 12 lbs due to a total knee replacement and some emotional issues with the family. So in my mind I really didn't learn how to retrain my old ways of handling stress at all. I've lost 2 of those 12 and I'm reading a book about emotional eating and how to break the bad habits.
What I'm trying to say is - no matter how much weight you do lose, it will mean nothing if you can't keep it off for any length of time. If you are an emotional eater, most of us are, then start dealing with those issues now so when things get out of control your eating won't get out of control like mine did.
From: Clark (CLARKWS756) [#7]
27 Jul 2008
To: Geri in Co:Byetta(3-06) (GERI) [#6] 27 Jul 2008
Geri
I would be interested in what book you are reading.
Yes, I believe I am, at least at times, an emotional eater.
I lost quite a bit of weight once before and hit a stressful string of events and put it back on.. so I know what that is like.
Thanks!
Clark
From: Geri in Co:Byetta(3-06) (GERI) [#8]
27 Jul 2008
To: Clark (CLARKWS756) [#7] 27 Jul 2008
From: Sue (SUSAN) [#9]
27 Jul 2008
To: Geri in Co:Byetta(3-06) (GERI) [#6] 27 Jul 2008
I think many of us are emotional eaters but I also think there is more to eating too much than just stress. I feel there is something physical too that makes us want to eat and being on Byetta shows that might be true. Many of us do not feel like eating when we start on Byetta because of something it changes in us but after time some of us lose that "something" that has helped us lose our appetite. Whatever that 'something" is seems to be the key to why we want to eat. And looking at meds like Avandia and Actos and even insulin that make us want to eat/gain weight it seems to me there is a physical reaction within our bodies, whether it is in our stomachs or in our brains, that is more at fault than stress.
So much of what happens in our bodies is due to hormones and I don't know how much control we can really have over that without some kind of chemical intervention such as Byetta and other meds and or diet or supplements that work on the hormones. What I am saying is that I feel there is a physical- ehemical reason for eating as well as stress and that is why some of us have the problems we do. I don't think it is just a matter of controling the stress even if we could.
From: Geri in Co:Byetta(3-06) (GERI) [#10]
27 Jul 2008
To: Sue (SUSAN) [#9] 27 Jul 2008
I think you are right. That is why I eat organically and do not eat processed foods to get the chemicals out and keep them out of my system. That had helped my cravings but not the emotional eating. It is a pretty known fact that the fast food chains and manufacturers of processed foods put something(or have in the past)in the food to make us want it more and more. It's not just the hormones in our bodies, and yes we are ruled by hormones for everything, but it's also the chemicals added to our foods to make them "better".
Stress is only one emotion that we need to work on. There's boredom, loneliness, happiness(how do we usually celebrate good occasions?), anger, etc. I think it is much easier to break the chemical addiction to food than it is the emotional one. Emotional ones are what are started as children, comfort foods, and I tend to gravitate to those when my emotions kick in.
In order for us to be successful with our long term health goals we need to take a long hard look at ourselves and start working on what the problems are, one at a time. I've already gotten the chemical part known but now I'm working on the emotional side.
From: Mark_in_MO [#11]
31 Jul 2008
To: Clark (CLARKWS756) [#7] 31 Jul 2008
Clark,
As you can see from my signature I have been using Byetta for more than 2.5 years. I lost 30+ pounds the first 6 months, and optimistically set a goal to lose 100 lbs in 2 years. Over the next year I lost an additional 30 pounds, and upon further relfection decisded that the 100 lb target should be over 3 years. I got stalled out after 18 months, started to let the exercise slide and did not watch as closely what (and when) I was eating. After my BG's started bouncing up and down much higher than the preceeding 18 months, I got my act back together over the last 6 months, and I have lost the 5 lbs I put back on and an additional 10 lbs. Having now lost a total of 70 lbs, I doubt if I will hit the 100 target in less than 6 months, but I will eventully hit the century loss target.
The best advice I can provide is exercise as much as you can find time and energy to do. I think regular cardiac exercise is the bggest factor in losing weight after you adopt a reasonably healthy diet. Test your BG frequently, and when it is up, identify what you have been eating or doing, and try to avoid it as much in the future as possible. Good luck!
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