Positively Midlife Podcast

Mounjaro: Is It Really The Game Changer of Weight Loss? - Ep 39

March 01, 2023 Ellen and Tish Season 2 Episode 39
Positively Midlife Podcast
Mounjaro: Is It Really The Game Changer of Weight Loss? - Ep 39
Positively Midlife Podcast +
Become a supporter of the show!
Starting at $3/month
Support
Show Notes Transcript

Ellen and Tish talk about the hot new and controversial drug Mounjaro that's been splashed across every type of media and touted by celebrities as a miracle for weight loss. Mounjaro is a diabetic medication used for the treatment of type two diabetes and is now at the center of controversy for the off-label use of the medication for weight loss. 

Tish shares her personal experience with Mounjaro as part of her wellness journey and Ellen and Tish discuss if Mounjaro and drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic are re-writing the weight loss game.

Things we talked about in this episode:  fat shaming, Elon Musk, obesity, post-partum, Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, side effects, and diabetes. 

Support us with a monthly subscription and get a quarterly live  Q&A with Ellen and Tish.

Obsessions
Tish: JefDiee Inflatable Travel Footrest
Ellen:  Silver Fern Probiotic Fiber with tart cherry

Give us a review...
Click here

Want to start podcasting?  Click here to let Buzzsprout know we sent you, this gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and help support our show

By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. The  Positively Midlife Podcast is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. 



Support the show

Website: www.thepositivelymidlifepodcast.com
Email: postivelymidlifepod@gmail.com

Tish Woods:

Ellen I am super excited about this week's episode, and we're going to talk about the hot new and very controversial drug Mounjaro. Now Mounjaro is this new anti diabetic medication used for the treatment of type two diabetes. And the controversy comes in with the off label use of the medication for weight loss, and not for the treatment of just diabetes. But Mounjaro and two other drugs will go Wegovy and Ozempic are re writing the weight loss game.

Ellen Gustafson:

You know what, Tish, I am so excited and happy. We're talking about this today, too. I know so many people who are taking this for talking about taking it, who want to take it. You know, it's really been fueled for the past three or four months by celebrities, including Elon Musk, and really attributing his weight loss, I think to taking what Wegovy. So this is a really hot topic out there.

Tish Woods:

Yes, and you know what, there is so much information out there, and a lot of disinformation out there as well. So I want to get us to sort all of it out.

Ellen Gustafson:

Well, and I know we'll talk about the off labeling prescribing and the shortages too as part of this episode. But I have heard that Mounjaro is called the game changer for weight loss. And Tish. I don't know if I'm letting the cat out of the bag here. But seeing your weight loss and following your weight loss journey. I know this is true.

Tish Woods:

You know, I hate when people overuse the term game changer. You know, it's so completely overused. But in this instance, talking about Mounjaro it is one of the biggest game changers that has come along in terms of treatment of obesity. And it is extraordinary in the results that it gets for weight loss.

Ellen Gustafson:

But before we get into your personal experience with Mounjaro, and some of the controversy surrounding it, and everything else having to do with it. Let's talk about our obsessions. You know what, this is always part of my favorite part of the show. Tish, what do you got for me this week.

Tish Woods:

So my obsession this week is so when I'm traveling, one of the hardest things for me and I start getting really antsy, and my legs start to ache because just sitting there like that, and not being able to really put my feet up. So I saw this amazing little product that I thought, oh my gosh, I have to have this. It's actually an inflatable footstool. And it can actually, it goes in three different sections. Depending on how high you want it, you can have it just for a small footstool, you can do the second level for be able to really prop your feet up. Or you can even blow it up to the third level, which would make it even with like a airline seat. So if you have a small child with you, you could that would extend that seat to be a bed. So that's how high it can get. So it's for an airline. It's for an airline or the car or the car, or the car. Yeah. When you know, when you have issues as we're getting older, a lot of people have issues with needing to be really careful when they're flying, they wear the compression socks and they're afraid of blood clots. And being able to move your feet and prop them up is not only is it more comfortable, but it could really be you know, more healthy for you. So you don't have your feet down all the time and the swelling that happens with that and, and potential for blood clots. So my new obsession is and I'm not getting on another long flight without one is an inflatable foot rest and you just blow it up with your mouth. So pretty easy to put it together. And then you can just collapse it down flat. Otherwise,

Ellen Gustafson:

I was going to ask you if it needed a little pump, but you answered my question. And you know what? I am someone who does wear compression socks now on long haul flights. So we are getting older and this sounds like a great thing.

Tish Woods:

Hey, when you can't afford that business class or the first class where they give you more room this might be this might be the next best thing. But what about you, Ellen? What is your obsession for this week?

Ellen Gustafson:

Well, in the area of health and well being my obsession this week is I'm gonna give a shout out to our friend, Kimberly London, who turned me on to this brand of of wellness products. And this is called Silver Fern. And it's a prebiotic supplement with tart cherry and fiber. So it kind of is like three things in one. You can mix it into any drink warm or cold or just drink it by yourself. And so it has the tart cherry which is great for health. It has the prebiotic supplements, and fiber things, all things I need. And I have been taking this since the new year. So now about six weeks, and it is amazing. Makes me feel so much better.

Tish Woods:

That's That's amazing. Yeah, it's hard to find like products like that, that work for you. So great recommendation have to try that one out.

Ellen Gustafson:

Yeah, we'll put those in the show notes. So for full transparency here Tish, you have been taking Mounjaro medication for what we call off label use for weight loss.

Tish Woods:

Yes. So Ellen, you know that I started my weight loss journey two and a half years ago. Yep. And under doctor's supervision, I started using a different medication called HCG, and a very, very strict diet and a workout regimen. And I dropped 50 pounds in four months. And I'm gonna tell you it was brutal diet.

Ellen Gustafson:

I remember this. I remember it was brutal.

Tish Woods:

But for me again, it wasn't about how I looked. This was really a health focus. So and then once I stopped taking the HCG, I gained back about 10 pounds leveled off and maintain that for the next eight months.

Ellen Gustafson:

Yeah, I think so was about a year ago or a year and a half ago. And during that time that you stopped that the kind of restrictive diet with HCG, you still continued working out a lot though, and really building up your core strength.

Tish Woods:

Yes, that was a that was a main focus of mine. And I kept going, I mean, maintain the weight loss. And like I said, but for about eight months. And part of that was I was watching what I was eating. And I was working out a lot doing a lot of different things. But then I had to back to back trips that I went back to Buffalo.

Ellen Gustafson:

Well, and you know, Buffalo in the summer, all the good food, the drinks out at the lake? Can I say wings? Did you have any of those wings?

Tish Woods:

Many, many wings. They have, you know, there's all these special foods when I go back home special sponge candy, there's all kinds of things. And I just ate and ate and ate. But what had happened is it triggered or ignited might say this hunger and cravings in me again, that had been gone since being on the hCG. And I just knew I didn't want to lose all the ground that I had made losing all that weight. So I was just about to go back on the HCG again, when I was telling Feli, one of our Trinity tribe, and she told me about this brand new medication that the FDA had just approved in May. So this was June when she was to ended June when she was telling me and I immediately and again, I knew it was approved for type two diabetes. But there was clinical trials showing that the weight loss results were even better than a gastric bypass surgery. Wow. So I decided, You know what, I'm just gonna try it.

Ellen Gustafson:

That was bold. So in June, you started taking these weekly injections of Mounjaro. Did that freak you out to inject yourself at all Tish? Were you okay with that,

Tish Woods:

you know, years ago, I had to do injections for Lovenox when I had blood clots, and it is not like it's not as hard as those. So it is a really easy dispenser. You just hold it against your skin. You push a button, and it's the tiniest little pinches. Half the time I sit there and say did you go in? Did you go in? I don't know for when did it go in? And I'll see the tiniest little spot of blood and I'm like, Well, I guess so.

Ellen Gustafson:

Wow. So tell me a little bit about how it affected you. Was it like a slow burn up? Did it kick right in? What did you feel? What did you see?

Tish Woods:

So as soon as I got back from the pharmacy on getting it, it was late at night, and I took it immediately you don't have to take it at a specific time of day. I took it immediately. And I thought, okay, like, I'm wasn't sure even what to expect, like how it was supposed to feel. So the next day, you know, I got up, got busy, you know, jumped on for work, blah, blah, blah. And it was about, I think 12, one o'clock in the afternoon and I go, Oh, I haven't been hungry yet at all. So immediately the effects for me, and again, like varies for for different people. But the effects for me were immediate. My hunger was poof, it was just gone.

Ellen Gustafson:

You know, that's shocking, especially around the sweets, because I know one of the things we've talked about in the past is, you know, you really had that sugar craving, you really had a sweet tooth going on?

Tish Woods:

Yes. And I almost initially, I can eat sweets now a little bit. But initially, I couldn't eat. They were just repulsive. Really, to me. I was like, oh, anything too sweet. I can't eat. And that was that's not me. That's not me normally. So I could see, this medication was really changing some things for me. Well, I

Ellen Gustafson:

think you talked about it, like, in the sense that it changed your brain. Right? On some level.

Tish Woods:

Absolutely. So and, and it's hard to explain to people that have never had issues with weight, and you have to remember, I have battled weight issues my entire life since I was a kid. That's right. It's always been a yo, yo, it's always been diets, it's always been a struggle. And, you know, I, it's when you don't understand the struggle of it. You know, I think for people who have been thin their whole life, they don't under like, they don't get it. And I even remember going to a doctor after my third child, and I was just beside myself, I put on so much weight I was crying. And this tiny, little 110 pound Doctor Who, you know, genetically gifted in that area, tells me so if you try just not eating so much.

Ellen Gustafson:

Wow, punch to the gut there. You know, and that really speaks to the lack of knowledge that many doctors had, and maybe still have I know, that was, you know, over 25 years ago, around the causes of obesity. And I know you've struggled with this all your adult life. And I think that, to have somebody really just tell you, it's about willpower must have really been hard to hear.

Tish Woods:

Yeah, I remember saying to her, Oh, wow, really, I never thought of that. Just eat less. I'm thinking, you think I'm a moron or something. I was so mad. But on top of it, it's this idea that it's okay. To fat shaming people. And it's not very acceptable in our society. And it just it's got to end, you know, and doctors, medical professionals of all people should know, it's not just a matter of if, if you wanted to if you tried hard enough, you could do it. You know, now they're finding in the research that No, it's not about that. changes have to happen in the body, whether what's causing is I don't know, is it the foods that we eat? Is it the fast foods, it's a preservatives? I don't know. But there are, there's something wrong and it needs to be changed?

Ellen Gustafson:

Well, I can just tell you that fat shaming in our society is a huge problem. When I had my third kid, my OB also told me that most of the weight I had gained wasn't the baby. This was before I had the baby to kind of be ready to be fat once I had the baby, which was you know, it was crazy. And the fact that it even occurs in the medical community. Again, we're talking 20 something years ago, you know, but you wouldn't think they would understand a little bit more the complexities of of weight. Right.

Tish Woods:

You would think that they do, you know, and I think that's why they have specialties, you know, so I've come to an understanding with the different research I've done with talking to other people taking the Mounjaro and taking them ajar on myself is this medication has changed the way people will think, or I should say, what they're not thinking about. And it's about this obsession with food. And for the first time, in probably my life, my mind is quiet.

Ellen Gustafson:

You know, Tish that is amazing to hear. And I'm not quite sure what you mean by your mind was quiet, but I think I know. But I'd like you to elaborate on that a little bit. No thoughts of foods, no cravings, less eating.

Tish Woods:

You know, I used to joke saying that food was my drug of choice, you know, and but I, but I'm serious about that, you know, I have kiddingly said it. But I'm really serious about that. Food controlled my life in so many ways. I always felt hungry. I was always thinking about food. I was planning my next meal, I was thinking about my next sugary snack. I mean, to the point of distraction, I would always imagine that this is how an alcoholic or drug addict deals with their cravings. When's their next fix? When's their next drink? It's an obsession. And it that really spoke to me of this is just not, oh, I'm not being, you know, compliant enough with my diet.

Ellen Gustafson:

It's really powerful to hear you talk about it that you felt controlled by it.

Tish Woods:

Yeah. So I think that's like I said, I think that's what so many people don't understand. And like I said, I'm sure it has to do with all the chemicals and preservatives, the fats we have in our food. I mean, fast foods have been engineered to create cravings. They know what they're doing. Like, it's this, our society has created this, but I'm in you look at how many Americans are obese. Okay. And I don't know that. I've heard that many snack. manufacturers make food to hit what's called a bliss point. Have you ever heard of that before?

Ellen Gustafson:

Yes, I absolutely have. And I can say that foods like Doritos, and many kinds of chips. You know, they kind of get the fat and the salt and the sugar into this kind of Holy Trinity. That just keeps you wanting more and more and more. And I think that there's so many foods out there, right now in the market like that.

Tish Woods:

I agree with you, Alan. And I also think that, you know, there are lifestyle factors that play into this. I'm not saying it's all because of these, you know, there's, they're, all of these things play into one another.

Ellen Gustafson:

I agree. And I feel like you had changed so many of those lifestyle factors along the way on your wellness journey. So let's get down though, to the numbers, Tish give us an overview of what your results have been.

Tish Woods:

So today, I have lost about 40 40 plus pounds on the Mounjaro. Now you have to also remember that I had had a huge weight loss before that. So I'm down quite a bit. I have never been this weight since I was 21 years old. And I was starving to get inside a wedding dress.

Ellen Gustafson:

Right? I was thinking about you and your wedding and and how you looked back then and and that beautiful dress. So that's saying something but I know that you are staying busy. You're working out you're building your core, you're eating healthier, too. It's you know yoga, journaling, really looking at your overall well being in addition to the Mounjaro

Tish Woods:

absolute absolutely it the Mounjar is a just a tool. It's only part of of what it is. But I'm telling you, it's been a significant part of this part of my journey. So I still need to watch. I'm still watching how much carbs, I'm using less fatty proteins in my meals. I've increased fruits and vegetables. It's really, really about smaller quantities. And I almost never eat fast foods. I'm very careful about that. If I know I'm going to be gone for a while I'll stop and get something like better than that. Or take an energy bar or something like that. But if I'm going to usually eat fast food, I don't know I Just kind of gone to Wendy's chili, I don't know, too seems to be one of my better choices. But on top of that, I'm playing pickleball. I'm doing dance classes, I'm doing a small weight workout, walking and hiking. So it's a combination of all of it. You know, this isn't a magic bullet. It is just an unbelievable way to make it doable. For the first time I for most of my life.

Ellen Gustafson:

Yeah. And I hear you saying it's not a magic pill for you that people still need to modify, modify, kind of lifestyle, eating habits exercise.

Tish Woods:

Exactly. It's just a tool to make it easier. But you still have to make those necessary changes. And since I started on the Mounjaro, all of my blood work. So remember, we talked about in our one episode about getting bloodwork every year? Yeah. Well, all my even after I had lost the weight on the HCG, I still had a lot of my figures and stuff on my blood work. We're still off. And I went in this year, and every single indicator in my blood work is now normal, including my BMI.

Ellen Gustafson:

Wow. I mean, that hasn't happened in forever. Right. And I know, in the past, you've had a number of serious medical issues around your GI and some other things. How, how have that been going since you've lost the weight?

Tish Woods:

You know, because like, again, when people see me, they can see they can see the physical change. But I tell them right away, I said, Not only am I the weight I was when I was in my 20s I probably haven't felt this healthy since I was in my 20s. So you know not to say that, you know, I might not have reoccurrences of some things. But I'm telling you, I'm just so much so much healthier, so much healthier.

Ellen Gustafson:

Amazing. Let's talk about the controversy, though. Because these drugs that we talked about Manjaro when Wegovy Ozempic. They come with a lot of controversy around them. Let's start. Let's share a little

Tish Woods:

bit Tish. Okay, so right off the bat, these are not cheap without insurance, or Lilly, the pharmaceutical company that has the Mounjaro they have been giving an amazing discount on their medication. So with the discount with their discount is $25 a month. Wow. Without the discount. It's about$1,200 a month.

Ellen Gustafson:

Holy cow. Okay, that's huge. That is a huge price tag. So I'm assuming a lot of people who could benefit from this can't afford it. But will insurance cover it? I mean, any part of that $1,200 a month.

Tish Woods:

So now we need to go back and talk about this whole off label issue. Again, when you use a medication off label. Insurance companies typically do not have to cover it at all. So it's not like your prescription plan is going to cover it for off label use. That is different when it comes to on label use. But little caveat, a lot of times they're requiring a pre approval. And part of that pre approval process, maybe all this proving that you've tried other things. The doctors have to jump through hoops. There's a lot of pushback when it comes to this. And here's the thing, not a lot of people out there are going to be able to afford $1,200 a month.

Ellen Gustafson:

I mean, that's for sure. I have heard that the FDA granted kind of a fast track designation for at least Mounjaro because we were talking about the drug that that you've been using. Yes. And they are hoping for it to be approved for weight loss. It's sometime this year in 2023. But you were able to get it with a program through that drug maker. Right. You were in that program of $25 a month.

Tish Woods:

Yes. So um, because I was one of the you know, kind of inaugural patients on it, I guess, early adopter. Within the few first few months. I was able to get the medication without having a diabetes diagnosis. But any new patients trying to get assistance with this without they won't be able to get it without that diagnosis and I see, so you won't be able to get it for $25 a month. If if your weight loss or weight loss alone

Ellen Gustafson:

Yeah, and it's all over the news, at least it or weight loss. has been for the past three or four months that there's a shortage of these drugs. And that diabetics, kind of the original users intended users of the drug can't get them. Um, is there still a shortage of Mounjaro? Now, I think maybe it's calmed down a little

Tish Woods:

bit. I think it's calmed down some it depends on the dose that you're you're looking for. I heard just the other day from somebody else that I know that the initial dosing that you go on, when you first start the medication is still very difficult to get it, I think it depends on the area that you're in. So about two months ago, when I ordered it, it took over 10 days for me to get it. So I proactively waited, you know, 10 days before, and then boom, they had it the next day. Oh, so it had to sit at the pharmacy waiting for me to be eligible to pick it up, because you can't pick it up early on the on the prescription plan. So I think it's it's not it's not standardized yet. And it depends on the dose that you're looking for.

Ellen Gustafson:

It's true. I have a friend in New York City, who told me that there was a terrible shortage there. So you're right. I think it really depends on where you're located. But I was it these shortages that really made this backlash against folks who are using this for the off label? Weight loss?

Tish Woods:

I think that's part of it. Yeah. So when the, you know, many people that have diabetes, do not want non-diabetics using the medication because they feel it's preventing them from getting the medication, so they want better access to it more consistent access. And, you know, with a diabetic, they can go into diabetic coma without their medication. I mean, that's, that's not something you play with. These are serious see? Yeah, I mean, they can have some serious complications, so it frustrates especially diabetics, when they can't get their medication. Because of this. They feel that anyone using it just for weight loss should be blocked from getting it at this point.

Ellen Gustafson:

But I I decide I see is that when you lose weight, you don't maybe develop diabetes, or, you know, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure, or a lot of the other chronic illnesses associated with it. So you would think that, you know, alleviating those are just as important or very important. So less hospital stays less doctor's visits, right?

Tish Woods:

Absolutely. I think both groups need it. Because you know, the medication, you know, across the board, we should be looking at prevention, not waiting till someone is sick before we intervene. And if you can take some of these people who are out of control with their weight, and get to them and get their weight under control before they develop the diabetes. So it's, it's huge.

Ellen Gustafson:

I hear you on that Tish, let's chat now, if you had any side effects from this medication personally, because I've heard there's some pretty hard side effects when you start taking this.

Tish Woods:

Okay, so on the side effects side, initially, I felt almost like an achy flu throughout my body. I was very, very tired. I'm not 100% Sure it was the medication or and I did have a headache and stuff. Or was it sugar withdrawal, right, because I went from being sugar binging to almost no sugar at all.

Ellen Gustafson:

Right? That is southern sweet tea.

Tish Woods:

That's probably the only sweet sweet thing that I don't like. But you know, the cookies and the candy and the gummy chewy, all that kind of stuff. So I had some of those. It was nothing that wasn't manageable. And then there was another incident when I was going between different dosages as they start kind of ramping you up. And I went to the 7.5 which is like the third highest or is third dose along the chain. So it's about midway between what they have. And the very first time I took that one, I got very nauseous. And after that my doctor prescribed nausea medication, I never needed to take it. Because it only happened that time. Some people say if you if you inject it in your leg as opposed to your stomach, it helps with that. And that's what I also tried to do for a little bit. But you can put it in your leg, you can put it in your stomach, you can put it in the back of your arm, they do recommend you move it around, because areas get resistant to the medication. I found that worked for me as well.

Ellen Gustafson:

So how does the Mounjaro results differ for you from other weight loss programs you've been on? Can you talk about that a little bit?

Tish Woods:

Absolutely. So Mounjaro, what they're telling you should expect participants to have between five and 22.5% of their total body weight, they should be able to lose verse, many other you know, like the Wegovy and the Ozempic, their results are going to tell you, you should lose between five and 10% of your body weight. So you can see there's a big jump. Currently, I am at the point where I have lost 22% of my body weight from when I started this medication. And I still have a little bit to go.

Ellen Gustafson:

So you 22% is insane. Those are insane results. And but you still want to stay on it and lose more I look at you, I think you look amazing.

Tish Woods:

So again, because I think it's this is because of how I reacted to getting off the HCG that I was going to, I'm expecting myself to gain a little back and level off. So I would like to drop another 10 to 15 pounds, so that when I do level off, I'm where I'm at right now.

Ellen Gustafson:

I see, let's chat about some negative feedback that you've gotten from taking this medication. And I know we've chatted about it before, and people are finding it controversial. What if What have you been told?

Tish Woods:

So you know, Ellen, I'm always a very out there person I'm very upfront about you know, I don't hide what I'm doing and how I got there and stuff like that. So I think I do open myself up to hearing feedback. And but my focus has been very much, I don't really care. I know what I need for my health. And I'm going to do what I want to do. But there's just a lot of fat shaming that's happening out there. And the idea that people who are overweight are just too lazy to exercise any self control. And people who are overweight should not have any medical help. And you should be just white knuckling it and suffering because you allow this to happen to yourself. That's really what I get back from people. It's amazing. It's and it's really kind of sad to

Ellen Gustafson:

Yeah, I'm sure it hurts. I mean, that's not easy to hear. And you know, I know for you, as we talked about earlier here in this episode, this has been a wellness journey, and it's not been a cosmetic thing. It's really been about you being in at midlife, right and wanting this change wanting this butterfly moment, as we talked about, about being healthy about living this better life to be here for yourself and your kids and enjoying this next phase.

Tish Woods:

Absolutely. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love that I look better. Of course. But when ever anyone mentions that because that's what they can see. They can't see my organs and how much healthier I feel and stuff like that. I immediately let them know that how much better I feel how much healthier. I am feeling. You know the looking better is strictly a bonus. But that it's about chasing a healthy lifestyle.

Ellen Gustafson:

I love that phrase chasing a healthy lifestyle. I feel like you have been chasing that. And you know, it wouldn't be as if we didn't drop some science and some stats here, right? I know many of our 34.2 million people are over 10% of the population has diabetes. That is insane.

Tish Woods:

That it's a it's a shocking number. When you think about American adults, only 33% of women, and 25% of men are at a normal weight. That's it. So you're looking at 30% of women are considered overweight, and 37% are considered obese. So look at that numbers. 67% have an issue with weight, yet we're still fat shaming. Yeah. Yeah.

Ellen Gustafson:

I mean, it's, it's amazing too. One thing I've realized lately is how many foods in in America contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup. And these are not sweet things. These are things that should not have sugar. And I have another friend who can't believe the amount of sugar in our bread here in the United States, it is just loaded. So on top of really needing to look at our food, we also need access to more affordable medications. We need access to better ways to to exercise. And we need the help of our lawmakers in Washington to help us lobby for a lot of these things, especially around affordable medication.

Tish Woods:

medication. And then some there are foods here that we eat, that are illegal

Ellen Gustafson:

in Europe and in other countries. Yes, it's true. They

Tish Woods:

find it bizarre, that we eat them

Ellen Gustafson:

I know, I know.

Tish Woods:

Very popular foods too. Yes, true.

Ellen Gustafson:

And the ones that once you start you can't stop eating as well. Right? Sorry, Tish, we're gonna wrap it up here. But what would be the main thing you'd like our listeners to take away from our podcast today?

Tish Woods:

I think I want more than anything, is that this inspires people to have some hope. Because I know that years and years that losing 20 pounds, just 20 pounds to me seem like an impossible goal. And I'd pretty much given up on myself. But I started to make little changes. I found the doctors that were willing to help me. I stopped listening to the shamers I started taking better care of myself. I didn't let other people's opinions on some of these new medications prevent me from using them as an aid to help me in my journey. And I have reclaimed my health and my life. And I'm telling you, there is hope. Don't, don't think to yourself, I'm too far gone. It's too monumental. Don't think about where you end up or want to be. Just think about can this help me get through the next 20 pounds, and then take the next 20 In the next 20 I want people to hear this as there is a beacon of hope out there. I love

Ellen Gustafson:

how open and vulnerable you've been here today, on the podcast. Tish, thanks so much. And sharing really your journey kind of, you know, like I say it hasn't always been, you know, roses and rainbows and you have really, really taken every experience and built on it. And I think a lot of our listeners would really appreciate hearing about your journey on Mounjaro. I mean, it's it's all over the news. And I like so much that you've said don't give up, make small changes and start building that life. And I see how hard you've worked here at midlife to create the physical strength and emotional health, to live your best life and to live your most healthy life. And I just want to say I love your friend. Really thank

Tish Woods:

you. And that's I think what our podcast is all about is let's find ways to live our best life.

Ellen Gustafson:

That's right. lift each other up and live our best life. Okay mid lifers till next week.