There's No Magic Bullet
The Oprah US|Volume 3. No 3 - 2023
Losing 45 pounds on Ozempic was just the beginning of a woman's journey to heal her traumatic relationship with food. She shares the milestones that really mattered.
MICHELLE BRAFMAN
There's No Magic Bullet

I've been on Ozempic for about a year and a half for my type 2 diabetes. My blood sugar levels are normal, and yes, I've lost weight. I started taking the drug before its wonder-weight-loss properties hit the news, before Jimmy Kimmel made an Ozempic joke minutes into hosting the Oscars, before thin women who wanted to be thinner began shooting their bellies with that familiar blue pen I use every Wednesday morning. This was also before my neighborhood pharmacy and local Safeway encountered supply issues.

Let's get the stats out of the way first. I've lost 45 pounds since I started taking Ozempic. I'm 5'11", and I've always joked that it takes a 35-pound weight loss for people to start noticing. Sadly, I can say this with authority because since my early 30s, I've lost and gained a total of 660 pounds. You read that number correctly.

The abridged narrative goes like this. Most of my life, I was a lean, athletic person even if I thought I wasn't. I gained a total of 110 pounds with my two pregnancies and joined Weight Watchers to drop 55 pounds after each, and then gained and lost another 40 twice after that. Myriad low-carb diets helped me knock off more 40-pound chunks until I'd eat a bagel, and then another, and another. Perhaps this is why I'm not doing any cartwheels over the latest "drop," my late mother's term for a big weight loss, as opposed to "the last hurrah," the treat she ate before starting a new diet. My last hurrahs can last years.

I used to love it when people commented on a new me. Now I hate it. "How did you do it?" they ask. I don't want to fuel the Ozempic craze. I don't want to dangle a magic bullet in front of anyone who buys into the Hollywood-ness of yet another diet trick, who is struggling to understand that wellness, wholeness, is an inside job. This chapter of my story is real and hopeful. So I'm sharing it instead.

この記事は The Oprah US の Volume 3. No 3 - 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は The Oprah US の Volume 3. No 3 - 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

THE OPRAH USのその他の記事すべて表示
The Perfect Gift Book for Everyone on Your List
The Oprah US

The Perfect Gift Book for Everyone on Your List

Sumptuous reads that look as lovely on your coffee table as they do on your bedside table.

time-read
4 分  |
Volume 3. No 4 - 2023
Long Live YOU!
The Oprah US

Long Live YOU!

A head-to-toe guide to staying strong, sharp, healthy, and happy well into your platinum years.

time-read
10+ 分  |
Volume 3. No 4 - 2023
How to Manage Holiday Stress
The Oprah US

How to Manage Holiday Stress

Want to avoid family drama this year? Here are three ways to pregame.

time-read
2 分  |
Volume 3. No 4 - 2023
How Makeup Artists Do the Holidays
The Oprah US

How Makeup Artists Do the Holidays

Time to put your party face on! These glam pros are sharing a look they love—and modeling it themselves.

time-read
3 分  |
Volume 3. No 4 - 2023
On Everyone's Lips
The Oprah US

On Everyone's Lips

Carol Rasheed, the head makeup artist on The Color Purple, gives us a peek behind the scenes-and, thanks to her new lipstick collection, a memento.

time-read
2 分  |
Volume 3. No 4 - 2023
THE MOTHER-IN-LAW Survival Guide
The Oprah US

THE MOTHER-IN-LAW Survival Guide

Ding-dong, she's here! But fear not-so are we, with advice on managing this singular relationship with grace, humor, and lots of heart.

time-read
10 分  |
Volume 3. No 4 - 2023
The Enduring Power The Color Purple
The Oprah US

The Enduring Power The Color Purple

It has captivated audiences as a novel, a movie, and a Broadway musical. On the eve of its latest incarnation, a sweeping musical feature film out on Christmas Day, we celebrate Alice Walker's universal saga of resilience and redemption with behind-the-scenes stories from the new book Purple Rising.

time-read
3 分  |
Volume 3. No 4 - 2023
Who (or What) Do You Need to Thank?
The Oprah US

Who (or What) Do You Need to Thank?

Gratitude isn't just a topic for your annual turkey dinner. It's been scientifically shown to improve your health eating depression, boosting immunity, and lowering stress. These thank-you notes (plus an ode to a heartbreakingly loyal pup) will inspire you to make it a daily practice.

time-read
10+ 分  |
Volume 3. No 4 - 2023
Beam Me Up
The Oprah US

Beam Me Up

Bethany Heitman's self-esteem was tied to her clear skin, so dark spots sent her spiraling. Then she saw the light.

time-read
3 分  |
Volume 3. No 3 - 2023
Turn Around, Bright Eyes
The Oprah US

Turn Around, Bright Eyes

After years of despising the puffy bags under her eyes, Rae Ann Herman found a surgeon she trusted and woke up refreshed in every way.

time-read
2 分  |
Volume 3. No 3 - 2023