After a series of diets without results, this woman finally manages to lose weight thanks to Ozempic.
For Viviane Darveau, losing weight permanently was an almost impossible task. And it’s not for lack of trying. She has had many diets over the years. When she first started, she was in her twenties. Each time, the first weeks gave excellent results, but quickly, the will dried up and bad habits took over. And forget about physical exercise. Due to his overweight, this caused him too much physical pain. At over 385 pounds, Mme Darveau was caught in a vicious circle.
“I was quite discouraged,” she explained on Tuesday to Isabelle Huot at QUB.
Viviane Darveau in December 2023
There are not many options to get her out of this carnal prison. There is, of course, bariatric surgery, an option suggested to him by his doctor. The only problem is the wait. Since the physical state of Mme Darveau does not pose enough risks, his case is not urgent. She looked closely at private clinics, but she felt that the follow-up was sometimes deficient. For such an important operation, she wanted to feel safe.
“I have a doctor friend who told me about Ozempic.”
She starts. Is this really the miracle drug everyone is talking about?
The first two weeks are awful. Mme Darveau is overcome by severe nausea. She mentions that at that moment, her head was “like in a fog.” There was no question of working during the adaptation.
“We often have patients who report to us that they feel as if they were on a rocking boat,” said pharmacist Brigitte Marchand.
It is also during this period that many people choose to stop taking Ozempic, according to the health professional. Butme Darveau hangs on. After four weeks, there is apprehension. The dose must be increased. It’s the return of symptoms. Luckily for her, it only lasts a few days. Now the discomforts are gone.
This satiety that doesn’t exist
Viviane Darveau has never had this feeling of having eaten too much, leading her into a spiral of consumption. With the Ozempic, she finally feels it. Detecting the signals sent to her by her body, she now knows when to stop.
“I don’t want to eat anymore, it’s easier to say no,” she explains. The craving goes away more easily.”
Obviously, if the drug is “almost magical”, it must be accompanied by healthy food choices and, if possible, regular exercise. In other words, Ozempic does not “make you lose weight”, but allows the person to calm this desire to eat, which allows them to exert themselves more easily. At this moment, Mme Darveau manages to lose 2 pounds per week consistently. She has reduced her carbohydrate intake, eats more vegetables and can exercise more.
Photo BEN PELOSSE
A catch for life?
For the moment, Viviane Darveau does not want to regain “her teenage size”. Instead, what she wants to achieve is a healthy weight. So the pressure becomes less, making the efforts easier.
“My understanding is that after you get to my healthy weight and keep it there for 2 years, certain hormones would disappear,” she says.
The disappearance of these hormones would then allow him to maintain this weight which will have required so much effort. But will she have to live on the drug for the rest of her life? She hopes not, but only time will tell.
