2025 Health Update

I said in my 2025 Health Goals post that I would provide monthly updates. I fell off from doing those largely due to frustration from lack of progress. However, I do have a yearly update.

Some background:
From 2015 through mid-2025, I tried various things to lose weight and improve my health. However, I kept running into roadblocks.

• I tried to follow a low-carb diet: This did not work for me. Whenever I would eat a meal that was very low in carbs, I would end up feeling unsatisfied and search for whatever carb source I could quickly find. This would end up being counter-productive since it would result in overeating both carbs and calories. Eventually, I decided to just start incorporating carbs in my meals which helped me make *some* progress, but it was hard to keep the weight off.
• Extreme hunger: Every time I managed to lose 5-15 pounds, my body would get so hungry that I couldn't manage to stay in calorie deficit. I would end up gaining the weight back and then some, so the entire time I was trying to lose weight, I kept gaining and gaining.
• Undiagnosed neurodivergence: In 2025, I officially joined the AuDHD club (Autism + ADHD), and this was contributing to my food habits. Due to autism, I often find myself being low in energy. When you need quick energy, your body tends to get this from carbs, so I would crave carbs and sugar. Additionally, I would consume sugar as a sensory-seeking behavior. After diagnosis, I have a better understanding of what's driving my food behaviors and I can use alternatives that are more aligned with my goals.

In mid-2025, I started taking Zepbound. Zepbound has helped to curb the extreme hunger that I experienced before, so I am now able to stay in a calorie deficit. Additionally, my cravings are now satisfied much more easily. If I crave ice cream, I can eat a much smaller portion that I was eating before and still feel satisfied. The combination of these have helped me to actually stick to the things that I was trying (and failing) to put in place previously. I am now ~30 pounds down from my heaviest weight (~22 lbs since starting Zepbound). Additionally, my A1C has reduced from 6.2 (pre-diabetic) to 5.5 (normal). I still have more work to do, but with continous improvement in both my food and exercise habits as well as maintaining what I'm already doing, I'm confident that I will continue to see progress.