How Zepbound helped me shed 18% of my weight and sparked guilt

After consulting a primary-care physician in 2025 for debilitating foot pain, the writer started Zepbound, a brand of tirzepatide, to aid weight loss. Over eight months the drug produced an 18% reduction in body weight—about 30 pounds—eliminating knee and foot discomfort and curbing persistent hunger. The author reports few adverse reactions, mentioning only some hair loss, and credits the medication for restoring comfort in her own body.

Yet societal narratives, including viral jokes about Ozempic and criticism from body-positive circles, have made her feel the need to apologize for the results. References to a viral essay in The Cut illustrate how some view GLP-1 users as cheating. The writer argues for a body-neutral perspective that allows individuals to modify their bodies without moral judgment.