I'm a Nurse Who Lost 130 Pounds Before GLP-1s and Here Are 5 Things That Changed When I Finally Tried One

Any weight-loss journey can be completely life-changing. The process itself can be difficult and all-consuming, while life post-weight loss often brings unexpected change and clarity. Losing a significant amount of weight will not only change how you look, but it may also completely reconfigure your life.

We spoke with Lindsey Sikora Subrinsky, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, Owner/Operator of Shot Bar, licensed nurse and weight-loss expert, about how Wegovy altered her life. She lost 130 pounds "the old-fashioned way," and a few years later, lost an additional 20 pounds with Wegovy. Subrinsky shares five things she stopped doing after taking GLP-1s that changed everything.

"I lost 130 pounds long before GLP-1 medications were part of the weight-loss world, or at least on my radar," Subrinsky shares. "I did it the old-fashioned way with food tracking, emotional excavation, discipline learned through tears, and a kind of hunger so loud it followed me everywhere. It was just me, the girl who ate in the dark, deciding that my story would end differently."

About four years later, Subrinsky lost 20 pounds on Wegovy while planning her wedding. This time was devastating, as she learned her father was terminally ill.

"The medication wasn't about aesthetics. It was about holding myself together during the most heartbreaking period of my life. [My dad] passed away later that year, thankfully, after I helped him walk me down the aisle. That moment saved me," she shares.

Today, Subrinsky takes a small dose of tirzepatide every week as a preventative measure to help control inflammation, maintain hormonal health, and for her overall wellness.

"[Taking tirzepatide is] a protective measure, not vanity. I refused to let loss push me back into the darkness I fought so hard to escape," Subrinsky says.

Taking a GLP-1 prompted Subrinsky to stop doing five things forever.

Subrinsky started GLP-1s again with purpose. She noticed she stopped "overriding the quieter signals" her body was giving—including stress, emotions, and fatigue.

"Tirzepatide softened the static just enough for me to hear myself again. I also stopped abandoning my own needs."

A busy business owner and provider, Subrinsky prioritized everything before herself—even more so when her father passed.

"GLP-1s helped me return to myself and not disappear inside my grief," she tells us.

Subrinsky no longer considered inflammation to be the price of her hard work.

"The anti-inflammatory effects of tirzepatide were undeniable. My joints felt lighter. My brain felt clearer. My cravings lost their emotional pull. It was not about silence. It was about clarity," she says.

For the majority of her life, feeling hungry was an uphill battle each day.

"When the noise softened, I felt guilty at first, like I wasn't struggling hard enough," Subrinsky says. "But I learned that quiet is not a weakness. Quiet is peace. Quiet is healing. Quiet is what it feels like to be home inside your own body, finally."

While Subrinsky's appearance clearly changed, her emotional, neurological, and spiritual changes were much more significant.

"My sleep improved. My mood was calmer. My energy became more grounded. The urgency that once dictated my relationship with food faded, and what remained was a woman who had survived her own story and rebuilt her life piece by piece," she says.

Hydrating is a big part of Subrinsky's lifestyle—and she gave up Diet Coke.

"I track my food because it grounds me. I prioritize protein because it stabilizes my blood sugar and my mood. I lift weights because strength changed my identity. I hydrate because Diet Coke cannot carry me through a lifetime," she tells us.

If you'd like to be inspired by success stories, check out I Lost Over 100 Pounds While Taking Mounjaro and Here's What I Eat in a Day.