"Since the pen curbed my appetite, I don’t need to eat." You do. Eating too little is what makes you lose muscle and run out of energy. The goal is to eat enough protein even without hunger, almost on autopilot on hard days.
"It’s just the medication, the rest doesn’t matter." The medication opens the door, but what comes through that door is up to you. Without protein and exercise, much of the weight you lose is muscle, and the results won’t last once you stop using the pen.
"If I’ve felt really nauseous, that means it’s working better." It doesn’t. A strong side effect is not a measure of success, and nausea that won’t go away deserves a conversation with your doctor, not just toughing it out.
This is information to help you understand what you’re going through; it does not replace your doctor. Your doctor is the one who adjusts the pen, the dose, and the treatment plan.
Based on: Mayo Clinic and the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SBEM).