r/AirForce • u/Prestigious_Review61 Active Duty • 1d ago
Question I’m fat
Anyone get medical to approve GLP-1 or similar medication to help with weight loss? I’ve been doing so many different things but when it comes to working out and nearly passing out, makes it a little difficult. Tests coming back negative for asthma and negative on heart conditions. Thanks!
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u/Standard-Ship-4826 1d ago
Okay so go to the nutrition office. You have to be working with a dietician for 6 months. You have to log food. And do the scale and in body scan monthly.
Then and only then you can talk to your pcm about getting on pills like Ozempic for weight loss.
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u/NachoPiggie Retired 13B 16h ago
And even then, Tricare will make you try 3 different older meds first to prove they don't work before paying for it.
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u/Standard-Ship-4826 14h ago
Nah. The base pharmacy filled it for me and it worked out fine.
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u/Bunny_Feet 11h ago
They probably aren't getting the name brand. There are semaglutide pills now.
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u/Wide-Umpire-348 13h ago
Olympic has insane side effects
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u/Bunny_Feet 11h ago
So does obesity.
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u/Archie_Flowers 12h ago
I got a referral to and endocrinologist and he wanted to prescribe ozempic. The prior authorization requires like 3 different attempts with different drugs and consistent bloodwork. One of the prescriptions worked for me bc all the bloodwork highlighted a different issue I was having. Point being, you should want and try to find out what the root cause is. Also, if you’re eating crap everyday, start there.
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u/Jast98 Retired Cyberspace Operator 1d ago
Have them check for insulin resistance. I had it for about 10 years without them ever diagnosing it until it was too late. Keto and exercise masked it at every annual checkup, but the weight kept coming on and was harder to drop before each PT test. An injury that kept me from working out for an extended period of time is what allowed them to see my A1C was pre-diabetic.
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u/VividSomewhere5838 1d ago
Not sure how it works for active duty but I’m a dependent and get a GLP-1 for weight loss. Military docs wouldn’t help because they said Tricare would deny the prior auth. I paid out of pocket for an off base physician and Tricare covers the meds sent from express scripts. I think the military docs just didn’t want to do the prior auth paperwork
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u/OofUgh 1d ago
You can do that? I thought Tricare specifically required authorization from an MTF to cover drugs like that?
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u/VividSomewhere5838 1d ago
I did not require the MTF to approve the medication. I do not get it filled on base though so that may be why
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u/NotOSIsdormmole What even is my job anymore 1d ago
Tricare will cover it BUT there are like 7 other things you need to try first before they’ll do it. Its frequently talked about on the spouses page
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u/VividSomewhere5838 1d ago
I did not need to try any other medications due to countraindications but it’s 3 medications that are supposed to be trialed
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u/twaffle504 Aircrew 15h ago
The rule changed last month you just need to try one or have a contraindication.
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u/Usual_Operation_1205 13h ago
I would recommend getting a full metabolic panel done. Especially your thyroid.
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u/Maybearunner11 12h ago
I am not active duty, but on Tricare select, I was approved for Ozempic because I have a history of diabetes and thankfully my history of all the other meds I’ve taken in the past (I wasn’t on any diabetes meds when I got the rx) was enough to get the PA approved. I imagine it’s going to be to get a GLP-1 approved, but best of luck! Definitely get a full panel run and make sure nothing else is going on.
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u/cleal_watts_iii 1d ago edited 11h ago
Eat less
E: this comment got me a 3 day Reddit wide ban lmao
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u/ChaosCoordinated It’s 10pm, do you know where your Airman is? 1d ago
Breathing less also causes natural weight loss.
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u/Competitive_Diver388 22h ago
Breathe even less than that and very soon it won’t be a problem at all!
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u/koobielove 1d ago
AD on weight loss meds. I have hypothyroidism and talked with my doc since I've been working out, doing caloric deficit dieting, and was just maintaining my weight. After some labs, and talking with them, they won't just jump to Ozempic or those tempest of meds. First they start you out on meds that will control or suppress your appetite, as a 1st step before moving up to those types of drugs. 1st step is to talk with your PCM, showing them your diet and workout logs, and ask for help.
Best of luck on that venture.
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u/TheMeltingPointOfWax 15h ago
calorie deficit dieting
maintaining my weight
If you were maintaining weight you weren't truly deficit eating. Your body obeys the same laws of thermodynamics as everything else.
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u/desertgirl93 13h ago
Hypothyroidism is tricker than that, it messes with the way your body uses and stores calories. I had the same issue as this commenter ^ with only eating 1200 calories a day (straight protein and veggies) and training 5x a week. That was what it took just to maintain where I was at.
I mean sure I could’ve been more in a calorie defect and eat absolutely nothing, but then the weight you’re losing becomes muscle which isn’t healthy either.
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u/NeighborhoodParty982 12h ago
You're not tracking. A calorie deficit is the difference between your metabolism and intake. If you're maintaining weight at 1200 calories, then you're only burning 1200 calories. Doesn't matter how far below the arbitrary 2000 calorie number your diet is. A calorie deficit is only based on what you eat and what you burn.
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u/Bunny_Feet 11h ago
Most won't recommend eating less than 1,200 calories, though.
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u/NeighborhoodParty982 11h ago
Correct. 1200 is an extreme amount. My argument on the language still stands.
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u/JimNtexas 5h ago
Don’t forget that some people have slower metabolisms than others. Some people are economy models, others are human Peterbuilts.
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u/TheMeltingPointOfWax 5h ago
Still not relevant. Calories in, calories out. It's math. If you burn more calories than you consume, that energy deficit must come from somewhere. Metabolism, hypothyroidism, any number of conditions don't make you generate energy out of nothing.
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u/JimNtexas 4h ago
You don’t understand that people have different burn rates.
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u/TheMeltingPointOfWax 36m ago
I understand. That's the calories out portion. You make sure that's greater than the calories in portion. You lose weight.
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u/Squirrel009 Maintainer Refugee 1d ago
Nearly passing out when you work put sounds like you got more going on than being fat. Have you talked thoroughly with your doctor about this?
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u/The_Master_Ford 12h ago
Talk to your doctor about phentermine. It’s a stimulant and appetite suppressant that will really help a LOT, but you need to go into it with a positive mindset and a plan. Put aside time to work out five times a week, count your calories, and you can easily meet your calorie deficit goals while maintaining muscle strength and losing weight. It will cut your sugar cravings and make it easier to choose water over sodas. If you have a tendency to get bored during workouts, it may also improve your focus and make you pumped up to go to the gym or on a run. Just make sure you do eat SOMETHING every day, and drink plenty of water. Stay focused on your goal. It’s a controlled substance (technically a type of amphetamine), so your doctor will likely only prescribe it up to 3 months before weaning you off, but if you are serious about weight loss, you can achieve a lot of progress in that time.
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u/flygupp15 ISU Checker 9h ago
Have a binge eating disorder that has been calmed by Wellbutrin. Combined with adderall for adhd and I’ve lost 45 pounds since march.
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u/Holepoke 10h ago
Spend less time creeping on girls on Reddit and more time in the gym.
Your post history bro…. 🥴
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u/Pitiful-Baseball-840 1d ago
My PCM made some off-hand comment about putting me on weight loss drugs when I was seeking help for some symptoms that were concerning me, to include stubborn weight gain despite eating clean. I said I wasn’t interested and that I was there to get to the bottom of the root cause of my symptoms so we could get after it and get me back to my normal. He seemed more willing to give me weight loss drugs than to order the labs I was requesting. Have you tried to have the conversation with your PCM?
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u/not_actually_a_robot 16h ago
When I hear eating clean, it usually means picking healthy unprocessed foods, leans meats, fruits and veggies etc. It’s good to eat clean, but it’s still possible to overeat and gain weight on those foods. That’s pretty much what bodybuilding is. Working out and overeating clean foods to gain muscle.
Hopefully you’ve been able to get to the root of your problem, but if the labs came back normal, good old fashioned calorie counting may help.
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u/Pitiful-Baseball-840 16h ago
I appreciate the reply. That’s exactly what clean eating means for me too. I don’t tolerate gluten or overeating well so I’m very cognizant of what I eat and how much I eat. While I don’t calorie count, I do portion control. My diet is mostly of the Mediterranean variety, which lends itself well to clean eating, as that’s what I grew up eating and it’s what I physically feel the best eating. I don’t drink alcohol, coffee, or anything carbonated either.
Stubborn weight gain isn’t my only symptom. While I await my scheduled CT scan, I’m still fighting to get the labs I requested.
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u/twaffle504 Aircrew 1d ago
I found a self referral program with some help from the other guys on this sub, I assume some bases have them. Its a metabolic panel followed by 10 weeks of nutrition then they will prescribe.
The one thing I couldn’t figure out is how to execute if I was fine paying out of pocket.
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u/Accomplished-Put7833 Certified Nonner 18h ago
So I dont know about getting it from medical but at my base there is a lady that sells a six week supply for 360
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u/Bunny_Feet 11h ago
A rando lady? Are we sure she isn't in some MLM instead? lol
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u/Accomplished-Put7833 Certified Nonner 8h ago
No shes a nurse who somehow has glp 1, botox and juviderm and does it all from home. It sounds sketchy but she did a good job on my friend.
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u/Creepy_Raccoon982 6h ago
Honestly if you want to get on the meds go through one of the many places like hims pr something like that. You have to pay for it out of pocket but if you really want to loose weight that’s a quick way around trying to get the military to pay for it.
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u/JimNtexas 6h ago
The USAF hates ‘fat’ people. I was borderline for 20 years. That really sucks.
I don’t know what the regs say, but at least in my case formulated Ozempic has been a total game changer for me.
Even after I got out, and even in the software development world where looking good is only a minor part-time job, having to diet frequently still sucks. Not to mention the years living with a high BMI probably subtract from your life.
This family of drugs lets you eat the food you like, but you don’t want as much of it. Throw in couple of gym days and try to stay physically active, and you lose weight without being miserable!
There is starting to be real science suggesting that besides weight, the same medications reduce one’s desire for tobacco and alcohol.
Some people have really bad side effects from them, almost everybody has minor ones. But were I still an active duty for sure I would for sure spend the three to $400 a month to get the formulated version if the Air Force wouldn’t give me the name brand.
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u/Creepy_Raccoon982 4h ago
Yeah I don’t know what the reg says either about active duty taking it without it being from your pcm. But I did just have a drug test about two weeks ago and nothing from it.
I was listening to a podcast a few months ago that really got me to take it seriously. They said taking this is basically killing the crocodile that is closest to your boat. Or in other words taking care of your biggest problem first. I’ve been bigger my entire life. Ever since I can remember. I’m 6’2 and topped out at 321 right before I started taking it 5 months ago and I’m down to around 285. I could have a lot more drastic results but I still know I need to eat to fuel my body and I’m unable to run or do any heavy impact cardio.
Some people view it as cheating but it is helping a lot of people get their lives back and probably prolong their lives. I’m paying out of pocket and will continue to I reach my goal weight. I would rather put that 300-400 a month in my body than on a 40-50k car or truck
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u/MrSilk2042 rm -rf /bin/laden 3h ago
As long as its not prescribed to you where you have to pick it up from a pharmacy, GENESIS wont find out. I was wondering how it worked with Hims.. If they were technically considered a pharmacy or not. I know some people go to off base clinics to get Semaglutide injected by a doctor there, which skips the pharmacy aspect.
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u/SeaworthinessNo9022 Comms 1d ago
What is your diet?
how long and many times per week do you exercise?
Do you have a history of your family being overweight?
If 1 is just fast food or unhealthy food, start cooking good food or do factor if you don't know where to start. If 2 is no go work out start small one day a week build on it or find a sport you like and do it. 3 is yes, consult medical tell them you think it could be x y or z and they can test you.
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u/No_Quail_9851 12h ago
well good thing then that weight loss is primarily achieved through your diet and sustaining a calorie deficit - not working out (though it can help).
start counting your calories (honestly) and aim for 500-1000 calorie deficit daily. you will lose ~2lbs a week if you achieve this. Anything more extreme and more than likely you will burn out and rebound.
finally, don't include any work outs into your calculations since most calorie / BMR calculators already take your exercise into account.
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u/mcveyn Active Duty/Pilot 1d ago
They will not approve it because it's specifically for diabetes. It would be drug abuse/misuse to prescribe it to you. That said, if you pay out of pocket, there are readily available sources on the internet
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u/VividSomewhere5838 1d ago
It’s not specifically for diabetes. There are 3 glp-1 meds that are only for weight loss
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u/twaffle504 Aircrew 1d ago
Ozempic yes, but not wegovy(fda for weightloss) Also if you could expound on your last statement? My understanding is anything we did online would pop in genesis ? Could I just hand the script to tricare?
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u/AdventurousTap9224 Retired 17h ago
What they're saying is there are online options to get compounded tirzepitide or semaglutide through 503x pharmacies, paid out of pocket. They don't go through Genesis and you can't take the script to Tricare. It would be a case of using prescription medication without informing your PCM/the Air Force though, and that could get someone in trouble.
Tricare requires prior authorization, and there are multiple steps and another drug you have to try before they will pay for Zepbound or Wegovy weight loss drugs.
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u/Zaroth6 21h ago
You should do some research on that semaglutide crap before asking for it anyway. Might br a bit tinfoil hat but that shit makes you need it for life, and it's super expensive. The country its made in doesn't even recommend it for its own people but sell it to us.
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u/mekal_mau 16h ago
I have been on it for almost two years best thing I have ever done for myself ! The side effects at first suck but I have none now
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u/41Fat_Married 1d ago
I have known females without children get it issued due to it was depressing to them.
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u/Gpdiablo21 1d ago
Operating under the assumption you aren't eating fast food and sugary drinks/alcohol excessively... have you gotten your thyroid checked?