Diary #1: So How Did I Get Here?

By JabFuel Diary

As the song goes, "so how did I get here?" How did I find myself deciding to take a GLP-1 weight loss drug at the age of 60?

Like most people, I've found losing weight to be a challenge — and an even bigger challenge to keep it off. My weight over the last five years on my Renpho scales looks like a trek through the foothills of the Himalayas. Up, down, up, down, and never quite where I want to be.

Things really came to a head about two years ago, when I had to have both my knees replaced. That ultimately resulted in around 18 months of near-total inactivity and a new baseline weight of roughly 240 lbs. I was stuck — with a version of myself I didn't like, and no obvious way out.

When I spoke to friends and family about it, the answer was always the same: "move more, eat less." Everyone knows that. What they don't know is how hard that actually is when your body and brain are working against you.

The two things nobody talks about

Issue number one — I'm greedy. I never feel full. I've been described, generously, as "a pleasure to cook for." I think part of it is that I grew up as one of six kids, and I still eat exceptionally quickly. I suspect a lot of people from large families do the same — eat it before someone else grabs it.

Issue number two — food noise. When you try to explain this to the "thin mafia," they wave it away as being weak-willed or just plain greedy. They might be right. But the constant, low-level thinking about food can be genuinely overwhelming, and the only answer often feels like caving in and raiding the fridge.

Unusually, my weakness isn't sweet stuff — it's savoury. I'm from the UK, and my specific kryptonite is sausage rolls and pork pies. There's a butcher I visit every Saturday morning, and the routine never changes. One sausage roll and two pork pies. The sausage roll is eaten on the way back to the car. The first pork pie goes down the moment I get home. The second one follows shortly after, or maybe holds out until lunch. I have never once walked past a butcher with a sign saying "award-winning pork pies" without putting their claim to the test. The desire is insatiable, and it dominates my thoughts more than I'd like to admit.

Why I changed my mind on GLP-1s

I'd been aware of GLP-1s for a while, but the mainstream media in the UK tends to focus on the side effects rather than the benefits, so I'd kept them at arm's length.

Then two things happened.

First, I bumped into a friend at the golf club I hadn't seen in months. My immediate reaction was, "Wow, you look amazing." His response: "Oh yeah, thanks — I've been on the jabs." I cornered him for half an hour and walked away thinking, this actually sounds incredible.

Second, I got asked to do some user testing on the JabFuel app before it went live on the App Store. And it clicked. This was the missing piece of the puzzle.

Because here's the thing. When you actually read into the side effects of GLP-1s, most of them aren't caused by the drug itself — they're caused by eating too little, or eating the wrong things. People treat GLP-1s as a silver bullet, and after years of constant food noise, the temptation to just stop eating is enormous. But a diet that's low on protein, fiber and hydration over a prolonged period is where the real trouble starts.

Where JabFuel comes in

This is exactly where JabFuel has clicked for me. I've already started tracking my meals against my protein, fiber and hydration targets, and the tracking is genuinely intuitive — it doesn't need to take over my life. If I'm out somewhere, I just snap a photo of my plate (who doesn't do that now anyway?) and load it up to Angela when I get home. Done.

The little GLP-1 Score on the Today screen has turned into something I quietly check most days. It's not about being perfect — it's a nudge that says "you're looking after the basics, keep going."

It's a genuine game-changer for me, and it's given me the confidence to actually start this journey rather than just thinking about it.

So here I am. 60, 240 lbs, equal parts excited and nervous, and hoping you'll join me on the road to being happy with myself again.

See you for entry #2.

FAQ

Why did you decide to start a GLP-1 at 60?

After 18 months of inactivity following double knee replacements, my weight had settled at around 240 lbs and I couldn't shift it through diet and exercise alone. Hearing a friend's experience and seeing how JabFuel could protect my nutrition while on the jab was what tipped the balance.

Are GLP-1s a silver bullet for weight loss?

No. The medication quietens food noise and appetite, but the long-term results — and most of the side effects people fear — come down to what you actually eat. Hitting your protein, fiber and hydration targets is what protects your muscle, energy and digestion.

How does JabFuel fit into a GLP-1 journey?

JabFuel is a nutrition companion designed around GLP-1 users. It plans GLP-1-optimised meals, tracks protein, fiber, hydration and routine, and gives you a daily GLP-1 Score so you can see at a glance whether you're fuelling well that day.