You Don't Owe Anyone Your GLP-1 Story

My Journey

Nov 3

Written by Nyk Bokuniewicz

The GLP-1 Girl Code Get HQ

real talk

You don't owe anyone your GLP-1 story.

private is not the same as ashamed.

by Nykdown 75+ lbs on a GLP-1, still going

the short version

Most people on a GLP-1 keep it from at least some friends and family. You're in the majority.
Telling everyone and telling no one are both okay.
What matters is that you're not carrying it completely alone.

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A while back I posted on Threads that nobody ever questions your blood pressure meds. It took off faster than almost anything I've written.

The replies filled up with women listing every medication nobody has ever had an opinion about. And then a lot of them said something that stuck with me. They've only told one or two people they're on a GLP-1. Some haven't told anyone. They already know what they'd hear.

They're not alone. A UK survey of more than 3,000 patients found that about two out of three people on weight loss medication hide it from some or all of the people in their life, and women hide it even more than men. Of the people who did get judged, roughly 8 in 10 heard some version of "that's the easy way out." A Georgetown study this year found women who lost weight with a GLP-1 got judged more harshly than women who lost the same amount another way, mostly because people see it as a shortcut.

if you're keeping it quiet, you're not being dramatic. you're in the majority.

I'm the girl who told everyone

Here's the funny part. I never kept mine a secret, not for a single day. I started talking about it online the same day I started in 2023, and I told pretty much everyone I know. That's my personality more than anything. I have plenty of other secrets, trust me. This just wasn't one of them.

I was also early enough that most people didn't know what I was talking about yet. There wasn't backlash, because nobody knew enough to have an opinion. The only people who were truly worried were my grandparents. They did not love it, and I get that more now than I did then. They were worried because they love me.

I've gotten surprisingly little negativity online, too. I honestly don't know why. I've been lucky, and I know that's not everyone's experience.

Why so many of us keep it quiet

Just because I told everyone doesn't mean I don't understand why you might not. None of these reasons are silly:

You don't want to hear "the easy way out." You've worked on your body for years. One sentence shouldn't get to erase that.
You don't want an audience at lunch. Once people know, some of them start watching your plate.
You don't want the forecast. Tell one person and suddenly you're hearing every side effect and regain story they've ever skimmed.
You want something that's just yours. Sometimes you want to see if it works before everyone gets an opinion.
You're scared to fail out loud. If it doesn't go the way you hope, you don't want witnesses for that too.

Every one of those makes sense to me, even though I chose differently.

Your story, your rules

So here it is from someone who has been loud about it since day one: telling everyone is a choice. Keeping it private is a choice. Both are completely okay.

You can tell your whole family. You can tell one best friend. You can tell your doctor and literally nobody else. You can tell people later, or never. Being open worked for me, but it's not a requirement for doing this right.

And keeping it private doesn't mean you're ashamed. It means you get to decide who has a say in your life.

The only thing I don't want for you is to feel like you're doing all of it alone. Carrying a secret and a hard week at the same time is a lot.

Quick note: I'm not a doctor. This is my experience, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber about anything related to your medication.

Sources: EMJ, March 2026 · Georgetown Lombardi, April 2026

tell everyone or tell no one