Since parting ways with The Real Housewives of Orange County, Braunwyn Spinner has undergone a drastic physical and mental transformation. Aside from her ongoing sobriety and recent marriage, she also embarked on a major health journey. Braunwyn has lost about 20 pounds since starting a semaglutide medication with a telehealth provider called Enhance.MD last year. She tells Us Weekly it was one of the best decisions she’s ever made… regardless of what people might say about it.
“This has been such a huge help to me,” she says of the GLP-1 medication, which contains the same active ingredient as Ozempic. “It was about feeling and finding myself again.”
Entering perimenopause was challenging for Braunwyn Spinner
For some, perimenopause might trigger hot flashes, mild insomnia or an irregular period. But for others, it can lead to significant weight gain. Once Spinner hit her 40s, she entered perimenopause — and together with the stress of a divorce — she gained about 25 pounds. And even though that might feel healthy for some, it just didn’t sit well with Spinner.
“I was 46 years old, recently divorced, seven kids, first time in my life being on my own since I got married at 22,” she tells us. “I had been 122 [pounds] my entire life, and when I got up to 146, I just didn’t feel like me. I’ve always worked out, I’ve always eaten pretty healthy, but I just couldn’t lose the weight.”
After sharing her story, a telehealth provider reached out to Spinner about semaglutide
When it comes to social media, Spinner is an open book. She’d opened up about her perimenopausal weight gain, hoping other women could relate. But little did she know there were actual solutions. It wasn’t long before a telehealth provider called Enhance.MD reached out to her about trying a GLP-1 medication like semaglutide.
“I’d never considered it for myself, but once they put it on the table and I started researching it, I was like ‘This is this is amazing! This is the right choice for me,”‘ she says. “It was kind of about taking control in a very uncontrollable time of my life, and saying ‘OK, I can’t fix everything that’s going around me right now, but I can have some control over my body and my size.’”
I can’t fix everything that’s going around me right now, but I can have some control over my body and my size.
Getting started was painless
Once you sign up with Enhance.MD, you schedule a time to speak one-on-one with a doctor. Spinner remembers sharing her health history and goals so they could design a personalized plan. Since she was looking to lose 20 pounds, that meant she’d be starting off on a very small dose.
“It was five units, which is the smallest you can get. And at the end, I was at 15, which was as high as I got,” she recalls. “Fifteen was the sweet spot for me, where I was losing weight, but not dramatically. Then I started to taper down, and now I’m back at seven units.”
Once she started losing the weight, she started to feel more like herself
Just a few weeks into starting her semaglutide with Enhance.MD, Spinner started seeing and feeling a difference in body composition. Her blood pressure was lower than ever, too, which she had always struggled with. That’s when she knew she had made the right decision.
“It freed up so much mental space in my head once I took that leap,” she says. “I think for me, it wasn’t just about the number on the scale. It was about feeling and finding myself again.”
It wasn’t just about the number on the scale. It was about feeling and finding myself again.
Getting semaglutide online makes the process seamless
To ensure taking semaglutide is safe for you, Enhance.MD requires patients to meet with a doctor, and get an in-person physical. They make the appointments to get your bloodwork done. Then you do routine telehealth visits, regular checkups and labs every few months, to ensure everything’s on track.
“They made all the appointments,” Spinner says. “All I had to do was walk in, and it was a very minimal co-pay, if anything… I think they covered the cost. They made it as easy as it could be.”
Spinner has experienced minimal side effects — but it effects everyone differently
Each person experiences semaglutide medications differently. For some, the nausea or lethargy makes it difficult to keep taking it. However, Spinner recalls her side effects on semaglutide were minimal. And luckily, Enhance.MD prepared her for the worst.
“Maybe [I felt] some slight nausea, something that was similar to like morning sickness,” she says. “I think right after I started, I went on a 10 day trip to the beach with my kids. Nothing that interfered with my quality of life. And I never went on too high of a dose. I started off at the smallest dose, and I think that’s really beneficial, as far as side effects go.”
She spends less time worrying about exercise and always eating clean
Spinner still exercises, walks the dogs and hikes with her wife most weekends. But she’s been busy as a full-time parent, and now, as an esthetician student. Since her weight has stayed the same either way, though, she feels as though a weight has been lifted from her shoulders.
“If anything, this has been such a bonus, because my life is so busy,” she explains. “This has been able to kind of keep me in the right spot and just stay healthy.”
Semaglutide helped a lot with both caffeine and alcohol cravings
Research has shown that semaglutide medications can help minimize cravings for alcohol and other substances. And as someone who is sober, Spinner n says this has been incredibly helpful for her. “I think the thing that’s big for me is, since I’m sober, the GLP-1s take away cravings,” she explains. “I noticed it with my caffeine intake, too. I used to have three coffees in the morning, one or two in the afternoon, and now I barely finished my first cup of coffee, and I don’t want any more.”
The thing that’s big for me is, since I’m sober, the GLP-1s take away cravings.
Now, she wants to fight the stigma against taking GLP-1s
Because Spinner’s had such a positive experience with semaglutide and Enhance.MD in general, she’s encouraged friends struggling similar issues to give it a shot. And while some might look down upon taking semaglutide for weight loss — whether it’s due to jealousy or preconceived notions — she says it could really change your life.
“I think a lot of the backlash against it is just that ingrained patriarchy, where we put each other down instead of lifting each other up,” she tells us. “We have enough on our shoulders… we really shouldn’t be tearing women down for things that make them not just healthier but feel better.”
So, she says, talk to your doctor and see if it’s right for you
“Just like with anything else, talk to your doctor, but don’t let the stigma or the fake news surrounding it cloud your judgment,” Spinner adds. “Don’t Google or go on Instagram to get your medical knowledge — speak with a professional.”
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
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