GLP-1 TV · Patient story · views checked Oct 2026
70 Pounds Down on Zepbound: The Truth After 2 Months
Our summary
In this video from the Living Phase 2 channel, Mike says he has lost 70 pounds in 10 months by combining more activity with tirzepatide (Zepbound). The first part is a replay of footage recorded in July 2025, covering his first two months on the drug. He and his wife Nancy, who he says is a former registered nurse, explain that he chose Zepbound because the research suggested the largest potential weight loss, and that he works with his local primary care physician.
One person's experience, in their words. Not medical advice.
Where Zepbound costs least today
The three cheapest partner programs for Zepbound, all in per month, checked weekly. Brand Zepbound and compounded versions are different products; each row says which it is.
What else the video covers
Mike says he buys through Lilly Direct, with a first month price of $349 that rises to between $400 and $500 as the dose goes up. He uses individual vials and syringes rather than pens, and says the dose steps from 2.5 mg to 5 mg and then 7.5 mg, with later options of 10 mg and up to 15 mg. He says he lost 7 pounds in week one (from 272.8 to 265.8), 5.5 pounds in week two, and about 2.5 pounds in week three, then held steady in week four. By his count, he had lost about 13 pounds in the first month and a little over 17 pounds by the end of the second month.
Mike describes few side effects beyond heartburn, which he links to an empty stomach and treats with Prilosec, Nexium and a Pepcid equivalent after talking to his doctor. He says his appetite dropped, with intake around 1,200 to 1,600 calories a day, and that weight loss slowed when he was less active. He stresses the drug is not a magic bullet, and the couple state this is not medical advice. A follow-up video will cover the remaining months and his plan for stopping.
Our summary of what is said, in our words. Doses, results and prices are the speaker’s, not advice.
Takeaways
The main points, in the order they come up. Tap a time to play from there.
- 0:01 Mike says he has lost 70 pounds over 10 months using tirzepatide (Zepbound) plus more exercise.
- 6:47 He chose Zepbound for its weight loss potential and buys through Lilly Direct at $349 for month one, rising to $400 to $500 as doses increase.
- 16:30 Mike explains the vial dose steps from 2.5 mg to 5 mg, then 7.5 mg, with a possible 10 mg to 15 mg later, always at 0.5 ml per injection.
- 24:14 He reports losing 7 pounds in week one, from 272.8 to 265.8 pounds, and 5.5 pounds in week two.
- 32:28 After a plateau at the end of the 2.5 mg month, he says the move to 5 mg lowered his appetite further.
- 38:36 Mike says heartburn was his main side effect, and his doctor advised several over-the-counter acid medications.
Key moments
From the creator's own chapters. Tap one to play from there.
What the video says
As stated in the video, not checked by us. Doses and results are the speaker’s, not advice.
- Medication
- Zepbound and tirzepatide
- Doses mentioned
- 2.5 mg, 5 mg and 15 mg
- Point in the journey
- Month 2
- Weight loss mentioned
- 70 lb, in the title
- Side effects mentioned
- nausea, fatigue and heartburn or reflux
- Who is speaking
- Patient
Questions this video answers
How much weight did Mike lose in the first month on Zepbound?
Mike says he lost about 13 pounds in the first month, starting at 272.8 pounds. He reports 7 pounds in week one, 5.5 in week two, about 2.5 in week three, and none in week four.
How much does Zepbound cost through Lilly Direct?
According to Mike, the first month cost $349, and it rose to between $400 and $500 as the dose increased. He adds that he has no insurance coverage because he owns his own business.
What side effects did Mike have on Zepbound?
Mike says his main side effect was heartburn and acid reflux, which he attributes to an empty stomach. He says he treated it with Prilosec, Nexium and a Pepcid equivalent after checking with his doctor, and he noticed little else.
What Zepbound doses did Mike use in the first two months?
He says he took 2.5 mg weekly for four weeks, then 5 mg for about the next month, and was about to move to 7.5 mg. He says later steps are 10 mg and up to 15 mg.
Videos on the same question
The closest videos in the library by what is said in them, not by title.
Zepbound Real-Life User Reviews: What To Expect.This video from the channel 4AllFamily collects user reviews of Zepbound to show what people report about weight loss, side effects and cost.
One Month Zepbound Journey | Weight Loss Results & Side Effects | 2.5 mgIn this update from the Zepbound and Beyond channel, Anita says she has finished four weeks on Zepbound at 2.5 mg.
Losing 100 Pounds! | 2 Years On Zepbound - The Good, The Bad, & The UglySarah, who runs the realiteasquad channel, gives a two-year update on her weight loss with Zepbound.
Zepbound Dosing: The Ultimate Step-By-Step Guide For Sustainable Weight Loss.According to the video, Zepbound is a prescription medication for adults with long-term weight issues, not for cosmetic weight loss.
How Much Weight Can You Really Lose on Zepbound? Ask the DOWNSIZEDIn this weekly Q&A episode, the hosts Lorraine and Christopher Durham answer viewer questions about tirzepatide and other GLP-1 medications.
Ultimate Zepbound Showdown: Zep vs Compounded TirzepatideChristopher Durham, host of the DOWNSIZED channel, compares his experience with branded tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) and compounded tirzepatide from telehealth providers.
Read next
Our guides closest to what this video covers, with prices checked weekly.
- Zepbound dosage chart: every tirzepatide dose, the escalation rule, what each rung lost in the trial, and what it costs
Zepbound has six doses, 2.5 to 15 mg, taken once a week. The label's rule is four weeks at 2.5 mg, then 2.5 mg steps with at least four weeks on each, to a maintenance dose of 5, 10 or 15 mg. In SURMOUNT-1 those three doses lost 15.0, 19.5 and 20.9 percent of body weight over 72 weeks. Direct from Lilly each rung has a price, $299 at 2.5 mg rising to $699 at 10 mg and above, so the chart below carries the dose, the rule, the trial result and the bill in one place, plus the vial and KwikPen concentrations for anyone measuring in units.
- How to get Zepbound: who qualifies, who prescribes it, and the four ways to pay
Zepbound is a prescription drug approved for adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related condition, which the trials defined as a BMI of 30, or 27 with a comorbidity. Any licensed prescriber can write it, including online. Then it is a payment question with four answers: a commercial plan that covers it brings it to $25 with Lilly's card; Lilly sells it direct for $299 to $699 a month by dose; a plan that refuses can be appealed; and compounded tirzepatide, the same molecule without FDA approval, starts at $85 on our board.
- What is Zepbound? Tirzepatide explained: what it treats, how it works, and what it costs
Zepbound is Eli Lilly's brand of tirzepatide, a once-weekly injection that acts on two hormone receptors, GIP and GLP-1. The FDA label approves it, with diet and exercise, for weight reduction in adults with obesity or overweight plus a weight-related condition, and for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. In the SURMOUNT-5 trial it produced 20.2% average weight loss at 72 weeks against 13.7% for semaglutide. Lilly sells it self-pay from $299 a month.
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