Anecdotal, but I think this tracks with what you’re asking. I have never been obese, but due to family history of both connective tissue disorders and diabetes it has always been extremely important to me that I keep my weight in a normal range. It took an intense amount of mental effort on my part, religious food tracking and extensive exercise for decades.

When I started on a GLP-1 (due to a weird health situation that’s not really relevant), the amount of mental energy I needed to expend to maintain my weight was suddenly gone. I don’t feel sugar cravings like I used to, so I don’t need to stay so vigilant about my diet. I don’t spend my days monitoring my intake, planning out a rigorous fasting schedule, working out more than I’m naturally inclined to just to counteract that brownie I couldn’t stop myself from eating. It’s both a literal and emotional weight off. I am taking a very low dose but even so I honestly can’t believe the difference. I am one of the ones who was will-powering through calories in/calories out and it was miserable. Now it’s just…not.

I was finally in a position to buy my first home just after the 2008 recession. Just a fluke of timing, and just enough to afford a hundred year old bungalow, but that luck gave me leverage. Sold the house 5 years later when I had a kid, paid off my college debt, and moved to a lower COL area. Never could have happened if I’d bought earlier or later.

I was recently hand-picked for a promotion to backfill my boss, but when HR came to give me the offer they told me my old pay grade was identical to the new one (yeah, I know, that’s weird as hell). Anyway, they told me it would be a lateral move, BUT I would be moved into the management bonus structure which historically has been 8% quarterly. Once I accepted (yeah, I know, I’m looking at other options) they told me I didn’t actually qualify for any bonus payout until April of 2026.

I’ve had bonuses in the past that were as low as $5, this is by far the worst and will be the reason I leave.