Around the third week of taking Byetta I noticed a marked difference in my appetite. Not only did I not feel the pangs of hunger at almost every turn, but my portion sizes at each meal have dramatically decreased. In fact, I found that having half of a small cucumber, 10 crackers and cheese and a glass of water for lunch was more than satisfying on a number of occasions. One night for dinner, I shocked my husband when I sat down with a handful of carrots and a glass of water while the rest of the family had tacos! Some days I feel like I can skip a meal altogether-something I can't ever remember feeling on a regular basis.

Due to my much smaller appetite, I have finally experienced a slight weight loss. I'm down just 4 lb. in five weeks, but considering that I haven't been able to restart my exercise routine I find this very comforting.

With the 5 mcg starter dose, it seemed like it took a week or so for the ball to get rolling. I mean, I was seeing some results in my numbers, but I was still hideously hungry and unable to control what I ate. When I started the 10 mcg dose, I expected all the symptoms I had been experiencing for the last several weeks to continue. But it was almost as if I was starting all over again-I had a mild return of hunger and a loss of some of the nausea.

The first week of August I made some major changes. I started my daily walk again, started testing after every meal (and quite often in between just to see where I am), and cut down on between-meal snacks. I was horrified to see I had gained back two or three of the 4 lb. I had lost! I think my body was just getting reacquainted with the routine. This morning, the scale revealed that two of those pounds are gone again.

While there are moments I question the merits of a drug that doesn't allow me the pleasure of an occasional high-carb meal or a dessert without keeping my numbers in range, overall I have to say Byetta is treating me well.