What a GLP-1 Won't Fix...And Why That Matters When You Come Off
INTRODUCTION:
You started the GLP-1. The scale moved. And for a minute it felt like finally... this is the thing that is actually working...talk about relief!
As the weeks go on, the weight loss stalls, and you notice you are feeling exhausted by 2pm. You are eating next to nothing and somehow still not feeling like yourself.
And you cannot quite figure out why.
Fret not, I'm breaking it down right now.
THE APPETITE SUPPRESSION PROBLEM:
GLP-1 medications work primarily by suppressing your appetite. Which sounds great in theory. Less hunger means less food means less weight. Simple math.
Except your body does not run on simple math.
When your appetite is suppressed significantly your body is still running. Still rebuilding tissue. Still producing hormones. Still trying to maintain the muscle mass that keeps your metabolism functioning. And all of that requires nutrients...especially protein...that most women on GLP-1s are simply not getting enough of.
Here is why that matters so much.
Muscle is your metabolism. Literally. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns at rest. And muscle requires adequate protein to survive, especially after 40 when your body is already fighting to maintain it as estrogen declines and muscle begins to naturally fall off. Yup, just fall off your body, so even without GLP-1's, we have to work harder to keep muscle (aka metabolism) on.
When you eat less without being intentional about protein your body does not just lose fat. It loses muscle too. Which means when you come off the medication your appetite returns...but your metabolism does not return to where it was. It returns to something smaller and slower...ugh.
I'm definitely not trying to scare you...this is legit the science behind the scenes.
WHAT THE GLP-1 DOES NOT TOUCH:
Here is the part that does not get talked about nearly enough.
The GLP-1 suppresses your appetite. It does not fix what caused the weight gain in the first place.
If your cortisol was dysregulated before you started, it is still dysregulated. The medication did not touch it.
If your gut was inflamed before you started, it is still inflamed. The medication did not touch it.
If your thyroid was struggling before you started, it is still struggling. The medication did not touch it.
If your hormones were already shifting through perimenopause before you started, they are still shifting. The medication did not touch them.
So yeah, the scale moved, which is freaking awesome. But the root cause is still there. Quietly. Waiting.
And without intentional work to support your nutrients, your hormones, your stress response, and your gut health, the root cause does not go anywhere just because the number on the scale did.
This is exactly why so many women regain the weight when they come off. Not because they failed. Because the foundation was never built while the medication was doing its job.
GLP-1S HAVE A REAL AND VALUABLE PLACE:
I want to be really clear about something.
I am not anti GLP-1. Not even a little.
For many women they are a genuinely powerful tool, especially when used as a bridge to build the foundation that makes results last. The medication can create the window of opportunity. But the work that happens inside that window is what determines everything that comes after.
The habits. The hormones. The protein. The stress response. The inflammation. The foundation.
THAT is what makes the results permanent instead of temporary.
WHERE I COME IN:
This is exactly why I work with women on GLP-1s...and because the support I have seen from providers is greatly lacking with a 15 minute check in every few months. I have not seen any true support in HOW to get ALL of the nutrients your body needs despite feeling totally turned off by food.
Because while the GLP-1 is doing its job of suppressing appetite and moving the scale, I help you build everything it cannot touch.
Making sure your protein is dialed in so you are protecting your muscle and your metabolism even when your appetite is fighting against you.
Supporting your hormones so the cortisol dysregulation, the inflammation, and the perimenopause piece are actually being addressed, not just masked by a lower number on the scale.
Building the mindset foundation so when you eventually come off the medication your habits are already there waiting for you. Solid. Practiced. Yours.
And creating the resilience to pivot instead of fall off when life gets hard...because the medication will not always be there to catch you. Your foundation will be.
The GLP-1 is the tool. The foundation is what makes it last.
And if you are currently on a GLP-1 and feeling like something is still missing, that is probably exactly what is missing.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
GLP-1s move the scale.
They do not fix the habits, the hormones, the inflammation, the stress, or the root cause of the weight gain in the first place.
And when you come off (and most women do eventually) the only thing standing between you and starting over is the foundation you built while you had the chance.
That foundation is exactly what I help you build.
Whether you are on a GLP-1, considering one, or building this entirely on your own, the three pieces that actually drive fat loss after 40 are the same. And they are waiting for you inside my free private podcast.
Maybe It's Not Your Calories: The Fat Loss Truth for Women Over 40.
8 episodes. Completely free.
