Nutrition
What to eat on a GLP-1
When a GLP-1 cuts your appetite in half, the question stops being how to eat less and becomes how to fit enough protein and nutrients into a much smaller day.
OpenFoods to avoid on a GLP-1
No food is banned on a GLP-1, but a slower stomach turns a few common favorites into a reliable recipe for nausea.
OpenHow much protein you need on a GLP-1
In the trial scans, roughly a quarter to two-fifths of the weight people lost on GLP-1 drugs was lean mass, and protein is your main defense.
OpenIntermittent fasting on a GLP-1
A GLP-1 already shrinks your appetite, so adding a 6-hour eating window can make it hard to eat enough protein even if you try.
OpenTraining
Keeping muscle while you lose weight
Losing 50 pounds can mean losing 10 to 20 pounds of lean mass if you do nothing to protect it.
OpenHow to exercise on a GLP-1
On a GLP-1, exercise matters less for burning calories and more for deciding whether the weight you lose is fat or muscle.
OpenWalking for weight loss
A 250-pound person burns roughly twice as many calories per mile as a 125-pound person walking the same route.
OpenBasics
Why your weight loss stalled
In both big GLP-1 trials, average weight loss flattened out after about a year, so a plateau is often the expected shape of the curve, not a failure.
OpenHow GLP-1 drugs actually work
Your gut already makes GLP-1, but the natural hormone lasts about 2 minutes; the weekly drugs are built to last about a week.
OpenHow TDEE is calculated
Most online calorie calculators run the same 1990 formula, then multiply it by a guess about how active you are, and that guess drives most of the difference between them.
OpenHow a calorie deficit really works
The 3,500-calorie rule says a 500-calorie daily cut loses 52 pounds a year, every year, which is why so many plans feel like they stopped working.
OpenHow to measure body fat
Your smart scale's body fat number can shift several points just from how much water you drank, so the trend matters far more than any single reading.
OpenMedication
What happens when you stop a GLP-1
One year after stopping semaglutide in the STEP 1 extension, people had regained about two-thirds of the weight they had lost.
OpenWho qualifies for a GLP-1
A BMI of 27 can be enough to meet the label criteria for Wegovy or Zepbound, if you also have a weight-related condition like high blood pressure.
OpenPregnancy, birth control and GLP-1s
Tirzepatide can make birth control pills less effective, so its label tells pill users to add a backup method after starting and after every dose increase.
OpenGLP-1 drugs and sleep apnea
In December 2024, Zepbound became the first drug the FDA approved for obstructive sleep apnea.
OpenTraveling with GLP-1 pens
A Zepbound pen can stay unrefrigerated for up to 21 days, so most trips don't need a cooler, just a plan.
OpenSafety
Drinking alcohol on a GLP-1
Plenty of people on GLP-1 drugs say they just stopped wanting a drink, and researchers are now studying whether that effect is real.
OpenStaying hydrated on a GLP-1
About 20% of the water you take in normally comes from food, so when a GLP-1 cuts your eating, your fluid intake quietly drops too.
OpenCompounded GLP-1s: where things stand
Compounded GLP-1 drugs are not FDA-approved, and the FDA has received reports of people hospitalized after measuring the wrong dose.
OpenTaking a GLP-1 before surgery
Food can stay in the stomach much longer on a GLP-1, even after the usual fasting time before anesthesia.
OpenCost & coverage
Getting a GLP-1 prior authorization approved
Many GLP-1 denials come down to missing paperwork, such as a BMI not recorded in the chart, rather than a hard no.
OpenMedicare and GLP-1 drugs
Medicare Part D has been barred by law from covering drugs used only for weight loss, but the same drug can be covered for a different approved use.
OpenPaying for a GLP-1 with HSA or FSA funds
If you pay cash for a GLP-1, using pre-tax HSA or FSA money can cut the real cost by roughly your tax rate.
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