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Ozempic Opinion

How much weight loss?

17 Pounds in 2 months! But I’m cheating ya know, because of the drugs.

Whelp, now I know what to write about.

Implementing Ozempic, Mounjaro, or similar GLP-1 drugs to aid in weight loss isn’t cheating.

Injecting insulin to manage diabetes isn’t cheating.

Going to physical therapy to speed up recovery isn’t cheating.

Cheating implies that you’re in competition with someone.

When it comes to weight loss or gain, or how strong you are, or how you feel, the only person that matters is you.

Using Ozempic or something similar to aid in weight loss is absolutely fine, but here are some considerations when starting.

What To Eat

Because these drugs work by reducing your intake overall, it becomes even more important to make sure your taking in the right foods.

Foods that provide a wide array of nutrient diversity and support muscle retention.

Essentially prioritizing whole unprocessed foods and…

Protein

There it is again. The fitness industry is obsessed with protein.

But here’s the thing, protein is important, particularly if you’re taking Ozempic. We’ve seen that people who have successfully lost weight on similar drugs lose a disproportionate amount of muscle tissue.

Why?

Well muscle wasting occurs anytime you’re in a caloric deficit and not exercising.

But regardless, you need to take in enough protein to support daily muscle tissue repair. It’s easy to take in 80 grams of protein when you’re eating 2500 calories a day. But when you’re calories are only 1500? You might need a concerted effort.

Speaking of concerted effort…

Exercise

Before GLP-1’s, people would typically start an exercise regiment in conjunction with a diet shift to supplement their health and fitness goals. But, because these drugs have been so successful in helping people reduce calories, they’ve left out the exercise portion.

Here’s the catch.

Muscle tissue takes a lot of energy (calories) to maintain. If you’re in a caloric deficit for an extended period, it’s going to figure out what’s costing you so many calories and try to get rid of it…

Unfortunately, it’s not fat.

So how do you maintain as much muscle mass as humanly possible.

Cycling? Swimming? Jogging? Hiking?

These are all fantastic for cardiovascular health, but virtually useless in muscle retention, let alone muscle building.

You have to strength train.

Resistance training using some sort of external load and moving your body through space.

Like squats.

You can use a dumbbell, medicine ball, or even hold onto that big ass bag of dog food.

The goal is to use your muscles in a deliberate attempt to build muscle tissue.

Doing this while on a weight loss drug will cue your body to hold on to the muscle you do have and maybe even add a bit.

It’s working because you’re working!

Ozempic and similar drugs don’t replace your efforts in health and fitness, they simply support them.

Insulin helps regulate blood sugar levels, but diabetics still need to focus on nutrition and exercise.

Physical therapy aids recovery, but you still need to exercise consistently.

GLP-1 drugs make it easier to maintain a caloric deficit, but you still need to eat mindfully.

Yes, your body weight is only one aspect of health and wellness.

But it is still health and wellness.

Utilizing a tool to work toward a healthier version of yourself is never cheating.

And remember, if someone is trying to make you feel guilty for utilizing a weight loss drug or diminishing your efforts…

fuck ‘em,

Jesse

River City Strength Coach Spotting a Man Training

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