Weight Loss Meds Do NOT Cause Muscle Loss | Bonus

Want to learn more about starting, managing, or transitioning off GLP-1 medications? Join Physique U to attend this Tuesday's live Q&A with GLP-1 expert Justin Silver (and get the replay plus a free custom nutrition plan): bit.ly/wwpu-free-plan

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Are GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro stealing your hard-earned muscle?

The short answer is no, but the reality is more nuanced than many realize.

Learn why people experience muscle loss while taking weight loss medications. Weight loss medications can be incredible tools when used properly, but like any tool, they work best when combined with fundamental lifestyle strategies that optimize body composition.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey Woodson Ways family, just another quick bonus
episode for Sunday.
Let's get this one thingcrystal clear, and that is that
GLP-1 medications likesemaglutide, terzepatide, known
by their name brand, so Zempic,manjaro, wagovi, they do not
directly cause muscle loss.
Think about it logically.
These medications, how do theywork?

(00:20):
They work by slowing thegastric emptying and affecting
appetite, affecting your satietyhormones.
They are not catabolic agents.
They don't break down muscletissue.
But the question is, why dopeople lose muscle on these
medications?
Because I didn't say theydidn't lose, I said they're not
caused by the drugs.
Well, it's the same reason thatpeople lose muscle during any

(00:41):
rapid weight loss scenario, withor without the drugs.
It is the rate of weight losscombined with inadequate protein
intake, lack of resistance,training or, I'll be honest,
even with those things, if yougo too fast, you're going to
lose muscle.
What actually happens is youstart the medication, your
appetite plummets, it goes waydown.
You're eating way less foodthat means probably less protein

(01:02):
as well, if you were eatingenough to begin with.
You're losing weight fast,maybe two to three pounds a week
or more, probably more in manycases, and your body's in a
massive calorie deficit, withoutall those other signals.
That then starts to break downboth fat and muscle for energy.
And this is just basicphysiology, right?
Rapid weight loss without themuscle preserving strategies are

(01:23):
not going to preserve muscleperiod.
So whether you're on the medsor you're just severely
restricting calories on your own, it's gonna work out that way.
And the solution then isn't hey, I'm gonna avoid the medication
because I'm worried aboutmuscle loss.
The solution is the lifestylepiece, the strategies that we
use for any fat loss phase,particularly an aggressive fat
loss phase, and I've takenpeople through rapid fat loss

(01:44):
phases and one of the things wehave to have dialed in, or two
of the things, is the trainingin the protein.
So prioritizing protein 0.701gram per pound of body weight
minimum, maybe more than that ifyou're an aggressive deficit,
even when your appetite issuppressed.
So this is one of thechallenges with people on these
drugs.
You might have to use morecalorie dense forms of protein,

(02:04):
like protein shakes, for example, greek yogurt, you know lean
meat and stuff, but some ofthese things fill you up and
it's almost a challenge to getthe protein.
Second is, of course,resistance training.
What we talk about all the timeon this show, it's the weights.
Part of what's in weights.
Your muscles need a reason tostick around.
If you're not lifting weightsconsistently, your body has no
incentive to preserve musclemass during weight loss.

(02:30):
Additionally, because you don'thave appetite, just because the
medication allows you to eatvery little, doesn't mean you
should.
And this is a challenge that wehelp people with is that
sometimes we have to almost, Ihate to say, force you to eat
more, but basically have a lottighter structure and control
around it, which is ironic,because it's the opposite

(02:51):
problem that you probably wenton the drugs in the first place
for right.
You went on because youprobably were eating too much
due to the appetite.
Now you might be eating toolittle, and slower is often
faster when it comes to gettingthe result you want, which is
fat loss because you arepreserving muscle.
And then here's where it tiesinto what we do inside Physique
University.
These are not new strategies.

(03:13):
He does the same lifestyleinterventions we teach for
sustainable body composition,whether you're using medication
or not.
And this is the personalizationpiece of this, because weight
loss medications can beincredible tools when they're
used properly, but like any tooljust like tracking is a tool
they work best when combinedwith the strategies you know are

(03:34):
supposed to work anyway proteinresistance training, reasonable
rate of weight loss, et ceteraand so that the fear of muscle
loss doesn't have to be therewhether you're on these or not,
and that could open up optionsfor you that could transform
your health.
So it's about being informedand making informed decisions
based on the knowledge to do itthe right way.
Speaking of doing it the rightway, I'm excited to share.

(03:57):
We have recent podcast guest,justin Silver, joining us for a
live Q&A this Tuesday, september2nd, inside Physique University
.
If you heard episode 358, hetalked about managing GLP-1 side
effects without losing muscle,and so he's got a lot of
expertise in this topic ofweight loss meds in general.
He's the creator ofSymptomGuard.

(04:18):
He's also an expert in howthese medications interact with
what we're doing for our bodycomposition.
So this is a member-driven Q&A.
It's the first of many we'regoing to do inside Physique
University.
We've got some others coming upwith Karen Martell, wazora,
benamu lots of podcast guestswho will be coming into the
program to do live Q and A'sthat you can talk to them
directly.

(04:38):
So this Tuesday, Justin, you canask him about the medications,
about how we combine them withlifestyle strategies, about
symptoms.
Really nothing's off limits.
And if you want to be part ofthat live Q and A with Justin,
if you want to learn how tooptimize your approach, whether
you're on the medication or not,or you're curious about them,
use the special link in the shownotes and you could join WWPU.
As always, it's only 27 permonth and you'll get my custom

(05:01):
nutrition plan, built by me foryou, for free with the link in
the show notes.
Only with that special link.
It's normally an add-on, butagain, podcast listeners, I love
you guys.
I'm very grateful, always liketo throw you some free stuff.
And that is it for today'sbonus episode.
Again, use the link in the shownotes if you want to get in on
that live Q&A and all the othergoodies there.
Until next time, enjoy the restof your weekend and we'll talk

(05:22):
to you on Monday.