02/10/2026
GLP-1 medication💉
There's more to it than just losing weight.
With more and more people now using medications such as Mounjaro, Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications, I thought it was worth sharing a few thoughts from my side of things.
First of all, I'm not a medical professional and I'm not here to tell anyone whether they should or shouldn't use GLP-1 medication.
I am a Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Coach, and I've completed certification specifically around working with clients using GLP-1 medication. I've also worked with clients who are using it, so I'm seeing some of the practical side of things too.
And I'm definitely not against GLP-1 medication.
Used appropriately and alongside sensible lifestyle changes, I know it can be a very useful tool for some people.
But I think one of the biggest things that gets missed is that people can become very focused on one thing:
"I'm losing weight."
And that's great… but what are you actually losing?
Weight loss isn't necessarily the same thing as fat loss.
When you're losing weight, particularly when weight is coming off fairly quickly, you want to do as much as possible to maintain your muscle and strength.
That's where strength training and protein become really important.
🏋️ Strength training gives your body a reason to retain muscle.
🥩 Adequate protein provides the building blocks to help maintain that muscle.
And this becomes particularly important when appetite is reduced, because one of the effects of GLP-1 medication can be that you're simply not as hungry.
It's very easy to eat less, lose weight and think everything is going brilliantly… while potentially overlooking your protein intake, strength, nutrition and overall health.
The goal shouldn't simply be:
"How much weight can I lose?"
It should also be:
"How much strength, muscle and function can I maintain while losing body fat?"
I've also had an interesting conversation with one of my clients who has ADHD and is taking ADHD medication.
While taking Mounjaro, she noticed that she felt considerably calmer and experienced much less "food noise", and she found that she didn't feel the same need for her ADHD medication at certain times.
That's her personal experience, not something I'm suggesting will happen to other people, and it certainly isn't evidence that Mounjaro treats ADHD.
There could be several reasons for what she's experiencing, and medication changes should always be discussed with the appropriate healthcare professional rather than simply stopping prescribed medication.
It does, however, highlight just how much more complicated this subject can be than simply:
GLP-1 = weight loss.
There can be changes in appetite, food intake, eating behaviour and potentially other aspects of how someone feels day to day.
So if you're considering, or already using, a GLP-1 medication, my advice from a training perspective would be:
Don't forget the rest of the picture.
✔️ Eat enough protein
✔️ Strength train
✔️ Look after your nutrition
✔️ Keep active
✔️ Pay attention to how you're feeling
✔️ Work with your healthcare provider
✔️ Don't make the scales your only measure of progress
GLP-1 medication can be a useful tool.
But it's still a tool.
What you do alongside it can make a big difference to the bigger picture.
And as always, I'm happy to help from the training and lifestyle side of things, whilst leaving the medical decisions to the medical professionals👍
