Muscle loss worries on GLP-1s?

Hong Kong Yanpep International
Pin-Health

Pin-Health

Active member
Been taking Wegovy for a couple of months, at 0.5mg a week. Down nearly 20 pounds, and I'm getting concerned that I'm losing muscle as well as fat.

Anyone else worried about this or actually seeing muscle go? I'm trying to eat more protein and get to the gym a few times a week. What are your strategies for keeping muscle?
 
I think worrying about muscle loss is totally reasonable. It's a real thing.

Lifting weights and eating plenty of protein seems to be the answer though...
 
Increased protein intake and consistent strength training are key. Beyond that, try not to obsess. As you slim down, your muscle needs decrease. If feasible, consider getting a DEXA scan periodically to accurately track your body composition.
 
I've been on Oz for about 8 years, and DEXA scans show I've gained about 25 lbs of core muscle and lost about 30 lbs of fat. It might not sound impressive, but as a full-time wheelchair user, it shows I've been able to slowly build muscle in my core and upper body to get around.

I do resistance training to failure, high reps with low weight. It might take longer to build muscle this way, but the results are the same: muscle gained over time. It's lean muscle, not bulky, so most people wouldn't guess I have a 25% body fat percentage (it was 22%, but that wasn't sustainable). My BMI still says I'm obese.
 
As long as you're eating enough protein and going to the gym, you shouldn't worry too much. Track your daily protein needs and focus on strength exercises. A protein shake can help if you don't reach your protein goals some days :)
 
I use a body composition scale to keep an eye on things, and I do strength training 3 times a week, progressively increasing the weight. I make sure I get enough protein. I'm gaining muscle and losing fat.
 
I eat tons of protein (mostly chicken or salmon, plus whey protein or skyr) and lift weights to avoid muscle loss. I'm even hoping to build some muscle while losing weight, but I'm not sure if that's realistic. At least I'm lifting heavier weights than before.
 
My doctor gave me guidelines when I started, and resistance training was one of them. Lift weights if you can, and lift heavy stuff.
 
You can't really lose a ton of muscle in just two months. But yeah, you gotta lift weights and get more protein to avoid losing muscle over the long haul (like, a year or more).
 
I was super stressed about getting enough protein at first too. I used a food tracker app and my fitness trainer told me not to freak out if I miss my target sometimes.
 
The medication itself doesn't destroy muscle! It's what you eat and drink that matters!

Use a protein and water calculator. For example, at 64, I need 90 oz of water and 85 grams of protein. I lost 66 lbs in a year by focusing on protein, water, veggies, and salads, and avoiding empty calories.

I do 20 minutes on the treadmill and light weights. I actually gained muscle mass.
 
I’ve lost around 20lbs. My main worry was losing muscle. So I lift weights 2-3 times a week and aim for at least 140g of protein daily. Getting the protein is easy. The workouts are the hard part. The fatigue is real Pin-Health.
 
Protein needs vary, but I aim for 200g, sometimes hitting 250g. I've lost fat and gained a good amount of muscle. My weight hasn't changed much since I didn't have a ton of fat to lose to begin with. To keep muscle, you need more protein than you think and do heavy resistance training.

I do a 3-day split, training each body part twice a week. If I could give one piece of advice, it's to train each body part twice a week. It makes a huge difference.
 
Salad_Loss said:
The medication itself doesn't destroy muscle! It's what you eat and drink that matters!
Click to expand...

This is a really important point. The GLP-1 meds help with appetite suppression and blood sugar, but they don't directly cause muscle loss. It's all about diet and exercise.
 
I saw someone on Reddit say they're focusing on gaining muscle now that they've lost weight. That's my goal too!
 
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