24 hours of GLP-1s

Curious what a real day on GLP-1 looks like when the goal isn’t just weight loss, but lasting health? We sit down with Diane, founder of Couture Med Spa, to trace her path from a gastric sleeve and early plateaus to a smart, supportive GLP-1 routine that prioritizes strength, energy, and sustainable habits. No fluff—just honest talk about what works, what doesn’t, and how to build a plan that outlives the novelty of “just a shot.”

Diane opens up about the turning points that changed everything: discovering that appetite quiets on GLP-1 but protein still drives progress, structuring mornings around a 20-gram shake and Pilates, and using simple systems to keep momentum—like pre-planned dinners and lights out by 10. We dig into side effects with pragmatic fixes, from nausea and constipation to that sneaky hangry spell when you forget to eat. You’ll hear the real markers for dose changes, why hunger alone isn’t a reason to escalate, and how the right lab work and supplements can protect hair, skin, and overall wellness during rapid body changes.

What stands out most is the mindset shift. The scale took a backseat to stronger movement patterns, better sleep, and the confidence that comes from consistency. Diane’s now on low, maintenance-level dosing and shows how microdosing GLP-1, high-protein meals, and a supportive team can stabilize results without obsession. If you’re considering GLP-1 therapy or you’re on it and feel stuck, this conversation gives you a clear map: education, accountability, protein-first nutrition, and data-driven adjustments instead of guesswork.

Ready to turn curiosity into action? Tap play, then subscribe, share with a friend who needs real guidance, and leave a review telling us your top GLP-1 question—we’ll answer it in a future show.

Transcript

Why GLP-1 And Why Now

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Welcome back to Couture Conversations. I'm so excited about today's episode because we were diving into a topic that so many people are curious about but don't always hear about the honest truth. And today we're talking about the day in the life on a GLP1. I'm sitting down with Diane, the founder of Couture Med Spa. Diane is not only a leader in the aesthetics and wellness space, but she has also been on her own weight loss journey and overall wellness for the last several years. This is a journey she's lived, learned from, and continues to navigate every single day. In this episode, we are walking through what a real day in the life on a GLP1 looks like, from where Diane started to what her daily routine is like now, including her food choices, workouts, mindset, and even maybe some side effects that don't always get talked about, and how she's learning to manage them. We'll also talk about how our life has evolved from the early days of weight loss to now being in a place of maintenance, balance, and sustainability. And we'll wrap things up with honest advice for anyone who's considering a GLP one or already on one and looking for some guidance. This episode is real, educational, and empowering, and I know it's going to resonate with so many of you. Diane, welcome. Hi, welcome. I'm really excited about this one. I know, I am too. I was, this was your idea, your topic, and I was so excited. I was like, good.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Yeah, we've been talking about like um just the service that we offer, and that it's not just weight loss, that it's a whole program. And so I was like, oh, we should do a day in the life so they can kind of see every all the resources that we can give them rather than just you know, it's not just a shot. So kind of doing a day in the life to see, you know, what all it entails. So I'm excited. I'm excited too.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

So take us back to the beginning. What made you to decide to start a GLP one?

From Gastric Sleeve To Shots

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Um, so I'm always very transparent about my weight loss journey. I had a gastric sleeve about two and a half years, maybe three years ago. I think this summer will be three years. Um, I was about 300 pounds was my heaviest. I think I weighed in exactly at 300, and um, I had lost 90 pounds with my gastric sleeve, and then I kind of plateaued and I went to my plastic surgeon. I had a bunch of extra skin I wanted removed, and he was like, You still your BMI still needs to be below 29, and I was still at a 31, 32, I can't remember the exact numbers, but I had a ways to go, so um I was like, All right, I'm gonna start on these weight loss shots I'm hearing about. And at the time, Kator didn't offer it because again, I don't offer things until I know that they're tried and trusted tested, and I try them myself. So I went to a clinic in the area, and um I got started on uh medication, and the medication itself was great. I lost uh a bunch of weight on it, but I had no clue what I was doing. I was given a shot um once a week. Sometimes they would show up um to give me my shot. Sometimes I had to have appointments, and I would sit there and the nurse would never show up, and I would just be like, okay. I wasn't given any guidance on what to eat, what not to eat. Um again, the shot still worked, but I was doing a lot of research on my own, and I was like, man, this medication is amazing. And it would be even more amazing if you were given some directions and guidance and help with the best way to go about it. And I wasn't just TikToking the journey and figuring it out through other people that lost weight, so that's what kind of made us take it. Um take we we decided to offer it, um, but we wanted to offer it in a whole program that helped. So that's kind of my journey of how I started on it and how I brought it into Couture.

SPEAKER_01 4:01

What expectations did you have when you started in on the I didn't have any because I had no clue.

Building A Program, Not Just A Shot

SPEAKER_00 4:05

I hadn't done a ton of research. I had a friend that um had just told me that it worked well, and you know, I had seen online a little bit that it was working, so I kind of went in. My mindset was I really need to get to my BMI so I can have this extra skin removed. That was my goal and the only thing I wanted, and then it completely morphed into oh my god, like the the goal weight that I had in my head, I can crush that and really get down to the healthiest version of myself. And um, you know, when I first started, I wasn't working out, I wasn't doing any of that. And then when I got to my goal weight where I had my surgeries, then after that, I was like, I I went back on the GLP one a little bit more, and I lost even more weight. I started working out. So my goal was just to get to the point where I could get the skin removed. Um, but then my goal changed. Like it's like every time I hit my goal, I pushed myself further and I was like, okay, now I want to do this, and now I want to do this, and now I want to build muscle, and now I want to, you know, get to this number that I thought I would never get to ever again, and I don't I've met every goal, so it's evolved over time. But um originally it was just to be able to get the skin removed because it was a huge uh making me super self-conscious, just having all this extra skin.

SPEAKER_01 5:27

So let's look at a current day in your life right now. So, how do you start your mornings now?

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Um, so I wake up every morning at 5:30 and I um let out my dog baby girl and and give her her um morning treats, and then I make myself a protein shake with oat milk that has 20 grams of protein, and I drink that um in the car on my way to Pilates. I do Pilates seven days a week um at um High Lie and Maitland. I love it.

SPEAKER_01 6:03

Um what do you love about Pilates? I've never tried it, and I watch you all the time, and I'm um trying.

Goals Evolve Beyond The Scale

SPEAKER_00 6:09

I think it's really hard. I love that it's like um, I feel like it's transformed my body. Like I went from just being thin is what how people saw me, to now I have muscle and definition, and I feel strong. And uh I don't, I feel like it's good for my mental. Like, I don't know, if I don't do it for a day, I can feel completely off. Um, I love everything about it. Um, it's hard, and that 50 minutes you're like, ooh, and you're pushing yourselves, my muscles are sore at the end. I can feel what body movements I've gone, and I feel really accomplished after. Like, man, I crushed that and I love it. Um, I love the community, I love the best the girlfriends that I go with, I love the instructors, I love the music, I love that it's like this vibe, like dark with lights, and the music is awesome. And I don't know. I just I feel like I should, yeah. Um I love how much you love it. I love it, I love it. I tell I I tell everyone about it that they should go, and they're like, oh Pilates. I'm like, no, this studio, this exactly. I am obsessed. All right, so Pilates is I do Pilates, so that's 20 grams of protein that I start with. Do you have a protein powder that you love? Which one? Yes. So shout out Amazon. It's called UMP, it's ultimate muscle protein, and I like the angel food cake flavor. It's like$47 for a big jug. It lasts like two months, and I'm obsessed with it. One scoop has 20 grams of protein. I know my best friend uses it, does two scoops, so she starts her day off with 40 grams of protein, but it is amazing. I love it. Um, after I finish Pilates, I go straight to Starbucks, that's my reward, and I get a triple espresso macchiato with protein coldifoam on top, so I get an extra 15 grams of protein there. Um, and then I go to whatever spa I'm working at that day. I typically um will start working. I'm not a big breakfast person, so that's why I try to get my protein in other ways. Um, I work uh a morning and then um for lunch I do protein heavy and then I work until about seven, eight at night, and then I come home and I'm very blessed that I have a husband that enjoys cooking, and he has uh dinner made for me, heavy protein. He we plan it out ahead of the week, like what we're gonna eat on what day, and um we do dinner together, and then I'm a grandma, and I'm up at 5:30 in the morning, so I'm typically sleeping by 10 o'clock at night at the latest. And I read my book in bed and just do my reset, put my phone on, do not disturb, and I uh just get ready for the next day. So um, yeah, so my day consists of working out, a lot of work, um, a lot of protein, and then doing uh a mind reset at night. That's it. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

Yeah. So advice for anyone who is either starting or trying to figure out what to eat.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

Sounds like protein is protein, protein, protein. Because you're you're you shut off the food noise, so you're not hungry at all. So it's really important to remember to get the protein in. Um, so I swear by the protein powder that I use um or any other source of protein drink, um, because towards the end of the day, if I count my protein and I'm only at like 60 grams, then I'll go home and have a protein shake before dinner. So I know I'm at 80 before I have my protein. Um, but that's really the most important part. And the reason behind it, the scientific reason, is your for your body, there's two sources of fuel for your body, either protein or fat. So if you're not getting in enough protein, your body thinks it's starving itself, so it'll hold on to all your fat cells, and you will not lose weight if you're not getting enough protein in, because your body has to store that fat to use for protein. So when clients plateau, the first thing I say is, What is tell me everything you consumed yesterday from morning until night, and I'll count their protein as they're going. And 99% of the time, I'm like, you got in 40 grams of protein out of your hundred, and they're like, whoa. And the next week it's like, okay, I lost two pounds, I lost three pounds, I lost four pounds, and it's just because you switched your body's energy source. They have it has enough protein, so they can therefore lose the weight because they have enough stored protein to use for energy. So, really, that's the most important thing. Um, and then once you hit certain goals, then you can start adding in, you know, working out and you know, working on lean, you know, muscle mass, and you know, obviously water intake is always important, and just there's so much. But to me, the the most important thing is fuel for your body, and so that protein.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

So, speaking of food, how would you say your relationship with food has changed since being on a GLP one?

SPEAKER_00 11:00

Uh I feel like I eat to live, I don't live to eat. So I am a foodie, I love good food, and I still do love good food, and I still will plan, you know, date nights around this restaurant that I want to try or this restaurant I want to try. It just doesn't consume my life anymore. It's um when I do eat, I try to eat foods that I enjoy. Um, but it's not what I think about 24-7 because that food noise is off, and I've learned better habits, you know. I'm still on a GLP one, but you know, I take two shots a month at the lowest dose. Like I'm almost microdosing at this point just for maintenance. Um, but yeah, my my I feel like I have a very healthy relationship with food where it's not all consuming and what I think about first thing I wake up and before I go to bed.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

What are some common side effects that people tend to have with GLP1s? And did you have any of those side effects?

SPEAKER_00 11:54

Yeah, so the most common side effect when starting is nausea. I lucked out and I did not get nauseous on it. Um there are ways to help improve the nausea, making sure you're eating, making sure you have good water intake. Um, we can always prescribe zofrin if you need it, but most clients do not need it. Um, but that is a is a high one. Uh, constipation can also be one. I also did not struggle with that. I've literally had no side effects on the medication. The two most common are constipation and nausea. Um, with constipation, um, we tell clients mirrorac every day, having a high fiber diet, eating some more green leafy vegetables, adding magnesium. Um, there's very simple ways, and again, most clients that'll self-resolve just by doing those little things. Um, working out helps with that, regulating your body. Um, for myself, if I feel start to feel any way, I just have a cup of coffee and I'm good. Um, but everyone's a little different, and I am very fortunate that I haven't. And I would say um only about 10% of the clients that come through couture have any type of side effect, and it it's normally self-resolved without needing medications, just kind of going through the the common side effects, and it typically is dehydration, which leads to constipation, or not eating, which leads to nausea.

SPEAKER_01 13:16

Yeah, I think that was one of the biggest things that I had to learn because I was like you, I was pretty lucky and hardly have any side effects, but I would notice if I wouldn't eat, I would get nauseous. Yeah. And as soon as I would eat a little something and I would try and make sure it was protein-based, like uh, even if you know, sometimes you feel a little nauseous, you don't feel like you want to eat something, but I just have like a little like Greek yogurt with like the protein or something, and as soon as I ate that, it was gone. So it was, you know, coming to see a sacred tour and doing that, we do have these things that are like, hey, try this. It's uh, you know, like you said, a lot of things are very easily resolved with things that we've tried, yeah, which is nice.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

And you saying that did remind me. I do think the one side effect that's it's gonna sound silly that I did have is I found myself getting hangry. So I wouldn't feel hungry at all, but I would feel myself getting irritable, and I would be like, oh my gosh, it's two o'clock and I haven't eaten anything. So that's my side effect. And I would so I kind of had to remind myself like it doesn't matter if you're hungry or not, you need to eat, you know, have two things to eat by one o'clock, you know, two sources of protein other than and at least one other than the protein shake. Uh so that's what I'd feel irritable, and you know, my friends or or my my husband would be like, um, well, have you eaten? And I'm like, nope, let me go do that real quick. Um, so yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:40

I think a common misconception that I hear, and I'm sure you hear as a provider, um, is people start to be like, oh, I'm feeling hungry again. They feel like they need to go up in dose. Like, do you feel like you get people who a common misconception that feel like the medications are just supposed to make you not eat?

SPEAKER_00 14:56

All the time. They're like, I am hungry, I need to go up on my meds. I'm like, but you lost three pounds. Like, it's okay to feel hunger. All it's doing is it's turning the fool food noise off. It's not supposed to make you not hungry. It's supposed to make you not starving 24-7. Um, but you still you you still have a whole body that has to have energy and fuel and protein and nutrition, nutrients to fuel it. So you need to eat. Um, so yeah, a lot of clients will be like, I'm starving, I need to go up. And it's just again educating them that that's that's not a that's not a tool or a uh that's not a trigger for us to go up. Um for us to go up, there there are things that need to be met, and hunger is not one of them. It's that you've plateaued on your weight or you've gained weight while you've consected consecutively been doing all the things on the program correctly, and you still just need a little bit more help. Um so I would say the majority of our clients are on low doses and stay on low doses. Um, some people do need higher doses, but um the majority stay on a lower dose throughout their whole journey.

SPEAKER_01 16:07

Another thing I know people sometimes will say and they get nervous about even starting a GLP one, is because they'll hear that like hair loss is a thing. Um did you have any experience with hair loss, or have you had clients? How many or kind of what causes?

Protein First, All Day

SPEAKER_00 16:22

I did have experience with thinning of hair, but that was prior to even starting on the GLP ones after the gastric sleeve, and that was something that I was educated about prior to having that surgery. So I probably couldn't speak fairly to say if it had to do if it increased with GLP ones or not. I didn't notice it increasing, but um I have been very, very adamant on preventing it since before the surgery. So I take folic acid, I take neutrophil for women, I take plaited hair serum, I'm on all the things to help prevent it. Um and so I'm probably not the best person to ask. I definitely had hair loss, but I'm not sure that it was having to do with GLP1 specifically. I have had some clients say they did feel some thinning of their hair, um, and I've started them on neutrophil and um pleated hair serum. Some of my clients have gotten the wrong. And they said that has helped. I haven't needed that or tried that. Um, but yeah, it that again is a a nice um, not a nice, but it's um a side effect that that has solutions too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

I think I remember one thing my um primary care doctor had told me. Um, it was when like when I had just started, and I had said something to her about like, oh, I don't want, you know, my hair. And she, you know, made a comment about how she's like, it's not typically related specifically to like a GLP1, but so like them, you know, talking to you about it prior to your weight loss surgery, like any sort of drastic change in your body can cause hair loss.

SPEAKER_00 18:07

And my doctor said that you're not getting the same nutrients that you were getting prior to, so it's all about supplementing with vitamins and nutrients. So that's why I think another advantage of being on a whole program is all that stuff is explained at the very beginning. Here's common side effects. If you get them, you know, let us know. We see you weekly. Um, if you're feeling this, then we'll give we'll start this. And if you're you see this, we'll start this. It's not like that we're just selling you on all this stuff at the beginning, though, because if you don't feel that side effect, there's not a need for you to do it. But you know, taking supplements and making sure, you know, that you have good skin and hair and nails and nutrients for your body, uh, we check all that. We we have you get your labs done and everything. So you know just the education up front, I think, is huge. And when I went in a little blind, I was like, oh, but one thing that my gastric um surgeon, my bariatric surgeon told me ahead of time was um, or actually the woman in his clinic, he he didn't say much, but um, they're very good at here's the lifelong things that you're going to need to do to ensure you don't get side effects, and it was iron and folic acid and you know that kind of stuff.

Food Noise Off, Habits On

SPEAKER_01 19:20

Yeah, and that it makes that makes a huge determinance because I started the GOP ones when we brought them into couture and having you, having Nicole, having all the providers there to be able to ask questions to. And is this normal or oh, this is happening, what do I do? And you know, we have a whole protocol list of, you know, if they're having this side effect, you know, start with this, like you were talking about, and it really does make a big difference, right? It gives you so much more confidence in what you're doing, and that you're like, okay, I can have success in this, right? Instead of, like you said, just being given something and you're like, what do I do with this? Right.

SPEAKER_00 19:57

How do I, yeah, no, my injecting it, or you injecting it? What's going on? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:02

So, what advice would you give someone considering starting a GLP one?

SPEAKER_00 20:05

Um, do it. I think just at least go in for the consult. And um, you know, I think sometimes looking on the internet is scary because you see the good, the bad, the ugly. I would say, you know, do your research if you're a research person, but go in for a consultation. Go into two, three consultations at two or three different places and find the place that you feel like fits you best. You know, I think it's important to be on a program with a supportive team that you feel comfortable with, whether that's Couture or that's a totally different clinic. Um, I think it's important that you do the consult, you get the information, and then you start on it. You know, what do you have to lose besides weight and health problems?

SPEAKER_01 20:47

So how do you define success in your weight loss journey? Or wellness journey?

SPEAKER_00 20:53

I think feeling good about myself, like I feel energized and I feel younger, and I feel just overall happier. Um, so to me, it's not about I don't I haven't weighed myself in forever. I don't even know what my weight is. You know, I know a guesstimate, but um, I don't go by that anymore. I go about how I feel, and uh I feel great and I go on like more fitness journeys, like can I do this? And I'm not having to modify it, Pilates, and I can do the more advanced modifications, and that's what makes me feel good. And um, it's not about the weight anymore, it's about you know, I'm gaining the confidence and the reassurance, and now I want to tone and be healthy and you know, avoid the health problems that both my parents suffered with, and knowing that I'm not gonna have to suffer with those because I don't have the extra 180 pounds on me. Uh, it's freeing, it feels good, it feels freeing, and I don't know. I feel like it's nothing short of life changing.

Side Effects And Simple Fixes

SPEAKER_01 21:50

You know, I loved watching your dream, and I told you this. If you guys haven't listened, we have a whole nother episode um with Diane about her overall um wait. Loss journey and goes into detail and all that. And I told her this in that episode, but watching Diane go through her journey inspired me so much for mine. And I take away so much of seeing her mindset mindset shift and just everything. Like the person, she was already an amazing person. She's always been someone that I've looked up to. And then seeing the physical journey that she went through as well made me be like, I can do this too. And she's been one of my biggest supporters. And so it really is true that at you know, like she said, whether you come to us at Kator, you go somewhere else, like find a place that they're your cheerleaders, right? They, you know, celebrate those successes with you and the you know advances that you've made and they're there to help you when you are struggling or you're having I feel like I'm not losing and I'm okay, let's, you know, talk about it. And you've been a huge part of that for me, and I love that we get to do that for our clients.

SPEAKER_00 22:56

Yeah, and it's that I mean it sounds cliche, but if I can do it, anyone can do it. Like I struggled with my weight since I can remember. I remember being in fifth grade and going school shopping with my mom. She always took us early in the summer, and I remember like the day before school trying on the clothes, and nothing fit. So in that summer, I had gained so much weight that I had grown out of the clothes my mom had just bought me. And I remember having to wear her clothes to school, and I it was like a it was awful moment for me. And so I remember back my fifth grade self being so self-conscious, and you know, I didn't really start this journey until I was almost in my 40s, I was 39. So I feel like if I can do it, anyone can do it, and I've struggled my whole life, and to this day, like I was in Okoe uh three days ago with Lindsay, and there were two clients that came in. Um, one that I hadn't seen in a decade, and one that I hadn't seen in 12 years. And one came in and I was talking to her for about 40 minutes, got her signed up for a membership, and at the end she was like, Yeah, so I wanna um, you know, get get some injectables done. Like, I know Diane's not here anymore at this location anymore. And I was like, I'm Diane, and she her jaw dropped, and she was like, Oh my gosh. And I, when she had walked in, I was like, Hey so and so. I don't I don't have permission to you use her name, but hey, Jane Doe. And she looked at me and she's like, Hey, so I just assumed that she knew it was me. And you know, we talked and were so friendly that I thought she knew, and then she was like, Oh my gosh, give me a hug. I can't believe that's you, I haven't seen you in so long. You look incredible, like wow. And then um the other client that came in, we were talking, and she's like, Yeah, I'm here to see Diane, and I was like, I'm Diane, and she was like, What? And I was like, Yeah, and she's like, I need to take a picture and send it to my two other friends because she always came with two other friends, and she's like, I can't believe that. And so I still I guess I I just always see me as the same person, um, but it's it feels good, or and it's all it's still shocking to me when people like are so shocked, yeah. So um, but yeah, it does, it feels good, and then then the clients are like, Tell me more, what can I do? You know, I've seen like say they see it for first hand and they know like they might have 10 pounds to lose, like they know I have way more, so it just goes to show, like, if she can do it, I can do it.

SPEAKER_01 25:35

So yeah, it feels good, yeah. Well, thank you so much for opening up and sharing your journey and hopefully inspire someone else who has been contemplating it or is on this journey and is struggling and they do feel alone, like we never want anyone to feel alone. We love carrying that support and helping all of our clients. So I appreciate you opening up and talking about it. And if you guys are interested in GLP ones or just coming in and seeing what we do, what we offer at Couture, how we can support you and make you feel the be the best version of yourself. That's what we love to do at Couture. Um, you can come in to any of our locations. We have five locations in Central Florida. Um, you can also visit us on our website, couturemedspile.com. We have a list of all of our services on there. That's a great resource too. Our website for all of our services, but our GLP1s, it also has on there kind of some of the things we talked about. Um, if you're struggling with some symptoms or anything like that, I have some frequently asked questions. So a great resource to go on our website. You can find us on all of our social media platforms if you like this episode or if it resonated with you or someone that you think um might want to share this with, send it to any of your friends. Like, subscribe, and until next time, thank you so much for joining. Bye.