#29: 5 Mistakes People Make on GLP-1 Medications (And How to Avoid Them)

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound can support weight loss and improve blood sugar regulation, but how you use them matters. In this episode of The Vitality Formula, physician Dr. Marie Livesey explains the most common mistakes people make on GLP-1 medications and what to do instead.

You’ll learn why relying on medication alone often limits long-term results and how nutrition, movement, and daily habits influence outcomes. Dr. Livesey breaks down how GLP-1 medications affect appetite, metabolism, and digestion, and why supporting your physiology during treatment is key to sustainable progress.

This episode provides a practical, physician-led framework for using GLP-1 medications in a way that supports metabolic health, preserves muscle, and improves long-term weight stability.

What You’ll Learn

• The most common mistakes people make on GLP-1 medications
 • Why medication alone is not a complete weight loss strategy
 • How low protein intake can affect muscle mass and metabolism
 • Why strength training and movement matter during weight loss
 • How under-eating can impact energy, hormones, and long-term results
 • What to consider for maintaining results after stopping GLP-1 medications

If you want a physician-led framework to help you think clearly about weight loss, hormone care, and modern health advice, you can download The Metabolic Clarity Guide .

Connect with Dr. Marie today!
Instagram: @dr.mlivesey
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drmlivesey
Website: https://www.livelyholistichealth.com

This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or establish a provider–patient relationship.

Transcript

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GLP1 medications like Ozempic, Weigovi, and Zetbound don't just change appetite. They change digestion, metabolism, and how your body responds to food, which means how you approach them matters more than so many people realize. Hello, and welcome back to the Vitality Formula. I'm your host, Dr. Marie Lipsy, physician, metabolism and hormone health expert, and founder of Lively Holistic Health. I help busy professionals take back control of their health, metabolism, and weight in ways that actually fit real life. And today we're talking about something I'm seeing more and more of in my clinical practice. GLP1 medications are being used widely and for good reason. They can improve blood sugar regulation, reduce appetite, support weight loss in ways that were previously very difficult for so many people. But I'm also seeing patterns emerge. People start these medications and unknowingly make a few key mistakes that limit their results or make the experience harder than it needs to be. So today we'll be walking through the five most common mistakes people make when starting a GLP1 and what they can do instead. Mistake number one, treating the medication like an entire solution. One of the most common mistakes is assuming this medication will handle everything. And I understand why. GLP1 medications reduce appetite, change hunger cues, and often lead to weight loss and significant cardiometabolic improvements without the same level of effort people are used to. But here's the reality: these medications support the function of your body, especially areas that may have been struggling before. They influence appetite signaling, gastric emptying, blood sugar regulation, reduce liver inflammation and fat accumulation, reduce inflammation associated with cardiovascular disease, and they improve your lipid profile. But they do not automatically guarantee that you're going to have adequate nutrition, that your muscle's gonna be preserved, that you're gonna get good nutrient quality, that your hair's not gonna fall out, and that you're gonna have good long-term habit formation. What do these medications do instead of that? Think of these medications as a tool that creates a window of opportunity. It becomes easier to eat smaller portions without having to rely on willpower alone, stabilize blood sugar, and ignore those cravings. But what you build in that window of opportunity absolutely matters because eventually you may face one of the following: your insurance not wanting to pay for the medication anymore, you wanting to stop due to concerns for long-term side effects, you maybe not being able to afford the medication, food noise creeping back in. And if one of these happens, the habits that you establish will matter the most. Mistake number two, not prioritizing protein. This is a big one. When appetite decreases, people naturally eat less. But often what drops the most is protein intake. I find this happens because carbs are easier to digest and they're less filling. And I find for a lot of people that protein seems less appetizing overall, especially early on with these medicines. So why does protein prioritizing it matter for your body? Protein is going to support muscle mass retention. It supports your metabolic rate, which is the calories that you burn. It is going to stabilize your blood sugar over time, and it's responsible or helps with satiety and recovery. Without adequate protein, weight loss can include a higher proportion of your lean muscle mass instead of being mostly fat. Instead, even if your appetite is low, you should be prioritizing protein first at your meals. And this can be done easier when you set a daily protein goal. Hit it by thinking of protein as your base for all of your meals and overall aiming to be consistent with your protein intake and not stressing about it being perfect. So if you have like 86 grams of protein instead of 90, it's not the end of the world. You're hitting the mark. Eating enough protein is one of the simplest ways to protect your metabolism long term. Mistake number three, ignoring strength and movement because weight loss is happening. Some people assume I don't really need to exercise right now, while others are so fatigued from not eating enough, making it really tough to get through a workout. But this is actually one of the most important times to move intentionally because without resistance training or movement, muscle mass declines, metabolic rate, meaning the number of calories your body is going to burn, decreases, and long-term weight maintenance becomes harder. Other things to think about, not directly related to your weight and metabolism, as we age, our muscle mass is going to naturally decline anyway. So it's really important that we maintain this to prevent injury long term as well as to promote long-term functioning and strength. You don't need an extreme routine. You need to find a way to pick up weights at least twice a week. If you don't know what to do, that's okay. You can join a fitness class, you can find a trainer. There are so many amazing trainers out there. Or you can ask to take along with your gym rat friend. There are ways to get this done. And this is going to help your body hold on to muscle mass, maintain your metabolic health, and support your long-term results. Oh, and I don't know, maybe help that, maybe help you grow that butt that you've been wanting for ages. Mistake number four, under eating or underfueling. This one is subtle and rarely intentional. GOP1s decrease appetite. That's like the jab, the first jab. They're gonna cause nausea and reflux, making it difficult to eat, second jab, and digestion slows, making you feel full and bloated. The right hook. Like boxing, it's unexpected combo gets you, and that's how you end up under-eating and underfueling. With some combinations of these, many people find eating with some combination of these, many people eat too little food for too long. You may be thinking, isn't that the point though? Doctors have been telling me for years to stop eating so much, to close my mouth so that I could lose weight and improve my cholesterol. When we under eat for long periods of time, it is going to have an impact on our bodies at a physiologic level. Over time, this is going to lead to fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, a slower metabolism, and it's going to disrupt our hormonal functions, which go figure is going to make long-term weight regulation even harder for you, which nobody wants. Instead of focusing on eating less or allowing that to be the baseline and the status quo, you should be focusing on adequate nutrition, eating balanced meals, listening to your body, not ignoring it. Your body carries so much wisdom about what you need, what foods you should be eating, and how much. The problem is we've been trained for so long to ignore our bodies. It's become normal to eat really fast. And in our culture, American culture, like eating is just something that we have to do, that we rush through. We are on our phones while we eat, we watch TV while we eat. And paying attention to our bodies is a lot harder than it sounds on our own. Ultimately, weight loss and improvement of your cardiomymetabolic health should be supported, not forced. Mistake number five, not thinking about what happens after GLP1 medication, whether that means it is stopping or on broad long term. This is one of the biggest gaps that I see. I find in the beginning people focus heavily on how much weight I can lose. Why am I not losing weight faster? How much weight can I lose? When can I increase my dose? But less on what happens after the GLP1. What can I do to reduce side effects? What systems and support do I need? It is well established and well known that GLP1 medications change appetite signaling and digestion. And it is important to know what you can do as an individual to optimize their effectiveness, especially knowing that when these medications are stopped, hunger often increases again and studies show rapid weight gain in a large percentage of people. Better questions to be asking when starting a GLP1 are what habits am I building right now? What systems will support me long term? What do I need to put these systems and habits in place, which can include finding the right coaches or personal trainers? And finally, what does sustainability actually look like for me? Yes, for you personally, because it's going to be different for every individual, because we all live different lives. Sure. The saying goes, we all have the same 24 hours. I do believe that, but we do not all have the same responsibilities. So sustainability is going to look different for everybody. Why are these better questions? Because weight loss drives a metabolic stability over time. It also helps reduce musculoskeletal pain. Think of your back, knees, hips, and ankles. So if your doctor had been nagging you to lose weight so that you can improve your blood sugars, cholesterol, or liver function, or was like just lose some weight and your knees won't hurt. Learning how to sustain this weight loss over time is so important so that these changes to your metabolic health, to your pain levels can be sustained over time and you can have long-term success. When we look at all five of these mistakes collectively, they point to a similar theme. Medication works best when it is paired with understanding, understanding of your physiology, how you should be nourishing and moving your body and long-term sustainment strategies. GLP1 medications are incredibly helpful. And as a doctor, I am so thankful for them because they help, because they have helped so many of my patients become healthier and feel good in their skin again. But they are way more effective when they are used as a part of a broader, more thoughtful approach to health. If you are using a GLP1 medication or considering one, the most important question is not just will this help me lose weight? Because duh, we know it will. We'll get Serena and Oprah. Better question you should be asking is what am I building alongside this? Because that, that's what determines how sustainable your results will be. If this episode was helpful for you, it would mean the world to me if you consider sharing it with somebody who might benefit from a more grounded physician-led perspective on GLP1 medications. And if you want more insights on metabolism, hormones, and sustainable strategies for busy professionals, make sure to hit that subscribe button on the show. I mean, if you aren't already subscribed, I don't know what you're doing with your life. So get on that. I'm just kidding. And if you want to chat more with me about GLP1s, menopause, house plans, my favorite meal prep and juicing recipes, get into my DMs on Instagram. My handle is linked in the show notes. Thank you so much for spending this time with me today. That's it for today on the Vitality Formula. Until next time, take care of yourself. Remind yourself that you deserve to feel good in your body. And as always, I'm cheering you on.