Peptalk: Peptides Unpacked

#12 'Welcome to 40' Isn't a Diagnosis: How Katie Lost 30 Pounds with Microdosed GLP-1s

• Dr. Kylie Burton & Jessica Briecke • Season 1 • Episode 12

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The scale won't budge. Your labs are drifting. And everyone keeps saying, "Welcome to 40."

We're not buying it—and neither is Katie Pelts, Physician Assistant and Mom of 2.

In this episode, Dr. Kylie Burton and Jessica Briecke sit down with Katie Pelts to trace the real story behind a stubborn 30-pound gain and the slow, science-backed way she took control: microdosed peptide therapy that quieted food noise, reduced inflammation, and helped her feel at home in her body again.

What We Cover:

  • Where most people get stuck: doing all the "right" things and still seeing no change
  • Why personalized, low-dose semaglutide with B12 gave Katie agency, minimized side effects, and supported the habits she already had in place
  • The difference between preloaded, one-size dosing and compounded microdosing
  • How histamine and chronic inflammation can sabotage progress—and what to do about it
  • Why slow, sustainable loss protects your face, your muscle, and your mindset
  • Redefining food noise: beyond late-night snacking to the constant mental churn of planning and counting
  • What comes after GLP-1s: adding peptides that target energy, longevity, and metabolic resilience

To connect more with Katie, find her on Instagram @kids.mental.wellness.

For Clinicians, Moms, and Anyone Dismissed by the "That's Just Aging" Narrative: Midlife isn't a diagnosis—it's your chance to personalize the plan. Your story can shift too, one smart tool and one steady habit at a time.

You're certainly going to enjoy this candid conversation. 

Want to connect more with the hosts? We'd love it! Connect with Jess at B2BwithJess.com or on Instagram @JessB_LMT_NC. Connect with Dr. Kylie at her other podcast Unshakeable Brain where new episodes are posted weekly.

Ready to explore peptide therapy for yourself? Visit the company we recommend for advanced peptide therapy and one-on-one support at drkylieburton.com/peptides

Want to offer peptide therapy in your business? Whether you're adding it to your existing practice or building something new, learn how to get started—and how we'll help you make the sales and marketing much easier—at drkylieburton.com/peptides

Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new health protocol. Dr. Kylie Burton and Jessica Briecke are affiliates and may receive compensation for referrals. Individual results may vary.

You have the science. You have the tools. Now it's time to take the next step.

This is PepTalk: Peptides Unpacked—science made simple, results made real.

SPEAKER_00:

Peptides are powerful and often misunderstood. But we're here to change that. I'm Dr. Kylie Burton and I'm Jessica Brickie. This is Pep Talk. Peptides Unpacked. Science made simple, results made real. Here's a reality we don't talk about enough. More than 40% of women over 40 experience unexplained weight gain, even when they're eating clean, active, struggling life, and doing everything right.

SPEAKER_01:

And that's exactly why today's guest is so important, because she's lived that reality, both as a medical professional and as a woman in the thick of it.

SPEAKER_00:

We're joined by Katie Pelts, a brilliant physician assistant, mom of two, over 40, outdoorsy, active, farm-living, healthy woman who found herself struggling with a 30-pound weight gain that wouldn't budge for over two years.

SPEAKER_01:

And what I love about Katie's story is how honest she is about that season. She was doing all the right things, moving her body, eating well, soaking up nature, living this beautiful, grounded, healthy life, and yet nothing was shifting.

SPEAKER_00:

And to be totally transparent, Katie was resistant to peptides at first. Not because she had doubted the science. She knows the science, but because she didn't want to lose her connection to food. The food noise resistance is real.

SPEAKER_01:

Exactly. She didn't want something that was going to make her feel disconnected from eating, cooking, enjoying meals. She wanted to feel like herself, just in the body that would finally respond again.

SPEAKER_00:

Today, Katie's sharing what changed, what finally clicked, and how peptide therapy became a tool, not a crutch, in her journey back to feeling at home in her body.

SPEAKER_01:

So whether you're a clinician, a mom, a woman over 40, or someone who's done everything right and still felt stuck, this episode is just for you. Let's dive into Katie's story.

SPEAKER_00:

Katie, welcome aboard.

SPEAKER_02:

Hey Katie. Hey guys, thank you so much for having me here. I think this is the best discussion, and I am happy to share my story and just be open and honest because it's been a long journey to get here. And I think the most powerful thing you guys said is I feel at home in my body again. And that is the feeling that I want other women to have.

SPEAKER_01:

I love that for you, Katie. I and especially I think, and and Kylie has not um used peptides in the way that you and I have, but I can relate as somebody who is in wellness who teaches people how to take care of their body, walks the talk. There's kind of like an ego block almost when it comes to using peptides, I think. Like, I can do it. I know everything. I can figure this out. And yet when there's just something missing, there's something missing. We can't out science or out biology our body. If something's missing, this tool's amazing.

SPEAKER_02:

But for 35 years, I was able to do all those things. I knew how to eat right. I knew how to move my body. I knew how to balance my hormones. I knew the things that my body specifically needed. I knew that I needed to prioritize sleep and lower stress. And I was doing all these things. Um, I did have a year where I had a lot of stress, but I also had reconstructive knee surgery. So I was not mobile and not as active. And so I say, okay, I gained a little weight. Well, then it became a lot of weight, and then it was more weight. And I said, All right, I'm getting back to this. Well, two years, two years. I said, I've done all the things I've done in the past that have worked, and like, why isn't this working? And it was so frustrating. Um, and that's when I said, okay, I've got to start looking for other answers. And that's what led me to peptides.

SPEAKER_01:

Don't you think that's a really important part of the conversation too? Because I know for me, um, when I decided to go public and talk about my journey microdosing peptides, there was a level of shame and embarrassment in talking about it. But there's also that same level of shame and failure that we're dealing with when we're ready to say, okay, I can't do it alone. Like to get over that feeling is really hard to accept that you need other support and you need help.

SPEAKER_02:

Or, you know, going to my primary care for like, oh, I'm 40 now. Like, I've got to have this appointment. And I was like, I really want to talk about this weight stuff. And they're like, you're a woman over 40. Welcome to it. Okay, what? That's not the answer. And I think so many women are met with that's the answer, and this is what you should just accept. And I think there was a point where I felt that, and I felt like this is what my body is going to be for the rest of my life. Um, but I was uncomfortable. It's not, you know, we think about weight as just a physical or aesthetic, but it wasn't that. It was, I'm uncomfortable in my body. I feel my stomach doesn't feel right. I feel squishy or bloated. I feel just, you know, a lot of it was like mental health stuff or different things that were all associated with this inflammation and this weight that I was carrying. And so, yeah, there's that shame piece. There's that society just says this is what it is. There's so many components. And I think we have to break it down and say, like, one, that's not what your body has to be. And two, reaching for all the tools is one of the smartest things we can do. And if this is a tool that works, then like we need to educate ourselves on it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, Katie, I'm gonna highlight what you just said. Reaching for all the tools. This is a tool. And when I think of so I'm 36, when I think of 40, most people are terrified. My husband turned 40 this year. They think that that's this old hump. And I think, no, by the time you're 40, when you turn 40, you know who you really are. That's a beautiful age to be, not only on the inside, but on the outside as well. Why do we have to just assume that we don't need to resemble both inside and outside beauty?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, I love that. Absolutely. And I think that there is that, well, you know, you're struggling, so this is just what it is. And it's, you know, I practiced mental health for a long time, and I would tell people like all the tools, we need to build a toolbox, right? And I would say that to mental health, and that means going outside, being active, taking your medicine, eating healthy, all right. The toolbox is there. But somehow I wasn't applying that to my own health journey, and I wasn't, I was resistant to utilizing some of the tools. And so I had to really get through that.

SPEAKER_01:

And by the way, men go through this too. Like we're talking about women, but I feel like an important part of this conversation is that we are loud and proud to, as women, talk about our struggles and how we've been blown off by the medical, the current medical status quo of getting to certain ages and what's happening. But men, even more so who don't talk, are experiencing this exact same thing. Their body is shifting, their hormones are shifting, they're in different stages of life too. So they're also still getting that kind of blow-off, and they're even less, there's even less conversation for them. So I just want to also point out that we as women experience this, but men too.

SPEAKER_02:

And I think that's when people go, yeah, but it's only 20 pounds, or it's only 30 pounds, or 40 pounds, it's not you're not morbidly obese. And like using that as a medical term, if you're not morbidly obese or a BMI of over such and such, then you're fine. It's just, you're just a little chunkier, you're just a little chubby or fluffy, or whatever word we want to use. But when you look at someone who should be in a 120-pound body and they're carrying 30, 40 pounds, we're looking at 20% of their body weight. Don't quote my math on that. That was obviously bad math. But you know what I mean? It's it is a significant portion, and it's so easy to get written off of 20 pounds, but 20 pounds is a lot on a small frame, and someone who's not used to carrying that. So I think for men, for women, that is so relevant to say, yeah, that 20 or 30 pounds might actually be a lot for your body. Right.

SPEAKER_00:

Hey, I want to bring in the aspect of not as it just the weight on the scale, but your mom. You got little kids you gotta run around and chase and pick up from school, and and to be there for them at every stage of life, like that's my motivator. How can I stay as healthy as I possibly can so that I'm here for my kids and whatever else happens with the other thing? Exactly.

SPEAKER_02:

Because that that weight came with the cholesterol numbers weren't great, you know, my labs weren't perfect. There was little fluctuations, but those little fluctuations are kind of scary. Like, what if that is all gonna compound and be this long-term? And yeah, what if I'm not here for my kids in 15, 20 years because this now becomes a bigger and bigger and bigger health problem? And that's scary.

SPEAKER_00:

I think not just from that perspective as well, but you're more present, you're more able to be active and do things with them in the now. 100%.

SPEAKER_01:

So, what was the pivot for you? What was that moment that you had you just been hearing people talk about it and something clicked? Like, what was that moment? If somebody in the health space, somebody that can write prescriptions for people, what was that moment for you that finally said, oh wait, this might be what I'm missing?

SPEAKER_02:

So part of it was I, you know, was doing all the right things and I was like, I'm about to have to go buy the next pant size. And I was like, no, not doing it. I've already gone up two pant sizes, like we are drawing the line here. And I'm like, how am I buying the next pant size up if I'm utilizing all the tools that I currently have? And so I started looking for other things and I started looking at, you know, okay, maybe I'll go back to counting macros. And I was like, but I tried that, or maybe I'll try this fad diet or that fad diet. And I'm like, but I did those things in the past two years. Um, and I started seeing people talk about using um compounded peptides and using lower doses, and I was like, wow, that's interesting because I was nervous to kind of just go all in and go high doses. I was nervous for side effects, and when I saw that, I go, you know, um, I think I can try that because I feel in control of it and I feel like it is a tool that I can utilize versus um maybe something that felt like out of control um with a higher dose or with side effects or things that maybe I couldn't manage. And so when I started really learning about that aspect of using peptides, I was like, all right, I think this is interesting. I think I want to learn more. And I started diving in and then I learned more about the effects on chronic inflammation and histamine, and I had been having all these histamine reactions, and I was like, hold on, this can help me lose weight and control this, which is then gonna control my like the cascade, which is brilliant to learn about. And again, being a clinician, being someone who's scientifically minded, some of that was like, uh, that makes sense, but but it hadn't really clicked for me how many benefits you were gonna get from using peptide therapy.

SPEAKER_01:

So you just dove in doing a microdose. We'll say that because that's the that's the term that people are understanding. It's what I also do as well. Um, and I think that there's a distinction between standard dosing and microdosing that people should probably understand. Um there's space for standard dosing. And why don't we talk about you and your microdose, not necessarily your specific dose, but what are you doing and what are the results for you?

SPEAKER_02:

So I was at a point where my BMI qualified for weight loss dosing. Um, and if I would have gone through my provider and gotten a brand name, those brand names come dosed in a pen. There is no adjusting. Um, compounded pharmacies out there have microdosing protocols and the ability to talk to a provider to kind of go even below that if that's what you want.

SPEAKER_00:

And that's what I say that one more time. When you go through a washempic or anything else like that, it isn't a standard dose.

SPEAKER_02:

They come in preloaded pens typically. And so that pen is say the dose. Now they have low dose to high dose, right? There's a titration schedule, even for brand names, but it's a preloaded and it's a dose, like they have their schedule laid out.

SPEAKER_01:

Um one size fits all, one size fits all matter what your body size is or your metabolic function. It is this is the dose, and this is your titration, and that is really key.

SPEAKER_02:

That that is it, that is the perfect way to say it. And so I wanted to go through a compounded pharmacy where I could order and talk to a provider that was open to using lower doses than the brand names. And I wanted to do that for a lot of reasons. Um, I think there's a lot of new research about the microdosing, the lower dosing, and the side effects. I was really nervous to have side effects and I thought, okay, well, I'll start here. And if I need to go up, I will. And I found I never needed to. Um, I also really think that those high-dose medicines they focus on rapid weight loss. And there's a time and a place for certain people that need to do that with their providers. But I didn't want rapid weight loss. I didn't want to lose my 30 pounds in two months. I wanted to lose it slowly and sustainably by having all my tools work for me and just having this like give me the little nudge. Um, and I think that that was really important that it take me a year to lose my 30 pounds. And it did. It took me nearly a year, and I'm okay with that. And that's what the microdosing helped. It just allowed all my tools to be actually effective and helped me kind of start going the right trajectory.

SPEAKER_01:

So I think any of us that have struggled in weight, um, and I have fluctuated in in my adult life probably for the last couple decades. Um when you get to that certain point of I have had enough. I can't stand being in this body anymore. I can't stand looking in the mirror. Forget going, like having an event where you have to go buy something new. Going and and clothes shopping is literally one of the most upsetting, depressing, soul-crushing experiences that you will have. But you reach a point where you're like, I'm just done. I don't want to be here anymore. And you go to bed at night praying that you'll wake up in the morning suddenly back at your ideal weight, which is never gonna happen. But that is also part of the reason why I think so many people are excited about the idea of losing weight quickly. They're not thinking about the consequences of fast weight loss, which is what does your face look like? What is your what is happening um inside your body? Like there's all these downward side effects about losing it quick, quick, but I understand that the the mental challenge that comes with just being done with being in your body and wanting it quickly, and the addiction of losing weight, right? Like there is that side of it of you can't help it. It's so exciting to see that number go down on the scale. But there's not great side effects to that.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, and I think that's where education is you have to have all the tools because there is like if you want to talk it about people bashing peptides, it's you're just gonna gain it back as soon as you stop it, right? Is that not like one of the number one things we hear? But that doesn't have to be true. If we really set ourselves up for success and use all the tools, so we're doing all the right things, and then we're utilizing this as a low dose, and maybe we use it for a long time, maybe we use it forever, you know, it's person dependent, but you build the right tools and you get back to the mindset of how your relationship with food is and your lifestyle. And and then if you slowly even decrease your dose more or go off of it, I don't think the answer is you're going to gain back that weight. But I think rapid weight loss with high doses, yeah, you stop that all of a sudden and you haven't taken the time to build those skills. It is like part of the part of the problem, is that with rapid high dose, you're not taking the time to really focus on the other parts of your toolbox that matter. Right.

SPEAKER_01:

And I think that so an important message here is that those things, now, not necessarily in somebody who's lived a healthy lifestyle and has had some sort of shift in their in their health that the peptides are missing, right? Let's set that category people aside. But we're talking about now people maybe that have um a larger weight goal, more metabolic dysfunction, other things that are going wrong in their body. And those lifestyle factors that got them into that place, right? So maybe they lived a sedentary, high stress life, ate crappy food all the time, high sugar, whatever, whatever it is that got them there. You need time to address the relationship that you have with your lifestyle. And I don't just mean food. Food is obviously a very huge part of it, but it's all the other things too. So if you are just focused on this medicine is making me lose weight, and you're not addressing the entire picture, your foundations, then you are setting yourself up not only for rebound weight gain, in my opinion, you're setting yourself up for potential worse metabolic dysfunction, where now you've lost the ability for these tools to help you.

SPEAKER_02:

And it's so interesting because you say, okay, we're gonna set this side of group aside, and like I'll address that because I thought I was doing everything right, and I was. I was doing everything right for 25-year-old me, 30-year-old me, and somehow 40-year-old me didn't know, and I was doing all the right things. And what I had to learn was I wasn't doing all the right things, so I had to change my relationship with food. I did have to cut certain things out, and I did learn that certain things didn't feel good to eat, and I did have to increase more protein at every meal. And yeah, you know that, but this really helps you slow down because you don't have that kind of food noise. You don't have this like, oh, well, it's only one piece of, you know, whatever. It it really does like say, oh, but when I really, when I really prioritize protein and I'm actually 100% good about what I eat, this is what my body feels like. And that is a huge piece of it for me. And maybe I don't need to do the high intensity CrossFit workouts anymore at 40. Maybe I do need to really increase my walking, you know, maybe this is the things I need. And so this allows you to slow down, it takes away the food noise, it really prioritizes your relationship with food, but then it allows you to kind of sort through all the other stuff that you think you're doing right. And I think that's what it did for me.

SPEAKER_01:

What do you think when you think of food noise? Do you think that people have food noise right? Like I think that a lot of people just think, oh, it's the pantry calling me at night. And I do talk about that a lot, but I think it goes a lot deeper than just the that late night snacking and trying to talk yourself out of it.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, yeah, because I that was part of when I started researching the news. I'm like, they're not gonna work for me. I don't have food noise. I eat healthy. And so I was like, I don't need this. Um, and I was shocked that it isn't just the person who can't walk past the pantry. I think it helps curb those cravings, but it's also yeah, the cravings for different foods, the thought behind food, the the fullness sensation. I think this food noise is so much bigger than just I can't walk past the pantry without grabbing a cookie. And so for me, it quieted so much of my desire around food that I was able to say, Oh, I don't actually want that. Let me eat what is going to fuel my body today. And I stopped skipping breakfast and I stopped, you know, pushing back and having this, you know, unhealthy relationship with food, in that it forced me to be really thoughtful and prioritize each meal every day.

SPEAKER_01:

I want to just come back to that food noise for just a minute because I think to explain it even further, food noise is also the obsession with uh trying different types of ways to eat. What time of day should I eat? Should I do fasting? Should I not do fasting? How many grams of protein do I need to have? Am I getting enough fiber? Am I getting enough what like what is my next meal gonna be? What am I gonna have this week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Like, it is so much more than just curbing that late night binge. It's constant food forward thoughts about how you're gonna nourish your body. So even if it's from healthy planning, if it's from a layer of it's ruling your world, that's food noise.

SPEAKER_02:

No, that's really good because I think there is this, it's only an unhealthy thing, but it is yeah, it's it's so different than that. And I just wish that like I could have shaken myself and be like, that's not like that's not it. You don't understand. Just do it. And so yeah, I think that for people questioning that, I think it is um, it is something important to talk about. So I like how you describe it there.

SPEAKER_01:

I think as a practitioner though, I I can speak for myself that sometimes we're just so much better with our work with people when we've walked through these things. So while I don't invite people to have these struggles, I think it makes us better at our job.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I agree. I love that because I think there is this, you know, I talk to people and they're like, You did peptides, or you use like, oh, and they throw out some brand names. And I'm like, Well, I didn't quite do it that way, but yes, this is what I did. Um, because people notice when you lose 30 pounds, right? They're like, hey, wait a second, you know, you look a little different. Um, and I think that being able to share that and say, this is why I did certain things and why I did this way, and this is kind of where the research is. I think it's really powerful.

SPEAKER_01:

Kylie, before I like, you know, I I've like gone right in and I'm like in on Katie. And before we wrap this up, what do you? I'm sorry if I'm like just right at it.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm just waiting. I'm I'm just listening because you guys have great stories to share. My thought is, Katie, as we finish up with this episode, will you tell us what combination you use?

SPEAKER_02:

Yep, I use a semaglutide with B12.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. I just want you people to realize that there's more to peptides than GLP1s. And semaglutide, remind me, is GLP1 and GIP or just a GLP.

SPEAKER_02:

So there are other peptides, and I do plan to um cycle through some different peptides. I've been on this GLP plus B12 for nearly nine months now, and I've reached almost my goal weight. Uh, and so I plan to stay here, but I have further decreased and decreased the dose, and kind of uh that's felt really good, and I still feel really stable and I'm still losing. Uh, and then I plan in to add in other peptides more for energy and longevity and like metabolic health in the future.

SPEAKER_00:

That's what I wanted to get to was like there's more to this peptide therapy than just the GLP1. You can start there, but you've added the B12, which has been probably very beneficial, especially with like things that we hear about with hair loss and all those split effects. No hair loss, it's looking great.

SPEAKER_02:

And I the energy and just feeling good in my body again. I think the B12 was a great addition.

SPEAKER_00:

So if you were to give somebody one word of advice who's thinking about starting this, both from as an experienced as an experienced mom and an experienced physician's assistant, what would that one piece of advice be?

SPEAKER_02:

I would, you know, I would get started. I would just do it. I wouldn't question peptides. I would see a provider, get all your baseline labs and everything checked and make sure that you're in good health otherwise. And if all those boxes are checked, I would start peptides. I waited probably a year and a half to start, and that was a year and a half that I could have been feeling really good. So I would encourage people to jump in and start. You know, it's not just ordering online. You're gonna talk to a provider, you're gonna have someone there to talk you through it and what's best for you. And you can tell them what you're struggling with, and they can customize it. And when you get started, you're like, oh my gosh, the only thing you're gonna be is like, I wish I started this sooner.

SPEAKER_00:

All right, guys, there you have it. You pull up my fancy little outro, just a quick little snippet to dial that in even more. Is I was reading somebody's blood work this past week, one of my last clients I'm working with, and she's done all the things, gone through parasites, gone through all the things. I looked at her blood work and we created this plan, and then I thought about it overnight, and I'm like, you know what? That's just putting her on more of the things. The only thing she hasn't tried is peptide therapy. And we're at a point where we're almost finished recording this for this podcast. And the more I learn about peptide therapy, the more I'm like, this is the missing piece for so many individuals. You just have to give yourself permission to incorporate it in. All right. Katie's story is such a powerful reminder that success with GLP1 isn't about the shot, it's about the support system. When you pair peptides with gut health, liver support, and mindset, you create sustainable change.

SPEAKER_01:

Exactly. And what I love that Katie didn't just stop with her own results. She turned that insight into a mission to help others. And that's we're gonna we're gonna pick up with Katie next time.

SPEAKER_00:

In a bonus episode, we'll flip the script and talk to Katie, the PA, not just the patient, what she's seeing clinically, where peptides fit, and what she wishes more providers understood, especially from a financial perspective.

SPEAKER_01:

So if this episode inspired you, follow us here at Pep Talk, Pep Talk, Peptides Unpacked, wherever you listen. You can find me, Jessica Brickie, at b2bwithess.com, or follow me on Instagram, Jess Bismboy, JessB underscore L M T underscore N C. And remember your body isn't broken. And Kylie.

SPEAKER_00:

You can find me at drkylyburton.com slash peptides, where you can start your peptide journey through the route. We highly recommend. And learn more at unshakable brain the podcast and unshakable brain the book. Just a quick synopsis here. If you have been sent by somebody else, please go back to them and follow up and get their link to join peptide therapy. Katie, where can people learn more about you? They can find me.

SPEAKER_02:

Uh I don't have an Instagram right now for this. Uh sorry.

SPEAKER_00:

If they're in the New York area, where can they find you?

SPEAKER_02:

They can find me at kids uh underscore mental underscore wellness. I'm at kids mental wellness where I run an ADHD uh focused kids mental wellness page.

SPEAKER_01:

They can start there, and when you decide to have something a little bit different, specific to just peptides, then that would then you'll transition. But this is a good place to find you.

SPEAKER_00:

Awesome. This is pep talk, peptides unpacked. Be sure to catch Katie on our bonus episode, and we'll see you there. Thanks, Katie. Thanks so much, guys, for having me.