3 Things I Wish I Had Begun At The Beginning Of My GLP-1 Journey
There are 3 things I wish I had done from day 1 of my GLP-1 journey.
Take weekly photos with my weigh-ins.
Kept in mind that protein is QUEEN.
Lift heavy weights from the very beginning.
Let’s address point #1. Sometimes, the scale just won’t move. You can eat all the right things in all the right quantities and that damn thing just won’t budge! Meanwhile, behind the scenes, your inflammation is being reduced. Your insulin is being properly regulated. Your brain is working to adjust your hunger cues and your dopamine responses to food and your body is beginning to reduce fat accumulation. All those things will show up in photos, even if not on the scale. Beside, how much fun and how encouraging is it to see physical changes?!
Point #2. When you lose weight, some percentage of it will always include muscle. How much muscle will depend on your efforts to mitigate that loss. For women, it is often difficult to get enough protein in our diet, as we don’t ten to prioritize that particular macronutrient. But we should. It helps preserve lean body mass (muscle). It requires more of the body’s energy to process, thereby boosting metabolism. It helps you feel fuller faster. It stabilizes blood sugar and insulin. It supports recovery and hormone balance, which is especially important in perimenopause. We should be aiming for 0.7-1.0 grams of protein per pound of ideal body weight.
Point #3. Lifting heavy weights goes hand-in-hand with protein intake. First, let me say that, unless you are taking performance enhancing drugs, you will NOT end up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger or like those extreme female bodybuilders. You don’t have the genetic or hormonal makeup for that. Lifting heavy weights helps you preserve and build muscle, which bumps your resting metabolic rate. The rate at which your body burns calories while at rest. It strengthens your bones and helps prevent osteoporosis so that you can avoid breaking a hip! It has been proven to improve mood, confidence, and mental clarity. Let’s be real: in midlife, all these things can take a BIG hit. I know for me, after I’ve had a particularly hard/heavy workout, I feel like I can conquer opposing armies. Heavy lifting also helps with insulin sensitivity. It improves body composition and shape. Look at it this way: lifting heavy & building muscle will create the shape your body will take as it loses the soft, squishy outer layer. Most importantly, it will help you to maintain your independence as you age. Who wouldn’t want that?
Please note that lifting heavy doesn’t mean go out and try to lift a small car. It just mean challenging your muscles enough to where they have to adapt and you increase intensity progressively over time.
So take it from me. Now that you have this information, please use it to your benefit.
You’ve got this! And I’ve got you.
