how can i lose weight without GLP-1 medication?
trying to lose weight with diet and resistance training
is a highly personal and oftentimes stressful endeavor that can feel like a constant uphill battle from the start. not only because starting a new routine is challenging in itself but combine that with the flood of (mis)information and public opinion on the “optimal” approach to weight loss; it’s no wonder the vast majority of us are turning to straight forward glp-1 medications, like ozempic. but what do these medications actually do? and should we be using them to achieve our weight loss goals?
how do glp-1 medications work?
the reason these drugs, like ozempic, work well for weight loss is because they mimic the action of your body’s glp-1 hormone by sending a signal to your brain that says “you’re full” so your appetite decreases and you ultimately eat less. for my visual learners out there, think back to a time when you ate a big meal, remember how you felt after. i bet the last thing you were thinking about was eating more. when you’re on glp-1 medication this is the same sensation just with much less food. pretty simple right?
so any logical person reading this may ask, can’t i just not take these medications, eat less, then lose weight? ehh sorta but also not really.
why simply ‘eating less’ is not a successful weight loss strategy
one pound of fat is roughly equal to 3,500 calories. if we lived in a bubble and committed to a daily 500 calorie deficit, we would reach a weekly 3,500 calorie deficit which would mean, in a perfect world, we’d lose one pound of fat per week. but alas, we are not bubble boys and girls and the world is not perfect.
our bodies are always in a state of flux so this idea of simply eating in a deficit to achieve weight loss —fat specifically— is not as simple as it sounds.
this general calculation of fat to calories is only credible in a vacuum — which is not reflective of normal life. you’ll have days where you drink a ton of water and days where you don’t, that influences this number. there will be days you sleep more than others, that influences this number. you’ll have days where you eat more salt than others, that influences this number. you get the point. this is a good start but should not be your single focus when looking to achieve healthy sustainable weight loss.
eating in a 200-400 daily calorie deficit should be your first step when approaching a weight loss journey, but long-term adherence to this alone is low and the reasons why may be confusing if you’re not well versed in physiology. so let me break down what you need to do and know, to lose weight sustainably without medication.
how your metabolism plays a role in weight loss
after a you commit to a sustainable caloric deficit the next thing you should focus on is training your metabolism to be more efficient. your metabolism is a function of how efficiently you can breakdown then use, or store, the nutrients from food for energy. if you’re not able to efficiently break down, then use or store the foods you eat for energy you will most likely safekeep these nutrients as fat. there are multiple reasons for this but one simple one is that adults who are more active typically have more muscle mass than adults who are less active. Muscle has a higher energy demand than fat which means, at rest, you’ll burn more calories simply because you have more muscle on your frame. this can range from a hundred or multiple hundred calories that an active adult burns more than an inactive adult.
having more muscle on your frame, within reason, is great for many reasons but in this case the more muscle you can accumulate through resistance training the more calories you’ll have to work with on a daily basis. this means you won’t feel as restricted with your diet and the likelihood of adhering to your calorie deficit for the long term is much higher.
you need to remember that weight loss is a slow gradual process, it will not happen in a month so you need to take a long-term approach when deciding on a strategy.
to find your metabolic rate you can get a general estimate through online formulas or more accurately through body composition machines like a dexa or in-body scan — if you’re interested, your local gym or doctor should have something like this.
is cardio better than RESISTANCE training for weight loss?
when looking to lose weight I would recommend resistance training over cardio. now, before you get all up and arms, both are important factors in a training plan but both affect the body in vastly different ways. let me explain.
cardio is excellent at improving the function of your cardiorespiratory organs and cells, but when it comes to your metabolic rate (what we’re looking to improve for sustainable weight loss) the effect is negligible.
to increase your metabolic rate we need to increase the amount of muscle mass you have and that’s done through resistance training. this means picking up something heavy relative to you, lifting it for 4-8 reps, resting for a little, then doing it again. i’ll admit this seems counterintuitive; if you want to lose weight shouldn’t you do hard things that gets you sweating and burns hundreds of calories? this issue with just doing this type of workout is, again, this isn’t addressing the root issue. you need to be in a caloric deficit to lose weight and if your metabolic rate is low, due to a lack of muscle mass, it will be much harder to sustain this deficit long term. what this cardio-heavy type of workout does is burn calories in the short term, temporarily raising your metabolism, which will likely be offset by the hailey bieber smoothie you have waiting for you after your workout class.
we shouldn’t focus on burning short-term calories during a workout but rather improving your ability to use and store nutrients from the foods you eat. less easy and high intensity cardio, more resistance training. this will increase your metabolic rate which will make being in a caloric deficit much easier to sustain — it’s a hell of a lot easier to eat 2000 calories per day than 1500 calories deficit for an extended period of time.
when in doubt here is a general plan you can follow; resistance train 2-3x per week, light cardio 1-2x per week, high intensity cardio 1x per week, rest at least 1 day per week, more if you are new to resistance training.
daily movement is the secret to sustainable weight loss
finally, after deciding on a sustainable caloric deficit and incorporating resistance training into your routine, the last thing you should consider is increasing your daily activity — walking, standing, taking stairs, etc. this non-exercise activity is called Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (neat). all the small movements you do, down to shivering from the cold and twitching your leg when seated, slightly increase your metabolic rate. granted, this increase is small and you won’t lose a ton of weight just by twitching your leg, but combining regular movement with a caloric deficit and resistance training will work together to raise your metabolic rate making it easier to stay in a caloric deficit long term achieving the desired weight loss you’re hoping for.
so overall you need to be in a caloric deficit for a decent amount of time (at least 6-9 months, probably more depending on how much weight you’re trying to lose) to achieve sustainable weight loss. Just forcing yourself to eat less will be very difficult to sustain for that time period. instead of starving yourself here’s what a sustainable weight loss plan can look like; start with a 200-400 calorie deficit (200 if your metabolic rate is lower, you can always increase but better to be more conservative to start — don’t go above a daily 500 calorie deficit), begin resistance training 2-3x a week with a qualified trainer or safely on your own, keep 1-2 days of light cardio and 1 day of high intensity cardio, make sure you take a day to fully rest and reduce your stress levels, and try to add more activity into your day like taking the stairs vs elevator, parking farther from the office, or talking a quick lap around the house every 50 minutes. Stick to this plan for at least 6 months but probably longer. There’s no secret to weight loss, and the process to do this isn’t sexy. just show up with whatever you have that day, count the small wins, and give yourself some grace. i wish you nothing but the best and if you have any questions feel free to reach out.
miles is a trainer, speaker, writer, and consultant who specializes in performance and longevity within the health and wellness space. with over ten years of experience, a masters degree in exercise and nutrition science and multiple strength and conditioning certifications miles aims to combine practical application with research to provide actionable strategies for people looking to live longer and excel athletically.
