The Skinny on Weight Loss Medications

The philosophical part of the conversation

Over the last year, we have seen a rather dramatic increase in the usage of weight loss medications, in particular GLP-1 or semaglutide medications.

You may be more familiar with the common brand names for these medications like Ozempic and WeGovy. These medications originated for their use in managing type 2 diabetes but as research has discovered they can lead to robust weight loss, we are now seeing their prescription for individuals who have struggled to lose weight in the past.

There is a lot to be concerned with when it comes to using these medications for weight loss. You can check out a detailed report I did breaking down what these medications do, their pros, their cons, and my recommendations if you do take them here.

But outside of the science, I think there is a philosophical component to this conversation that many health experts are ignoring.

In the past, I have talked about the benefits of doing hard things. How the more frequently we complete hard tasks, the more we become someone who can do hard things. And we want to be someone who can do hard things. This is how we develop the strength to take control of our own lives. Especially our health.

The problem with using these medications for weight loss is that you avoid the effort that is required to lose weight. Individuals using these medications can expect to lose large amounts of weight rapidly without having to go to the gym or even change much about their diet since semaglutides suppress appetite to a point where consuming over 1,000 calories in a day can lead to nausea and other forms of digestive distress.

This may sound like a good thing, right? Afterall, we have been searching for the “magic pill” for weight loss for about as long as humans have been dieting. This issue with this “magic pill” solution is that the research shows that as soon as you get off of these medications, you are likely to gain at least 2/3 of the weight back and lose any cardiometabolic improvements experienced while on the drug.

Why?

Because a “magic pill” solution doesn’t equip you with the skill or elicit the behavior change necessary for you to maintain the results when you come off the medication. Of course, following a diet and exercise program to lose weight is harder and so is the failure rate of doing so. But when you do achieve your goals via the “hard way” you change yourself along the way. You teach yourself how a human is supposed to eat. You learn how to exercise. How to say no to things that set you back and yes to things that push you forward. Simply put, you become a person that can do hard things and this person is much more likely to maintain their success throughout the rest of their life.

Is there a place for these weight loss medications? By themselves, I don’t think so. In conjunction with a metabolic-focused lifestyle program? Maybe. But I think a far better approach is to buckle up, skip the shortcuts, and do it the right way. Your metabolic health, your mental health, and future you will be happy you did.

Thanks for reading,

Chris Irvin

P.S. I’ve launched a paid version of this newsletter! Don’t worry, all of these short articles will still be FREE. The benefit of the paid version is that you will have access to exclusive podcasts and opportunities to ask any health questions you have. I am looking forward to taking this newsletter to the next level and I hope you’ll come along for the journey!