The best piece of wisdom I’ve ever been given about fat loss or getting into shape hasn’t changed in 20+ years…
Whatever gets you there is how you’re going to stay there.
If you starve yourself to lose weight, that’s how you’re going to maintain it.
If you take steroids to get jacked, that’s how you’re going to maintain it.
If you lift 3-5 times per week to get into shape, that’s how you’re going to maintain it.
There’s no such thing as, “I’ll do XYZ to get to my goal, then I’ll just pivot to maintenance mode.”
And that’s what has me so worried about weight loss drugs.
Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus are the current popular brand names, but Ozempic seems to be EVERYWHERE right now.
So, what exactly is this stuff?
It’s a semaglutide.
Semaglutide – an injectable medication for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, as an accompaniment to diet and exercise.
And of course, the use has been extended to assist in weight loss.
Here’s how it works:
When we eat food, we produce GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide) which helps us release insulin and makes us feel full.
When people take Ozempic, it mimics the natural effects of GLP-1, which helps them feel full without eating anything.
If you’re following along, you can read between the lines in that people are starving themselves.
Anecdotally, from the people I personally know taking Ozempic, it seems to help a lot.
To a person, they’ve all lost weight.
BUT, also to a person, none of them are fit.
Which leads me to my biggest concerns after doing some research:
Losing muscle. When we lose weight, especially quickly, we tend to lose muscle and bone density. It’s already a challenge to get enough protein on a healthy diet, so it’s darn near impossible to get enough when you’re essentially starving yourself.
Long-term results – What happens after you stop taking the medication? Just like every appetite suppressant before this one, appetite’s return to normal. As do people’s eating habits.
Which leads us to the truth about fitness, weight loss, life changes, etc.:
Temporary actions create temporary results.
Whatever you do to lose weight is what you’re going to have to continue to do to keep it off.
And if it came in a bottle, everybody would be shredded.
I know it’s not sexy, but building the proper nutrition habits is how we achieve long-term success.
That is why we created the 18STRONG Diet Stack to guide you through the nutritional strategy that works for us.
It’s helped us lose fat, build muscle, and most importantly, build life-long habits.
Now, I’m not your doctor.
If your doctor prescribes that you go on one of these latest “miracles”, do your research and decide if it’s the right thing for you – I know it has saved many a diabetic life.
For those just looking to lose weight, I think it’s a big mistake as we have zero data on the long-term safety.
The answer is very simple, but it’s not easy:
Proper diet and exercise.
That’s it.
STAY STRONG,
Jeff
PS – The 18STRONG Diet Stack is free, but don’t let the lack of cost or its simplicity fool you.
It has worked for countless golfers in our Crew.