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A new drug called apitegromab has been developed to prevent muscle loss in people taking GLP-1 weight loss medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro — and a study published in Nature Medicine suggests it works. People taking it alongside tirzepatide lost around 15% of their weight from muscle, compared to 30% in those who didn't take it.

But in this episode, I want to have a different conversation.

Because the muscle loss being caused by these medications isn't a mystery. Large, aggressive calorie deficits — created by any means, including GLP-1 drugs — break down muscle tissue alongside fat. And we already know how to prevent most of that: a moderate calorie deficit, adequate protein intake, and consistent resistance training.

These aren't complicated interventions. They're the same fundamentals that would get most slightly overweight, otherwise healthy people the result they want — without the medication, without the side effects, and without the need for a second drug to manage the first one.

In this episode I break down what the EMBRAZE trial actually found, why the muscle loss is happening mechanically, what the evidence says about preventing it, and my honest professional perspective after 20 years of coaching women through sustainable fat loss.

This isn't an anti-medication episode. It's a basics-first episode.

What You'll Learn:

• What the Nature Medicine apitegromab study actually found — and what it means
• Why GLP-1 medications cause muscle loss, and why it's not unique to the drugs
• The three evidence-based strategies that prevent muscle loss during any calorie deficit
• Why a drug to fix a drug's side effects isn't always the right answer
• The honest question to ask yourself before reaching for a pharmaceutical solution
• How to lose fat and preserve muscle with the fundamentals — protein, resistance training, and a moderate deficit

Keywords / Tags: Ozempic muscle loss, Ozempic butt, GLP-1 side effects, apitegromab, Mounjaro muscle loss, how to avoid muscle loss on Ozempic, weight loss jabs, resistance training for fat loss, protein for weight loss, minimum effective dose, women's fat loss, sustainable weight loss, basics before pharmaceuticals, Start With 6

Resources Mentioned:

Start With 6 — [insert link]

Sources Referenced:

Pratley RE, et al. Apitegromab for lean mass preservation during tirzepatide-induced weight loss: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial. Nature Medicine, 2026.

BBC Health. New drug to stop 'Ozempic butt' muscle loss side effect of obesity jabs. June 2026.