Lose the Fat, Keep the Muscle

I've noticed something different this summer walking on the boardwalk. Rockaway is getting slimmer. A lot of people are dropping weight, and I keep getting into the same conversation about one thing: GLP-1s. For those that aren't aware, GLP-1s are the new weight loss medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro. Yes, they work, and I see the proof daily in my community. People who have struggled for years to lose weight are finally able to control their food noise and see the scale move without an extreme diet.

It may seem like a miracle drug, but there's one part of this your doctor might mention once and then move past, and it's that a good chunk of weight that comes off can be muscle. Studies are showing that without strength training, somewhere around 25-40% of the weight you lose on GLP-1s can be muscle. This matters because starting around age 30, you lose about 3-5% of your muscle every decade, and the only way to hold onto it is to strength train. Being able to get up the stairs or off the toilet seems like nothing when you're young, but as you age it's everything. The muscle you keep as you age is one of the best predictors of how strong, steady, and independent you'll stay.

But here's the good news, it is possible to keep the muscle as you lose the fat while the medicine is doing its job. You do this in 2 ways.

One: lift something heavy a couple of times a week. And this doesn't require you to become a gym rat. All you need to start is your own body and a cheap resistance band. Standing up and sitting down from a kitchen chair, push-ups against the counter, looping a band around your doorknob and doing some rows, or carrying something heavy across the yard. But more importantly, you need your family on your side because it can feel embarrassing to turn your living room into a home gym a few times a week. Have the conversations with them first and they will for sure be your biggest supporters.

Two: protein. Yes, this decade's biggest buzzword. And no, not the protein stuffed artificial snacks from the grocery store. I mean eggs, Greek yogurt, chicken, fish, beans, a shake if you can stomach it. On these meds, it's easy to skip meals, and that's usually at the expense of your protein. Shoot for about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. My hack? Have one simple, easy, boring go-to meal that you can cook on autopilot. For me, it's chicken thighs and sushi rice. Yes, thighs, they taste better and you know it! I can whip this meal up quickly even after getting out of work late, missing my ferry, and getting home at 8pm.

Anything about the medication itself or your ability to exercise you should check with your doctor. I'm a strength coach, so my specialty is the training side. And on that side, the message is dead simple. If you're on one of these medications or someone you love is, please don't skip the strength work. It's really the difference between losing weight and losing independence.

Jamal Khan, MPA, CSCS, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a doctoral student in public health at Johns Hopkins University. He trains clients in their homes across the Rockaway peninsula.