GLP-1 medication (semaglutide or tirzepatide) when a licensed clinician decides it fits, with a protein target, strength work and follow-up labs. No shortcuts, no hype.
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. Results vary, and a licensed clinician decides who is a candidate.
For men over 35, where weight sits and what it does to the rest of your chart matters more than the scale alone.
Where weight sits matters. Extra around the middle carries more health risk than the same weight elsewhere, so we track waist-to-height ratio.
Weight change often moves blood pressure. You send home readings, and your clinician reviews the trend.
Fasting glucose and HbA1c show how your body handles sugar, and where you sit relative to type 2 diabetes.
A lipid panel shows heart-risk markers that weight change and medication can both shift.
ALT and AST can flag fatty liver changes, which are common with extra weight and worth knowing about.
Loud snoring and daytime sleepiness can point to sleep apnea, which affects weight, energy and hormones. We screen for it.
Extra body fat can lower testosterone, and low testosterone can make weight harder to manage. A clinician checks both before choosing a plan, and never starts testosterone on one reading.
We prescribe semaglutide or tirzepatide when a licensed clinician decides you are a candidate. Each can come as a manufacturer brand or as a compounded version. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved.
GLP-1 receptor agonist, once-weekly injection
GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist, once-weekly injection
| Attribute | Manufacturer brand | Compounded |
|---|---|---|
| Who makes it | The drug manufacturer, under its own label | A compounding pharmacy, prepared to a prescription |
| FDA status | Reviewed by the FDA for its labeled uses | Not FDA-approved |
| Safety and potency | Studied in clinical trials and printed on the label | Not reviewed by the FDA before sale. Quality depends on the pharmacy. |
| Dose steps | Printed titration schedule on the label | Clinician sets the schedule. Concentration is confirmed with the pharmacy. |
How a labeled schedule steps up, shown for illustration. Your clinician sets your own schedule, and compounded concentrations can differ. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved.
Milligrams, once weekly. Not a prescription. Your clinician decides each increase based on how you tolerate the last one.
How a labeled schedule steps up, shown for illustration. Your clinician sets your own schedule, and compounded concentrations can differ. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved.
Milligrams, once weekly. Not a prescription. Many men settle at a lower step that works for them, and that is a normal outcome.
Dose, protein, strength and check-ins run together, and each one is tracked in your portal. Here is what a typical week looks like.
Dose day is set by your clinician. The rest is a template your plan is adjusted from.
Your clinician starts low and steps the dose up gradually, only if side effects are manageable.
Set by a licensed clinician
A daily target, commonly in the 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg range, spread across three or four meals and logged in your portal.
Reviewed at every check-in
Three sessions a week of 30 to 40 minutes, with loads that rise slowly. Each is logged against your week 1 baseline.
Tracked in your portal
Every month during the first six months. Each one reviews side effects, protein, strength, waist and the dose step.
Led by your clinical team
GLP-1 medication reduces hunger, and when you eat less, some of the weight lost can be lean tissue. Protein and resistance training are how you protect it.
An example sequence. Your clinician sets your own schedule, and each step waits on how you are doing.
Clinician visit, history, baseline labs and body measurements. Your protein target is set.
The lowest step. Injection technique is reviewed on video before the first one.
Three sessions a week. Loads are set from a baseline test and logged in your portal.
Side effects, hydration and appetite are reviewed, and protein is checked against the target.
The dose moves up only if you tolerated the last step. Your clinician confirms before any change.
Your protein log is reviewed and meal timing adjusted where intake runs short.
Strength loads go up where form holds. Missed sessions are re-planned, not doubled.
Weight, waist, blood pressure and appetite are read together. Dose tolerance is confirmed.
The next step on the ladder. Protein and strength logs are reviewed the same week.
Hydration is reviewed, and repeat labs are ordered if your clinician indicates.
The week 1 baseline lifts are repeated. The change in those numbers matters as much as the scale.
Follow-up labs and a plan review. Your clinician and you decide the next stretch together.
Many men level off at a step that works for them. Going higher is not the goal.
Your clinician talks through what continuing, lowering or stopping would look like for you.
A full panel is compared with your baseline, and the plan is reset for the next six months.
Nausea, constipation and low appetite are the most common early effects, and most ease with the adjustments below. Tell your clinic about anything that persists or gets worse.
Common in the first weeks and after each step up.
Slower digestion is expected on GLP-1 medication.
Appetite drops, and protein can slip without a plan.
Vomiting or diarrhea can drain fluids quickly.
Vomiting that keeps you from holding down fluids. Severe stomach pain that spreads to the back, which can signal pancreatitis. Yellowing of the skin or eyes. Symptoms of low blood sugar that do not settle. This list is not medical advice and does not replace urgent care. In an emergency, call emergency services.
Membership covers clinical care and follow-up. Medication is billed separately by the pharmacy, and the sample price ranges are stated so nothing surprises you.
Medical weight care, built on your labs.
Weight care plus hormone and recovery evaluation.
Sample ranges, billed by the pharmacy. Membership does not promise a prescription.
More in the pricing and FAQ section on the home page. A clinician answers anything else before you commit.
A licensed clinician decides after reviewing your history, measurements and labs. In general these medicines are considered for adults with obesity, or with excess weight and a related condition, and they are not for everyone. Many men start with lifestyle changes and labs alone.
Weight loss on any plan can include some lean tissue. Protein, strength sessions and a slow dose ramp are how we limit that, and we track waist and strength alongside the scale. No plan can promise a specific outcome.
You can stop any time. Your clinician helps plan the transition, since appetite and weight can change after stopping. Maintenance coaching stays available.
Compounded medications are made by a pharmacy to an individual prescription. They are not FDA-approved, and the FDA has not evaluated their safety, effectiveness or quality. Your clinician explains the differences and recommends what fits.
Possibly. Weight and testosterone are linked, so a clinician checks both. Treatment for either is decided separately and always with labs first. See the testosterone page for the path.
GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide and tirzepatide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents. It is not known whether they cause these tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in people. Do not use if you or a family member has had MTC, or if you have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Tell your clinician right away about a neck lump, hoarseness, trouble swallowing or shortness of breath.
GLP-1 medicines are not for use in pregnancy. Tell your clinician if you or a partner is pregnant or planning a pregnancy.
Medication is for adults, is used with nutrition and activity, and is prescribed only when a licensed clinician decides it is appropriate. Results vary from person to person.
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved and have not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness or quality. For severe symptoms, seek emergency care. This page describes a fictional sample practice and is not medical advice.
Eight minutes, then a licensed clinician reviews your answers and decides what, if anything, is appropriate.