Weight, GLP-1s and Protein

Meghan sees the body holding onto weight for a reason, usually because it can't clear toxins and hormones as fast as they build up. She names 4 common root causes:

1. 1.Toxic overload: fat-soluble pollutants like pesticides and PCBs are stored in fat tissue, and studies show their levels in the blood rise as fat breaks down during weight loss. Meghan sees this as one reason the body holds on.
2. 2.A congested liver, which she calls the body's primary fat-burning organ: "you cannot out-exercise or out-diet a congested liver."
3. 3.Hormonal imbalance, including estrogen dominance, high cortisol, a sluggish thyroid, insulin resistance and leptin resistance.
4. 4.A sluggish gut that lets toxins and hormones recirculate.

What she does about it:

• ■Get to 1 to 3 complete bowel movements a day before anything else. She calls this a baseline requirement.
• ■Lower what comes in: filter your water, store food in glass, and swap fragranced and hormone-disrupting personal care and cleaning products.
• ■Support the liver once the colon is moving, and address gut issues like parasites, candida and low stomach acid in order.
• ■Skip stricter diets and harder workouts, and protect sleep, since one bad night raises hunger hormones and lowers insulin sensitivity.
• ■Take a 10-minute walk after meals, especially dinner, and lift heavy 2 to 3 times a week.
• ■Track body composition over the scale. Meghan doesn't own a scale and uses a DEXA scan to see visceral fat, muscle and bone.

On GLP-1 drugs, her view is that they reduce appetite without clearing the liver, repairing the gut or lowering toxic load. In her words, "You cannot suppress your way out of a terrain issue."

Once the exits are open and the load comes down, the body no longer has a reason to hold on. The free Detox Phase Quiz shows which phase to start with.

Most people regain a significant share of the weight after stopping a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic or Wegovy. In the STEP 1 trial, people had regained about two-thirds of the weight they lost within a year of stopping semaglutide. Meghan's view is that the weight returns because the terrain underneath never changed: the body still struggles to make and burn energy, hormones are still out of balance, muscle has been lost, and inflammation and toxic load remain. She accepts that a GLP-1 can be the right choice for some people. What she works on alongside one, or after:

• ■Clear the colon and support the liver and lymph
• ■Balance cortisol and insulin with steady meals, sleep and a walk after eating
• ■Build muscle by lifting heavy 2 to 3 times a week, with protein from real food at every meal
• ■Check ferritin, since rapid weight loss often cuts iron intake
• ■Retrain hunger and fullness signals

Any change to the prescription belongs with your prescriber. The free Detox Phase Quiz shows where to begin.

Most people already eat enough protein, and Meghan sees how well they digest and absorb it as the bigger gap. Protein has to be broken down by stomach acid, enzymes and bile before the body can use it. When digestion is congested, the excess ferments in the gut and adds waste the liver and kidneys have to clear. You can hit a protein target every day and still not build muscle if absorption is poor. Her line: "The body uses what it can digest, absorb, and assimilate. Everything else is a tax." Before reaching for more, she asks 3 questions: is my colon clear, is my liver working well, and am I absorbing what I eat? Her steps:

• ■Get protein from real food like eggs, fish, chicken and legumes, and skip protein bars, shakes and protein-enriched snacks
• ■Eat more fiber and plants. Only about 5% of Americans eat the recommended amount
• ■Open drainage and support the gut and bile so more of what you eat lands
• ■Lift heavy 2 to 3 times a week

Many of her clients build more muscle on less protein once absorption improves. The exception is rapid weight loss, including on a GLP-1, where she makes protein a priority at every meal. Her free Drainage Starter Guide covers the first steps.