Category: GLP 1

By Jimmy, founder of 120to90. Medically cautious, not medical advice. See the disclaimer below. Last updated July 2026.

Short answer, yes, and it is a good thing. A GLP 1 is a powerful prescription medication, and the bloodwork around it is not red tape. It is how your doctor makes sure the medication is helping and not quietly causing a problem. I am not a doctor, so this page does not tell you which tests you need. What it does is explain, in plain language, the monitoring most people can expect, so you walk into your appointments informed and confident.

I am Jimmy. I am 48, on my own road from 120kg toward 90, losing weight under my own doctor on a GLP 1. My blood gets checked, and I am glad it does.

Why bloodwork matters on a GLP 1

Two reasons. First, safety. These medications can affect things like your kidneys, especially if the nausea leaves you dehydrated, and your doctor wants to catch anything early. Second, progress. The scale only tells you that weight is moving, not whether your health markers are improving underneath. Bloodwork shows the real story, your blood sugar, your cholesterol, your organ function. That is the part that actually matters for a longer, stronger life.

What your doctor commonly checks

Every doctor and every patient is different, so treat this as a general map, not a prescription. The tests often discussed around GLP 1 treatment include the following.

• Blood sugar and HbA1c. Since these drugs began as diabetes treatments, your blood sugar control is a core marker, even if you are taking it for weight.
• Kidney function. Dehydration from early nausea and vomiting can stress the kidneys, so this is watched, especially at the start.
• Liver enzymes. A general check that your liver is healthy and handling everything well.
• A lipid panel. Your cholesterol and triglycerides, which often improve as you lose fat.
• Thyroid and other baselines. Your doctor may take a baseline picture before you start and check in as you go.

Your own doctor decides which of these apply to you and when. Bring the list of questions, and ask.

How often you might be tested

Again, this is your doctor’s call. A common pattern is a baseline set of tests before you start, a check in the first few months as your dose settles, and then periodic reviews after that. The early phase tends to get the closest attention, because that is when side effects like nausea are most likely and when dehydration is the main thing to guard against. If you ever feel severe pain, keep vomiting, or feel truly unwell, that is not a wait for the next blood test moment, that is a call your doctor now moment.

The marker most weight plans ignore, your muscle

Here is where most of the conversation goes quiet, and where a man over 45 should pay attention. Standard bloodwork tells your doctor a lot, but it does not usually measure the one thing that decides whether you end up lean and strong or skinny and weak, your muscle. A big share of rapid weight loss can be lean tissue rather than fat, and the scale and a routine blood panel will not flag that for you.

That is the gap 120to90 is built to fill. Alongside your medical monitoring, you track the things that protect muscle, your strength numbers, your waist and your weight against your goal. When your bloodwork is improving and your strength is holding, that is the real win. If you want the method, read our guide to keeping muscle on GLP 1.

How to make your monitoring easier

A few simple habits make the whole process smoother and your results better.

1. Stay hydrated, especially early, to support your kidneys through the nausea phase.
2. Eat enough protein, roughly 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, to protect muscle while you lose fat.
3. Keep your own records, your weight, your waist and your strength, so you and your doctor see the full picture, not just the labs.
4. Ask questions at every appointment, about your results, your dose and anything that feels off.

The medication and the bloodwork are your doctor’s department. The training, the eating and the tracking that keep your muscle are yours, and that is exactly what the free plan is built to handle. When you are ready, the full system lives inside the 120to90 app.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need blood tests to be on a GLP 1?

In most cases your prescriber will want bloodwork before starting and at intervals during treatment, to check safety and track progress. Your own doctor sets the exact schedule for you.

What blood tests are done on a GLP 1?

Commonly discussed tests include blood sugar and HbA1c, kidney function, liver enzymes and a lipid panel, with baseline checks before you start. Your doctor decides which apply to you.

How often do you need bloodwork on a GLP 1?

A typical pattern is a baseline, closer checks in the first few months, then periodic reviews, but the schedule is set by your doctor based on your health.

Does bloodwork show if I am losing muscle?

Routine bloodwork usually does not measure muscle. That is why tracking your strength, waist and weight alongside your labs matters, so you can see whether the loss is fat or muscle.

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Disclaimer. I share what I have learned on my own journey and I am not a doctor. GLP 1 medications are prescription drugs and all decisions about testing, dosing and monitoring must be made by your own qualified doctor. Nothing here is medical advice. If anything feels wrong, contact your doctor.

By Jimmy, founder of 120to90. Medically cautious, not medical advice. See the disclaimer below. Last updated June 2026.

The week before your first dose matters more than most people realise. A GLP 1 will quietly turn your appetite down. That is the point. But if you walk in with no plan, the medication makes the decisions for you, and the result is often weight lost fast with too much muscle going with it. For a man over 45, that is the trap. Get ready properly and you tilt the whole thing toward fat loss with your strength held.

I am Jimmy. I am 48, on my own road from 120kg toward 90, losing weight under my doctor on a GLP 1. Here is exactly how I would prepare if I were starting again, the mental side and the physical side, in plain language.

Why preparation changes the result

The medication is one lever. What you eat, how you train and how you track are the other three, and they decide whether the weight you lose is fat or muscle. Body composition studies of these drugs show a real share of rapid weight loss can be lean tissue. Preparation is how you protect against that before the appetite drop ever hits. The men who get ready first do not just feel better in week one, they keep more of their muscle through the whole journey.

Get your head right first

Decide what success looks like, in advance. Not a number on the scale. A waist that shrinks, strength that holds or climbs, and energy that stays. Write it down before you start, because once the scale starts dropping it is easy to chase the wrong target.

Expect the appetite drop, and plan for it. You will not feel like eating much. That is normal and it is the medication working. The risk is undereating protein, which is the one thing you must not skimp on. Knowing this in advance is half the battle.

Accept slow. Faster is not better. Half a kilogram to one kilogram a week keeps more muscle than a crash. Going in with that expectation stops you panicking when the scale moves gently.

Build the physical habits before day one

This is the part almost nobody does, and it is the difference maker. Start these in the week or two before your first dose, while your appetite is still normal and habits are easy to build.

Start lifting now

Two to four short resistance sessions a week is the signal that tells your body to keep its muscle while it burns fat. You do not need a gym. Kettlebells, a pair of dumbbells and a bench cover it. Beginning before the medication means the habit is already in place when your energy dips.

Dial in your protein

Most evidence points to roughly 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day during weight loss, and the higher end matters more as we age. Practise hitting it now, while eating is easy, so it is automatic later. Think eggs, chicken, fish, Greek yoghurt, lean mince and a simple whey shake.

Sort your kitchen

Stock the high protein staples and clear out the food you will regret buying once cravings are gone. A prepared kitchen makes the right choice the easy choice.

Get your water habit going

Good hydration helps with the nausea and tiredness that can come in the early weeks. Start before, not after.

Set up the practical side

Write your questions for the doctor. Dose and how it steps up, what side effects to expect, what to do about nausea, how it interacts with anything else you take, and what the plan is if it stops working. Walk in with the list.

Plan for the first week. Mild nausea, fullness and tiredness are common early on. Smaller meals, plenty of water and steady protein help. If anything feels wrong or severe, call your doctor, that is what they are there for.

Set up your tracking. Pick how you will log your weight, your waist and your strength in one place from day one. A starting baseline is the only way to know later whether you kept your muscle. The 120to90 app is built to do exactly this.

Your GLP 1 prep checklist

• Defined what success means beyond the scale
• Started two to four short resistance sessions a week
• Practised hitting your daily protein target
• Stocked the kitchen with high protein staples
• Built a steady water habit
• Wrote your questions for the doctor
• Set up weight, waist and strength tracking with a baseline

Tick those off before your first dose and you are not just starting a medication, you are starting a plan. If you want all of it done for you, the kettlebell workout, the high protein eating plan and the tracking, that is what the free plan is for. For the full method, read our guide to keeping muscle on GLP 1. And to see what the result looks like, read our real GLP 1 success stories.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do before starting a GLP 1?

Build the muscle protecting habits first. Start resistance training, practise hitting your protein target, stock your kitchen, build a water habit, write your questions for the doctor and set up a way to track weight, waist and strength from day one.

What should I eat when starting a GLP 1?

Lead with protein at every meal, around 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, since appetite drops and muscle needs protecting. Keep meals smaller and steady, and drink plenty of water to ease early nausea.

How do I avoid losing muscle on a GLP 1?

Lift weights two to four times a week, eat enough protein and lose weight slowly. Those three together push the loss toward fat and protect the muscle underneath.

Will I feel sick when I start?

Mild nausea, fullness and tiredness are common in the early weeks as your body adjusts. Smaller meals, hydration and steady protein help. Anything severe or worrying is a call to your doctor.

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Disclaimer. I share what I have learned on my own journey and I am not a doctor. GLP 1 medications are prescription drugs with real risks and side effects. If you have a health condition, take any medication, or are starting a new diet or training plan, speak to your own doctor first.

By Jimmy, founder of 120to90. Medically cautious, not medical advice. See the disclaimer below. Last updated June 2026.

Most success stories you read about GLP 1 only tell you half the story. They show the scale dropping. They do not tell you what came off. For a man over 45, that missing half is the whole game, because losing weight the wrong way leaves you lighter, weaker and softer than when you started.

I know, because I am living it. I am Jimmy. I am 48. I started at 120kg with a target of 90, training at 4.30am with kettlebells at home, losing weight under my own doctor on a GLP 1. This page is the honest version of what success looks like, mine and the research behind it, so you can judge what is realistic for you.

What success really means on a GLP 1

The drug works. That part is settled. In the STEP 1 trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine, adults on semaglutide lost an average of around 15 percent of their body weight over 68 weeks. In the SURMOUNT 1 trial, tirzepatide pushed average loss above 20 percent at the highest dose. Those are real numbers from large, peer reviewed studies.

But here is what the headlines skip. When you lose weight fast, a meaningful share of it is not fat. Body composition analyses of these same trials found that a large portion of the weight lost, by some measures approaching 40 percent, can be lean tissue rather than fat. That is muscle. And muscle is the one thing a man over 45 cannot afford to give away, because we already lose roughly 3 to 8 percent of our muscle every decade after 30, and faster after 60.

So a real success story is not lost 20 kilograms. A real success story is I lost the fat and kept the strength underneath. That is a very different result, and it does not happen by accident.

My own numbers, the honest version

Here is where I am, and I will only ever put real figures on this page.

I am updating my live figures on this page as I go, so they reflect where I actually am rather than a sales pitch. Check back as the numbers move, and I will add my before and after photo here too.

What changed everything for me was not the dose. It was protecting the muscle while the fat came off. The men who get a result they keep all do the same handful of things.

The pattern behind every real GLP 1 transformation

After reading the research and living the process, the pattern is boringly consistent. Every lasting result rests on four habits.

1. Eat enough protein

Appetite drops hard on a GLP 1, so most people accidentally undereat protein, which is exactly the fuel that protects muscle in a calorie deficit. Most evidence points to roughly 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day during weight loss, and the higher end matters more as you age.

2. Lift, do not just walk

Cardio burns calories but does little to defend muscle. Resistance training is the signal that tells your body to hold onto the muscle while it burns fat. Two to four short sessions a week is enough to change the outcome.

3. Lose it slow

Faster is not better. A loss of roughly half a kilogram to one kilogram a week keeps more muscle than a crash. The scale moving slower is often the sign it is working.

4. Track what matters

Scale weight alone lies. Track your weight against your goal, your waist, and your strength numbers together. When the scale stalls but your waist shrinks and your lifts climb, that is fat loss with muscle held. That is success.

If you want the full method, I have written it up in detail in our guide to keeping muscle on GLP 1.

Stories from the 120to90 community

This is the section that will fill out as our founding members hit their milestones. Every story published here is real, shared with the member consent, and shown with their honest numbers, not cherry picked.

• First name and age
• Starting point and where they are now
• What they changed
• What kept them going
• One line in their own words

If you are on this plan and want your result featured, send me your story. Real progress only. It helps the next man more than any advert ever could.

How to start your own success story

You do not need to wait for permission to begin. The free plan gives you the kettlebell workout, the eating plan and the daily mobility routine that protect muscle while you lose fat. The 120to90 app then tracks your weight, your streaks and your strength in one place, so you can see the real result, not just the scale.

Get the free plan and start this week. When you are ready for the full system, the programme, the meals and the tracking built for a man over 45, it is right here.

Frequently asked questions

How much weight can you realistically lose on a GLP 1?

In large trials, average loss ran from around 15 percent of body weight on semaglutide to over 20 percent on tirzepatide across roughly a year and a half. Your result depends on dose, diet, training and how your body responds. Slower, steadier loss tends to hold better.

Do you lose muscle on a GLP 1?

You can, and many people do. Studies show a large share of rapid weight loss can be lean tissue. Eating enough protein and lifting weights through the process is what shifts the loss toward fat and protects your muscle.

Is it too late to start at 50 or older?

No. Muscle and strength still respond well into our 60s and 70s. The plan here is built for joints with some miles on them.

What happens to the weight when I stop the medication?

This is exactly why muscle matters. Holding muscle keeps your metabolism higher and makes the result easier to keep after the medication stops. Building the training and eating habits now is the insurance.

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Disclaimer. I share what I have learned on my own journey and I am not a doctor. GLP 1 medications are prescription drugs with real risks and side effects. If you have a health condition, take any medication, or are starting a new diet or training plan, speak to your own doctor first.