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The Journal
Plain-language, doctor-reviewed writing on GLP-1s, weight loss, and how to do this safely.
// The Basics · 7 min read
GLP-1, explained: why your body already speaks this language
A plain-language primer on the hormone behind GLP-1 medicines — and why they amplify a conversation your body is already having.
Read the article →// Eligibility · 6 min read
Who GLP-1 medication is — and isn’t — for
“Prescription-only” is a safety feature, not a hurdle. Here’s how clinicians decide whether GLP-1 treatment fits you.
Read →// Weight Loss · 9 min read
Five myths about GLP-1 weight loss, set straight
The most talked-about tools in weight management are also the most misunderstood. Sorting headline from evidence.
Read →// How Vive works · 5 min read
What “doctor-prescribed, fully online” actually means at Vive
Done responsibly, telehealth is the opposite of a rubber stamp. Here’s how a Vive assessment actually works.
Read →// Weight Loss · 8 min read
How much weight can you actually expect to lose?
What the large trials really showed — and why an average is a starting point for a conversation, not a promise to you.
Read →// Safety · 7 min read
GLP-1 side effects, and how they’re managed
Most side effects are gut-related, usually mild, and often manageable. Here’s what to expect — and when to seek care.
Read →// Nutrition · 7 min read
Protecting muscle while you lose fat
Any weight loss can cost lean mass if you let it. Protein and resistance training are how you steer the loss toward fat.
Read →// Weight Loss · 7 min read
What happens if you stop? Maintenance and GLP-1s
Obesity behaves like a chronic condition. Understanding weight regain is the key to a plan that lasts beyond the medicine.
Read →// Medications · 8 min read
Semaglutide vs. tirzepatide: how the two actually compare
Both are weekly injections for weight management. One acts on a second hormone pathway. Here’s what that means — and why the headline numbers you’ve seen aren’t comparing what you think.
Read →// The Basics · 6 min read
What tirzepatide does differently: the dual GLP-1/GIP mechanism
Tirzepatide acts on two metabolic hormones rather than one. Here’s what the second pathway actually adds — and what it doesn’t change.
Read →// Medications · 6 min read
Compounded semaglutide: what “compounded” actually means
Compounding is a long-standing, regulated pharmacy practice — not an unregulated shortcut. Here’s how it works and what to ask about.
Read →// Medications · 6 min read
Titration, explained: why GLP-1 doses start low and climb slowly
The slow dose ramp is not caution for its own sake. It is the single biggest factor in whether treatment stays tolerable.
Read →// Medications · 5 min read
Branded pens vs. compounded vials: what’s actually different
The delivery format and the price are what change. Here’s a plain comparison of what you’re actually choosing between.
Read →// How Vive works · 5 min read
What happens between your assessment and your first dose
A step-by-step walk through what actually happens after you hit submit — including what slows things down.
Read →// How Vive works · 5 min read
How Vive prices treatment, and why there are no hidden fees
What you pay for, what’s included, and why you don’t see a price until a doctor has confirmed what’s appropriate.
Read →// How Vive works · 5 min read
What your care team actually does after you start treatment
Treatment doesn’t end at your first shipment. Here’s what ongoing care looks like, and how to reach someone when you need to.
Read →// Eligibility · 6 min read
BMI isn’t destiny: how doctors actually weigh eligibility
BMI is where a prescribing conversation starts, not a pass/fail test — and it has real limitations worth knowing about.
Read →// Eligibility · 7 min read
GLP-1s and Type 2 diabetes: where weight loss and blood sugar overlap
Several of these medicines were developed for diabetes first. That history explains a lot about how they work — and why having diabetes changes the conversation.
Read →// Eligibility · 6 min read
What disqualifies you from GLP-1 treatment, and why that’s a safety feature
A “no” from a physician is the system working, not failing. Here’s what actually rules treatment out, and what only changes how it’s approached.
Read →// Safety · 6 min read
GLP-1 and your gallbladder: what the research actually shows
Gallbladder problems are a listed risk — but they’re closely tied to rapid weight loss of any kind, not unique to these medicines.
Read →// Safety · 5 min read
Pancreatitis risk and GLP-1s: separating rare from common
Pancreatitis is on every label in this drug class. It’s also rare — and the distinction between “listed” and “likely” is worth understanding.
Read →// Safety · 5 min read
When to call your doctor on GLP-1 treatment: a plain-language guide
Most side effects are mild and expected. This is the short list of what isn’t — and what to do about each.
Read →// Nutrition · 7 min read
What to eat on a GLP-1: a practical, Filipino-food-forward guide
Not a diet plan. Practical adjustments using food that’s already on a Filipino table, built around a smaller appetite.
Read →// Nutrition · 6 min read
Protein on a reduced appetite: hitting your target without forcing it
A smaller appetite makes protein the easiest thing to under-eat — and the most important thing not to.
Read →// Nutrition · 5 min read
Hydration and fibre on GLP-1 medication: the two most-missed basics
A surprising share of the side effects people report trace back to these two — and both are fixable without anything from a pharmacy.
Read →// Living With It · 6 min read
Food noise, quieted: what patients actually notice in the first weeks
The most common thing patients describe isn’t hunger disappearing. It’s the constant background chatter about food going quiet.
Read →// Living With It · 5 min read
Travelling with GLP-1 medication: storage, flights, and what to pack
Refrigeration, airport security, and time zones — the practical questions, answered.
Read →// Living With It · 5 min read
Alcohol and GLP-1 medication: what changes and why
Alcohol isn’t forbidden on GLP-1 treatment. But slowed digestion changes how it affects you, and that catches people out.
Read →// Living With It · 6 min read
Exercise on a GLP-1: building activity back in without overdoing it
Movement protects muscle and supports the medicine’s effect. Starting too hard on a reduced appetite backfires.
Read →// Metabolic Health · 6 min read
GLP-1s and blood pressure: the metabolic ripple effect of weight loss
Blood pressure often improves alongside weight loss on GLP-1 treatment. Here’s what the evidence shows — and why it isn’t the reason to start.
Read →// Metabolic Health · 5 min read
Sleep apnea and weight loss: what improves, and how fast
Sleep apnea severity is closely tied to body weight. Here’s what to realistically expect — and what weight loss doesn’t replace.
Read →// Metabolic Health · 5 min read
Cholesterol, triglycerides, and GLP-1 treatment: what the numbers usually do
Lipid panels often shift alongside weight loss. A plain-language look at what typically moves, and what doesn’t change on its own.
Read →// Metabolic Health · 6 min read
PCOS and GLP-1 medication: where the evidence actually stands
PCOS with insulin resistance is an active research area, not an approved indication. An honest account of what’s known and what isn’t.
Read →// Myths & Evidence · 5 min read
“Ozempic face”: what’s actually happening, and what helps
Facial volume loss during rapid weight loss is real. It’s also not a drug side effect, and it has a name only because of who it happened to.
Read →// Myths & Evidence · 6 min read
Is GLP-1 weight loss “cheating”? A clinician’s answer
The stigma is real and worth addressing directly — including what the medicine genuinely does and doesn’t do for you.
Read →// Myths & Evidence · 5 min read
Will insurance cover this in the Philippines? How to actually find out
The realistic expectation is out-of-pocket — but coverage varies by plan, and here are the exact questions to ask yours.
Read →// Myths & Evidence · 7 min read
GLP-1 medication and long-term safety: what the drug class actually tells us
These medicines are newer as weight treatments than as diabetes treatments. That distinction is the whole answer to “is this safe long term?”
Read →// The Basics · 6 min read
Does GLP-1 medication wreck your metabolism? What actually happens
The fear is that the medicine “breaks” something you can’t get back. Here’s the actual physiology — including the part that is a real concern.
Read →// Weight Loss · 6 min read
Plateaus on GLP-1 medication: why they happen and what actually helps
Weight loss rarely moves in a straight line. Here’s what a plateau usually means, and what’s worth doing about it.
Read →// Medications · 5 min read
Storing and handling your medication: the practical guide
Refrigeration, room temperature, sharps disposal, and the mistakes that quietly ruin a month’s supply.
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