GLP-1 Hub: Support, Community, and Weight Loss

Join Ana Reisdorf, dietitian and GLP-1 user, where science meets support, and your weight loss journey is backed by a community that gets it. Whether you’re new to GLP-1 medications like Zepbound, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Ozempic, or just looking to optimize your results, this podcast is your trusted space for expert insights, real success stories, and practical strategies to help you feel your best.

Latest Episodes:

Fiber, Bloating & GLP-1s: What to Know w/ David Istier Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Fiber is suddenly showing up everywhere, from soda and candy to pasta and protein snacks. But more fiber isn’t automatically better, especially when it leaves you feeling bloated, uncomfortable, or confused about what your body actually needs.
Registered dietitian and GLP-1 user Ana Reisdorf sits down with David Istier, founder and CEO of gutzy Organic, to discuss the gut microbiome, prebiotics, probiotics, and why different sources of fiber can feel different in your body. David also shares how his experience helping launch GoGo squeeZ in the United States—and the health challenges he faced while building his own company—led to the creation of gutzy.
For people taking GLP-1 medications, the central takeaway is simple: eating less makes the nutritional quality of what you eat even more important. Ana and David discuss how to look beyond protein and fiber marketing claims, prioritize real food, and find convenient options for days when appetite is low.
**IN THIS EPISODE**
- What the gut microbiome, probiotics, and prebiotics mean
- Why different sources of fiber may feel different in your body
- How fiber became the food industry’s newest marketing trend
- Why more fiber isn’t automatically better
- What to consider when choosing fiber-fortified foods
- Why nutrient density matters when you’re eating less on a GLP-1
- How GLP-1 medications are changing the food industry
- The challenge of combining convenience with real-food ingredients
- David’s journey from GoGo squeeZ to founding gutzy Organic
- What’s inside gutzy’s fruit, vegetable, fiber, and plant-protein pouches
**ABOUT THE GUEST**
David Istier is the founder and CEO of gutzy Organic. Originally from France, David began his career in food marketing and later helped launch GoGo squeeZ in the United States. After experiencing significant stress and health challenges while building his own company, he became interested in plants, prebiotic fiber, and gut health. That experience eventually led him to create gutzy Organic and its refrigerated fruit-and-vegetable pouches.
**CONNECT WITH DAVID**
Website: https://gutzyorganic.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gutzyorganic
**SPONSOR**
This episode is sponsored by gutzy Organic. David Istier is the company’s founder and joins the conversation to share his experience as a food entrepreneur and his perspective on fiber, gut health, and the food industry.
https://gutzyorganic.com
Tyde Wellness — GLP-1 programs with licensed providers, dosing adjustments, nutrition guidance, and long-term support
https://tydewellness.com/GLP1Hub — code GLP1Hub50 for $50 off your first month
**CHAPTERS**
00:00 The problem with protein and fiber buzzwords
00:24 Why more fiber isn’t automatically better
01:32 Meet David Istier and the story behind gutzy
05:20 The gut microbiome, probiotics, and prebiotics
09:26 How fiber became the new protein
11:29 Acacia fiber and gutzy’s real-food approach
16:07 Different types of fiber and digestive comfort
18:21 Why eating less makes nutrition more important
21:49 How GLP-1s are changing the food industry
24:05 Building and explaining a new food category
25:39 What’s inside gutzy pouches and where to find them
28:39 Closing the fiber gap and improving food literacy
30:39 Connect with gutzy Organic
31:53 Ana’s final takeaways and nutrition challenge

MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

📬 Get The Steady State, Ana's weekly newsletter with GLP-1 guidance from a dietitian who's on one: http://join.glp-1hub.com
🎙 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and if this episode helped, leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - it's the single best way to help more people find the show.
🌐 Shop GLP-1 essentials, meal plans, and recipes: https://shop.glp-1hub.com
📷 Follow on Instagram: @glp1hub
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GLP-1hub

*Some of the links shared are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

*The content of this show is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The goal of this show is to provide various points of view about GLP-1 Medications. The personal and professional opinion of the guests and their content does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Ana Reisdorf or GLP-1 Hub.

6 Years Into GLP-1s: What Maintenance Really Looks Like w/ Tara Rothenhoefer Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Tara Rothenhoefer was one of the earliest participants in a tirzepatide clinical trial, before the medication had a brand name. After a lifelong battle with obesity, she began the trial in 2020 at 342 pounds. Eighteen months later, she had lost 132 pounds. But when the study ended, she faced a year without medication, uncertainty around access, and the emotional work of learning how to live in a body she had never known before.
In this episode, Tara shares what changed when food noise finally quieted, why medication alone was never the whole story, and how she learned that “more weight loss” is not always the goal.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Tara’s lifelong experience with obesity, dieting, and weight stigma
- How a radio ad and a clinical-trial opening changed the course of her life
- What it was like to join an early tirzepatide trial with only a 25% chance of receiving the medication
- The role of nutrition support, movement, and gradual behavior change
- Losing 132 pounds in 18 months—and what happened when the trial ended
- Navigating medication access, shortages, judgment, and compounded medication
- Why the scale and clothing sizes can become a new kind of obsession
- Recognizing when continued weight loss was no longer healthy
- What long-term maintenance looks like after a major weight change
- Using medication as one tool in a broader, ongoing relationship with health
ABOUT THE GUEST
Tara Rothenhoefer is a wife, mom, and grandma who, after a lifelong battle with obesity, joined a clinical trial for tirzepatide in 2020 that led to her 222-pound weight loss. Featured on numerous national platforms, including The Today Show, Good Morning America, and the Tamron Hall show, she now shares her journey to encourage and inspire others, while navigating maintenance and living life in a small body for the first time ever.
CONNECT WITH TARA
TikTok and Instagram: @tacklingtara
Links and resources: https://linktr.ee/tacklingtara

SPONSOR
Tyde Wellness — GLP-1 programs with licensed providers, real dosing adjustments, and long-term support
http://tydewellness.com/GLP1Hub — code GLP1Hub50 for $50 off your first month
CHAPTERS
00:00 From clinical trial to a 222-pound weight loss
01:11 Meet Tara Rothenhoefer
03:16 A lifelong battle with obesity and dieting
04:48 Finding the tirzepatide clinical trial
08:15 Taking a chance on an unknown medication
10:58 What the trial support looked like
13:56 Movement, nutrition support, and early results
16:54 Losing 132 pounds in 18 months
20:00 When the trial ended and medication access disappeared
29:00 Shortages, stigma, and public attention
35:11 When weight loss went too far
40:24 Long-term maintenance and listening to her body
43:03 Connecting with Tara

MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

*Some of the links shared are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

The Psychology of Weighing Yourself on GLP-1 Medications w/ Brian Baumal, RP Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Your scale isn't measuring weight...it's measuring fear, shame, and whether you believe your GLP-1 is working.
Registered dietitian Ana Reisdorf sits down with Brian Baumal, a registered psychotherapist who lost 100 pounds, kept it off for 14 years, and recovered from two eating disorders. He explains how the scale can become exposure therapy, why shame drives the "lose it fast" thinking that sets you up to fail on Ozempic or Zepbound, and how to stop tying your worth to a number.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Why weight gain on a GLP-1 sends you into a spiral (and how to stop it)
- Using the scale as exposure therapy: the CBT-E "collaborative weighing" technique
- How shame causes quick weight loss goals, black-and-white thinking, and failure
- Why Ozempic and Zepbound don't eliminate food noise completely — and why that's normal
- Habit change vs. the underlying psychology of emotional eating
ABOUT THE GUEST
Brian Baumal is a registered psychotherapist based in Toronto, Canada, trained in depth psychotherapy with a practice focused on the emotional and unconscious drivers of weight, eating, and shame. He has adapted cognitive behavioral therapy for eating disorders (CBT-E) into a weight management approach. Brian lost 100 pounds and has kept it off for nearly 14 years, and is recovered from two eating disorders — exercise bulimia and binge eating disorder.
CONNECT WITH BRIAN
Website: https://alivapsychotherapy.com
SPONSOR
Tyde Wellness — GLP-1 programs with licensed providers, real dosing adjustments, and long-term support
http://tydewellness.com/GLP1Hub — code GLP1Hub50 for $50 off your first month
CHAPTERS
00:00 The scale is measuring more than weight
01:21 Meet Brian Baumal, RP
03:17 Why weight judgment feels so personal
04:36 When the scale makes or breaks your day
05:16 The scale as exposure therapy
08:40 Challenging the spiral in real time
13:14 Breaking the panic-weigh cycle
15:41 Shame, quick fixes, and all-or-nothing thinking
20:29 Habits vs. the psychology underneath
23:49 Food noise isn't going away — and that's okay
28:24 Working with Brian + final thoughts
MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

*Some of the links shared are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

The FDA Is Reviewing 7 Popular Peptides: But Are They Actually Safe? w/ Tanna Donalson, PA-C Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

That "miracle" peptide in an unlabeled vial isn't the same science as your GLP-1, and the FDA is meeting this week to decide the fate of seven of them.
Registered dietitian and GLP-1 user Ana Reisdorf sits down with Tanna Donalson, PA-C, owner of Redbud Medical in Denver, where she prescribes, manages, and monitors peptides for her patients every day. After 15 years in trauma and emergency medicine, Tanna built a practice around exactly this: knowing what each peptide is, what it actually does for a patient, and how to run it safely. Together they break down why semaglutide (Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) belong in a category all their own, the seven peptides on the FDA's table, and the two questions that reveal whether a peptide provider is legit.
IN THIS EPISODE
- What a peptide actually is, and why your GLP-1 is NOT the same thing as BPC-157 or TB-500
- The seven peptides the FDA is reviewing: BPC-157, KPV, TB-500 (the "Wolverine complex"), MOTS-c, DSIP, Semax, and Epitalon
- The "funding gap" — why peptides that can't be patented never get human clinical trials
- Six things the FDA worries about in an unlabeled vial, from identity and purity to the cancer/angiogenesis risk
- The two questions that tell you if a peptide provider is legitimate (503A/B pharmacies and third-party certificates of analysis)
ABOUT THE GUEST
Tanna Donalson is a Physician Assistant and Owner of Redbud Medical in Denver Colorado. Her background is in Trauma and Emergency Medicine and she is now specializing in Women's Health and Wellness, Peptides, Weight Loss, Hormones and all things preventative care to help people live longer, healthier lives.
CONNECT WITH TANNA
Website: https://www.redbudmedicalspa.com
Instagram: @redbudmedspa
SPONSORS
Timeline Mitopure — Urolithin A gummies that support mitochondrial renewal and muscle health during midlife and GLP-1 use.
http://timeline.com/glp1hub for 20% off
Cozy Earth — Temperature-regulating viscose bamboo sheets, blankets, and loungewear for better sleep on your GLP-1 journey.
http://cozyearth.com code GLP1Hub for up to 20% off
CHAPTERS
00:00 The bro-science problem
01:51 Meet Tanna Donalson, PA-C
03:04 What a peptide actually is
04:03 Why your GLP-1 is its own category
07:35 The legal gray area explained
09:26 The funding gap: why no one studies them
14:36 What the FDA meeting is really about
19:39 The seven peptides, one by one
29:34 Six FDA safety concerns and cancer risk
32:44 Two questions for a legit provider
MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

*Some of the links shared are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

He Helped Big Food Hack Your Brain. Now He's Switched Sides w/ Dr. Glenn Livingston Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Your GLP-1 can quiet the food noise, but the psychologist who helped big food companies engineer your cravings says it can't erase them...and thinking it will is why weight comes back.
Ana Reisdorf, registered dietitian and GLP-1 user, talks with Dr. Glenn Livingston, psychologist and author of Defeat Your Cravings (2M+ readers), who spent years consulting for big food companies before losing 80 pounds himself. They break down why the craving center of your brain has no concept of long-term goals, why "everything in moderation" backfires, and how to use Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, or Mounjaro as a training tool instead of a wake up skinny pill.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Why food cravings come back on Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro — and how to handle them
- The "extinction burst": why cravings get worse right before they go dormant for good
- How to stop overeating with one specific food rule instead of "everything in moderation"
- Why your GLP-1 works like a personal trainer holding the bar, not a skinny pill
- Why fasting on a GLP-1 backfires and how fast you should actually lose weight
ABOUT THE GUEST
Glenn Livingston, Ph.D. was the long time CEO of a multi-million dollar consulting firm which has serviced several Fortune 500 clients in the food industry. You have likely seen his work and appearances in many articles and news segments on major publications and media over the years. Disillusioned by what traditional psychology had to offer overweight and/or food obsessed individuals, Dr. Livingston spent several decades researching the nature of bingeing and overeating via work with his own clients AND a self-funded research program with more than 40,000 participants. He earned his Ph.D. in psychology from Yeshiva University in 1991.
CONNECT WITH GLENN
Website: https://www.DefeatYourCravings.com (free book, recorded coaching sessions, and food plan starter templates)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defeatyourcravings
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DefeatYourCravings
CHAPTERS
00:00 The brain wired to override your diet
02:00 From big food insider to 80 pounds down
04:32 Why "loving yourself thin" fails
07:59 Calming the craving emergency response
10:11 One rule that catches your food monster
15:15 Still craving on a GLP-1?
17:11 A personal trainer, not a skinny pill
19:23 Why cravings spike before going dormant
22:26 Keep ice cream without losing control
29:28 The fastest way to lose weight is slowly
MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

*Some of the links shared are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

The 90-Day GLP-1 Plan: Why a Longevity Coach Takes Clients Off the Meds w/ Jason Nelson Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Most people treat GLP-1s as a lifelong prescription. Jason Nelson gives clients 90 days on the medication...then takes them off on purpose.
Registered dietitian Ana Reisdorf talks with Jason Nelson, former competitive bodybuilder and founder of Body Image in Williston Park, NY, about using Ozempic, Wegovy, and other GLP-1 medications as the starting line of a longevity plan — not the finish line. He explains how his team decides when clients taper off, the metabolic markers he tracks, and why physical function matters more than the scale after 60 — including one 64-year-old breast cancer survivor who tested at a biological age of 49.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Why GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy work best as a 90–180 day sprint, not a lifelong medication
- Biological age testing explained: epigenetic methylation, pace of aging, and organ system (Symphony) age
- The metabolic markers to fix first: fasting insulin, A1C, triglycerides, blood pressure, and waist circumference
- How to prevent muscle loss after 60 — anabolic resistance, protein needs, and strength training 4–5 days a week
- Balance training and calf circumference: the overlooked predictors of falls and mortality in older adults
ABOUT THE GUEST
Jason Nelson is a former competitive bodybuilder and the founder of Body Image, a personal training studio in Williston Park, NY, where he's spent 19 years helping hundreds of adults over 40 rebuild their metabolism, strength, and energy. He now leads the Human Optimization Project, a longevity-focused coaching program that combines GLP-1 medication support with strength training, metabolic health optimization, and biological age testing.
CONNECT WITH JASON
Website: https://bodyimage.health
Instagram: @jnelson2580
SPONSOR
Tyde Wellness — licensed GLP-1 providers who actually adjust your dose and stick with you long-term
http://tydewellness.com/GLP1Hub — code GLP1HUB50 for $50 off your first month
CHAPTERS
00:00 A number you can finally measure
01:59 Meet Jason Nelson
03:10 Why your 20s playbook stops working
05:55 Fat loss is the entry point, not the destination
07:24 The metabolic markers that matter
08:34 Testing your biological age
12:53 GLP-1 as a 90-day sprint
14:34 From "skinny" to strong at 80
17:22 Balance, muscle, and falls after 60
25:39 64 years old, biologically 49
MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

*Some of the links shared are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

Could Your Employer Pay You for Hitting Your GLP-1 Health Goals? | Jeremy Shane Jul 13, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Your health insurance only makes money when you're sick, which is exactly why GLP-1 coverage keeps getting cut, and why one former WebMD exec is building a model to flip the incentive.
Ana Reisdorf, registered dietitian and GLP-1 user, sits down with Jeremy Shane, founder of Life for Health and former WebMD and Medscape executive, to unpack why the value of Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound shows up 10 to 20 years from now — and nobody in the current system gets paid for that. Jeremy lays out a model that would pay GLP-1 users cash for hitting their health goals, let that money grow tax-deferred like a 401(k), and fund it entirely from dollars already being spent on sick care.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Why health insurers argue there's no long-term ROI on GLP-1 medications — and the Medicare data that says they're wrong
- The Life for Health model: getting paid for sustained metabolic results, with the cash growing tax-deferred inside a universal life insurance policy
- Why self-insured employers (who cover 65% of American workers) are the fastest path to real GLP-1 coverage
- What happens to a long-term GLP-1 plan if you change jobs
- Why life insurers are the only players in healthcare who profit from the absence of disease
- How the 1970s split between medicine and healthcare delivery created the chronic disease crisis we're in now
ABOUT THE GUEST
Jeremy is an lifelong entrepreneur and leader of disruptive businesses in energy, consumer health, and education. His mission is to solve chronic disease, using Life for Health, his approach to increase healthspan using life insurance, instead of health insurance. Chronic disease is a long game, involving completely different scientific and medical risks than the short-term, routine and emergency issues for which health insurance was designed. It's a radical but practically doable way to combine the best of value based care, longevity medicine, and an insurance structure that actually pays people and clinicians over time as they succeed in reversing and preventing disease.
CONNECT WITH JEREMY
Order Life for Health: https://amzn.to/48JAIi1
Learn More About Life for Health: https://www.lifeforhealth.com
Substack: https://hardproblems.substack.com/
X: https://x.com/jeremylshane
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-shane-ba62301/
SPONSOR
Timeline (Mitopure) — clinically studied Urolithin A that supports mitochondrial renewal and muscle health, which matters most while losing weight on a GLP-1.
http://timeline.com/GLP1HUB — 20% off your order

Cozy Earth — temperature-regulating viscose bamboo sheets, blankets, and loungewear for the sleep quality your GLP-1 journey depends on. 100-night sleep trial, 10-year warranty. http://cozyearth.com — code GLP1HUB for up to 20% off
CHAPTERS
00:00 Nobody Pays You For Being Healthy
01:37 From WebMD To Life For Health
04:18 The Real Value Of GLP-1s Isn't Weight Loss
07:17 Why Insurers Are Wrong About The ROI
09:24 Getting Paid Cash To Hit Your Goals
13:54 Who Would Actually Fund This
16:25 What If You Switch Jobs?
19:10 The Only Company That Profits From Health
22:22 Making It Affordable For Everyone
25:16 Can We Reverse America's Health Crisis?
29:42 How To Bring This To Your Employer
MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

*Some of the links shared are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

Ozempic, Wegovy & Diabetes Remission: Beyond Lowering Blood Sugar w/ Dr. Jason Shumard Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Her A1C was perfect. Her kidneys failed anyway, and Dr. Jason Shumard says it's the same blind spot facing anyone losing weight on a GLP-1.
Registered dietitian Ana Reisdorf talks with Dr. Jason Shumard, DC, a functional medicine practitioner who's spent his career working with type 2 diabetics, about what an A1C number can't tell you. They get into the cholesterol ratio that flags insulin resistance years before your glucose moves, why "eating healthy" usually isn't, and his real concern about staying on Ozempic or another GLP-1 long-term without addressing what's driving the disease underneath.
IN THIS EPISODE
- The triglyceride-to-HDL ratio that signals insulin resistance before A1C or fasting glucose ever moves
- Why a "well-controlled" A1C of 6.1 didn't prevent full kidney failure and dialysis
- Whether GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy should be cycled instead of taken continuously for years
- What a low C-peptide reveals about your pancreas after long-term injections
- The bariatric surgery parallel that predicts diabetes coming back even after the weight comes off
ABOUT THE GUEST
Dr. Jason Shumard is a Functional Medicine practitioner with over 20 years of experience specializing in Type 2 Diabetes and insulin resistance. He uses a root-cause, lab-based approach to uncover why blood sugar rises, focusing on factors like hormonal imbalances, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction. Known for simplifying complex science, Dr. Shumard helps people understand their bodies and take control of their health with practical, personalized strategies. His work is deeply personal, inspired by losing his mother to diabetes complications, which fuels his mission to help others prevent and reverse metabolic disease.
CONNECT WITH DR. SHUMARD
Website: https://drshumard.com
Instagram: @drjasonshumarddc
Free webinar "The Top 3 Secrets That Are Preventing You From Reversing Your Diabetes" : https://drshumardsolution.com/replay
SPONSOR
Tyde Wellness — licensed providers who adjust your GLP-1 dosing as your body changes, plus a real care team for plateaus, side effects, and long-term support.
tydewellness.com/GLP1Hub — code GLP1HUB50 for $50 off your first month
CHAPTERS
00:00 The A1C number that lied
01:54 Meet Dr. Jason Shumard
02:56 The mother who declined despite "good" numbers
05:55 Why there's no single root cause
09:14 The lipid ratio that predicts insulin resistance
11:40 "I eat healthy" — and why it usually isn't
15:23 Adrenals, stress, and hidden chemical load
20:47 The foundation you have to fix first
21:54 Where GLP-1s help — and the cycling concern
25:35 Microdosing, bariatric surgery, and the cell trap
MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

*Some of the links shared are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

Universal Healthcare Won't Cover GLP-1s - Weight Medicine Abroad w/ Emma Lidell Jul 06, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

In Sweden, universal healthcare won't cover GLP-1s for weight loss, and the $500/month price tag still isn't the biggest barrier to getting a prescription.
Registered dietitian Ana Reisdorf talks with Emma Lidell, host of Sweden's first dedicated weight medicine podcast, about what GLP-1 access really looks like outside the US. They compare out-of-pocket costs for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro (Zepbound), unpack Sweden's institutionalized Saturday candy culture, and get into why Emma says the best part of a year on GLP-1s has nothing to do with the scale.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Why Sweden's universal healthcare doesn't cover Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro for weight loss
- What GLP-1s cost out of pocket in Sweden vs. LillyDirect prices in the US
- Sweden's BMI criteria for GLP-1 prescriptions — and why US doctors ignore the same rules
- How "Saturday candy" culture shaped Sweden's relationship with sugar
- Losing 40 pounds in a year and why food noise relief matters more than weight loss
ABOUT THE GUEST
Emma Lidell is the creator and host of The Weight Medicine Podcast, where she explores what it means to live with obesity and how GLP-1 treatment changes that experience. With a background in communication and storytelling, her work is rooted in her own life — after a lifetime of struggling with weight, food noise, and shame, GLP-1 medication shifted something fundamental for her. She now uses her platform to share real stories, reduce stigma, and examine both the emotional and biological sides of weight in an honest, human way.
CONNECT WITH EMMA
Website: https://www.literalcreations.se
Instagram: @theweightmedicinepodcast
SPONSOR
Timeline — Mitopure gummies with clinically studied Urolithin A to support mitochondrial renewal and muscle health
timeline.com/glp1hub for 20% off
Tyde Wellness — GLP-1 care with licensed providers, real dosing adjustments, and long-term support
tydewellness.com/GLP1Hub, code GLP1HUB50 for $50 off your first month
CHAPTERS
00:00 A country built on Saturday candy
01:46 Meet Sweden's weight medicine podcaster
05:47 Why universal healthcare won't pay
08:38 What Swedes pay out of pocket
14:59 Sweden's real diet problem isn't fast food
16:36 40 pounds down, scale matters less
19:20 Rewiring exercise from punishment to pleasure
20:49 Family reactions and her mom's GLP-1 start
27:05 Where Swedish GLP-1 access is headed
MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

*Some of the links shared are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

Denied Bariatric Surgery, Then Lost 90 Pounds on GLP-1s: Kelly Mooney's Story Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Bariatric surgery told her she didn't qualify. Three years later, Kelly Mooney has lost more than 90 pounds on a GLP-1 and the pain from a chronic bone disease that once had her fearing a wheelchair is nearly gone.
Ana Reisdorf, registered dietitian, talks with Kelly Mooney, a Portland-based photographer and former PR professional, about becoming her doctor's very first GLP-1 patient after a bariatric surgeon told her she wasn't sick enough to qualify. Kelly walks through the surprise anti-inflammatory relief from Paget's disease that showed up within weeks, why her weight loss timeline looked nothing like what she saw on social media, and how the medication eventually spread to her husband, her parents, and her in-laws.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Why Kelly didn't qualify for bariatric surgery at a size 24
- The unexpected way GLP-1s eased her Paget's disease bone pain within two weeks
- What a realistic GLP-1 timeline looks like (90 pounds over 3 years, not 30 in a month)
- How her husband, 84-year-old mother-in-law, and 82-year-old father all ended up on GLP-1s too
- Managing constipation, losing the enjoyment of food and wine, and shifting from "willpower" to "medical"
ABOUT THE GUEST
Kelly Mooney is a business owner, photographer, and former PR and marketing professional based in Portland, Oregon. She spent 17 years running her own PR firm, earning clients national media coverage on The Today Show, Oprah, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, before shifting to run Kelly Mooney Photography, where she captures authentic, personality-driven imagery for individuals, families, and brands. A former athlete, Kelly stayed active for years but struggled to lose weight despite consistent workouts and programs like Weight Watchers and Overeaters Anonymous. In 2022, after being told she didn't qualify for bariatric surgery, her doctor suggested she try one of the newer GLP-1 medications — Kelly became her first patient, bringing in the research herself to help guide the decision. Since then, she's lost more than 90 pounds and seen a dramatic improvement in her Paget's disease of the bone, going from needing a cane to having knee replacement surgery and rediscovering the athlete in her. For Kelly, the journey has been less about weight loss and more about reclaiming her life and building sustainable, long-term habits.
CONNECT WITH KELLY
Website: kellymooneyphotography.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kellymooneyphotography/
Instagram: @kellymooneyphotography
SPONSOR
Tyde Wellness — licensed GLP-1 providers who actually adjust your dose and stay with you long-term
http://tydewellness.com/GLP1Hub — code GLP1HUB50 for $50 off your first month
CHAPTERS
00:00 Cold open: pain relief within weeks
01:43 Meet Kelly and her lifelong weight struggle
07:17 Denied for bariatric surgery
07:45 Becoming her doctor's first GLP-1 patient
11:05 Sponsor: Tyde Wellness
12:31 The surprise anti-inflammatory relief
14:09 The real timeline: 90 pounds over 3 years
20:33 Husband, parents, and in-laws follow suit
23:34 Shame, side effects, and the medical mindset shift
27:46 Tapering doses, travel, and what's next
MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB

*Some of the links shared are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

GLP-1 Hub: Support, Community, and Weight Loss

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected