What Are GLP-1 Medications?
GLP-1 stands for Glucagon Like Peptide 1. It is a hormone your body naturally produces to regulate hunger, blood sugar, and how your metabolism handles fat. GLP-1 medications work by mimicking this hormone. Your body already knows how to use it. These medications are simply turning up the volume on a system your body has had all along.
If you find yourself battling constant food cravings and intrusive thoughts about eating (what people call “food noise”), GLP-1 medications turn that noise down. You eat less because you actually feel less hungry, not because you are white-knuckling your way through willpower.
Semaglutide focuses on the GLP-1 receptor. You may recognize it as the active ingredient in Ozempic (for diabetes) and Wegovy (for weight loss). Both Semaglutide and Tirzepatide are approved by the FDA for weight loss. Our clinic uses compounded versions prepared by state licensed compounding pharmacies operating under FDA guidance. Clinical data shows patients typically lose 15 to 20 percent of their starting weight on Semaglutide.
Tirzepatide is a dual action medication working smarter. It targets both the GLP-1 receptor and the GIP receptor. GIP stands for Glucose Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide, another appetite and metabolism hormone produced by your own body. By activating both pathways at once, Tirzepatide produces slightly higher average weight loss in clinical studies. You may know it as the active ingredient in Mounjaro (for diabetes) and Zepbound (for weight loss).
Both medications have decades of clinical research behind them and have been safely used by millions of people worldwide.
