Let’s look at our natural GLP-1 peptide and its function in your bodies. We all have natural hormones in our bodies that tell our bodies what to do and not to do. One of those hormones is GLP-1. When we eat, GLP-1 builds up in the receptors in our brains. When those receptors are full, that signals our brains that we are satiated, making us lose our appetite and stop wanting to eat. These same receptors are also located inside our stomachs. When those receptors get full, it signals our stomachs to slow down the digestion of the food which prevents it from overloading our GI tracts. So, when you use a GLP-1 medication like Semaglutide, you are artificially filling some of those receptors with an exogenous (from the outside) form of GLP-1 before you even take one bite of food. Once we take that first bite of food and the first of our natural GLP-1 is produced it will fill the remaining receptors making us feel full and lose our appetites much faster than we naturally would.

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   If your brain feels you are not hungry, and when you do eat you get a feeling of being physically full quickly, naturally eating less will become much easier. These are not the only benefits that GLP-1 peptides provide. They also have a significant impact on lowering blood glucose levels. When GLP-1 is released, it will cause the pancreases to release insulin and help the body lower blood glucose levels. GLP-1 also inhibits the hormone called glucagon, which causes the liver to release sugar into the blood. Lower glucose levels, which is the same as lowering blood sugar levels, is the goal of any diabetic treatment. This action will result in weight loss because the body will not burn fat for energy when blood sugar levels are high. If you think about the objective of doing cardio, we are attempting to deplete stored sugars in the body to then burn fat as a calorie source. In addition, GLP-1 inhibits the hormone called glucagon, which causes the liver to release sugar into the blood. These two powerful functions contribute to weight loss.

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   One of the most difficult parts of dieting is controlling our cravings for sugary or starchy foods. When our blood sugar is controlled, the desire to seek our carbohydrates or higher glycemic value foods is drastically reduced. This allows us to maintain a diet higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates.