Man on Mounjaro.
If you think GLP-1 inhibitors, are a quick fix, a cheat, you’re wrong—and this is why
Why are we so resistant to progress? When anaesthesia was introduced in the 1840s, many in the medical profession were against it. Some believed pain was necessary. The New York Medical Gazette even called it “a coward’s shortcut.”
Sound familiar?
We’re seeing the same reaction today with GLP-1s. People moralising something that should be a health decision. Labelling it cheating. Suggesting others are lazy for not suffering more. It’s the same tired narrative—struggle is seen as noble, and anything that makes the process more manageable gets dismissed.
I came across a Reddit thread in r/CICO—a forum supposedly rooted in logic: calories in, calories out. One user shared how their life had changed since starting a GLP-1. Weight down. Blood pressure stabilised. Mental clarity returned. Food noise gone.
The top response? Not support. Not interest.
It was judgement.
They were accused of not “doing the real work.” Of taking shortcuts. Someone even wrote: “If I had to take a drug, I’d rather stay fat.”
That’s where we’re at.
Some people would rather stay unwell than admit a medical tool might help—just to keep their sense of moral superiority intact. This isn’t about resisting science. It’s about resisting change. Especially when someone else’s change unsettles your sense of what’s fair.
GLP-1s are, in many ways, the modern equivalent of anaesthesia. A breakthrough that challenges our ideas about what pain or struggle should look like. When they first introduced anaesthetic, people pushed back. Some believed pain was essential. Others saw it as weak to avoid suffering.
We’re doing the same now. Moralising medication. Acting as though managing hunger with support is somehow less valid than battling through it alone. And that’s what made me stop. Reconsider. Because I was doing all the work—and getting none of the result. Not because I was lazy. Because metabolism doesn’t negotiate. It shifts. And unless we evolve our approach, we get left behind
I’m fit. I'm a health coach. I'm not diabetic, and I’m certainly not morbidly obese. I train twice a day, six days a week. Resistance training, steady state cardio, long runs, hard runs, recovery runs, strength phases, deload programmes—I live for exercise. I walk 14,000 to 20,000 steps daily. I live clean, and I live with intent. And I've done this consistently for the last 10 years.
I’m a big bloke. I look like someone who puts the hours in. I’ve been sober for over a decade, and movement has been a cornerstone of my recovery. I became a qualified PT in search of new ideas and in the name of learning how to live well. I’ve followed every plan you can think of—high-protein, low-carb, keto, fasting, all of it in search of a deeper understanding of what I love.
And then, around 46, things began to change. Progress slowed. The same effort gave me less in return.
I stayed the course—training hard, eating clean, showing up. I trimmed down to 89 kg for my wedding, 3 years ago. But now by 52, I couldn’t get into a meaningful deficit. Despite everything, my weight had crept back over 90 kg. My blood pressure started climbing.
A trip to my local GP in May 2023 resulted in a very swift health check. My blood pressure had crept up, and as I stood up to leave, the rather young GP added, almost offhand, “You’re a bit thick around the middle—we might need to watch that and consider a discussion around BP medication.”
Not a fucking chance, I thought.
So I did what I always do—I researched. The data on metabolic slowdown after 45 was solid. You start burning 100–150 fewer calories a day without doing anything differently. Subtle, but cumulative. It adds up.
A depressing read, so that’s it on my the tipping point of life the very start of that reverse bell curve. Time to dig in and course correct my statistics.
The weighted vest came out. My steps went up. I built long walks into the middle of my day. I tweaked the style of my training—changed the rhythm, shifted the intensity—in an attempt to jolt my metabolism into paying attention. And I ate less. A lot less. For the first time this was hardwork, and the margin for error was really defined.
After about six weeks, the scales shifted. Not dramatically. But just enough to register. The effort was ever so slightly showing—but still not in line with the intensity I was putting in.
About that time, our family began the process of relocating to Dubai. With that came the stress of uprooting everything, (4 kids 2 dogs and everything we owned. ) and the intensity of arriving in a new country in mid-July—heat over 40 degrees, unfamiliar routines, new terrain. That pressure cooker of change and stress gave me a nudge downwards on the scales again. A shift, but not a solution.
Coming back from a meeting, stuck in traffic on The Sheikh Zayed Road, I listened to an Andrew Huberman podcast breaking down the science behind GLP-1s—how they work, what they affect, and why they’ve become so effective for fat loss. It all made immediate sense. That’s it then; my new direction for travel and energy has been presented to me in that moment of traffic standstill.
Dubai is an ideal place to begin a shift in health and well-being. Drive through Dubai and you’ll pass sleek boulevards lined with state-of-the-art longevity clinics and health consultancies. It’s clear this city isn’t just keeping pace with the global health conversation—it’s leading it. The focus here is sharp: precision, optimisation, and proactive ageing. Accessing top-tier support is not just possible—it’s expected. I’m with King’s Hospital—an immaculate building tucked into Dubai Hills, where Rolls Royces and Brabus-modified G-Wagons queue at the entrance. I arrived in an Uber.
Comprehensive bloodwork, blood pressure (which was high that day), hormone testing, body composition analysis, and a full consultation followed. I left 2 hours later with exactly what I needed: a clear plan, a box of Mounjaro, and a target—84 kg, down from 92. It was all actioned there and then. No delays. focussed, efficient and fast.
The results came even faster.
Forget the headlines. The people who understand the science, the training, the biology—they’re having a different conversation. It’s considered. It’s grounded. And they all seem to agree: GLP-1s are a legitimate tool for people who are doing the work.
Dr Layne Norton, PhD, powerlifter and evidence-first voice in the industry, put it plainly:
"These drugs are tools—they help people control appetite and reduce food noise. But if you stop training and drop protein intake, you’re going to lose muscle. If you do the work, though? They can absolutely help." → YouTube: Dr Layne Norton’s BRUTALLY Honest Opinion On OZEMPIC
Dr Stacy Sims, physiologist and expert in midlife performance:
"GLP-1s can be an extremely effective tool—especially for women and men over 45 who are doing everything right but still can’t lose fat. It’s not a shortcut. It’s a recalibration." → [Source: Dr. Stacy Sims via podcast and educational content]
And then (for Lols) there’s this: Khloé Kardashian FaceTiming Scott Disick, only to find his fridge stocked with Mounjaro pens. Not protein shakes. Not green juice. Just Mounjaro. That’s where we are now. Quietly mainstream. Publicly, people still hesitate. Privately? They’re already in.
The appetite dialled down. The constant food noise—the background chatter—was gone. I wasn’t obsessing over what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat. It just stopped being a thing.
As someone in long-term recovery from alcohol, I recognise that kind of noise. The cravings. The internal negotiations. That endless mental loop of justifying and resisting. Food can trigger the same cycle—dopamine hits, habit loops, short-term relief followed by long-term frustration. When you're stuck in that loop, it's not just about willpower. It's about wiring.
So when the noise fell away, what I felt most was relief. Space to think. Space to live. And that’s why I believe this isn’t just about weight loss—it’s about freedom from the kind of constant mental friction that wears you down, one small decision at a time.
I recently listened to an episode of the Commune podcast with Jeff Krasno talking to nutrition expert JJ Virgin that captured this idea beautifully. Jeff described the role of GLP-1s as being like when you’re a kid learning to ride a bike—with your dad running alongside, steadying you. You’re still pedalling. You’re still moving forward. But there’s support, just long enough to help you find your balance.
That’s exactly what this feels like. Without even trying, I easily slipped back into an 8:16 fasting window. My energy levelled out. Mornings became productive. My thinking sharpened. It felt effortless.
Introduction dose log:
Week 1: 88 kg
Week 2: definition returning—arms, chest, torso
Week 3: 86.4 kg
Now at week 5? I’m at 82.2 kg. A number I have never even wildly considered possible
Above: Notice something? I don’t look unwell. I’m not gaunt. There’s also no six-pack reveal. Just a shift. A clear visual of how much excess weight—even on a well-trained frame—can quietly accumulate. Worth some consideration, right?
I can’t tell you how incredibly enlightening and positive this experience has been. I do the work—I have for a decade straight—but the results don’t come easily for everyone. I didn’t used to let it bother me much. I accepted that genetically I’m no Channing Tatum, and I used to scoff at the idea that I’d ever have access to the kind of 'science-backed ' growth hormones Chris Hemsworth must take to get Thor-ready.
But the truth is, there are so many finely tuned, dynamic factors that can hold you back from hitting that sweet spot—where your metabolism fires up and your body finally responds to what you’ve been trying to achieve.
I shouldn’t feel bad about using a tool that’s incredibly effective. And honestly, what concerned me most wasn’t my own decision—it was the response I saw when I started looking into it. That Reddit thread stuck with me. The way people defaulted to cynicism and judgement. No curiosity. No openness. Just this kneejerk dismissal of something that, for many of us—and for many more in far more chronic states of health—is finally making a real difference.
One of the biggest wins for me so far? let’s jump back to my blood pressure. It’s gone from Hypertension stage 1 to a healthy reading of 115/64, in a 5 week period totally course corrected by metabolic management. That matters. That’s living life better. And it highlights something I can’t ignore—back in the UK, the early response was to suggest blood pressure medication. A different country, and a completely different approach, offered something more holistic, more proactive—and it’s paid off.
The shift in numbers is significant. But so is the shift in confidence, clarity, and the self-respect that comes when your physical results finally start to reflect the effort you’ve been putting in for years.
“If I had to take a drug, I’d rather stay fat.” That line stuck with me while writing this. It’s powerful—and revealing. I think it’s rooted in a fear of change. It’s easier to sit in negativity than to take a bold, honest step forward in pursuit of a better version of yourself. Because that’s a hard step to take. But it’s the one that matters.
It makes me think of the Progress Mantra; Let’s make real change, take those difficult challenging steps and start winning at the game of life.
Big Love Chris
Dear Reader: Please let me know your feedback on this article and if you would be interested in me developing this into a series or diary to record, chart, and discuss my progress. It might inspire you to do the same, and maybe we could build a community and help each other along the way—WDTY? (Comment below)
A thoughtful read. A friend of mine was very judgmental about her sister who lost massive amounts of weight on doctor prescribed GLP-1 for her heart health and joint issues. I was surprised at this moral judgement.
I would like you to comment on several issues concerning this drug. I’ve read a lot about the negative side effects of this drug. I talked to one nurse who lost 40 lbs, then her insurance changed and would no longer cover mounjaro, and she very quickly gained back 60 lbs. then there’s the issue of price. And next the fact that you have to take it for the rest of your life. I would welcome this “crutch” especially if it actually taught my body how to deal with foods. But these are issues I haven’t yet been able to jump over.