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Episode 241: Which Weight Loss Medication Is Right for You?

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

Release Date: 05/18/2026

Episode 261: Menopause and Weight Gain: Beyond Hormones, Diets, and Willpower with Dr. Tracy Norfleet show art Episode 261: Menopause and Weight Gain: Beyond Hormones, Diets, and Willpower with Dr. Tracy Norfleet

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

Weight gain during perimenopause and menopause is not simply a matter of eating less or exercising more. Hormonal changes, shifts in body composition, muscle loss, sleep, stress, and metabolic health can all play a role in how your body changes during this stage of life. In this episode of Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss, I’m joined by Dr. Tracy Norfleet, a triple board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine. Together, we explore why many women notice changes in their waist circumference and weight during the menopause...

info_outline Episode 260: Muscle Matters: Are You Losing Muscle While Losing Weight? show art Episode 260: Muscle Matters: Are You Losing Muscle While Losing Weight?

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

Losing weight is only part of the goal. Preserving muscle, maintaining strength, and improving your overall health matter just as much. In this episode, I’m discussing why muscle preservation deserves more attention during weight loss, particularly as GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide make substantial weight reduction possible for more people. Some lean mass loss can occur during significant weight loss, but lean mass is not the same as muscle. The goal isn't to make you afraid of weight loss medications. It's to help you understand how to protect your muscle, support your...

info_outline Episode 259: What Is a Peptide, Really? GLP-1s, Retatrutide, & the Truth Behind the Hype show art Episode 259: What Is a Peptide, Really? GLP-1s, Retatrutide, & the Truth Behind the Hype

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

If someone tells you, “It’s just a peptide,” that should be the beginning of the conversation, not the end. Peptides are chains of amino acids, but the word tells you very little about what you're actually taking. It doesn't tell you whether something is a supplement, medication, investigational drug, FDA approved, or even whether the product contains what the label says it does. In this episode, I break down what “peptide” really means and why the term has become so confusing in the world of weight loss. I explain the differences between FDA-approved medications, compounded...

info_outline Episode 258: MariTide: Could the Next Generation of Weight Loss Medications Be Once a Month? show art Episode 258: MariTide: Could the Next Generation of Weight Loss Medications Be Once a Month?

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

Obesity treatment may be moving beyond weekly injections. In this episode, I’m taking a closer look at Maritide, an investigational obesity medication that is still being studied and is not FDA approved for the treatment of obesity. What makes Maritide particularly interesting is that it takes a different approach to the hormonal pathways involved in weight regulation. Unlike tirzepatide, which activates both GLP-1 and GIP receptors, Maritide activates the GLP-1 receptor while blocking the GIP receptor. I also break down one of its most intriguing possibilities: less frequent dosing....

info_outline Episode 257: Perimenopause and Weight Gain: What’s Happening to Your Body? with Casey Peterson show art Episode 257: Perimenopause and Weight Gain: What’s Happening to Your Body? with Casey Peterson

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

Have you noticed that your body seems to be changing even though you haven’t changed what you’re doing? Maybe the weight is starting to settle around your middle. Your sleep isn't what it used to be. You're struggling to maintain muscle, your energy feels different, and suddenly the things that worked for you in the past aren't working anymore. If that sounds familiar, you may be wondering whether it's simply aging or whether something else is happening. In this episode, I’m joined by Casey Peterson, a nurse practitioner who specializes in medical weight management and hormone health,...

info_outline Episode 256: Why Am I Not Losing Weight on a GLP-1? 4 Reasons Why show art Episode 256: Why Am I Not Losing Weight on a GLP-1? 4 Reasons Why

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

You’re taking a GLP-1 medication, but the scale isn’t moving the way you expected. Maybe you’ve even watched someone else say they lost 20 pounds in two months and wondered, “Why isn’t this working for me?” If you’ve been asking yourself that question, I want you to know that your experience with a GLP-1 medication may look very different from someone else’s. In this episode, I’m breaking down four reasons you may not be losing as much weight as you expected on a GLP-1, and what I look at when a patient tells me their medication isn’t working. I’ll also talk about...

info_outline Episode 255: Ask the Obesity Doctor Part 2: GLP-1 Safety, Counterfeit Medications, Side Effects & Ozempic Face show art Episode 255: Ask the Obesity Doctor Part 2: GLP-1 Safety, Counterfeit Medications, Side Effects & Ozempic Face

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

Have you ever wondered whether compounded GLP-1 medications are as safe and effective as brand-name medications? Or how you can tell if a GLP-1 or peptide product is fake? In this episode of Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss, I’m continuing my Ask the Obesity Doctor series, where I answer real questions you’ve left on my YouTube videos and social media. This time, I’m talking about safety. I’ll answer five questions about compounded GLP-1 medications, counterfeit and black-market products, medication interactions, side effects, and something I hear frequently from patients:...

info_outline Episode 254: Ask the Obesity Doctor Part 1: GLP-1, Contrave, Thyroid, Dosing & Calories show art Episode 254: Ask the Obesity Doctor Part 1: GLP-1, Contrave, Thyroid, Dosing & Calories

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

What questions do you have about GLP-1 medications and weight loss? In this episode of Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss, I’m doing something a little different. I’m answering five real questions that viewers have left on my YouTube videos and social media about weight loss medications. I’ll talk about whether you can take Contrave with a GLP-1, whether GLP-1 medications are an option if you have hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s disease, and whether it’s safe to increase your dose faster if you aren’t experiencing side effects. I’ll also explain what to do if you need to...

info_outline Episode 253: One Month Into the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge: What You Need to Know show art Episode 253: One Month Into the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge: What You Need to Know

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

One month into the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program, I've learned that getting approved is less complicated once you understand the pathway. But there are several important details that can cause delays if you don't know what to look for. In this episode, I walk you through what I've learned from helping patients navigate the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge during its first month. We cover who qualifies, which medications and formulations are included, when you may need to use Medicare Part D instead, and what your doctor, pharmacy, and you need to do to keep the process moving. I'll also explain why your...

info_outline Episode 252: The Mountain Within: What Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Taught Me About Weight Loss, Health & Resilience (Part 2) show art Episode 252: The Mountain Within: What Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Taught Me About Weight Loss, Health & Resilience (Part 2)

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

Summit night on Kilimanjaro started at 11:40pm in complete darkness, with nothing but a headlamp and the next step in front of me. Nine hours later, I reached the roof of Africa. If you've ever felt like your health journey is moving backward before it moves forward, this episode is for you. In this part two finale, I'm sharing the final four lessons from my Kilimanjaro climb: why progress sometimes means going higher before you go lower, why trusting the process matters  before you see results, how I made it through the hardest section by focusing on just 15 steps at a time, and why...

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More Episodes

People keep asking the same question: what’s actually the difference between all these weight loss medications? 

Ozempic. Wegovy. Mounjaro. Zepbound. Foundayo. Wegovy pill.

Some of these medications are injections, some are pills, some are FDA-approved for diabetes, others for weight loss, and some are actually the same medication with completely different brand names.

So I'm breaking it all down for you today — in plain language — because the confusion alone is keeping people from getting the treatment they need.

The real problem isn't just the brand names. It's that without knowing exactly how these medications differ, patients end up on the wrong one, pay out of pocket unnecessarily, or give up when insurance denies them. You deserve better than that.

Once you understand what each one actually does, the whole picture becomes much clearer. Listen now!

 

Episode Highlights:

  • Why Ozempic and Wegovy are the same medication and why the difference still matters

  • How tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound) works on two hormone pathways and why it tends to produce greater weight loss

  • The new oral options — Foundayo and Wegovy pill — and who they're actually right for

  • Real average weight loss numbers from clinical trials, by medication

  • How insurance covers (or denies) each one and what I tell my patients when it does

  • Who may be a candidate for these medications

 

Connect with Dr. Alicia Shelly:

 

About Dr. Alicia Shelly

Dr. Alicia Shelly was raised in Atlanta, GA. She received her Doctorate of Medicine from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH.  Dr. Shelly has been practicing Primary Care and Obesity medicine since 2014.  In 2017, she became a Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She is the lead physician at the Wellstar Medical Center Douglasville. She started a weekly podcast & Youtube channel entitled Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight loss,  where she discusses how to get on track and stay on track with your weight loss journey. She has spoken for numerous local and national organizations, including the Obesity Medicine Association, and the Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons. She has been featured on CNN, Fox 5 News, Bruce St. James Radio show, Upscale magazine, and Shape.com. She was named an honoree of the 2021 Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 under 40 award. She also is a collaborating author for the, “Made for More: Physician Entrepreneurs who Live Life and Practice Medicine on their own terms''.

 

Resources:

FREE! Discover the 5 Reasons Your Weight-Loss Journey Has Gotten Derailed (And How To Get Back On Track!) 👉 Click