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Episode 250: Why Your Weight Loss Has Stalled — 7 Reasons Behind the Plateau

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

Release Date: 07/27/2026

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...

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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...

info_outline Episode 251: The Mountain Within: What Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Taught Me About Weight Loss, Health & Resilience (Part 1) show art Episode 251: The Mountain Within: What Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Taught Me About Weight Loss, Health & Resilience (Part 1)

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

Over a week ago, I stood at 19,341 feet on the roof of Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, harder than any Ironman or marathon. But somewhere between the rainforest and the summit, I realized I wasn't just climbing a mountain. I was watching my patients' weight loss journeys play out in front of me. In this episode, I'm sharing the first four lessons Kilimanjaro taught me about health, resilience, and what it actually takes to accomplish something hard. From the invisible prep work no one applauds, to why "pole pole" (slowly) is the secret to going further, this...

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More Episodes

I had a patient walk into my office recently looking frustrated. She sat down, crossed her arms, and said, "Dr. Shelly, my medication has stopped working. I lost 32 pounds, but for the last six weeks my weight hasn't budged. Am I immune to this medication?" If you've looked at the scale lately and wondered the same thing, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I'm walking you through the seven most common reasons weight loss plateaus happen, from still being on a starting dose to hidden medical conditions like thyroid issues or PCOS that can quietly work against you. I'll also break down why protein intake and resistance training matter more than most people realize once a GLP-1 medication kicks in.

But here's what matters most: a plateau doesn't mean your medication has failed. Your body is incredibly smart, and adapting is exactly what it's designed to do.

You'll learn exactly what's happening biologically during a stall, and the five practical steps to get your progress moving again.

Episode Highlights:

  • Why plateaus are a normal, expected part of every weight loss journey, not a sign of failure

  • Why your starting dose may not be your effective dose yet

  • How low protein intake quietly stalls progress and costs you muscle

  • Why resistance training protects the muscle mass your metabolism depends on

  • How untreated sleep issues like sleep apnea can sabotage results

  • The hidden medical conditions, from thyroid issues to PCOS, that can slow weight loss

  • Why hitting a plateau might actually mean you've already succeeded

  • Five practical steps to get moving again when progress stalls

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