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

Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

Release Date: 09/07/2026

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...

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Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

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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...

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Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight Loss

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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

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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: “Ozempic face.”

I’ll explain the difference between brand-name and compounded medications and why compounded medications have not gone through the same rigorous testing as brand-name medications. I’ll also talk about why you can’t reliably tell whether a GLP-1 or peptide product purchased from the black market is authentic or counterfeit.

I’ll discuss medication combinations that require extra caution when taking GLP-1 medications, including oral birth control and warfarin, and what you should do if you experience symptoms that concern you.

Finally, I’ll explain what people mean when they talk about “Ozempic face,” why it doesn’t happen to everyone, and why you shouldn’t assume your experience with a GLP-1 medication will be the same as someone else’s.

These are questions I hear frequently, and my goal is to help you better understand what to discuss with your own healthcare provider. This episode is for education only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice.

Episode Highlights:

  • The difference between brand-name and compounded GLP-1 medications

  • Why compounded medications have not gone through the same rigorous testing as brand-name medications

  • Why you cannot reliably tell if a black-market GLP-1 or peptide product is authentic

  • Why I recommend avoiding counterfeit and black-market peptide products

  • Medication combinations that require extra caution when taking GLP-1 medications

  • What to do if you experience unusual or concerning side effects

  • What “Ozempic face” actually means and why it doesn’t happen to everyone

  • Why you should not compare your GLP-1 experience to someone else’s

If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, I recommend starting there and then continuing with this episode for the second set of questions.

Listen to Part 1: #254: Ask the Obesity Doctor Part 1: GLP-1, Contrave, Thyroid, Dosing & Calories https://bit.ly/BackOnTrackEpisodes 

If you’re using a GLP-1 medication, considering one, or simply trying to understand the information you’re seeing online, I hope this episode helps you have a more informed conversation with your healthcare provider.

 

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 HERE