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- 12-week plan calculated from your numbers
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- Kilopace
- GLP-1 muscle-protection plan
Life stages and medication · No. 04
GLP-1 plan to protect muscle on Ozempic and Mounjaro
Your journal turns your height, weight, appetite and training set-up into a daily protein number, a per-meal target and a 12-week strength plan you tick off week by week, alongside your prescriber's care.
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In short
To limit muscle loss on Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound, combine two things: enough protein, about 1.2–1.6 g per kg of adjusted body weight (often 80–150 g a day), eaten protein-first across small meals, and full-body strength training 2–4 times a week with gradually heavier loads. Add daily walking, fibre and fluids, and keep your prescriber involved.
- A protein target from your adjusted body weight, split into small meals that fit a reduced appetite
- A 12-week, two-workout strength plan for home or gym, 2–4 sessions a week, with clear sets, reps and effort
- Side-effect, fibre and fluid guidance plus weekly check-in logs you can bring to appointments
Who it's for
- You've been prescribed semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) and want to keep muscle while the weight comes off
- Your appetite has dropped so much that you struggle to eat enough protein
- You're new to strength training, or returning after years away, and want a simple, safe progression
- You're planning to reduce or stop your medication and want habits that help you keep the result
Who it's not for
- Anyone looking for advice on doses, switching medicines or getting a prescription: that is your prescriber's decision
- People who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have kidney disease or an eating disorder without their care team's involvement
- Anyone wanting a replacement for medical follow-up; this is a training and nutrition journal, not a treatment
A page from a real plan
Built from example answers. Yours is calculated from your own.
No. 04Kilopace
Your GLP-1 muscle-protection journal
Your numbers
- Protein
- 110 g
- Protein per meal
- 20 g × 5
- Fibre
- 25–30 g
- Fluids
- 3.2 L
- Strength training
- 3 × per week
- Daily steps
- 5,000 → 8,000
No. 04Kilopace
Week 1
2 × 10–12 @ RPE 6
- Workout A: Leg press, Chest press machine, Seated cable row, Farmer carry
- Workout B: Romanian deadlift, Split squat, Shoulder press machine, Pallof press
- Workout A: Leg press, Chest press machine, Seated cable row, Farmer carry
- Protein: 110 g across 5 meals, protein first at every meal
- Fibre: about 15 g; add slowly with plenty of water
- Steps: 5,000 a day
EnergySleep
What you tell us
- Your medicationWhich medication? · Where are you in treatment? · How is your appetite?
- About youSex · Age · Height · Weight
- Your trainingStrength training experience · Where do you train? · Training days per week · Average daily steps
- Health checkAny side effects right now? · Does any of this apply to you?
What you get
- Your numbers on page oneDaily protein, protein per meal and number of meals, fibre range, fluids, strength sessions per week and your step ramp.
- Protein-first plate and food tableHow to build a meal when appetite is low, plus easy portions such as 200 g Greek yoghurt (20 g protein) or 150 g firm tofu (25 g).
- 12-week strength programmeWorkout A (squat, push, row, carry) and Workout B (hinge, split squat, press, core) with sets, reps and RPE for each 4-week block, home or gym versions.
- 12 weekly tick-off pagesYour sessions, protein target, fibre goal and step target for each week, so you always know what this week asks of you.
- Side-effect and stage notesPractical tips for nausea, constipation, tiredness or reflux if you report them, and guidance for your stage: starting, titrating, stable or stopping.
- Logs and safety notesA weekly check-in log (weight, waist, dose, protein days, side effects), a lifting log, flags for insulin, kidney, pregnancy and eating-disorder history, and references.
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Does Ozempic cause muscle loss?
Some lean mass loss is expected with any large weight loss, and GLP-1 medicines are no exception. In body-composition (DXA) substudies of the STEP 1 trial of semaglutide and the SURMOUNT-1 trial of tirzepatide, both published in the New England Journal of Medicine, lean mass made up a meaningful share of the total weight lost, while most of the loss was fat.
Lean mass is not only muscle; it also includes water, organs and connective tissue, so a DXA number overstates pure muscle loss. Still, muscle is what keeps you strong, mobile and able to stay active, so it is worth protecting. Neither trial tested a structured lifting programme, but the two levers with the best evidence for keeping muscle during any weight loss are resistance training and adequate protein. That is exactly what this plan is built around.
A note on names: Ozempic and Wegovy contain semaglutide; Mounjaro and Zepbound contain tirzepatide. The training and nutrition principles here are the same for both. Kilopace is independent and not affiliated with any manufacturer.
How much protein should you eat on Ozempic or Mounjaro?
Most adults losing weight on a GLP-1 medicine do well on roughly 1.2–1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight a day; this plan uses 1.5 g/kg. If your BMI is high, protein is calculated from an adjusted body weight rather than your full weight, the same approach clinicians use, so the target stays realistic. The journal caps the result between 80 g and 180 g a day.
Because appetite is often small, the daily total is split into 3 meals if appetite is normal, 4 if it varies, and 5 if it is low. Aim for roughly 25–35 g at each sitting; you can check your own numbers with the GLP-1 protein calculator.
| Example person | Adjusted weight | Protein / day | Per meal (4 meals) | Per meal (5 meals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woman, 160 cm, 75 kg | 61 kg | 90 g | 25 g | 20 g |
| Woman, 165 cm, 90 kg | 70 kg | 105 g | 25 g | 20 g |
| Woman, 168 cm, 110 kg | 80 kg | 120 g | 30 g | 25 g |
| Man, 178 cm, 100 kg | 84 kg | 125 g | 30 g | 25 g |
| Man, 180 cm, 120 kg | 93 kg | 140 g | 35 g | 30 g |
| Man, 183 cm, 145 kg | 105 kg | 155 g | 40 g | 30 g |
What should a Mounjaro or Wegovy diet plan look like?
A good GLP-1 eating plan is small, frequent, protein-first meals with a slow rise in fibre and steady fluids, rather than a strict calorie diet. The medicine already reduces how much you eat; your job is to make the food you do eat count.
Fibre helps with constipation, a common side effect, but adding it too fast can worsen bloating. The journal starts around 15 g a day and adds about 2 g a week towards 25–30 g, with plenty of water. Fluids are set at about 33 ml per kg of body weight, between 2 and 3.5 litres, sipped between meals if you fill up quickly. For more meal ideas, see the high-protein meal plan.
- Eat the protein part of the plate first, while your appetite is still there
- Then vegetables or salad, then carbohydrate if you still have room
- Eat every 3–4 hours rather than two large meals
- When solid food feels like too much, drink your protein: milk, kefir, a yoghurt smoothie or a shake
- Easy portions: 3 eggs ≈ 19 g, 100 g cooked chicken ≈ 31 g, 1 tin of tuna ≈ 28 g, 150 g cottage cheese ≈ 17 g, 200 g cooked lentils ≈ 18 g
What is the best GLP-1 workout plan?
The best workout plan on a GLP-1 medicine is full-body strength training 2–4 times a week that gets gradually heavier, with walking on the other days. Two sessions a week is the minimum worth doing; three is better. Cardio alone does little to protect muscle.
The plan alternates two workouts. Workout A covers a squat, a push, a row and a loaded carry; Workout B covers a hip hinge, a split squat, an overhead press and a core exercise. At home that means goblet squats to a chair, incline push-ups and band rows; in a gym, the leg press, chest press machine and cable row. Effort is set by RPE (rate of perceived exertion): RPE 7 means you could do about three more reps.
| Weeks | Phase | Sets × reps | Effort (RPE) | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Foundation | 2 × 10–12 | 6 | Learn the movements, build the habit |
| 5–8 | Strength | 3 × 8–10 | 7 | Add weight when all sets feel easy |
| 9–12 | Strength | 3 × 6–8 | 7–8 | Heavier loads, same good form |
| 9–12 (new to lifting) | Strength | 3 × 8–10 | 7 | Repeat block 2 and keep adding load gradually |
How should you schedule a Wegovy or Zepbound exercise week?
Put strength sessions on non-consecutive days and walk on the rest. Steps start from your current daily average, rounded, and rise by 500 a week towards at least 8,000, because jumping straight to 10,000 steps on low energy rarely sticks. If you want a dedicated walking progression, the walking plan for weight loss pairs well with this one.
If you feel worse for a day or two after a dose increase, swap that day's session for a 20-minute walk and protein drinks. A missed workout is fine; a missed month is what costs muscle.
The clearest everyday sign is your strength going up, or at least holding steady, while your weight comes down. You don't need a body scan to see that: if the weights in your lifting log keep rising over 12 weeks, you are giving your muscles a strong reason to stay.
Use the weekly check-in to record weight, waist, dose, how many days you hit protein and any side effects. A shrinking waist with stable or rising strength means you are losing mostly fat. Expect weight loss to slow after a few months; that is normal, not failure. Bringing the logs to appointments also gives your prescriber useful context.
| Days / week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | A | Walk | Walk | B | Walk | Walk | Rest |
| 3 | A | Walk | B | Walk | A | Walk | Rest |
| 4 | A | B | Walk | A | Walk | B | Rest |
How do you adjust for side effects and treatment stage?
The fundamentals stay the same, but the emphasis shifts with where you are in treatment. The journal adds a short note for your stage, and the table below summarises it. Dose decisions are always your prescriber's; this is only about how to train and eat around them.
Train on lighter days at RPE 6 and adjust food around the side effect rather than skipping meals. Side effects are often worst in the days after starting or increasing a dose.
Nausea: eat small, cold or room-temperature meals, avoid greasy food and stop at the first sign of fullness. Constipation: raise fibre slowly, drink more and walk after meals; speak to your pharmacist if it lasts more than a few days. Tiredness: you may simply be eating too little, so hit protein first. Reflux: smaller portions and nothing in the 3 hours before bed.
| Stage | What usually happens | Your focus |
|---|---|---|
| Starting | Appetite begins to fall; side effects possible | Start strength training in week one, even if light; build the protein-first habit before the big appetite drop |
| Titrating (dose going up) | Appetite often dips after each increase | Plan small protein-rich meals and drinks for those days; train easier rather than skipping |
| Stable dose | Side effects usually settle | The best window to get stronger: add a little weight every week |
| Coming off | Appetite returns; regain is common | Keep the protein-first plate, keep lifting, keep walking |
When should you talk to your doctor first?
Speak to your prescriber before starting if any of the points below apply, and never change your dose based on a fitness plan. Seek urgent care for severe or persistent abdominal pain (with or without vomiting), signs of dehydration such as very dark urine or dizziness on standing, or chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness during exercise.
- You use insulin or a sulfonylurea: eating less and exercising more can cause low blood sugar, so agree a plan with your doctor
- You have kidney disease: your protein target must come from your doctor or dietitian; use the training, not the protein number
- You are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding: GLP-1 medicines are not used then, so speak to your doctor
- You have a history of an eating disorder: tracking food can be harmful, so use the plan only with your care team
GLP-1 protein calculator
This calculator gives you a daily protein target, protein per meal, a fibre range and a fluid target for weight loss on semaglutide or tirzepatide. Enter your sex, height, weight and how your appetite is right now.
Guides for this plan
Long reads on training and nutrition, written to answer one question properly.
Ozempic muscle loss: why it happens and how to limit it
Why muscle loss happens on Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, how protein and strength training limit it, and the simple numbers worth tracking every week.
What to eat on Ozempic: protein-first meals that work with a small appetite
What to eat on Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro: protein-first plates, small meals, foods that are easier with nausea or constipation, and a full sample day.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ozempic cause muscle loss?
It can, as part of any large weight loss. In DXA substudies of the STEP 1 (semaglutide) and SURMOUNT-1 (tirzepatide) trials, lean mass made up a meaningful share of the weight lost, though most was fat. Lean mass includes water and organs, not only muscle. Strength training and enough protein are the best-supported ways to protect muscle while you lose weight.
How much protein do I need on Ozempic?
A practical target is about 1.2–1.6 g per kg of body weight a day, using an adjusted weight if your BMI is high. This plan uses 1.5 g/kg of adjusted weight, kept between 80 and 180 g, split into 3–5 small meals of roughly 25–35 g. If you have kidney disease, your doctor or dietitian should set your protein instead.
What is the best exercise on Wegovy?
Strength training is the most important, because it signals your body to keep muscle while you lose weight. Aim for 2–4 full-body sessions a week covering squats, hinges, pushes, pulls and carries, getting gradually heavier. Add daily walking for heart health and energy. Start light if you are new, and train easier on days with side effects.
Can I lift weights on Mounjaro or Zepbound?
Yes, for most people lifting weights on tirzepatide is safe and recommended, provided you eat enough before training and stay hydrated. Start at moderate effort, around RPE 6, and progress gradually. If you use insulin or a sulfonylurea, check with your doctor because of the risk of low blood sugar, and stop if you feel dizzy, faint or unwell.
What should I eat on a Mounjaro diet plan?
Eat small, protein-first meals every 3–4 hours: Greek yoghurt, eggs, fish, chicken, tofu, lentils or cottage cheese, then vegetables, then carbohydrate if you have room. Raise fibre slowly towards 25–30 g a day, drink 2–3.5 litres of fluid between meals and keep greasy, fried food small, as it tends to worsen nausea and reflux.
Are protein shakes a good idea on GLP-1 medicines?
They can be useful when appetite is very low, because liquids are often easier to get down than solid food. Milk, kefir, a yoghurt smoothie or a simple shake with 20–30 g of protein can fill a gap. Use them to support meals rather than replace them, and choose ones without large amounts of added sugar.
How many steps should I walk on Ozempic?
Start from what you already do and add about 500 steps a day each week, working towards at least 8,000. Gradual increases are easier to keep up when energy is low. Walking after meals can also help with digestion and constipation. Steps support your heart and energy, but they do not replace strength training for keeping muscle.
What happens to my muscle if I stop the medication?
Appetite usually returns when GLP-1 medicines are stopped, and weight regain is common. Muscle you have built or kept gives you more strength and a better base for staying active. Keep the protein-first plate, keep lifting and keep walking. Always plan stopping or reducing your medication with your prescriber rather than on your own.
References
- Wilding et al. (2021) Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (STEP 1). N Engl J Med
- Jastreboff et al. (2022) Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity (SURMOUNT-1). N Engl J Med
- Jäger et al. (2017) ISSN Position Stand: Protein and Exercise
- ACSM Position Stand: Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults (2009)
General fitness information, not medical advice. Check with a doctor if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or have an injury.
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