Weight management resources
Protein and Strength Training During Medical Weight Loss
Weight loss is often the goal of medical weight management—but what you preserve while losing weight matters, too.
During weight loss, the body can lose both fat and lean tissue. Adequate nutrition and regular resistance exercise can help support muscle health while you work toward your weight-management goals. This is particularly relevant during substantial or rapid weight loss, including weight loss associated with GLP-1 medications. A 2025 joint clinical advisory emphasizes both sufficient protein and structured strength training as important parts of care during GLP-1 treatment.
Why Is Protein Important?
Protein provides amino acids your body uses to maintain and repair muscle and other tissues.
When appetite decreases during medical weight loss, eating enough protein can become more difficult. For patients using GLP-1 medications, reduced appetite and changes in food preferences can make this especially noticeable.
A simple strategy is to prioritize protein first at meals.
Protein-rich options can include:
How Much Protein Do I Need?
There isn't one protein target that's appropriate for everyone.
Higher protein intakes, such as 1.2–1.6 grams per kilogram per day, have been proposed during active weight loss. The ideal amount can vary based on body composition, age, medical conditions, activity level, and other factors. The 2025 joint advisory notes that there is not yet consensus about the best way to calculate protein requirements in people with obesity.
For that reason, discuss your individual protein goal with your healthcare professional rather than treating a single number as a universal target.
Protein Is Only Part of the Picture
Eating more protein by itself isn't a substitute for using your muscles.
The combination of adequate protein and resistance training is particularly important during weight loss. Research supports structured resistance exercise as one way to help preserve lean mass during dietary weight loss. The GLP-1 clinical advisory cautions that increasing protein alone is unlikely to be sufficient for preserving muscle without strength training.
What Counts as Strength Training?
Resistance training simply means asking your muscles to work against resistance.
Depending on your health and fitness level, that could include resistance bands, weight machines, free weights, body-weight movements, or other appropriately designed exercises.
The joint GLP-1 advisory recommends regular strength training at least three times per week together with aerobic activity. This is guidance for GLP-1 treatment, not a one-size-fits-all prescription. Exercise plans should be individualized to a person's fitness level and physical capacity.
Resistance Training During Weight Loss: A Practical Guide
Want to see what a strength exercise looks like? This illustrated guide from Eli Lilly and Company shows how to stand up from a chair, march while seated with a resistance band, and do a modified plank against a sturdy table. Ask your care team which movements fit your balance, mobility, and strength.
Download the illustrated exercise guide (PDF)A Simple Way to Remember
Protein provides the building blocks.
Strength training gives your muscles a reason to use them.
Focus on Health, Not Just the Scale
A successful medical weight-management plan shouldn't be evaluated by pounds alone.
Nutrition, strength, physical function, activity, metabolic health, and how you feel are also important parts of the picture.
At Trillium Medical Group, medical weight management is individualized based on your health history, treatment plan, response to treatment, and personal goals.
Ready to Discuss Medical Weight Management?
Learn more about Medical Weight Management at Trillium Medical Group or schedule a consultation with our Westlake Village team.
This information is for general educational purposes and does not replace individualized medical, nutritional, or exercise advice. Talk with your healthcare professional before beginning or significantly changing an exercise or nutrition program, particularly if you have an existing medical condition.