What is a ‘healthy body weight’?

The term “healthy weight” means something different to everybody. The medical community uses the body mass index (BMI) to create weight categories. This is a convenient tool to screen large populations, but it says very little about someone’s individual health. And it isn’t a good way to know what a healthy weight is for someone. It doesn’t take into account body composition or how someone’s weight affects their health. 

At the end of the day, you’re the most qualified person to determine a healthy body weight for you. It should be one that allows you to:

• Feel comfortable in your body

• Perform activities that are important to you

• Enjoy food and movement in a way that doesn’t provoke stress

• Lower the risk of conditions associated with increased body weight

• Maintain your weight without restricted eating or weight cycling, which are associated with health risks 

• Maintain or work towards personal health goals that are important to you

Where do you start if you want to lose weight?

Rather than starting with a target weight, begin by thinking about the goals that weight loss will help you achieve. This is different for everybody. For example, some people may want to lose weight to:

• Lower their blood pressure, cholesterol, or risk of heart disease

• Improve blood sugar levels, if they have diabetes or prediabetes

• Help manage a condition that’s related to weight

• Lower the dose of certain medications, like diabetes or blood pressure medication

• Walk and move with less muscle or joint pain 

• Do activities that bring them joy, like playing with their kids and grandkids

• Feel more comfortable with food and their body

Whatever your goals are, the next step is to get the professional support you need.

Peptides for weight loss are short chains of amino acids that act as messengers to boost fat burning, increase muscle, control appetite, and improve metabolism, with popular examples being GLP-1 agonists like Semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) and Tirzepatide (Zepbound/Mounjaro) that slow digestion and increase fullness, but they require medical supervision, often injections, and work best alongside diet/exercise for sustainable results, not as a quick fix. Side effects can include nausea, fatigue, or digestive issues, and weight regain often occurs after stopping treatment. 

How They Work

• Appetite Control: Mimic hormones (like GLP-1) to signal fullness and reduce hunger.

• Fat Metabolism: Stimulate fat breakdown and utilization for energy.

• Muscle Maintenance/Growth: Support muscle building, boosting resting metabolism.

• Energy: Increase cellular energy production. 

Common Weight Loss Peptides

• Semaglutide : Weekly injection, helps with blood sugar and cardiovascular risk.

  
  

• Tirzepatide : Dual-acting (GLP-1/GIP agonist), weekly injection.

• AOD-9604: A fragment of growth hormone targeting fat burning without affecting blood sugar.