What GLP-1 medications actually do

What if the goal wasn't just to lose weight, but to achieve a balanced "weight health ecosystem"?

In this episode, I speak with Ashley Koff about how ultra-processed foods, under-fueling, and disrupted hormones have shaped today’s metabolic crisis—and why weight loss alone is the wrong goal. Ashley shares her deeply personal journey and her science-backed framework for understanding weight health, including a clear, honest conversation about GLP-1 medications and how to use them responsibly.

Ashley Koff, RD, is the USA Today bestselling author of Your Best Shot (HarperOne) and founder of The Better Nutrition Program (BNP). With over twenty-five years of experience, Ashley’s helped redefine how we approach sustainable, lasting weight health. In her new book, Your Best Shot, Ashley introduces weight-health hormones (GLP-1, GIP, CCK, PYY) and offers the first-ever system for assessing and optimizing these hormones, whether you’re using GLP-1 medication or not. It’s a game-changer for anyone who’s felt stuck, blamed themselves, or been failed by traditional dieting.

What you’ll learn:

(02:10) Why ultra-processed foods undermine satiety and metabolic health.

(08:05) How dieting and under-fueling can damage digestion, hormones, and muscle.

(13:40) What “weight health” means and why weight alone misses the real problem.

(15:30) How GLP-1 and other incretin hormones regulate appetite, fat storage, bone, and metabolism.

(17:45) Why enriched and ultra-processed foods leave the body under-resourced.

(21:00) How GLP-1 medications work differently from the body’s natural hormone signals.

(24:10) Why fatigue, digestive issues, and muscle loss can happen on GLP-1s when dosing and nutrition aren’t optimized.

(30:20) Whether it’s possible to come off GLP-1 medications and what sustainable success actually looks like.

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Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/yourbestshot

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