Is a Traditional or GLP-1 Assisted Diet Right for You?
It once was fairly simple choosing a weight loss plan—just avoid the crazy fads, eat less and move your body more. But the introduction of GLP-1 has caused an explosion of options with more on the way, and, while those options may make weight loss easier for some individuals, they have also made the potential effects on your health and your wallet more challenging. How do you sort through the changing science of weight loss and make a decision that’s right for you? That choice should start with an informed comparison of your options.
First, let’s define the two weight loss approaches to be examined—the time-tested behavioral adaptation and healthy eating approach offered by Professional Weight Management (with lots of powerful extras) and the rapidly-changing world of weight loss pharmaceuticals. Our comparison has been developed with extensive online research of the longterm effectiveness, ease of starting a program, ease of use, potential side effects, and cost of each method. The information is current as of the date of publication of this article and will be updated as possible.
Ease of Starting A Weight Loss Plan:
GLP-1: Many online sources offer GLP-1 with no prescription while others provide simplified online visits with prescriptions written remotely. You may also find local programs that provide prescriptions without a thorough examination of your current health. If you choose a GLP-1 based weight loss program, be aware that the FDA recommends that patients should obtain prescriptions from their doctor and fill the prescription at a state-licensed pharmacy. Only your doctor knows your medical history and understands how GLP-1 will potentially interact with other medications or conditions, and only licensed pharmacies are guaranteed to fill your prescription with FDA-approved drugs and not with independently compounded GLP-1. (More on compounded GLP-1 in the potential side effects section).
PWM: Your weight loss plan begins with a phone call to schedule your free initial consultation. Your goals and expectations will be determined in that meeting and you are free to start or end your program anytime you wish, as there are no contracts to fulfill.
Ease of Being on the Plan:
GLP-1: For most who choose GLP-1, the promise of a simple injection doing most of the weight loss work for them is the reason they make that choice. While options are increasing, most GLP-1 doses are administered by injection, which may be daily, weekly or monthly. Pills are also available which mimic GLP-1 and are taken once per day. You may also find GLP-1 patches promoted online, however these are designed to boost your natural GLP-1 production and don’t actually deliver a dose.
Whether it’s easy losing weight after the injection depends on how effectively it reduces your appetite as it is intended to do. Ongoing support for GLP-1 ranges from non-existent to full, depending on whether the GLP-1 is sourced online or through a full service weight loss program. Some online providers attempt to mimic local support by offering online check-ins and guidance, however this is typically optional and many do not take advantage of this service.
PWM: Your program will include weekly in-person and one-on-one sessions with a PWM consultant. These sessions will consist of a weigh-in, a review of the successes and challenges of the past week, and advice and tips based on your consultant’s experience in guiding thousands through their weight loss. This is also the time to choose your high-protein and satisfying snacks for the upcoming week, along with any supplements you may need. While a 30 minute consultant session is more of a time investment than administering an injection, most find it is effective in keeping them accountable and on-track with their plan.
As your PWM weight loss plan is customized for your lifestyle, metabolic needs and preferences, most patients find their hunger is controlled and their plan is easy to follow. Of course, many times we reach for food for other reasons than hunger and your consultant can help you manage behavioral impulses.
Cost:
GLP-1: This is the most rapidly moving target in GLP-1 news, as pricing and insurance coverage changes seemingly daily. In early October, Costco announced a partnership with Novo Nordisk to provide Wegovy and Ozempic at discounted self-pay prices of approximately $499 per month. The same pricing is available at several online pharmacies or websites. While Wegovy and Ozempic are both semaglutides, Zepbound is now available and delivers tirzepatide, a newer GLP-1 injection which, because of its lesser time on the market, is not yet covered by as many insurance plans.
As if to illustrate the swiftness in marketplace pricing changes, as we were writing this article the president announced a deal with the makers of Wegovy and Zepbound which may result in out-of-pocket costs from $50 to $350, depending on dosage and insurance coverage. Lower costs are announced to include Medicare and Medicaid.
Your monthly costs will vary, however a current estimate of a monthly GLP-1 plan without insurance coverage would be approximately $350-$499.
PWM: It is far simpler predicting your monthly costs on our plans than on GLP-1. Your one-time plan setup is $249. Monthly costs while on the plan average:
4 weekly visits @ $12 per week: $48
Monthly Vitamins & minerals to support health averaging: $84
Snacks averaging $30 per week: $120
Total: $252 average monthly
(note that snacks, vitamins & minerals are costs you are likely to incur outside a weight loss plan as typical living expenses)
Longterm Effectiveness
GLP-1: According to a March, 2025 article in Scientific American, while GLP-1 medications were designed as a lifelong treatment, the majority of those on the drugs quit after only two years. A study of 120,000 people on GLP-1 recently found that nearly 75% quit within two years, and the subjects taking it for weight loss and not diabetes 2 control saw an even higher quit rate 85%. The study didn’t report the post research effects but since the primary effectiveness of the injections is GLP-1’s ability to suppress appetite, its absence typically allows the hunger cues to return and stimulates new weight gain. This rebound weight gain was shown in a 2022 study of 200 subjects who lost an average of 17% of their body weight during one yer on on a semaglutide, ended the doses, and gained back 12% during the following year.
We will know more about increasing the longterm effectiveness of GLP-1s over time, but researchers already suggest that its use should be accompanied by behavioral modifications designed to improve nutritional knowledge and manage emotional hunger impulses. In other words, reinforce the hunger hormone suppression with more traditional weight loss techniques.
PWM: Traditional techniques are the cornerstone of a PWM plan: support, education, accountability, and nutritional training. Your PWM consultant will help you discover not only how many calories are needed for your metabolism, but also how to choose the foods that best feed your energy needs. Your weekly sessions will reveal your emotional triggers and provide a lifelong defense against the impulses that drive you to overeat. And weekly weigh-ins provide the accountability that keeps you on track during your time with PWM.
You will continue to receive support after your goal is reached, as that is the most dangerous time for rebound weight gain. A PWM maintenance program transitions you to your new normal and helps you put the skills to work that you learned on your plan to set you up for a lifetime of healthy choices.
Potential Side Effects:
GLP-1: The short answer is that we don’t yet know all of the potential longterm side effects as a few years of use isn’t sufficient to determine longterm safety. The longer answer is that concerns have been raised about the short-term effects of both FDA approved GLP-1 and the compounded versions sold by unreliable websites and individuals.
First, the compounds—they are not FDA approved and are only recommended for patients whole medical needs cannot be met by an approved version. Drugs which are not FDA approved are also not FDA inspected, which raises potential questions about their safety. Poor quality ingredients and improper storage can lead to an unsafe compound being delivered to your door, and the FDA recommends that any product which arrives warm or with inadequate ice packs should be discarded. Some compounds have been identified as fraudulently claiming to have been manufactured by trusted brands and the FDA recommends carefully examining labels for spelling errors or other indications you have purchased counterfeit GLP-1.
If you have confirmed your product is FDA approved, be aware that some common side effects are nausea, diarrhea and similar gastrointestinal system issues. Often these side effects subside with use and may be eliminated by switching to another brand of GLP-1, but for some they linger throughout use and rarely some have reported these problems continuing even after use has ended. The more serious risk warnings include Thyroid C-Cell tumors (which occurred in rats given GLP-1), acute gallbladder disease, and pancreatitis. If you choose to use a GLP-1, read the risk warnings carefully.
PWM: Our plans ensure your diet is nutritionally balanced and provides sufficient calories to maintain and improve your health. Your plan will be medically supervised and include no drugs, therefore causing no drug side effects.
However you choose to lose unwanted weight, the side effects can be desirable: You can expect to decrease your A1C and blood pressure, and improve heart health. It is smart to do your research and carefully consider which approach to weight loss is right for you and even smarter to include a traditional plan if you decide to try a GLP-1. Learning the skills to manage your impulse eating and choose the right foods can set you up for a lifetime of better health at the end of your weight loss journey.