Ozempic (and other GLP-1 Agonist) Myths Fact-Checked
- Jennifer Hardy
- Mar 25
- 10 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
GLP-1 drugs are having a moment—and with that spotlight comes a whole lot of GLP-1 myths and folklore. Scroll through TikTok or listen to your cousin’s friend’s hot take, and you’ll hear everything from "you'll be on the toilet for three days!" to "eat 50 grams of protein an hour before your injection or else!"
In this guide, we’re cutting through the noise and calling out the most common GLP-1 myths for what they are—subjective and sometimes downright silly.
Several months ago, I started taking Zepbound for obstructive sleep apnea (ok and weight loss). What began as a fear of injecting myself with a needle quickly turned into a Reddit Fear Factor after reading all the side effects.
That's why I am putting my investigative journalist skills to good use to help you learn the answers that might scare you or entice you for all the wrong reasons.
Top 10 GLP-1 Myths and the Real Answers to the Questions
GLP-1 Myth 1: You can get semaglutide or tirzepatide legally from a compound pharmacy at a much lower cost.
✅REALITY CHECK: That used to be partly true, but not anymore. As of early 2025, the FDA declared both semaglutide and tirzepatide shortages over. That shortage was the caveat that allowed compounding to be done in the first place.
State-licensed pharmacies have until April 2025 (semaglutide) or already passed deadlines (tirzepatide). Some may still offer versions, but the legal gray area is closing fast, and quality isn’t backed by the FDA. In fact, the FDA warns about using unapproved versions of GLP-1 drugs.
Without a shortage in place, the only reason a compound pharmacy can make these GLP-1 drugs would be for individual issues, including reasons the patient can’t use the FDA-approved version. For example, an allergy to an inactive ingredient.
FULL DISCLOSURE: My first two months of tirzepatide came from a compound pharmacy in the Midwest. That was during the shortage and subsequent legal action. I have since switched to Lilly Direct for Zepbound. Legg Day Fitness doesn't take a stance on this topic other than sharing accurate information.
GLP-1 Myth 2: You "have to do it this way," or you'll have awful side effects.
✅REALITY CHECK: I've heard it all—from chugging protein an hour before injection to the insistence that Fridays are the best day of the week to get the shot to the arm being the worst injection site.
The truth? Everyone's body reacts differently. What works for one person might do nothing for you or even make things worse. Your digestion, schedule, tolerance, and diet all factor in. There’s no one-size-fits-all formula, no matter how confident “they” sound.
That said, forums on Reddit helped me so much simply by gathering information. Just don't take any of it as gospel.
FWIW–I haven't thrown up once; I had a few days of bad diarrhea, which I fixed by adding a probiotic and some fatigue 2-3 days after the injection. After dosing up three times, I haven't had any worse side effects.
GLP-1 Myth 3: The arm/thigh/belly is the BEST injection site.
✅REALITY CHECK: There’s no “best” site—just the one that works best for you. File this one under "I'm glad I read the instructions" because, after years of giving myself birth control injections, I was ready to stab the tirzepatide right into my hip muscle. These injections are meant to be put into subcutaneous fat! (That's the fat just under the skin).
Best practices include:
Pick a site with enough fat. The abdomen is the easiest and most common because it usually has consistent subcutaneous fat. Thighs and the back of the upper arm are fine too—but if your arms are lean, you risk going into muscle, which you don’t want.
Rotate your sites. Don’t inject in the same spot every week. Rotate within the same general area or through the fatty body parts (arm, top of the thigh, or belly). Just be sure to stay at least two inches away from your belly button.
Clean the area before and after injection. If your medication doesn't come with alcohol wipes, pick some up at the store. Clean the area of injection beforehand and apply light pressure afterward. If you're using a vial, wipe the top of the vial before putting the needle in.
Back to the "don't listen to what they say" mentality—I didn't trust myself to inject my arm, and my legs are very muscular. That left the belly as the option with the best access and techniques to properly give the injection.
Always read the long list of instructions that come with your medications to see if the guidance has been updated.
GLP-1 Myth 4: Sure, you'll lose weight, but you'll also have saggy facial skin and poor muscle tone.
✅REALITY CHECK: Let’s be real: rapid weight loss of any kind—GLP-1 or not—can lead to loose skin or some muscle loss, especially if you're older or losing a large amount of weight. But it's not the drug doing that directly. It's the weight loss itself. And no, it's not a guarantee you'll end up with "Ozempic face" or lose all your muscle tone.
If you eat enough protein, stay hydrated, and do some resistance training (even just bodyweight stuff), you can maintain muscle and support your skin’s elasticity. The drug suppresses appetite, but it doesn’t prevent you from making smart choices. This myth leans on scare tactics, not science.
This is also a good time to mention that working collagen into your diet can help support skin elasticity during weight loss—especially if paired with vitamin C, which your body needs to actually use the collagen.
GLP-1 Myth 5: It will cost as much as a monthly mortgage payment.
✅REALITY CHECK: That’s not always true—but it can be. Retail prices for Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound are steep, often over $1,000 a month without insurance. But if you have commercial insurance and meet medical criteria (like type 2 diabetes or obesity), you might pay a fraction of that—or even nothing.
I implore anyone with medical insurance to make an attempt to get pre-authorization and then appeal and appeal again (depending on how many options your plan gives you).
While I eventually didn't get approved due to the medication not being on the plan formulary, I did learn a lot about what insurance companies want to see before considering weight loss (not diabetes) medications.
Documented BMI in the obesity range (30+) or 27+ with a qualifying condition (like high blood pressure or sleep apnea).
Medical records showing past weight history and attempts to lose weight. For example, I had taken phentermine in the past six months, which was proof of an effort.
Proof of lifestyle changes, like diet and exercise, that didn’t lead to significant results. I handed over a lifestyle journal with daily meals and fitness activities for three months.
Physician-supervised weight loss program participation, sometimes for 3–6 months.
Current labs (glucose, cholesterol, etc.) to support medical needs.
Provider notes specifically stating the medical necessity of the medication.
All hope is not lost. Even with compounding pharmacies being pushed out of the market, options like Lilly Direct and Novo Nordisk savings cards mean lower prices (which, okay, still come in about the rate of a car payment each month).
However, the amount of money I am saving on Door Dash meals and reflecting on the high cost of the heart attack that was inevitable if I didn't get weight under control it's more than worth it.
GLP-1 Myth 6: You'll Gain All the Weight Back When You Stop
✅REALITY CHECK: That statement is missing a world of important context. GLP-1 drugs are designed to be long-term treatments, not short-term weight loss fixes. Just like medications for high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, they help manage a chronic condition—in this case, obesity or metabolic dysfunction.
These drugs help suppress appetite and regulate blood sugar. Once you stop, those signals come back, and unless new habits are deeply ingrained, old patterns often return. It's not that the drug “breaks” your metabolism—it's that the medication was helping manage it.
For this reason, it's important to spend time on GLP-1s changing your relationship with food. I'm admitting for the first time in a public forum that I suffer from binge-eating disorder. This isn't my first weight loss rodeo. I do know that if I stop and go back to my old habits, I'm going to gain the weight back.
The goal, by working with nutrition coach Ashley Legg of Legg Day Fitness and my mental health provider, is that I will be able to change my life when I eventually drop back down to the maintenance dose of Zepbound.
Are you ready for a potential lifetime commitment? I have kidney disease that requires medication, and I'll be on that for the rest of my life. I don't see a difference with GLP-1s.
In summary, If you treat it as too good to be true, it will be.
GLP-1 Myth 7: All GLP-1 Drugs are the Same
✅REALITY CHECK: Not even close. While they all fall under the “GLP-1” umbrella, there are key differences between them—like comparing cousins, not identical twins.
For starters, semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) don’t even work the same way. Tirzepatide is a dual agonist—it hits both the GLP-1 and GIP receptors, while semaglutide is only a GLP-1 agonist.
They also have different dosing schedules, side effect profiles, and insurance approvals. Some are FDA-approved for diabetes only, some for weight loss, one for OSA, and some for multiple reasons.
Lumping them all together oversimplifies the science—and may steer you toward the wrong choice for your body or goals. The good news is that if you have bad side effects, say, with tirzepatide, your provider might have you try semaglutide.
GLP-1 Myth 8: The Side Effects are a Deal Breaker
✅REALITY CHECK: Looking up side effects of GLP-1s is like Googling your headache symptoms and walking away convinced you have a brain tumor. Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are clear about the potential side effects. At the same time, they offer advice on how to mitigate the impacts.
If you're eating fast food, fried chicken, and chugging two liters of soda, you're probably going to have more intense side effects. GLP-1s slow digestion. If you try to eat like you used to—especially heavy, large meals or greasy food—you’ll probably feel miserable.
The dosages are designed to help your body adapt to side effects. Even if you're on the starter dose and aren't dropping pounds or losing hunger pangs, it's still a benefit to allow your body to get used to the changes.
That said, there are horror stories. I have friends who spent days in the bathroom, barely able to function. Come to find out she hadn't eaten anything in 48 hours and drank only sugary coffee drinks. She was able to avoid it happening again because she kept a great food journal.
That's why using a nutrition coach like Legg Day Fitness is so beneficial. I have literally texted Ashley with "I cannot think of food without my stomach turning; how can I get some protein in today?" (Bone broth, FTW!)
If you are experiencing bad side effects, check your water intake and the size and frequency of your meals or snacks, and then check in with your doctor. You don't have to suffer to excel at GLP-1 lifestyle refinement.
GLP-1 Myth 9: Your Tolerance Builds Up Requiring Higher Doses
✅REALITY CHECK: You don’t have to keep increasing your GLP-1 dose to keep seeing progress. These medications aren’t like other drugs where your body builds up a tolerance and needs more to get the same effect.
The way they work—by regulating appetite, slowing digestion, and improving insulin response—keeps working at the dose that fits your body. Some people respond well to a lower dose and never need to go higher. Others might benefit from titrating up more slowly or stopping at an intermediate level. Everybody responds differently.
You don’t need to hit the “max dose” just because it’s the next step on a chart. In the same way, you don't use a credit card limit as a spending goal (DO YOU??).
Once people reach their health goals, a maintenance dose (usually the lowest FDA-approved dosage) helps support long-term results without unnecessary side effects. The goal isn’t to take more forever—it’s to find the lowest effective dose that helps you feel good and maintain the progress you’ve made.
GLP-1 Myth 10: Microdosing GLP-1s Saves Money While Still Offering Benefits
✅REALITY CHECK: GLP-1s are powerful meds, not DIY projects. It might be trending on social media, but “microdosing” GLP-1s isn’t officially approved or backed by data.
Microdosing should only be done under a doctor's supervision and recommendation. Not all medical providers are down with microdosing. Simply trying to extend the prescription glosses over the fact that these meds were designed and tested at specific dosing levels for a reason.
And here’s where things get risky: reusing injection devices can lead to infections, inaccurate dosing, and damage to the pen’s safety mechanisms. If a lower dose is right for you, your doctor can help you do it safely. But don’t let TikTok convince you that hacking your pen is smarter than following actual medical advice.
GLP-1 Myth 11: Taking GLP-1s for Weight Loss Is a Shortcut and Shameful
✅REALITY CHECK: No—what’s shameful is the stigma. If you had high blood pressure, no one would call meds a “shortcut.” But when it comes to weight, suddenly it’s a moral issue? That’s outdated and flat-out wrong.
"It doesn't matter what they call you. It matters what you answer to."
GLP-1s don’t magically melt fat. They help correct powerful hormonal imbalances that drive hunger, cravings, and weight gain—things willpower alone can’t fix. Choosing treatment isn’t lazy. It’s brave.
I write these words as a woman who recently turned 50. Up until I was 25, I literally couldn't gain weight. I ate like a teenage boy, lived on fast food, stayed active, and never once thought about calories or carbs.
Each birthday seemed to be pumping the brakes on metabolism after 30. Perimenopause isn't talked about enough. Your body and a flood of hormones impact hunger, mood, and metabolism. On average, women who keep the same eating and activity habits will still gain 1.5 pounds a year during perimenopause. At the same time, our bodies are burning up to 300 calories less per day than before perimenopause. (Which is shocking to me, considering how many hot flashes I have!)
That said, I'll share one of my favorite quotes when it comes to people shaming others, "It doesn't matter what they call you. It matters what you answer to."
GLP-1 Coaching Is Available Now
The team at Legg Day Fitness is dedicated to helping women build healthier lifestyles with the support of GLP-1s. The food you eat is critical to maximizing the benefits.
We now offer nutrition and fitness counseling to help during your GLP-1 journey. Whether you're about to start, adjusting to maintenance mode, or struggling with side effects, we're here to help you.
