Open Community Question @GraniteHiker_NH • 60+M • Tirzepatide + Creatine 5g • Week 30

▲ 85 Helpful • 3 Peer Replies

For those down 35+ lbs on a GLP-1: what daily protein, lifting, and lab routine kept your muscle strength up and stopped telogen hair shedding?

At age 62, my biggest worry starting a GLP-1 was losing leg and grip strength (sarcopenia) or looking gaunt. Early on, my appetite was so suppressed that if I didn't plan ahead, I'd accidentally finish the day at 55 grams of protein. What turned it around for me was treating protein and resistance training like part of the prescription: a 30g whey isolate shake at 9 AM, 40g lean protein at lunch and dinner, 5g Creatine Monohydrate daily, and 35 minutes of progressive resistance training 3x/week. My grip strength and squat numbers are actually higher now at 192 lbs than they were at 235 lbs! For anyone who noticed hair shedding or fatigue around month 4, what labs (ferritin, zinc, D3, B12) or nutrition fixes helped you most?

⚕ Pinned FDA / NIH / PubMed Clinical Context • Arjun Mehta — Health Research Writer

Rapid caloric restriction >1,000 kcal/day can trigger transient telogen effluvium 3–4 months after onset and accelerate lean mass loss if protein falls below 1.2 g/kg/day. Checking serum ferritin (target >50 ng/mL), 25(OH) Vitamin D, zinc, and B12 helps correct reversible nutritional triggers.

Connected Clinical Guides: Condition: Obesity Condition: Hair Loss & Ferritin Rx: Tirzepatide Rx: Semaglutide Supplement: Whey Protein Isolate Supplement: Creatine Monohydrate Supplement: Iron Bisglycinate

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Verified Peer Replies (3)

@FerritinClimb_PA • 30–44F • Semaglutide 1.0 mg/wk • Week 28

When my hair started shedding at month 4 after losing 30 lbs, my dermatologist checked my ferritin and it had dropped to 16 ng/mL! Getting protein above 100g/day and taking iron bisglycinate every other day brought my ferritin above 55 ng/mL and stopped the shedding.

@DriftlessAngler_WI • 60+M • Tirzepatide 10 mg/wk • Week 36

Clear whey protein isolate mixed in cold water saved me on days 2 and 3 after my shot when a thick milky shake felt too heavy on my stomach. 25g of leucine-rich protein goes down just like lemonade.

@ShenandoahTrail_VA • 45–59F • Tirzepatide 7.5 mg/wk • Week 32

Resistance bands and dumbbell Romanian deadlifts twice a week kept my glutes and posture strong. Don't wait until you hit goal weight to start lifting—start in month 1!