Well Beyond 40

Could GLP-1 weight loss be costing you muscle instead of just fat? GLP-1 medications can be powerful tools, but they are not a free pass to simply eat less and hope for the best. In this episode, I’m showing you why protein, resistance training, recovery, and targeted muscle support are essential if you want to lose fat while protecting your metabolism. My goal is to help you use these tools the right way, so the weight you lose is actually the weight you want to lose. What you’ll learn: (00:00) Weight loss on GLP-1 medications can inadvertently destroy your metabolism if you fail to take a muscle-first approach. (00:47) Women over forty frequently lose critical lean tissue underneath the surface without realizing why their weight loss attempts backfire. (02:45) Severe caloric deficits drop your automatic protein intake, making it essential to deliberately plan your target goals rather than relying on suppressed hunger cues. (03:38) Randomized controlled trials confirm that higher dietary protein actively preserves and can even build lean mass during significant energy restriction. (04:27) Meta-analyses evaluating thousands of adults reveal that a striking 25% to 40% of the weight shed from GLP-1 medications comes from lean mass instead of body fat. (05:17) Protecting your fat-burning engine requires aiming for a daily target of 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight. (05:58) Essential amino acids rich in leucine act as a vital booster to trigger muscle protein synthesis when low appetite makes whole foods difficult to consume. (10:51) Preserving long-term metabolic health demands three distinct lifestyle practices: making protein non-negotiable, practicing consistent resistance training, and optimizing deep sleep recovery. Love the podcast? Here’s what to do: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave a review. Text a screenshot to me at 813-565-2627 and wait for a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/glpmuscle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do some people look amazing after procedures while others look strange, swollen and are frankly regretful? In this episode, I’m sitting down again with Dr. Rady Rahban, a Beverly Hills board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, to get brutally honest about what women need to know before plastic surgery. We talk about the procedures that can look beautiful when done well, the ones that are overdone or misunderstood, and the red flags that should make you walk away from a surgeon. My goal is to help you feel informed, empowered, and clear-eyed so you can make decisions from confidence instead of fear, pressure, or hype. What you’ll learn: (07:13) Modern plastic surgery techniques and anesthesia make procedures safer than ever, but marketing hype can still cloud patient judgment. (08:49) Brazilian Butt Lifts involve highly aggressive liposuction and carry a deadly risk of fat embolisms if injected incorrectly into the muscle. (14:24) A revolutionary donor product called Aliclay allows lean, fit individuals to add cosmetic volume without needing their own harvestable fat. (19:52) The phenomenon known as "Ozempic face" is primarily the natural result of rapid weight loss rather than a specific drug side effect. (24:55) A natural-looking facelift relies entirely on a skilled surgeon knowing exactly how much to adjust the tissue dial without over-pulling. (32:13) Extensive body contouring after massive weight loss requires a highly detailed prioritization plan and realistic economic budgeting. (35:23) Many body contouring surgeons utilize unvetted assistant teams to perform extensive suturing while the primary surgeon exits the room. (38:01) Finding a reputable surgeon requires identifying specific red flags, such as high-pressure sales tactics or a disorganized office environment. Love the podcast? Here’s what to do: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave a review. Text a screenshot to me at 813-565-2627 and wait for a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/drrady Episode Sponsor: Try Qualia risk-free for up to 100 days and use code VIRGINWELLNESS for 15% off If your routine or eating habits have changed recently head to BodyBio.com/JJVIRGIN to start supporting your gut. Mitopure supports the cellular energy that allows your muscles to actually respond and adapt. Mitopure gummies make it simple. Visit https://timeline.com/jjvirgin for 20% off your order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could your DEXA scan be missing important clues about your real fracture risk? I brought Dr. Doug Lucas back because I’ve been getting so many questions about bone health, and I wanted to cut through the fear, myths, and confusion around osteoporosis. Dr. Doug is an orthopedic surgeon turned bone health expert, and in this conversation, we talk about why bone loss is not something you just have to accept with age. We dig into the food, exercise, testing, hormones, and daily habits that can help you build stronger bones and reduce fracture risk. What you’ll learn: (03:39) Calcium alone is not the full answer for preventing fractures and may come with risks when taken without vitamin D. (04:29) Walking can help slow bone loss but is not enough to reverse osteoporosis. (06:48) A normal DEXA scan does not automatically mean your fracture risk is low. (09:34) Osteoporosis medications can be useful in some cases but should not be treated as the only solution. (11:35) How Dr. Doug thinks about reversing osteoporosis by addressing the root causes of bone loss. (15:42) Which factors can drive bone loss, including hormones, medications, diet, sedentary living, and endurance training. (19:15) Starting protein earlier in the day can make it easier to hit your goals and support muscle protein synthesis. (36:08) How CTX and P1NP blood tests can help show whether you are breaking down or building bone. Love the podcast? Here’s what to do: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave a review. Text a screenshot to me at 813-565-2627 and wait for a personal reply because your voice is so important to me. Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/drdoug If your routine or eating habits have changed recently head to BodyBio.com/JJVIRGIN to start supporting your gut. Mitopure supports the cellular energy that allows your muscles to actually respond and adapt. Mitopure gummies make it simple. Visit https://timeline.com/jjvirgin for 20% off your order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am so excited to welcome back my friend Dr. Jason Fung, a world-renowned nephrologist and expert on intermittent fasting, to discuss his groundbreaking new book. In this episode, we peel back the layers on why the traditional "calories in, calories out" model is a complete failure and how hormones truly dictate our weight. You will discover the three distinct types of hunger and learn why your struggles with weight are rarely a matter of willpower or discipline. What you’ll learn: (00:00) Why the biggest lie about hunger is that it signals nutrient need. (00:48) What homeostatic hunger is and how hormones control it. (01:35) How emotional (hedonic) hunger drives overeating behaviors. (02:16) Why ultra-processed foods amplify reward pathways in the brain. (03:02) How conditioned habits create hunger even without physical need. (04:25) Why the calories in calories out model fails in real life. (06:23) How sleep, stress, and environment influence how much you eat. (08:40) Why hormonal changes (like perimenopause) impact weight gain. Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXyS30SMzAY Full show notes (including all links mentioned): https://jjvirgin.com/thehungercode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices