Meet Michael

“I’m Using GLP-1s Because I’m Done With My Weight Cycling. I Need a Strategy to Make This Stick, Not Just a Medication.”

Michael is a 50-year-old African American man, a former project manager turned executive. He has a larger-framed body and carries the weight of responsibility — at work and at home. Outside of work, he tends a small garden, takes walking breaks outdoors, and values being present for his family.

After starting GLP-1 medication, his blood pressure began to improve. But privately, Michael worried: What if this is temporary? What if I waste this chance and end up back where I started? He wanted a durable exit strategy — not just another cycle of short-term results and long-term disappointment.

Michael’s Journey

From Short-Term Fix to Durable Strategy

Michael didn’t need another warning about his health. What he needed was a way to preserve his progress, protect his muscle, and break free from the old “giver/sacrifice” mindset that left him burned out and last on his own list.

At first, he feared focusing on his own health was selfish. Instead, he found that the more durable his plan became, the more consistent energy he had to invest in his family and his leadership.

What he was really looking for was:

  • A sustainable nutrition plan to preserve muscle during GLP-1 use

  • Tools to mitigate side effects like nausea and constipation

  • Stress-regulation practices to keep his BP trending down

  • A mindset shift away from self-sacrifice toward self-stewardship

The Breakthrough

The Durable Exit Strategy

For Michael, the change came when he stopped treating GLP-1s as the solution and started using them as the bridge. We designed a long-term strategy that supported his whole self — not just his weight.

That looked like:

  • Hitting consistent protein targets to preserve lean muscle

  • Mastering 10 sodium-swap recipes to support his BP

  • Building consistent stress-regulation breaks into his workday

  • Creating a personalized “off-ramp” plan for GLP-1s to prevent rebound

What Changed for Michael

With this new approach, Michael could:

  • Meet his 8-week protein targets with confidence

  • Stabilize his blood pressure trends without fear of relapse

  • Reframe self-care as leadership, not selfishness

  • Begin living in a body that supported his goals, instead of holding him back

The result? Michael no longer felt like he was clinging to a lifeline. Instead, he had a durable strategy — one that honored his progress, his values, and his future.

Note: These personas are fictional and created to represent patterns we see in our work. They are not drawn from any client’s personal health information. If parts of these stories feel familiar, please know it’s coincidence, not intention.