VoltraGLP-1 medicines like Ozempic and Mounjaro: eating and keeping your muscle
GLP-1 medicines, such as semaglutide (sold as Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro), are prescription-only in Saudi Arabia [1][13]. In the main trials, people on semaglutide lost 14.9% of their body weight on average over 68 weeks [2], and people in the highest-dose tirzepatide group lost 20.9% over 72 weeks [3], against 2 to 3% on placebo [2][3].
Part of that loss is lean mass. A 2025 nutrition advisory recommends more protein while losing weight, about 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg a day, and strength training at least 3 times a week plus 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise; it says more protein alone is likely not enough without strength training [4].
This guide is about food and training alongside these medicines. It doesn't give doses; those are your doctor's call.
How much weight, and how much of it is muscle
| Trial | Average weight lost | Share of the loss that was lean mass |
|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide, 68 weeks [2] | 14.9% (placebo 2.4%) | 38%, by the advisory's calculation [4] |
| Tirzepatide, 72 weeks [3] | Up to 20.9% in the highest-dose group (placebo 3.1%) | 26%, in a body-scan substudy [5] |
Muscle is about half of lean mass, so roughly 20% of the weight lost is muscle, according to the advisory [4]. The share of the body that was lean still went up afterwards, because fat fell more [2]. Weight loss that's large (14% or more) and fast (over 3 to 4 months) is also linked with significant bone loss [4].
Protein and training
- Protein: the general allowance is 0.8 g per kg a day, and 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg has been proposed during active weight loss [4]. A fixed 80 to 120 g a day can be easier to stick to [4]. Don't let it fall below 0.4 to 0.5 g per kg, and avoid staying at 2 g per kg or more for long [4].
- Training: the advisory says these medicines should be prescribed with a structured exercise programme, aiming for strength training at least 3 times a week and at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week, to preserve muscle and bone [4].
- Protein alone is likely not enough to keep muscle without strength training [4].
Our protein guide lists Gulf foods by protein, to help you reach the target.
What happens when you stop
- A year after stopping semaglutide and the lifestyle programme that came with it, people had regained two-thirds of the weight they'd lost [6].
- After 36 weeks on tirzepatide, people who switched to a placebo regained 14% by week 88, while those who kept taking it lost another 5.5% [7].
Side effects
Nausea and diarrhoea were the most common side effects of semaglutide in its main trial, usually temporary and mild to moderate [2]. Saudi Arabia's Food and Drug Authority has a safety notice for semaglutide products (Wegovy, Ozempic, Rybelsus) about the risk of a rare optic-nerve condition, non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy [12]. For people with diabetes, combining these medicines with a ketogenic diet could raise the risk of ketoacidosis and low blood sugar [4].
What the WHO says
The WHO's 2025 guideline says GLP-1 medicines may be used by adults, except pregnant women, for the long-term treatment of obesity. The recommendation is conditional because of limited data on their long-term effectiveness and safety and on staying on or stopping them, their current cost, health systems' readiness, and fairness of access [8].
Prescriptions and fakes in the Gulf
- Saudi Arabia's health ministry says dispensing restricted medicines, such as weight-loss injections, without a prescription breaks the law on health professions, and it runs inspection campaigns on it [1].
- The ministry, with the Food and Drug Authority, caught gym trainers selling weight-loss drugs, hormones and peptides that were unsafe, unregistered and unlicensed [10], and the Authority has shut down websites and social media accounts selling unregistered peptides [11].
- The WHO has warned about falsified semaglutide products, which have been found in several countries [9].
In Voltra
Voltra doesn't advise on these medicines. It helps with the two things the advisory stresses: set a protein target on the Eat tab (the Coach can set it for you), and log your strength sessions in Train.
Frequently asked
How much weight do people lose on Ozempic or Mounjaro?
In the main trials, 14.9% of body weight on average over 68 weeks on semaglutide, and 20.9% over 72 weeks in the highest-dose tirzepatide group, against 2 to 3% on placebo.
Do GLP-1 medicines make you lose muscle?
Part of the weight lost is lean mass: 38% in the semaglutide trial and 26% with tirzepatide. More protein and strength training at least 3 times a week help keep it.
How much protein should I eat on a GLP-1 medicine?
A 2025 advisory suggests about 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day while losing weight, or a fixed 80 to 120 g a day.
What happens when you stop?
Most people regain weight: two-thirds of the loss within a year of stopping semaglutide in its trial extension.
Can I buy these injections without a prescription in Saudi Arabia?
No. Saudi Arabia's health ministry says dispensing weight-loss injections without a prescription breaks the law, and the WHO has warned about fakes.
Sources
- وكالة الأنباء السعودية (واس) (٢٠٢٦). وزارة الصحة تواصل حملاتها الرقابية على صرف الأدوية الوصفية أو المقيدة بوصفة طبية. In Arabic. A Saudi Ministry of Health statement, 19 February 2026.
- Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, et al. (2021). Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 1). N Engl J Med 384(11):989–1002. Abstract; body composition, pp. 995 and 997.
- Jastreboff AM, Aronne LJ, Ahmad NN, et al. (2022). Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-1). N Engl J Med 387(3):205–216. Abstract.
- Mozaffarian D, Agarwal M, Aggarwal M, et al. (2025). Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint advisory. Am J Clin Nutr 122(1):344–367. Muscle and bone loss; preservation of muscle and bone mass; use of specific dietary patterns.
- Look M, Dunn JP, Kushner RF, et al. (2025). Body composition changes during weight reduction with tirzepatide in the SURMOUNT-1 study of adults with obesity or overweight. Diabetes Obes Metab 27(5):2720–2729. Results. Most of the authors work for Eli Lilly, which makes tirzepatide.
- Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Davies M, et al. (2022). Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: the STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes Obes Metab 24(8):1553–1564. Abstract.
- Aronne LJ, Sattar N, Horn DB, et al. (2024). Continued treatment with tirzepatide for maintenance of weight reduction in adults with obesity: the SURMOUNT-4 randomized clinical trial. JAMA 331(1):38–48. Abstract.
- World Health Organization (2025). WHO issues global guideline on the use of GLP-1 medicines in treating obesity (news release). The two conditional recommendations.
- World Health Organization (2024). WHO issues warning on falsified medicines used for diabetes treatment and weight loss. Also Medical Product Alert N°2/2024.
- صحيفة المدينة (٢٠٢٦). ضبط مخالفين يروجون لأدوية إنقاص الوزن وهرمونات ومواد بيبتيدية غير آمنة. In Arabic. Reporting a Saudi Ministry of Health statement, 30 March 2026.
- الهيئة العامة للغذاء والدواء، السعودية (٢٠٢٦). الهيئة العامة للغذاء والدواء تضبط مواقع وحسابات تسوّق ببتيدات غير مسجلة. In Arabic. 29 September 2026.
- الهيئة العامة للغذاء والدواء، السعودية (٢٠٢٦). سيماجلوتايد (ويجوفي، اوزمبِك، ريبلسس): خطر الاعتلال العصبي البصري الإقفاري الأمامي غير الشرياني. In Arabic. Safety page.
- وزارة الصحة، المملكة العربية السعودية (٢٠١٩). السمنة. In Arabic. p. 4.
Sources checked on 30 September 2026.
Log your food and training with Voltra. Free to download; the yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial. Works fully in English and Arabic.
