Nicholas Cayan, better known on TikTok as @nicky_glp1wellness, joined me for this episode to talk about how GLP-1 medications helped him lose weight and gain muscle.

Yes, gain it.

When I first stepped into this space, there were a lot of questions with few answers. One of the loudest was, Is muscle loss inevitable? And when singer Avery shared that she developed osteoporosis and osteopenia after 1 year on Ozempic, it dialed the drama to max.

Spoiler alert: that story had layers far beyond the medication itself. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

People like Nicky give the rest of us a reason to exhale. His TikToks aren’t just progress updates, they’re proof that some muscle loss is expected with any weight loss, but it’s not inevitable in a harmful way.

Pair GLP-1 therapy with enough protein, consistent resistance training, and patience, and you can preserve muscle strength, and often even improve it, though individual results vary and the research is still evolving.

Protein, Peptides, and Purpose

Nicky’s journey started with his doctor literally telling him, that he couldn’t believe he was alive.

“…and he’s like, oh my God, I can’t believe you’re alive. And I’m like, why? He’s like, your A1C is ridiculous. And I was like, oh, like I knew it was gonna be high, but I was like, like how high?

And so he’s like, your A1C is like, I think he said it was a 12.3, 12.5. And I was like, oh, that’s not too high. He’s like, you’re supposed to be under six. And I’m like, oh, well then yeah, that’s kind of high.”

In the beginning, when Nicky went looking for guidance, he found a gap big enough to drive a truck through. Most of the creators he saw online were already deep into maintenance or women whose experiences, like lady cycles, side effects, even appetite patterns, didn’t line up with his own.

So he made a decision that changed everything: he’d start documenting his own journey.

At first he could barely stand the idea of taking selfies. He eased in with bathroom-and-gym mirror shots, half-torso only, because full-body pics felt like too much.

Months later, scrolling back, he realized his camera roll had quietly shifted: “When did I start taking full-body selfies?” Confidence had crept in, one rep and one snapshot at a time.

Nicky’s feed is a time capsule of consistency. You can literally scroll back through his videos and watch the change happen in real time.

His hope is to inspire, educate, and motivate:

“Prior to my journey, I was eating fast food every single meal… two, three, sometimes four times a day because I was just hungry. Now I spend it on protein powder and peptides.”

This line landed and I knew what I had to do next.

The Studio Shop is officially open! You can grab your GLP-1 apparel and help support my independent advocacy, this podcast, and Nickaaayyy himself. The Protein & Peptides T-shirt and hat, inspired by this episode, are available below or on TikTok Shop, where you can even get a refundable sample!

The Protein and Peptides tank and hat are a nod to that exact moment. But my favorite part? The inner tag reads GLP-1 Studio Season 2 | Episode 7, marking where this quote was first said.

On Stigma and Strength

Nicky didn’t just share his strengths, he also shared his experience with the mental aspect “that people don’t really talk about.”

“Nobody talks about the mental part,” he said. “Everyone talks about the weight, the snacks, the numbers… but the emotions are a whole different thing. You could make a whole podcast just about that.”

He talked about how hard it can be to accept compliments now, how he never got them before, and he doesn’t know how to feel.

“I feel a little awkward,” he said. “I’m not used to compliments. It brings back childhood stuff. I just say thank you, but I don’t really know what to do with it.”

That moment reminded me of something Dr. Angela Tran shared in her interview on The GLP-1 Studio Podcast. She said:

“…but I always warn people, hey, tell me how you felt when someone told you you were skinny because that can really bring a whole gamut of things you have to work through also. So that’s part of like the whole management of this medication is not just the side effects, but it’s just sort of like the changes around you that you don’t even see.”

Dr. Tran was right. It’s not just a physical transformation, it’s emotional. Even positive attention can stir up old memories and insecurities. And Nicky was the first to admit that we don’t talk about that enough.

The physical changes are measurable, but the emotional ones are just as real and just as important to acknowledge.

Consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to support my independent advocacy efforts. 💖

Amazing Transformations

In our conversation, Nicky admitted that he didn’t think his story was amazing enough.

“I don’t think my story is really significant compared to other guests that you have, you know, that have these huge stories of why they took it… Even when you sent me the message to sign up for this, I’m like, my god, I’m gonna share my little story about my little GLP-1 journey.”

He’s seen others in the community go through huge, headline-worthy transformations, people who’ve lost hundreds of pounds or overcome life-threatening complications.

Like Jamie Selzer, who shared that he was once 650lbs in Season 1, Episode 18.

Compared to that, he said, his own journey felt small. But that’s exactly why his story matters.

Not every transformation has to be dramatic to be meaningful. Sometimes the most powerful stories are just relatable. It’s relatable stories that help us feel understood and connected.

Stigma & Self Advocacy

When Nicky talked about stigma, it hit home.

He said it himself, people see the before-and-after photos, but they don’t see the mental and physical work behind it.

“…I just wish everyone knew this, and instead of having that whole stigma of, you know, it’s cheating or you’re taking the easy way out. Really, I’m not, because I don’t think I’ve ever worked this hard for my health before.”

It’s people like Nicky sharing their stories online that helps the rest of us have the courage to step out of the GLP-1 pantry.

Most of us didn’t have the courage to advocate for obesity care until GLP-1s changed our lives by showing us that it wasn’t our fault. Now we are all trying to learn how to advocate for ourselves and for each other.

That’s why I’ve created the GLP-1 S.T.R.O.N.G. Framework and why I’m writing GLP-1 Strong: A Framework for Self-Advocacy. Stigma doesn’t just live online: it shows up in doctor’s offices, in conversations with family, and in the tiny looks that make you question your worth.

I truly believe self-advocacy can change the world and I want to help people make that happen.

Affordable Access to GLP-1s

By the end of our conversation, Nicky turned his focus outward, to access.

He told me he hadn’t even realized it was an issue until he started listening to the podcast:

“In the beginning, I was like, why is there a podcast about GLP-1s? I thought it was just going to be about food or weight loss stories. I didn’t know the whole access thing was this big. I thought everyone could get it. And then I listened to your podcasts and I was like, holy crap. That is effed up.”

This meant the world to me because it doesn’t always feel like I’m making a difference. But if I can reach even 1 person with the message that, this isn’t about weight loss, it’s about treating a life threatening disease, then it makes it all worth.

Nicky added:

“People don’t have access to it, and I don’t understand why… It’s sad that it has to be limited.”

That’s the truth we keep coming back to.

When access is stripped away, people don’t stop needing care, they’re just forced into unregulated, unsafe options, like the grey market and research peptides.

Nicky’s story reminds us why we share these conversations in the first place. Every voice adds another layer to this movement: each one proof that obesity care, access, and advocacy are about people.

That’s what GLP-1 Studio is about. Amplifying stories to help advocate for access. 📢

We’re changing the conversation about obesity and GLP-1s one story at a time, and stories like Nicky’s are how it happens.

Join the conversation and share your thoughts on this episode.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are my own and do not represent the official positions or policies of the GLP-1 Collective nonprofit, GLP-1 Studio, or any affiliated organizations.

The GLP-1 Studio Podcast—formerly known as the GLP-1 Collective Podcast—is produced and owned by GLP-1 Studio LLC, a for-profit media company.

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and it should not be used to diagnose, treat, or replace care from a qualified healthcare professional.

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