The Optimal Wellness Journal
Plain-language guides on GLP-1s, hormones, and strength after 40.
Written and reviewed by the people who see patients — Dr. Ryan Loveland, and Tabby — not a marketing team.
Start here.
GLP-1 · 9 min
The GLP-1 guide: week one to life after.
What a GLP-1 actually does, what the first weeks feel like, and what changes when you eventually stop — in plain language, from the clinic that prescribes them.
Perimenopause & HRT · 9 min
The perimenopause guide: symptoms, labs, options.
Perimenopause can start a decade before a period actually stops. Here is what it is, what it looks like, and what a full evaluation can add.
GLP-1
GLP-1 · 7 min
How much protein you actually need on a GLP-1.
Appetite loss makes protein harder to hit, not less important. Here is what a real day looks like, and what to do on the days you genuinely cannot finish a meal.
GLP-1 · 7 min
Muscle loss on GLP-1s, and the two things that prevent it.
Weight loss on a GLP-1 is not automatically fat loss. Here is why muscle is at risk, and the two things — protein and resistance training — that actually protect it.
GLP-1 · 7 min
Semaglutide vs. tirzepatide: a nurse practitioner explains.
Both are GLP-1 medications. One also acts on a second receptor. Here is what that actually changes, and how the decision gets made.
GLP-1 · 7 min
Your first four weeks on semaglutide, week by week.
A week-by-week walkthrough of what starting semaglutide actually feels like, and what helps at each stage.
GLP-1 · 5 min
OWC vs Hers: choosing the support around the prescription.
The medication may overlap. The clinical relationship, labs, coaching, and community around it are where the experience changes.
GLP-1 · 5 min
OWC vs Ro: what happens after the prescription.
A prescription can begin the plan. Here is how OWC builds the labs, coaching, daily support, and community that come after it.
Perimenopause & HRT
Perimenopause & HRT · 6 min
Perimenopause at 35? The early signs most women are told to ignore.
Thirty-five is not too young for perimenopause. Here are the signs that get dismissed as stress, and what to do instead of waiting them out.
Perimenopause & HRT · 6 min
Does HRT help with weight loss? An honest answer.
HRT is not a weight-loss medication. Here is what it actually changes around weight, sleep, and muscle — and what it doesn't.