Frequently Asked Questions

MyStart’s program intends to make weight loss as easy as possible. See our steps below on getting started:

• Step 1: Complete our online questionnaire about your health history & weight loss goals
• Step 2: Place your order online
• Step 3: Login to MyStart and Complete your Medical Intake
• Step 4: Quickly & easily connect with your doctor and get a prescription
• Step 5: Medication is shipped to your door.

Once your doctor writes a prescription, your medication is fulfilled by a pharmacist and shipped directly to you within 2-4 business days.

• Step 6: Ongoing support from our team of on-demand weight loss specialists and doctors. Part of our personalized approach to treatment includes regular check-ins to ensure the program is working for you.

Yes, you can cancel at any point. If you’d like to cancel, please send us an email at [email protected] with "CANCEL" in the subject line, and our customer service agent will confirm your cancellation. You can also reach us at: 618-357-4019 to speak with a MyStart representative.

Yes, in order to access weight loss medications you will need a prescription. Our team of on-demand doctors are able to prescribe weight loss medications 100% online.

If a doctor deems you are ineligible for a prescription, you will be refunded the cost of the medication and only charged for the doctor consultation fee.

Weight loss can vary among patients. Some notice weight loss right away, others can take one month or more. Consistency is important. Continue to take as directed and your provider will titrate your dose as needed to promote optimal weight loss tailored to your clinical needs. On average, 1-2 pounds per week (or 6-8 pounds per month) of weight loss is typically considered safe. That said, individual targets may vary and should be discussed with your weight management clinician. Please note that prior to every visit, you will need an updated weight, blood pressure and heart rate measurement.

GI side effects are most common when initiating GLP-1 therapy. Nausea, diarrhea, constipation and lack of appetite are among the most common. Your provider may be able to prescribe medication to help manage these side effects. Often these side effects resolve over time.

GLP-1 therapy can help with weight loss by making you feel full and reducing appetite. GLP-1 is a hormone that our bodies naturally produce. When we eat food, GLP-1 is released and tells our brains that we're full. With GLP-1 therapy, doctors give you a medicine called a GLP-1 agonist. This medicine works like the natural GLP-1 in your body. It tells your brain that you're full even if you haven't eaten as much food. This can help you eat less and make healthier food choices. When you eat less and make healthier choices, you can lose weight over time.

There are two ways GLP-1 medications are administered: orally and via injection. The injectable method is currently more common and is administered with a small insulin needle. You can inject this below the level of the skin in your abdomen, the outside of your thigh, or the outside of your upper arm. These are given once a week, with Victoza and Saxenda being injected daily. Check out this helpful guide on giving a subcutaneous injection from the University of Michigan. Oral medications are taken daily.

Injecting using a pre-filled pen (typically a branded GLP-1): Video: Ozempic® (semaglutide) injection 0.5 mg, 1 mg, or 2 mg Pen Instructions for Use | novoMEDLINK™

Injecting using a vial/needle/syringe (typically a compounded GLP-1): How to inject compounded tirzepatide

Yes, GLP-1 therapy can be combined with many other chronic medications such as those used for diabetes, blood pressure and high cholesterol. That said, there are certain medications and conditions which are not a good fit for GLP-1 therapy. It is important to notify both your PCP and your weight management clinician of any medications added or removed so they can continue to follow your progress and make other medication adjustments as needed.

When you're on GLP-1 therapy, there are some simple lifestyle changes that can help you stay healthy and get the best results from the medicine. These include eating healthy foods, drinking plenty of water, listening to your healthcare provider, and sleeping well. Remember, GLP-1 therapy can be helpful, but it's just one part of taking care of yourself. Making healthy choices with food, exercise and sleep will make you feel strong and happy. And don't forget to have fun and enjoy life with your friends and family!

Yes, there may be interactions with your current medications. This is why it is important to list ALL of your medications AND supplements for your weight loss provider to review. Additionally, it is important to notify your in-person healthcare providers of any GLP-1 added so they do not start you on a medication that is contraindicated while on GLP-1 therapy.

Some patients will notice an immediate weight loss and others will require higher doses of medication to achieve weight loss. Continue to use your medication as prescribed and your provider will titrate as necessary to promote weight loss

Most people find that side effects decrease over time. If you are finding it hard to manage side effects, please mention this to your provider.

Exercise 3-5 days a week, drink plenty of water and eat a well balanced diet. Smaller portion sizes can help reduce excess calorie consumption.

As far as healthy eating goes, patients are not required to follow a specific diet, but it is important that you implement a reduced-caloric diet. Here are some recommendations:

• Decrease calories and work up to a ~500 kcal daily energy deficit
• Consider intermittent fasting (IF), including time-restricted eating (TRE) and intermittent calorie restriction (ICR)
• Eating plans such as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet, the Mediterranean Diet, or following the American Heart Association (AHA) 2021 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health are all worth considering
• If you need assistance with meal planning or have special dietary needs, it may be helpful to seek guidance from a registered dietitian
• Include a wide variety of nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy, seafood, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains
• Replace foods that are high in cholesterol, saturated fat (animal fats) and trans fats (fried, processed foods) with foods that are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocado
• Minimize refined carbohydrates, sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages
• If you cannot eat at least 1,200 calories each day, a multivitamin may be needed to ensure you’re meeting your nutritional needs
• After you reach your weight loss goal, it’s important to continue a healthy eating pattern to avoid weight regain

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If you miss more than 2 weeks of a GLP-1 medication, we suggest reinitiating the dosing schedule to reduce the chance of GI side effects. For example, if you are on level 3 of Ozempic, but have missed 3 weeks due to shortage or being out of town, we would restart you on level 1.

Due to high demand of GLP-1 medications, some branded medications may be out of stock or short on supply. If your prescribed dosage is out of stock, we may not be able to fill a higher dose of your medication. Options include having our team complete and submit a Prior Authorization on other GLP-1 medications that your insurance might cover, discussing starting a compound medication, or your provider refilling your current dose of medication if it is available.

Drug compounding is the process of combining, mixing or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient. Compounding includes the combining of two or more drugs. These are not FDA-approved, however, we conduct strong due diligence processes with each of our compounding partners.

We ensure that the product being used is:

• Pharma grade (not research grade)
• Base form (not salt form)
• Passed through third party quality / sterility testing

Here is some more information on this directly from the FDA.

Once you reach a BMI of 25, your weight management clinician will start to de-escalate your dose. Once your BMI is between 22-24, you should ideally be at the lowest dose of medication. If you start to regain weight, your weight management clinician can begin to escalate the dose. It is recommended that you continue living a healthy lifestyle to maintain your weight loss.

For GLP-1 medications, follow ups are recommended at 1 month intervals until you have reached a steady state, at which time you will meet with your provider every 3 months.

Injecting using a pre-filled pen (typically a branded GLP-1):
Video: Ozempic® (semaglutide) injection 0.5 mg, 1 mg, or 2 mg Pen Instructions for Use | novoMEDLINK™

Injecting using a vial/needle/syringe (typically a compounded GLP-1):
How to inject compounded tirzepatide