
Monday May 19, 2025
HOW MUCH MUSCLE CAN YOU REALLY LOSE?
Episode Title: How Much Muscle Can You Really Lose?
Host: Joanne Lee Cornish
đ Listen on all platforms â joanneleecornish.podbean.com
đ Self-study programs â www.jlcstrong.com
đ My go-to compound â www.5amino.com
đ Episode Summary
In todayâs episode, Iâm diving into a conversation that isnât talked about enough, but itâs absolutely critical for anyone trying to lose weightâespecially in midlife. We all talk about fat loss, scale victories, and appetite changes⌠but what most people forget is muscleâand just how fast it can vanish when youâre not eating or training properly.
Whether youâre doing extended fasts, on GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, or just not eating enough due to stress or appetite loss, this episode is going to show you whatâs really going on with your lean massâand why preserving muscle needs to become your #1 goal.
đ§ In This Episode, I Cover:
đ How fast can you actually lose muscle?
It might surprise you, but muscle loss can begin within just 48 hours of not eating, especially when protein intake is low and you're not resistance training. Your body runs out of stored glycogen, and to keep glucose in your bloodstream, it starts converting your own muscle into glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis.
Yes, that sounds awfulâand yes, itâs real.
đ§ Two people, same age, same situationâvery different outcomes
Let me paint two scenarios:
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Person A isnât eating much and isnât training at all. In just 2 weeks, they might lose 1â2 pounds of muscle or moreâparticularly if they're on a water fast, an extreme diet, or a GLP-1 medication with severe appetite suppression.
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Person B also isnât eating much, but they are lifting weights three times a week. That muscle loss? Drastically reduced. We're talking about maybe 0.2 to 0.6 pounds lost over the same time period.
The only difference? Exercise. The act of resistance training tells the body, âHey, I need this tissueâdonât break it down.â Thatâs the power of movement, even when food is limited.
đŞ Muscle is lost quickly⌠but it builds back slowlyâespecially after 50
Now here's the hard part: Even if you're training consistently, sleeping well, and eating plenty of protein, most people over 50 will only gain 2â4 pounds of muscle a yearâand that's best case scenario. I know this firsthand because I train harder than 95% of people my age, and even Iâm just hanging on.
So if you lose 2 or 3 pounds of muscle during a restrictive phase, you're potentially undoing a full yearâs worth of progress in just a few weeks. Thatâs why muscle preservation is not optional. Itâs essential.
â ď¸ Why âIâll build it back laterâ is a lie you canât afford to believe
This is especially dangerous with GLP-1 medications like Ozempic. When you first start, your appetite is often completely gone. That might sound like a dream at firstâbut what you're not eating is protein, and what you're not doing is training hard (because these meds can zap your energy).
So yes, the weight drops. But you're not just losing fat. Youâre losing water and muscleâthe stuff that gives your body shape, stability, and metabolic power. And if you donât make deliberate choices to protect your muscle, you wonât get it back easilyâif ever.
đ§Ź Letâs talk solutions: 5-Amino-1MQ
This is where 5-Amino-1MQ comes in. Itâs a research compound Iâve used for years and now offer at www.5amino.com. It doesnât work by suppressing your appetiteâinstead, it helps preserve muscle and improve fat metabolism at the cellular level by inhibiting NNMT, an enzyme that increases with age and makes fat loss harder and muscle loss more likely.
Hereâs what 5-Amino does:
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Preserves muscle mass, even in a calorie deficit
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Reduces fat cell size, even without weight loss
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Slows fat creation (lipogenesis)âeven in a calorie surplus
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Increases NAD+, a longevity molecule that declines with age
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Reduces inflammation, which is huge for recovery and joint health
This is body composition supportânot just scale weight manipulation. Itâs what I use. Itâs what I recommend for anyone who wants long-term results without wrecking their metabolism.
đ Available now at www.5amino.com
Note: 5-Amino-1MQ is sold for research use only.
đ My Self-Study Coaching Programs Are Now Live
If you're ready to get serious about changing your bodyâand you're the kind of person who wants to understand what you're doing, not just follow random rulesâthen good news:
All my programs are now available in self-study format at www.jlcstrong.com
You can learn on your schedule and follow a structured, proven path with real educationânot fluff or fads.
Hereâs whatâs currently available:
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Signature Weight Loss Program â Foundational coaching on metabolism, blood sugar, hormones, and sustainable fat loss
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Muscle Mastery â My deep dive into building and preserving muscle after 40
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Tight28 â An advanced fat loss program that emphasizes timing, metabolism, and composition
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5JP Creek Shred â Fast results with smarter strategies (client favorite)
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Midlife Mastery â For those dealing with hormonal shifts, mindset blocks, and midlife chaos
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Mindset Reset â Because you canât change your body without changing your thinking
Each one can be done at your own paceâand I also run them live once a year for those who want the full experience.
đ¨ Want to work together? Letâs talk.
If this episode hit home and you're wondering how I can help you personallyâjust send me an email.
đ§ jo@theshrinkshop.com
Tell me whatâs going on, what youâre struggling with, and what you want to achieveâand Iâll tell you the next step.
đ§ Listen & Subscribe to Midlife Mayhem Anywhere
You can find Midlife Mayhem on all podcast platforms including:
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Spotify
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Apple Podcasts
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Amazon Music
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Google Podcasts
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And at joanneleecornish.podbean.com
If you loved this episode, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if youâd be kind enough to leave a review, it helps others discover the podcastâand helps me keep bringing you these no-nonsense conversations.
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