It Is NOT Cheating to Use a GLP-1 in Perimenopause

Weight gain in perimenopause isn't just frustrating… it can feel like a betrayal. You're doing everything you used to do, but the belly fat won’t budge. The question many midlife women ask: Is it cheating to take a GLP-1?

Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen is clear on this: absolutely not. 

“We shame people for gaining weight. We shame them for not losing weight on their own. And now we’re shaming them for using a treatment,” she said on The Tamsen Show.

GLP-1s don’t replace effort, they target biology, regulating hunger hormones, calming reward signals in the brain, and reducing chronic inflammation. All the things that spike during hormonal transition.

Dr. Salas-Whalen has used GLP-1s both personally and professionally. After entering perimenopause and gaining 40 pounds post-baby, she used a GLP-1 for six months. It wasn’t a shortcut, it was the right tool at the right time.

“You’re not cheating. You’re treating a chronic condition that affects your physical and emotional health,” she said.

If you’re in midlife, overwhelmed, and feeling like you’re failing your body, this episode is your permission slip.

Want to learn more? Listen to this episode on The Tamsen Show.