Peak MD

03/21/2026

What the study actually says:

In the STEP 1 DXA substudy, semaglutide 2.4 mg led to ~15% total weight loss, with ~40% of that loss classified as lean mass.

That number stands out, and you can see it in the graph.

Most interventions cluster around the ~25% “diet benchmark”
(diet alone, bariatric surgery, tirzepatide), meaning the proportion of lean mass loss is largely similar to traditional weight loss.

Semaglutide sits to the right as an outlier.

But that needs context.

DXA “lean mass” includes water, organ tissue, and connective tissue, not just skeletal muscle. Some of that signal reflects normal physiologic shifts during weight loss.

And importantly, STEP 1 did not require resistance training or protein targets, both of which are key for preserving muscle.

So yes, the graph is accurate:

👉 Most weight loss, including GLP-1s, follows the expected proportion seen with dieting
👉 Semaglutide appears higher in that dataset

The number is real. The interpretation is where it matters.

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Study referenced:
Wilding JPH et al. NEJM. 2021 (STEP 1)

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03/21/2026

Excited to have the new signs done! Stay tuned for new painting as we make the outside as beautiful as the inside!

03/21/2026

03/20/2026

If you don’t have time to go into the forest, you need it more than ever. It feels backwards, but when life gets busy, nature is the first thing we cut—walks, rivers, trails, sunlight.
Biology doesn’t care about your calendar. When you step outside, your nervous system gets information. Your eyes take in soft patterns, your breath slows, your shoulders drop, and your brain stops scanning for threats. Even 10 to 20 minutes in a natural setting can shift your stress response, improve mood, and help you regulate emotions.
It doesn’t have to be dramatic. Step outside, take the long way, sit by a tree, feel the ground under your feet, or look at the sky for a full minute. Nature is a reset button your body recognizes.
If you feel like you don’t have time, that might be the clearest sign you should go. Pick one small moment today. Five minutes. No performance. Just return to your north.
✨ This is your year of recovery, balance, and renewal.
🌿 Daybreak Recovery Spa | PeakMD Health Clinic
📍 Sisters, Oregon
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03/20/2026

Rest feels hard when chaos feels normal.

When your system gets used to constant doing, constant noise, constant pressure, stillness can start to feel uncomfortable.

Not because rest is wrong.
Because your body has adapted to survival mode.

A lot of people think they are bad at resting.

Sometimes they are just living in a nervous system that no longer recognizes calm as familiar.

That can change.

Stay North.

03/20/2026

Run Reflection #5

There is a difference between discomfort that builds capacity and discomfort that is asking for attention.

That distinction gets more important with age.

A lot of us were taught to override the body. Push through. Prove something. Stay consistent no matter what.

But long-term health is not built by winning every workout. It is built by knowing when effort is productive and when it is just noise.

Sometimes the stronger move is not to push harder.
It is to respond intelligently.

03/19/2026

What the Study Actually Says:

A new observational MESA study found lower cardiovascular events and lower mortality in women who started hormone therapy within 5 years of menopause.

Important? Yes.
Definitive? No.

This study shows an association, not causation. It also does not specify formulation, route, or type of progesterone.

What it does support is the timing hypothesis: starting hormone therapy closer to menopause may have a more favorable risk profile.

This is where nuance matters. Hormone therapy is not one thing, and menopause care should never be one-size-fits-all.

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Study link:🔗

https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacadv.2025.102561

03/19/2026

You can’t heal a stressed system by pushing harder.

More effort is not always the answer.
Sometimes the body is not asking for more discipline, more willpower, or another thing to manage.

Sometimes it’s asking for safety.
For recovery.
For a different pace.

A lot of high-functioning people are exhausted and calling it normal.

But a stressed system does not heal under more pressure.
It heals when we start listening to what it has been trying to say.

Stay North.

03/19/2026

Run Reflection #3

My husband said something recently that stopped me in my tracks.

He told me he loved my smile… and that he hadn’t seen it in a long time.

That one hurt.
Not because it was unkind. Because it was true.

Somewhere in the middle of stress, work, and holding it all together, I think I lost a little of my joy.

Maybe this is your reminder too: the parts of us we miss can come back.

03/18/2026

Not All Stress Is Bad — The Power of Hormetic Stress

Stress gets a bad reputation — and for good reason.

Chronic, unrelenting stress absolutely harms your health.
But here’s the nuance most people don’t hear often enough:

👉 The right kind of stress, in the right dose, can actually make you stronger.
This is called hormetic stress.

Hormetic stress is a short, controlled challenge to the body — stress that you choose and recover from.

Examples include:

• Strength training
• High-intensity exercise
• Cold exposure or cold plunges
• Heat exposure (like sauna use)
• Learning a new skill
• Stepping just outside your comfort zone
These small, intentional stressors activate your body’s repair and adaptation systems, helping you:
• Recover more efficiently
• Build physical resilience
• Improve metabolic health
• Think more clearly
• Increase overall vitality
Hormetic stress works for mental health too.

By overcoming small challenges, you train your brain to tolerate discomfort, improve mood-regulating chemistry, and build a sense of confidence and mastery.
The key is balance.

Too little challenge, and we stagnate.
Too much challenge, and we burn out.
At Peak MD Health, we help patients find the right mix of recovery and hormetic stress — so they can thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Because sometimes, the stress you choose is the very thing that makes you stronger.
Ready to take the next step in your wellness journey? ✨
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03/18/2026

The conversation around AI is polarized. Some people want to run from it. Some want to merge with it. I’m more interested in the part of us that can step back, see clearly, and decide what matters. That became this essay.

How to stay oriented in an accelerating world

03/18/2026

A full calendar can still feel empty.

You can be productive, needed, responsible, and still feel disconnected from your own life.

Not everything that fills your time gives you meaning.

Sometimes the real work is not doing more.
It’s noticing what all the doing is costing you.

Stay North.