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GLP-1 Studio Podcast

GLP-1 Studio Podcast

Written by: Real Stories. Real Advocacy. Real Impact — helping you stay GLP-1 strong so you can sparkle on. ✨☁️
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About this listen

 Honest conversations with relatable patient stories, expert insights that won’t make your eyes glaze over, and advocacy for affordable access. Hosted by obesity rights advocate advocate Amanda Bonello, the GLP-1 Studio Podcast is where science, lived experience, and a little bit of “I cannot believe we have to fight this hard for healthcare” energy all come together. We cover the wins, the setbacks, the weird side effects, the policy drama, the insurance plot twists — plus the moments of hope that remind you you’re not doing this alone. It’s smart, it’s human, and it’s the kind of honest talk you wish existed in your doctor’s office.

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Episodes
  • The Shotsy App: A GLP-1 Tool For Self-Advocacy

    The Shotsy App: A GLP-1 Tool For Self-Advocacy
    Jan 10 2026

    In this episode of the GLP-1 Studio Podcast, host Amanda Bonello sits down with Aja Beckett, founder of Shotsy, to talk about GLP-1 self-advocacy, personalized dosing, and the moment everything changes when food noise finally goes quiet.

    Aja shares her personal GLP-1 journey, including navigating insurance barriers, prior authorizations, and paying hundreds of dollars a month just to access care. Together, Amanda and Aja unpack why obesity is a chronic disease, not a willpower problem, and why “eat less, move more” has failed so many people.

    They also explore how tracking symptoms, side effects, and dosing patterns can empower patients to have better conversations with their doctors, especially when standard titration schedules don’t fit real bodies or real lives.

    This conversation is about more than an app. It’s about dignity, access, and finally understanding that it’s not your fault.

    Follow Aja:

    - 🌐 Website- 📱 Instagram- 💻LinkedIn (Aja)- 💻LinkedIn (Shotsy)- 📱 TikTok

    In This Episode, We Cover:

    - Aja’s experience living with obesity, Hashimoto’s, and chronic inflammation- The reality of GLP-1 access, insurance denials, and high out-of-pocket costs- What “food noise” really is and what it feels like when it turns off- Why one-size-fits-all dosing doesn’t work for most patients- How tracking data can support self-advocacy with doctors and insurers- Navigating maintenance when there is little to no clinical guidance- Letting go of shame and reclaiming your right to care

    Disclaimer: This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding your health and treatment decisions.Learn more and listen here:

    - 🎙️ GLP-1 Studio Podcast- 🎧 Spotify- 📱 Apple- 📖 SubStack- 💻 YouTube



    Get full access to GLP-1 Studio at glp1studio.substack.com/subscribe
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    45 mins
  • What BioCare & Robard Are Getting Right About GLP-1 Nutrition and Support

    What BioCare & Robard Are Getting Right About GLP-1 Nutrition and Support
    Dec 23 2025

    In this episode of the GLP-1 Studio Podcast, host Amanda Bonello speaks with Caroline Colavita of BioCare Nutrition and Mario Testa of Robard Corporation about nutrition support for GLP-1 patients and the realities of modern weight loss care.

    This conversation covers protein intake on GLP-1 medications, muscle preservation, body composition data, and how companies like BioCare and Robard are adapting clinical nutrition support for today’s GLP-1 and obesity-care landscape.

    Topics discussed:

    - Nutrition support for GLP-1 patients- Protein intake and muscle preservation during weight loss- Body composition scans and data-driven reassurance- Lead concerns in protein supplements and third-party testing- BioCare Nutrition’s patient-centered approach- Robard’s long history in clinical nutrition programs- Community and trust in GLP-1 care

    The GLP-1 Studio Podcast focuses on patient education, lived experience, and vetted resources for people navigating GLP-1 medications and obesity care.

    Disclosure:This interview and episode were not sponsored. Amanda Bonello is a BioCare affiliate and may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to listeners. BioCare separately compensated Amanda for a specific in-store video, which did not influence this episode or discussion.



    Get full access to GLP-1 Studio at glp1studio.substack.com/subscribe
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    56 mins
  • "Ozempic Saved My Life" But What Happens When Coverage Stops?

    "Ozempic Saved My Life" But What Happens When Coverage Stops?
    Nov 21 2025
    People reach out to me all the time, in emails, and DMs, with their tiny digital smoke signals, all carrying the same quiet, desperate heartbeat:Please… tell me how to stay on the medication that finally gave me my life back.Some come in hopeful. Some sound like the last exhale before slipping underwater. Every single one reminds me this isn’t a side project, it’s the line between staying afloat and being pulled under.But when Cherie Shanholtz showed up in my inbox, her message hit different.The subject line read: “Desperate help needed for life-saving medication.”Cherie’s Story: A Life RebuiltCherie once weighed nearly 380 pounds.Severe obesity.Insulin resistance.Metabolic syndrome.All the things society labels as “choices,” when in reality her biology had been stacking the odds against her for decades.When she finally got on Ozempic, her world bloomed like a flower and she flew out of it reborn, a little fairy with pixie dust still on her wings.“Ozempic Saved My Life.”Cherie lost over 235 pounds.Her blood pressure came down. Her cholesterol improved. And her breathing finally stopped acting like a full-time job.She could move without hurting, and actually live in her body instead of going twelve rounds with it every day.But this is the part we don’t focus on enough. GLP-1s don’t just give you great selfies, they give you selfhood. She told me, “I always dreamed of wearing beautiful, feminine clothes,” and for the first time in her adult life, she could actually put them on and feel like the woman she’d imagined as a little girl.Joy in feeling beautiful is not vanity. It’s deeply human, and she deserved every bit of it.…for the first time, I can wear clothes that make me feel beautiful and truly like a woman again.”“I finally can look in the mirror without flinching.”Some people have concerns about GLP-1s causing depression or suicidal thoughts… no honey. The reality for most of us is the opposite.What’s actually depressing is living with chronic inflammation, constant pain, exhaustion, shame, judgment, and being blamed for things you were never in control of to begin with.When your body stops fighting you, your mind finally gets to breathe. The weight isn’t just physical, it’s emotional. And losing it gives you back pieces of yourself you thought were gone forever.Cherie could finally see herself again.And just when she started to trust that this otherworldly experience was real, her insurance ripped the carpet out from under her.A Lifeline Pulled AwayFor six months, her insurance covered the medication that made all of this possible. And then out of nowhere it just stopped. No warning. No explanation. One day she was covered, and the next she was stranded.Cherie paid $800 out-of-pocket trying to hold her life together. * She sold belongings. * Skipped essentials. * Pushed her mental health beyond its limits. Eventually she found a compounded option, cheaper but still too much after months of bleeding herself dry.And the stress, the crushing fear of losing the body she fought for, cost her her job.“The overwhelming depression and anxiety—not just from losing my lifeline, but from the fear of regaining the weight and losing all that I had worked so hard for—are the main reasons I lost my job.”This is what GLP-1 patients are actually living when people call these “vanity drugs” and giggle when they get taken away. This isn’t about Instagram angles. This is survival.A BMI of 40 or higher can mean up to “14 years of life lost.” But beyond the stats, there’s a heavy mental health toll.Imagine having the freedom to:* Fly without a seatbelt extender. * Eat in a restaurant without the side-eye. * Shop in the “regular” section instead of being relegated to the plus-size aisle.* Buy clothes because you like them, not because they’re the only thing that fits.* Ride a roller coaster.* Take a photo with friends without hiding behind them.* To feel human.Imagine finally getting a glimpse of what “normal” feels like, holding the things other people don’t even notice… and then watching every single one of them slip through your fingers.Imagine standing there, helpless, as your own life starts playing in reverse. Like watching a rerun you never wanted to see again, only this time you can’t look away. You know exactly how it ends… and the dread settles in your bones long before the credits roll.This is the difference between functioning and falling apart.Cherie is still fighting, and I’m helping her with every tool I can. But stories like hers are only going to become more common as we head into 2026.“This struggle has affected every part of my life, but I’m still fighting.”Help Cherie hang in there 🙏Disclaimer: I don’t get a cent from the button above. This is Cherie’s GoFundMe, that she created and manages herself. I am simply sharing it for her with hopes that some big hearted individuals will be willing to help a ...
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    23 mins
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