Methodology · Vol. 01
A framework for thriving on GLP-1 medications. From a GLP-1 patient who is living it.
Read the introduction →"Fifty pounds. Nine months. Five habits."
— Mark "Shep" Shepherd, 35 years in medical device sales, GLP-1 patient
The Framework
Tap any pillar to read the chapter.
7–9 hours. The hormone reset that makes everything else work.
GLP-1s blunt cortisol but only if you let them. The first habit isn't food — it's a fixed sleep window. I learned this the hard way in month two, when six-hour nights stalled my weight loss for three weeks straight.
90+ oz per day. Most "GLP-1 side effects" are dehydration in disguise.
Nausea. Fatigue. Headaches. The "Ozempic flu" most patients describe is, in 80% of cases, a fluid problem. Slowed gastric emptying changes how you feel thirst — by the time you notice, you're already behind.
Walk daily. Lift twice a week. Protect the muscle the medication won't.
GLP-1s don't discriminate between fat and lean mass. Without resistance training, up to 40% of the weight you lose can be muscle. That's the difference between thriving at 60 and being frail at 60.
1 gram per pound of goal body weight. The non-negotiable.
If you eat one thing well on this medication, make it protein. Appetite drops 40–60% in the first month. Without a target, you'll eat 50g a day and lose your strength along with the weight.
Five inputs to cover what the medication and a smaller plate cannot.
Eating less means absorbing less. These five fill the gaps without turning your counter into a pharmacy.
From the practitioner
"Mark Shepherd spent 35 years in medical device sales — until he became a GLP-1 patient himself. The S.H.E.P.S. Method℠ is the framework he built to navigate his own 9-month journey, now used by clinics across the country."
— Maps Health Network
The Book
Your First 9 Months on GLP-1
The Newsletter
The Metabolic Map℠
The Book
Three formats. One method.
Instant download. Cancel — well, there's nothing to cancel. You own it.
$29
85 pages. Highlight-friendly. Print at home.
EPUB
$19
For Kindle, Apple Books, and reflowable readers.
Bundle
$39
PDF + EPUB. Read on every device you own.
Workbook
$29
A 90-day companion workbook. Pages to fill in, not just read.
Paperback
$19.99
Hold it in your hand. Print-on-demand, shipped worldwide.
Hardback
$29.99
Case-laminate hardcover. The waiting-room edition.
Workshop Bundle
$97
Book + Workbook + recorded workshop. The full system.
Frequently asked
If your question isn’t here, drop me an email, I read every one. Mark@GLP1Receptionist.com
S.H.E.P.S. is a five-pillar framework I built while losing 50 pounds on GLP-1 medication over 9 months: Sleep, Hydration, Exercise, Protein, Supplements. The medication does the appetite work. These five habits make sure you keep the muscle, energy, and progress — not just the weight loss.
No. The S.H.E.P.S. Method is patient education, not medical advice. I’m a 35-year medical device veteran and a GLP-1 patient — I’m not your doctor. Always talk to your prescriber before making changes to medication, supplements, or exercise.
All of them. The S.H.E.P.S. Method is medication-agnostic and works with semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus), tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound), liraglutide (Saxenda, Victoza), and compounded versions. The five habits are physiology, not pharmacology.
Most GLP-1 prescriptions follow BMI guidelines — a BMI of 30+, or 27+ with a related condition like hypertension or pre-diabetes. Quickest way to check: run the numbers on the BMI for GLP-1 calculator. Then bring the result to your provider.
85 pages. Four parts. Zero fluff. You can read it in one sitting. It’s structured so you can also use it as a reference: jump straight to the pillar you’re struggling with this week.
PDF ($29) — the full book, print-friendly. EPUB ($19) — same book, native Kindle/Apple Books format. Bundle ($39) — both formats, best value. Workbook ($29) — the 90-day companion with daily trackers and weekly check-ins. Workshop Bundle ($97) — everything above plus a 3-hour recorded workshop and Q&A with me.
Without a plan, yes — up to 40% of the weight you lose can be muscle. With the S.H.E.P.S. framework (0.8–1.2 grams of protein per pound of ideal bodyweight and 2–3x/week of strength training), most people preserve or even gain lean mass while the fat comes off. The book lays out exactly how.
It can be — but 80% of the time it’s dehydration, not the medication. GLP-1s slow gastric emptying and change how you sense thirst. Hit 90+ ounces of water plus daily electrolytes and the symptoms usually fade in days. Chapter on Hydration goes deep.
Yes — every purchase includes lifetime updates. When I add chapters, refresh data, or release new supplement guidance, you get the new version automatically.
30-day money-back guarantee on any format. Email Mark@GLP1Receptionist.com — no friction, no forms.
Yes. The S.H.E.P.S. Method is built for GLP-1 clinics as patient education. For volume licensing, co-branding, or integration with GLP-1 Receptionist and The Metabolic Map newsletter, schedule a call.
The Metabolic Map℠ Newsletter
Five minutes, once a week. The science, the strategy, and the small moves that compound — written by Mark “Shep” Shepherd.