The Plus SideZ: A GLP-1 Guide to Metabolic Health

Linktree - our favorite links (https://linktr.ee/dinosaurmonkeyfarts)

NEW: Need GLP-1 Care? Join me at Belle! Use code Podcast at checkout to save 15% right now, and I run a support group there weekly!
https://link.joinbelle.com/podcast

NEW: Cozy Butter GLP-1 Community! Join Free
https://cozybutter.com/

Need 1-on-1 GLP-1 Journey Support? Book time with Kim and use code Cozy20 to save at checkout. Calendar Link https://calendly.com/theplussidez/kim?back=1&month=2026-09

We Built a Free GLP-1 Support Community | Cozy Butter + On The Pen

Looking for a GLP-1 support group or community where you can connect with other patients without diet culture, spam, or an algorithm deciding what you see? We built one.

Cozy Butter is a free, patient-led GLP-1 community created by Kim Carlos of The Plus SideZ Podcast and Amanda Bonello of GLP-1 Studio. It was built for people taking or considering medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound who want practical tools, education, peer support, events, and real conversations about living with obesity and metabolic disease.

We sat down with Dave Knapp of On The Pen to share how Cozy Butter started, how Kim and Amanda met through GLP-1 advocacy, and why we believe patients need more support between appointments.

We talk about GLP-1 peer support, obesity as a chronic disease, weight stigma, food noise, patient advocacy, health coaching, self-advocacy, GLP-1 tools, medication access, expert Q&As, community events, and what we hope to build next.

JOIN COZY BUTTER FREE
https://cozybutter.com/

Anyone who joins in September 2026 becomes a Cozy Butter Founding Member. The community is free to join, and current sessions and classes are free for Founding Members. Founding Members will also receive a permanent discount on future paid sessions and classes.

MORE FROM KIM CARLOS

Kim’s favorite links:
https://linktr.ee/dinosaurmonkeyfarts

The Plus SideZ Podcast:
https://theplussidez.net/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@theplussidez

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/dmfkimonglp1/

TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@dmfkim

Need GLP-1 care? Join Kim at Belle and use code Podcast to save 15% at checkout:
https://link.joinbelle.com/podcast

Book 1-on-1 GLP-1 journey support with Kim and use code Cozy20 at checkout:
https://calendly.com/theplussidez/kim?back=1&month=2026-09

FOLLOW AMANDA BONELLO

GLP-1 Studio:
https://glp1studio.com/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/amanda.bonell0/

TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@amanda.bonello

GLP-1 patient advocacy tools:
https://glp1strong.com/

GLP-1 laws and news:
https://glp1laws.com/

FOLLOW DAVE KNAPP / ON THE PEN

On The Pen:
https://onthepen.com/

On The Pen GLP-1 News on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-pen-glp-1-news/id1725737068

ABOUT COZY BUTTER

Cozy Butter is a GLP-1 community built around patients supporting patients. Members can connect with peers, attend live events and support groups, access practical GLP-1 tools, learn from experts, and find support throughout their GLP-1 journey.

https://cozybutter.com/

This conversation is for education and general information only and does not replace medical advice from your healthcare provider.

#GLP1 #GLP1Community #ObesityCare
_________________________________________________________________________

Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0HUIGKl3BN4Vg6LYI-dkOA/join

_________________________________________________________________________
#Mounjaro #MounjaroJourney #Ozempic #Semaglutide #tirzepatide  #GLP1 #Obesity #zepbound #wegovy
Send us Fan Mail!
The Podcast Promo Ad
Support the show
Kim Carlos, Executive Producer 
TikTok
Instagram 
Kat Carter,  Producer 
TikTok
Instagram

Linktree - our favorite links (https://linktr.ee/dinosaurmonkeyfarts)

NEW: Need GLP-1 Care? Join me at Belle! Use Podcast at checkout to save!
https://link.joinbelle.com/podcast

NEW: Cozy Butter GLP-1 Community! Join Free (https://cozybutter.com/)
https://cozybutter.com/

A GLP-1 community where support isn’t at the mercy of the algorithm.
Live GLP-1 support groups
Live support groups and social events
Health coaching and expert Q&As
Cooking, movement, and stress-management classes
GLP-1 tools and guidance (water, protein, side effect management, etc.) 
A dedicated community beyond the algorithm
Book at 1 on 1 with Kim (https://calendly.com/theplussidez/kim...)  

The World Has More GLP-1s but Who Can Afford Them? Part 2

This week’s GLP-1 news had us thinking about access. Oral Wegovy launched in Germany, and Hims & Hers expanded its GLP-1 services into Australia. But in the U.S., PepsiCo announced it would cut obesity medication coverage while 600,000 people signed up for the new Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program. That is less than 1% of all Medicare beneficiaries, although we still do not know how many were approved or received medication.
Four years after Mounjaro launched, are GLP-1s becoming easier to find but harder to get covered? It felt like the right time to revisit this Season 4 conversation with Dr. Michael “Mick” Crotty and Belinda Hogan about GLP-1 access, obesity care and weight bias around the world.
In Part 2, we discuss:
• Managing daily life and side effects on GLP-1 medication
• Why weight loss slows and plateaus happen
• How the body’s set point may affect weight
• What GLP-1 maintenance really means
• Balancing continued weight loss with stabilization
• Adjusting treatment for long-term care
• What Ireland could learn from the U.S. rollout of GLP-1 medications
Dr. Crotty is a GP, co-founder and clinical lead of My Best Weight in Ireland. Belinda shares her lived experience navigating GLP-1 side effects, plateaus, maintenance and long-term treatment.
CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS
Dr. Michael “Mick” Crotty
My Best Weight
https://www.mybestweight.ie/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mybestweight.ie/
LinkedIn
https://ie.linkedin.com/in/drmichaelcrotty
Belinda Hogan
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mid.life.insights/
The Dose with Paddy and Belinda
https://linktr.ee/TheDosePodcast
SOURCES
Oral Wegovy launches in Germany
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/novo-nordisk-launches-wegovy-weight-loss-pill-germany-2026-09-01/
Hims & Hers expands its GLP-1 services into Australia
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/hims-hers-offers-glp-1-weight-loss-drugs-mens-health-treatments-australia-2026-08-31/
600,000 people sign up for the Medicare obesity drug program
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/600000-seniors-have-signed-up-obesity-drugs-under-new-medicare-program-2026-08-31/
Employer GLP-1 coverage fell in 2026
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/more-us-employers-drop-weight-loss-drugs-2027-healthcare-costs-increase-2026-08-25/
PepsiCo and other employers cut GLP-1 coverage
https://abcnews.com/Health/companies-offering-coverage-glp-1-weight-loss-drugs/story?id=135999790
Medicare enrollment data
https://data.cms.gov/summary-statistics-on-beneficiary-enrollment/medicare-and-medicaid-reports/medicare-monthly-enrollment

Send us Fan Mail!
Support the show
Kim Carlos, Executive Producer 
TikTok
Instagram 
Kat Carter,  Producer 
TikTok
Instagram

I have exciting news! 
After 3 years of this podcast, interviewing obesity medicine experts and hearing from tens of thousands of you, I kept seeing the same gap between getting the prescription and the support we need to actually get to whatever our goal is. 
So my friend, fellow obesity care advocate and now partner, Amanda Bonello and I decided to do something about it.
We built the Cozy Butter GLP-1 Community. 
It’s a place for live support, expert Q&As, health coaches, cooking classes, tools and resources built from cited sources, and most importantly, real connection with people who understand this journey.
You can join us for free right now at CozyButter.com.
Amanda and I built this for you because we believe you deserve better. And you shouldn’t have to figure this out alone.
Welcome to The Butter Way. 🧈 
Send us Fan Mail!
Support the show
Kim Carlos, Executive Producer 
TikTok
Instagram 
Kat Carter,  Producer 
TikTok
Instagram

Linktree - our favorite links

NEW: Cozy Butter GLP-1 Community! Join Free
https://cozybutter.com/
A GLP-1 community where support isn’t at the mercy of the algorithm.
- Live GLP-1 support groups
- Live support groups and social events
- Health coaching and expert Q&As
- Cooking, movement, and stress-management classes
- Practical GLP-1 tools and guidance (water, protein, side effect management, etc.)
- A dedicated community beyond the algorithm

Book at 1 on 1 with Kim

______________________________________________________________________

The World Has More GLP-1s but Who Can Afford Them? Part 1

This week’s GLP-1 news had us thinking about access. Oral Wegovy launched in Germany, and Hims & Hers expanded its GLP-1 services into Australia. But in the U.S., PepsiCo announced it would cut obesity medication coverage while 600,000 people signed up for the new Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program. That is less than 1% of all Medicare beneficiaries, although we still do not know how many were approved or received medication.

Four years after Mounjaro launched, are GLP-1s becoming easier to find but harder to get covered? It felt like the right time to revisit this Season 4 conversation with Dr. Michael “Mick” Crotty and Belinda Hogan about GLP-1 access, obesity care and weight bias around the world.

In Part 1, we discuss:
• How fat functions in the body and why it is considered an organ
• GLP-1 access, costs and treatment criteria in Ireland
• Which obesity medications were available in Ireland
• Differences between obesity care in Ireland and the United States
• Weight bias in healthcare and society
• Why obesity requires medical care, not more blame

Dr. Crotty is a GP, co-founder and clinical lead of My Best Weight in Ireland. Belinda shares her lived experience using GLP-1 medication and navigating obesity care.

CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS

Dr. Michael “Mick” Crotty
My Best Weight
https://www.mybestweight.ie/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mybestweight.ie/
LinkedIn
https://ie.linkedin.com/in/drmichaelcrotty

Belinda Hogan
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mid.life.insights/
The Dose with Paddy and Belinda
https://linktr.ee/TheDosePodcast

SOURCES
Oral Wegovy launches in Germany
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/novo-nordisk-launches-wegovy-weight-loss-pill-germany-2026-09-01/
Hims & Hers expands its GLP-1 services into Australia
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/hims-hers-offers-glp-1-weight-loss-drugs-mens-health-treatments-australia-2026-08-31/
600,000 people sign up for the Medicare obesity drug program
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/600000-seniors-have-signed-up-obesity-drugs-under-new-medicare-program-2026-08-31/
Employer GLP-1 coverage fell in 2026
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/more-us-employers-drop-weight-loss-drugs-2027-healthcare-costs-increase-2026-08-25/
PepsiCo and other employers cut GLP-1 coverage
https://abcnews.com/Health/companies-offering-coverage-glp-1-weight-loss-drugs/story?id=135999790
Medicare enrollment data
https://data.cms.gov/summary-statistics-on-beneficiary-enrollment/medicare-and-medicaid-reports/medicare-monthly-enrollment

______________________________________________________________________

Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0HUIGKl3BN4Vg6LYI-dkOA/join

_________________________________________________________________________
#Mounjaro #MounjaroJourney #Ozempic #Semaglutide #tirzepatide  #GLP1 #Obesity #zepbound #wegovy
Send us Fan Mail!
The Podcast Promo Ad
Support the show
Kim Carlos, Executive Producer 
TikTok
Instagram 
Kat Carter,  Producer 
TikTok
Instagram

Linktree for Community Resources
https://linktr.ee/theplussidez

Join our free GLP-1 Community!
www.CozyButter.com 
Book a 1 on 1 Session with Kim - Code PLUS10 to save
https://calendly.com/theplussidez/kim
______________________________________________________________________
GLP-1 vs. Big Food: Is the Food Industry Trying to Outsmart the Medications?

What role has the food industry played in obesity, and how are GLP-1 medications changing what companies put on grocery store shelves?

Food scientist Liam Kincaid joins Kim and Bear to take us inside the science and psychology of food. They explore what makes certain foods easy to overeat, why novelty keeps us coming back, and whether sugar, preservatives, or any single ingredient deserves the blame.

Liam also explains why the grams of protein on a label do not tell the whole story, how to identify higher-quality protein sources, and why adding protein does not automatically make something “GLP-1 friendly.”

Plus, they discuss how GLP-1s can change cravings and food preferences, whether the food industry is trying to work around the medications’ effects, and why fiber, savory flavors, and entirely new products may shape the future of food.

This is an honest conversation about food, biology, access, and why people living with obesity deserve better than blame or another shiny label.

Follow Liam:

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-kincaid-ba498022a

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP87VgedS/

APOTHIKS Food Consulting https://www.apothiks.com 
_____________________________

Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0HUIGKl3BN4Vg6LYI-dkOA/join

_________________________________________________________________________
#Mounjaro #MounjaroJourney #Ozempic #Semaglutide #tirzepatide  #GLP1 #Obesity #zepbound #wegovy
Send us Fan Mail!
The Podcast Promo Ad
Support the show
Kim Carlos, Executive Producer 
TikTok
Instagram 
Kat Carter,  Producer 
TikTok
Instagram