GLP-1 Support
On a GLP-1?
Measure what the scale can’t show.
See what is actually changing while you are on the medication — fat mass, lean mass, body-water trends and measured resting metabolism, with an integrated clinician review.
Book the $195 Comprehensive Assessment →
Only need body-composition tracking? Book an InBody 580 scan — $45 →
✓ Open to the public · ✓ No referral required · ✓ HSA/FSA funds accepted—many patients use them for most or all of their care
Weight loss on a GLP-1–based medication can include changes in fat mass, lean mass and body water; the scale cannot separate those trends. Repeat InBody scans estimate body-composition changes under consistent conditions. The Comprehensive Metabolic Assessment adds measured resting energy expenditure and resting RQ, plus an integrated clinician review. These services do not manage the medication, guarantee lean-mass preservation or determine one permanent calorie target. Prescribing, dose changes, side-effect evaluation and stopping or switching remain with your prescribing clinician.
Two ways to measure—pick your starting point.
For simple repeat monitoring, start with the InBody scan. For a broader baseline that adds measured resting metabolism and a clinician review, choose the CMA.
TRACK BODY COMPOSITION
InBody Scan
$45
- InBody 580 body-composition scan
- Estimated fat-mass, lean-mass and body-water trends
- Blood pressure, grip strength and height
- ~10-minute visit · self-service
- Results through the InBody Touch app
- No standalone clinician interpretation · no designed clinical report
Planning to monitor over time? Four scans are $149.
BROADER METABOLIC BASELINE
Comprehensive Metabolic Assessment
$195
- InBody 580 body composition
- Measured resting metabolic rate (RMR) and resting RQ
- Blood pressure, grip strength and height
- Integrated clinician interpretation
- 40-minute visit · 2–3-page report
Not every GLP-1 patient needs the CMA—choose it when a broader metabolic baseline is useful.
Who does what.
Your prescribing clinician owns the medication: prescribing, choosing the drug, dose changes, evaluating side effects, and deciding when to stop or switch.
Twin Cities Metabolism does not manage the prescription. We measure body composition and resting metabolism, track trends, support nutrition and activity where appropriate, and provide results you can share with your prescriber.
What can be measured—and what it can’t
InBody estimates and trends body-composition compartments through bioimpedance—estimated fat-mass, lean-mass and body-water trends, read best across repeat scans under consistent conditions. Measured results are kept separate from your reported intake, symptoms and activity, and from clinician interpretation.
| Clinical question | Measurement / data source | What it may show | What it cannot prove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is weight loss fat, lean or fluid? | InBody 580 (bioimpedance) | Estimated fat-mass, lean-mass and body-water trends over time | That any change is purely muscle, or what caused it |
| Fat-mass trend | InBody body-fat-mass estimate, trended across repeat scans | Estimated fat-mass direction under consistent conditions | An exact gram-level value at a single reading |
| Lean / skeletal-muscle trend | InBody lean-mass estimate | Estimated lean-mass direction over repeat scans | That lean change equals muscle loss, or its cause |
| Is lean mass distributed evenly across the body? | InBody Segmental Lean Analysis | Left-to-right and upper-to-lower lean-mass distribution across the arms, legs and trunk | A postural, orthopedic or functional diagnosis |
| Body-water distribution | InBody ECW/TBW | Inflammation-related fluid-balance patterns | Direct inflammatory chemistry or a diagnosis |
| Visceral-fat trend | InBody visceral-fat estimate | Estimated visceral-fat direction over time | A clinical cardiometabolic diagnosis |
| Cellular-health indicator | InBody phase angle | An indirect indicator of cellular health | A direct measure of cell or tissue health |
| Functional strength baseline | Grip strength | A functional baseline to trend | A diagnosis of sarcopenia |
| Resting energy expenditure | Measured RMR (Breezing Med, CMA) | Current resting energy expenditure vs the predicted range | A permanent or universal calorie target |
| Fuel mix at rest | Resting RQ (CMA) | An estimate of carbohydrate-and-fat fuel mix at rest | Metabolic flexibility from one reading |
A few things we volunteer up front: hydration can affect bioimpedance results, so scans are most useful when conditions are consistent; phase angle is an indirect indicator of cellular health; ECW/TBW reflects inflammation-related fluid balance, not direct inflammatory chemistry; a measured RMR reflects your current resting rate, and one resting RQ does not establish metabolic flexibility. No single test guarantees lean-mass preservation or determines one permanent calorie target.
Body-composition substudies found that both fat mass and lean mass changed during GLP-1–associated weight loss. The average proportions differed by study and do not predict your result—which is why repeat measurement is more useful than assuming. Results can inform nutrition and resistance-training support.
Measure at each stage
Your prescriber makes the medication decisions. We measure and support at whatever stage you are in.
Considering or starting with a prescriber
A baseline InBody scan—or the CMA for measured resting metabolism—gives you a starting point to trend against once a prescriber-guided plan begins.
While using the medication
Repeat scans under consistent conditions show estimated fat-mass, lean-mass and body-water trends over time, so you and your prescriber can see what the scale alone can’t.
After a prescriber-guided dose change or discontinuation
Re-measuring shows where body composition and resting metabolism stand after your prescriber changes the dose or guides discontinuation—useful context to share at your next visit.
Safety & when to contact your prescriber
These measurement services do not manage your medication. Contact your prescribing clinician—or seek urgent medical care—for medication-related concerns, including:
- Severe or persistent abdominal pain, especially with vomiting
- Right-upper abdominal pain, fever or jaundice
- Persistent vomiting or diarrhea, inability to keep fluids down, or dehydration
- Low-blood-sugar symptoms, especially when insulin or a sulfonylurea is also used
- Serious allergic-reaction symptoms
- New or worsening vision changes in patients with diabetes or diabetic retinopathy
- A neck mass, persistent hoarseness or trouble swallowing
- Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2 that has not been discussed with the prescriber
Tell your surgical, procedural or anesthesia team that you use a GLP-1–based medication.
Prescribing, dose changes, side-effect evaluation and stopping or switching are decisions for your prescribing clinician. If symptoms are severe or you are unsure, seek medical care or call 911.
Frequently asked
Does the InBody scan measure muscle loss?
No. The InBody estimates and trends body-composition compartments – fat mass, lean mass and body water – through bioimpedance. It shows estimated trends across repeat scans under consistent conditions; it does not prove that any change is muscle or what caused it.
Do I need the CMA, or is the InBody enough?
For simple repeat monitoring, the $45 InBody scan is often enough. The $195 Comprehensive Metabolic Assessment adds measured resting metabolism (RMR and resting RQ) and an integrated clinician review. Not every GLP-1 patient needs the CMA.
Can Twin Cities Metabolism adjust my GLP-1 dose or manage side effects?
No. Prescribing, dose changes, side-effect evaluation and stopping or switching stay with your prescribing clinician. We measure, track trends, support nutrition and activity where appropriate, and give you results to share with your prescriber.
How often should I scan?
Under consistent conditions, repeat scans make trends easier to read. Four scans are $149.
Is the testing in person?
The InBody scan and CMA are in-clinic in Roseville, MN. Nutrition and activity support can be provided remotely where appropriate.
What you leave with
The scale tells you that weight changed, not what changed. An InBody scan provides a body-composition baseline; repeated scans under similar conditions can show estimated trends. Measured RMR adds a separate resting-energy baseline when useful. Neither proves exactly which tissue changed. Dr Jared reads those trends alongside your eating, training and medication context, then says what looks worth attention now, what can wait, and what stays uncertain. You leave with that in writing and one clear next step to take back to whoever prescribes your medication.
Measure what the scale can’t show.
Start with the $195 Comprehensive Metabolic Assessment for a measured baseline — body composition, resting metabolic rate and a clinician review.
Book the $195 Comprehensive Assessment →
Not sure where to start? Take the free 90-second quiz. If thyroid, hormone, glucose, GI, fatigue or broader concerns make the choice unclear, the quiz will point you to the right starting place.
Reviewed by Dr. Jared Larsen, LN, CNS, DC, MS.