Twelve weeks ago, I started this series because I wanted to have a more honest conversation about GLP-1s. Not to convince everyone to use them or tell everyone to avoid them, but to talk about what I believe people should understand before and while using them.

So if I could leave you with one recommendation after 12 weeks, it would be this:

Proceed with caution, and ask the right questions.

Choose your provider carefully. Ask what you’re actually taking and where it comes from. Ask about side effects. Ask how your dosage will be determined. Ask about protecting muscle and getting enough protein. Ask about strength training. Ask what healthy weight loss should look like for you. And most importantly, ask what the plan is when you reach your goal.

A GLP-1 can quiet your appetite. It can help you eat less. It can help the scale move in a direction that maybe you haven’t been able to achieve in years. For some people, that can create tremendous momentum.

But it can’t lift the weights for you. It can’t choose your food. It can’t teach you discipline. It can’t change your relationship with eating. It can’t build muscle, create new routines, or change your mindset for you.

That’s your part.

If you’re using a GLP-1, I believe you have an incredible window of opportunity. Use it. Learn how to eat differently. Prioritize protein and whole foods. Strength train. Move your body. Pay attention to what you’re losing—not just how much. Build habits now that don’t require an injection to maintain later.

Because losing the weight was never supposed to be the entire goal. Changing your life was.

Maybe your journey eventually includes coming off the medication. Maybe your medical provider believes longer-term treatment is appropriate for you. That’s an individual medical decision. Either way, don’t let the medication become the only thing responsible for your success.

Twelve volumes later, I’ll leave you with this:

The shot may help you lose the weight. What you build while you’re using it may determine whether you ever have to lose it again.

(This is Volume 12 and the final installment of “Confessions of a GLP-1 Dealer,” a 12-week series sharing what I’ve learned from working with people using GLP-1 medications—and what I believe matters beyond the injection.)