Thrive Medical Weight Loss, located in Pico Rivera, California, is a medically supervised weight control clinic that offers safe and personalized weight-loss solutions, including prescription GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound, vitamin injections, and supplements designed to support clients’ health and wellness goals. With over a decade of experience and a team of licensed practitioners, they’ve guided thousands of men and women through tailored treatment plans, leveraging tools like the InBody body composition scale for more precise progress tracking. To ensure accessibility across California, Thrive also offers convenient telemedicine options, allowing patients to connect with experienced medical professionals from home for personalized planning, medication management, and continuous support.Sydney Skinner is the PA-C at Thrive Medical Weight Loss. She has over 30 years of experience in the Medical Weight Loss, Nutrition, and Integrative Medicine spaces. After testing on the InBody for the first time, Sydney was so impressed with the accuracy, precision, and reliability of the results that she immediately implemented the device into her GLP-1 weight loss programming. Routine InBody scans establish a baseline for Sydney’s patients and help track vital metrics like body fat percentage, visceral fat, and muscle to ensure safe, sustainable long-term fat loss without sacrificing essential muscle.

Unlocking Safe & Sustainable Weight Loss on GLP-1s

Social media is flooded with warnings about muscle loss on GLP‑1 medication, spreading fear and confusion. Thrive Medical Weight Loss in Pico Rivera, California, created a model of care that combines GLP‑1s with InBody clinical-grade body composition analysis. This approach ensures patients safely lose fat — not muscle — while protecting metabolism and reducing long-term health risks.Sydney Skinner, PA-C at Thrive, reflects on how critical advanced body composition analysis is to responsibly prescribing GLP-1s to patients seeking sustainable weight loss:

"InBody gives the patients confidence knowing that we're using these medications responsibly. There's a lot of information on social media and the news about this muscle loss, and it's a big concern. That's why I feel so strongly that if you're prescribing these medications, you have to have body composition, and InBody has given our patients reliable results time after time."

Unlike programs that simply focus on the number on the scale, Thrive leverages science-backed health data, patient education, and accountability to prevent muscle loss, which is a common and dangerous side effect of rapid weight loss. Their system has proven successful for anyone seeking sustainable results rather than temporary fixes.

The Problem: Weight Loss Without Context

Historically, weight loss has been measured by a single metric: the arbitrary number that displays on the scale. If the number goes down, the assumption is progress. But in reality, weight alone doesn’t reveal what’s being lost — fat, muscle, or water.This matters because losing muscle:

• Reduces metabolic rate, making it harder to maintain weight loss

• Increases frailty, especially in older adults

• Raises the risk of chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis

The introduction of GLP‑1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide and tirzepatide) has amplified this concern. These medications are highly effective for weight loss, but their appetite-suppressing effect often leads to lower protein intake, which accelerates lean mass loss.

The Rise of GLP‑1 Medications

GLP‑1 receptor agonists were initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes but quickly gained attention for their weight-loss benefits. By mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1, these drugs:

• Slow gastric emptying

• Reduce hunger signals to the brain

• Improve insulin sensitivity

The result? Many patients would lose 15–20% of their body weight in a year. For those with obesity or metabolic syndrome, these medications are life-changing.But there’s a hidden danger. Studies show that up to 40% of weight lost can come from lean mass if no countermeasures are in place. Losing muscle compromises metabolic health and elevates the risk of weight regain post-medication.

The Solution: Marrying Medication with InBody Monitoring

Thrive Medical Weight Loss recognized early that success with GLP‑1s requires more than writing prescriptions. Sydney Skinner explains:

“I feel very strongly that if you're prescribing medications for weight loss, especially if you're using a GLP, you must have their body composition. It's irresponsible, in my opinion, to prescribe these medications and allow people to lose a lot of weight. They're losing that valuable muscle, which, over time, is going to be detrimental to their health, so it's really important to have their body composition.”

This philosophy shaped Thrive’s comprehensive GLP‑1 program, where InBody’s clinical-grade body composition analysis is a core metric of patient success. Sydney reflects on how she leverages this transformative technology to keep her patients on track for sustainable weight loss:

“I can monitor them and make sure they're not losing too much weight. The right combination of exercise, protein, and monitoring them closely during their weight loss is very key — and the InBody is just essential.”

The Thrive Approach: A Framework for Sustainable Results

Thrive uses a five-step approach that pairs the power of GLP‑1 medications with data-driven insights delivered via routine InBody scans and patient education.

Step 1: Baseline Assessment

Every new patient kicks off their program with a complete health evaluation that includes an InBody scan to establish their baseline. Unlike bathroom scales or BMI charts, InBody provides detailed insight into:

• Skeletal Muscle Mass

• Percent Body Fat

• Visceral Fat Level

• Body Water

• Basal Metabolic Rate

• Segmental Lean Analysis

This first step changes the conversation immediately, according to Sydney:

“The first thing I like to do is to have my patients jump on the InBody, so we can assess their body composition — how much muscle they have, their percent body fat, visceral fat amount, etc. It's a good conversation starter, because sometimes patients don’t know what visceral fat is, and I have to educate them about what it is and how unhealthy it is. And they have an a-ha moment and say something like ‘no one has ever told me that!’ So it gives me a fantastic opportunity to educate patients.”

The baseline that InBody delivers gives patients clarity and motivation. Patients learn why preserving muscle matters, why visceral fat is dangerous, and why the goal isn’t just weight loss — it’s fat loss with muscle retention.

Step 2: GLP‑1 Medication Onboarding

Thrive prescribes GLP‑1 medications responsibly, starting with low doses and titrating slowly to minimize side effects. Patients receive counseling on hydration, electrolytes, and protein intake, which are critical to maintaining muscle while taking appetite-suppressing medication.

Step 3: Nutrition and Exercise Coaching

Because GLP‑1s reduce hunger, patients often under-eat — especially protein. Thrive combats this with structured strategies:

• Protein-first approach: Prioritize 100–120g of protein daily

• Resistance training: 2–3 sessions per week

• Movement goals: Walking, stretching, and low-impact cardio

• Meal planning support

The goal of this multi-tiered approach is to reteach healthier habits with a focus on a protein-rich diet to ensure patients preserve muscle mass during their GLP-1 program.

Step 4: Regular InBody Monitoring

Patients return every 2–4 weeks for follow-up InBody scans. These check-ins:

• Track muscle vs. fat loss via the Muscle-Fat Analysis metric

• Monitor visceral fat reduction via the Visceral Fat Level output

• Provide real-time feedback on progress shown via the Body Composition History chart and motivate patients to follow through 

*InBody 570 Result Sheet outputs shown; outputs may differ depending on model

 When patients see tangible improvements in body fat percentage, visceral fat, and muscle retention, it gives them the confidence and motivation needed to be successful in their weight loss program. 

Step 5: Data-Driven Adjustments

If the InBody scan reveals that a patient’s skeletal muscle mass declines, Thrive acts immediately by:

• Increasing protein targets

• Adding extra resistance workouts

• Adjusting medication titration if weight loss is too rapid

This proactive approach prevents the “skinny fat” outcome that plagues other weight loss programs. The skinny fat body type refers to a patient who appears slim but has a high body fat percentage with low muscle mass, leading to health risks despite looking “thin.”

Numbers Don’t Lie — They Lift Up 

Numbers don’t just guide treatment — they empower patients. Sydney expands on the transformative power tangible progress has on successful long-term patient outcomes:

“There's nothing more satisfying than seeing the little diametric going down. It is such a real victory for patients. I've had patients in tears because they're so happy that someone's taking their health seriously and cares enough to make the weight loss safe and sustainable. InBody gives patients the essential numbers they need to make sure they’re keeping the fat off but maintaining muscle in the long term.”

This elevated level of care that Sydney and the entire Thrive team provide builds trust — and keeps patients pushing through whatever plateaus and challenges they may encounter during their weight loss journeys. Read on below to see how one female patient enjoyed exceptional results after just nine months of following Thrive’s individualized GLP-1 weight loss program.

Yvonne’s Transformative Journey 

When Yvonne stepped foot into Thrive and had her initial consultation with Sydney, she carried with her a lot of apprehension and self-doubt. She had tried multiple weight loss programs with varying degrees of disappointing results, but had heard promising things about Thrive’s GLP-1 programming. Yvonne’s goals were to lose not just weight, but body fat while maintaining her muscle mass. Her initial InBody scan established an essential baseline that revealed where her body composition was at, where she wanted it to be, and the path to get there:

• Weight: 180.1 lbs

• Percent Body Fat: 46.9% 

• Skeletal Muscle: 52.7 lbs

After just nine months of Thrive’s integrated program, Yvonne was astounded by the tremendous progress made tangible by her routine InBody scan:

• Weight: 150.3 lbs (↓ 30 lbs)

• Percent Body Fat: 37.7% (↓ 9.2%)

• Muscle: 51.6 lbs (preserved)

In short, Yvonne was able to lose nearly 30 pounds of fat while maintaining the muscle mass she had at the beginning of her program. InBody’s class-leading body composition technology was able to validate that Yvonne’s weight loss was the result of safe, healthy fat loss without sacrificing essential skeletal muscle mass. And thanks to Thrive’s strategic integration of regular body composition tracking, this patient is on the right track for better long-term health.

InBody and Thrive Together Change Lives

Thrive Medical Weight Loss has redefined what safe, effective, and sustainable weight loss can look like in the GLP-1 era. By pairing InBody’s cutting-edge body composition technology with targeted nutrition, exercise, and ongoing patient education, they ensure that every pound lost is working for — not against — long-term health. Their commitment to protecting muscle, preserving metabolism, and empowering patients with real data doesn’t just improve numbers on a chart; it transforms lives. In an industry where quick fixes often overshadow lasting results, Thrive stands out as a model for how science, compassion, and accountability can work hand in hand to deliver outcomes that endure well beyond the final weigh-in.