carl_compliance said:

A defensible baseline is short: HbA1c and fasting glucose, a lipid panel with ApoB if you can get it, ALT and AST, creatinine with eGFR, TSH, ferritin…

This answered a question I did not know how to ask. Printing the relevant bit and taking it with me.

Adding the clinical framing, because it changes how the question reads.

PSA: get baseline labs BEFORE starting baseline bloodwork therapy. You need a "before" picture to measure progress. My recommended pre-treatment panel:

1. CMP + A1C + fasting insulin
2. Complete lipid panel with particle count if possible
3. hsCRP, ferritin, B12, vitamin D
4. Thyroid panel (TSH + free T4)
5. CBC with differential
6. Liver panel (ALT, AST, GGT)
7. DEXA scan or body composition

Total cost at Quest without insurance: ~$200. Worth every penny for the data.

andrew_nyc said:

The liver data is among the strongest non-weight findings in the class.

Shot day Wednesday report relevant to baseline bloodwork:

Week 25. Currently on 2.4mg. Down 21 lbs from starting weight of 233 lbs.

This week's observations: Mild fatigue day 1-2 post-injection, then fine.

Labs due next week — looking forward to seeing the metabolic panel. I'll post results in the Lab Results section when they come in.

tammy_FL said:

The single most useful discipline is bringing the whole panel to a clinician rather than one flagged value.

Blood work came back perfect. baseline bloodwork + this community = winning. 🏆

Moderator note: leaving this open. It is being argued well and the disagreement is the useful part. No action needed from anybody.