Full biomarker guide
This weight loss blood test panel checks glucose control, insulin signals, lipids, thyroid, liver, kidney, inflammation, and key nutrients in one draw.
This is a lab panel, meaning you get multiple blood tests in one order and one blood draw. It is designed for the real-world situations where the scale and your effort do not match: a weight-loss plateau, a new diet approach (low carb, higher carb, fasting, elimination diets), or weight-loss medications that change appetite and metabolism.
Instead of guessing whether the issue is glucose control, insulin signaling, thyroid function, lipids, inflammation, organ stress, or a nutrient gap, this panel helps you see patterns across those systems so you can make safer, more targeted next steps with your clinician.
Do I need this panel?
You may benefit from the Vitals Vault Weight Loss Panel if your weight has stalled for weeks despite consistent habits, or if your body composition, energy, hunger, or cravings changed after a new diet strategy. Plateaus are common, but they are not all the same—some are driven by insulin resistance, some by under-fueling or stress physiology, and some by medication effects or nutrient shortfalls.
This panel is also useful if you are seeing a “scale versus labs mismatch,” such as improved weight but worsening cholesterol numbers on a low-carb plan, or stable weight with rising glucose markers. It can help you check whether changes are expected adaptations (for example, triglycerides improving while LDL-C rises) versus signals that deserve a different plan.
Consider testing if you are using GLP-1 medications (or other appetite/weight-loss therapies) and want objective monitoring for cardiometabolic risk, liver and kidney tolerance, and nutrition status. Rapid appetite reduction can unintentionally reduce protein, iron, or B vitamins, and lab trends can catch that early.
This panel supports clinician-directed care by giving you a broader set of measurements to interpret together. It does not diagnose a single cause of weight change on its own, but it can make your next conversation and next step much more specific.
Results and reference ranges can vary by lab and method; your best interpretation comes from looking at trends over time and the full pattern across the panel rather than one isolated value.
Lab testing
Order labs to measure Comprehensive Weight Loss Panel
from $298.49 at Quest Diagnostics
About 1 week
Schedule online — results typically within a week
Clear next steps
Guidance included, with follow-up care available
HSA / FSA
Eligible for pre-tax health spending accounts
Get tested with Vitals Vault
Vitals Vault lets you order this weight loss lab panel directly and use your results to guide a practical plan—whether you are experimenting with macros, troubleshooting a plateau, or monitoring medication effects. Because this is a panel, you get multiple related markers in one draw, which makes it easier to see what is driving the story.
After your results post, you can use PocketMD to ask questions like “Which results explain my hunger and energy?” or “Do my lipid changes look like a low-carb pattern or a higher-risk pattern?” You can also map out what to repeat and when, so you are not stuck reacting to single numbers.
If your results suggest you need a wider workup (for example, more advanced cardiometabolic risk, deeper thyroid evaluation, or broader micronutrients), you can expand testing with a larger metabolic panel on Vitals Vault rather than ordering scattered tests without a plan.
- One order, one blood draw for multiple weight-loss-relevant markers
- Designed for pattern-based interpretation (glucose + insulin + lipids + thyroid + organ function)
- Useful for trending results over time during diet changes or medication use
- PocketMD support for plain-language interpretation and next-step questions
Key benefits of the Vitals Vault Weight Loss Panel
- Shows whether a weight-loss plateau aligns more with insulin resistance, under-fueling, inflammation, or thyroid pattern changes.
- Tracks glucose control with both short-term and longer-term markers so you can see if your plan is working beyond the scale.
- Adds insulin and related signals to help distinguish “normal glucose” from hidden hyperinsulinemia patterns.
- Monitors lipid shifts that commonly happen with low-carb, higher-fat, or rapid weight loss, including risk-relevant ratios and particle-related markers.
- Checks liver and kidney markers to support safe use of higher-protein diets, supplements, and weight-loss medications.
- Screens for common nutrient gaps that can worsen fatigue, hair shedding, or training recovery during calorie restriction.
- Creates a baseline you can repeat to measure trendlines after a diet change, training block, or medication dose adjustment.
What is the Vitals Vault Weight Loss Panel?
The Vitals Vault Weight Loss Panel is a bundled set of blood tests that looks at several body systems that influence weight regulation and metabolic health. Weight change is not controlled by one hormone or one “fat-burning” marker; it is the outcome of energy intake, appetite signaling, insulin dynamics, thyroid signaling, stress and inflammation, sleep, activity, and how your liver and muscles handle fuel.
This panel is built to answer practical questions you can act on:
• Are your glucose and insulin markers improving, stable, or worsening with your current approach? • Are your lipid changes consistent with your diet pattern, and do they suggest higher or lower cardiovascular risk? • Are your thyroid markers in a pattern that could contribute to fatigue, cold intolerance, constipation, or slowed progress? • Are your liver and kidney markers stable while you are changing diet, protein intake, supplements, or medications? • Are you developing nutrient gaps that can sabotage adherence and recovery?
Because these markers interact, the most useful interpretation is pattern-based. For example, a normal A1c with elevated fasting insulin suggests a different strategy than a high A1c with low insulin. Likewise, rising LDL-C with falling triglycerides and rising HDL-C can look different than rising LDL-C with high triglycerides and inflammation.
If you are using GLP-1 medications, the panel can help you monitor safety and effectiveness: glucose control often improves quickly, but nutrition and lipid patterns can move in different directions depending on intake, weight-loss rate, and baseline risk.
What do my panel results mean?
“Low” patterns across the panel
In a weight-loss panel, “low” often matters most for nutrients and thyroid-related signals rather than for a single metabolic marker. Low ferritin (iron stores), low vitamin B12, or low folate can contribute to fatigue, reduced exercise tolerance, and hair shedding—issues that make consistency harder. A low-normal thyroid pattern (for example, lower free T4 with a higher TSH trend) can align with symptoms like cold intolerance, constipation, or slowed progress, especially if it is new compared with your baseline. Low triglycerides can be a healthy sign in many people, but if paired with very low glucose, low insulin, and symptoms like dizziness or poor recovery, it may reflect under-fueling or overly aggressive restriction. The key is whether “low” results cluster with symptoms and whether they are a change from your usual trend.
Optimal patterns across the panel
An “optimal” panel pattern usually looks like stable glucose control (A1c and fasting glucose in a healthy range), insulin markers that are not elevated for your glucose level, and lipids that show lower triglycerides with healthy HDL-C and no concerning risk signals. Liver enzymes and kidney markers are steady, suggesting your current diet, supplements, and medications are well tolerated. Thyroid markers are consistent with your baseline and symptoms are improving or stable. Nutrient markers (iron stores and B vitamins) are adequate, supporting energy, training recovery, and adherence. When multiple categories look good at the same time, it is easier to focus on behavior levers—protein adequacy, resistance training, sleep, and sustainable calorie targets—rather than chasing a hidden medical driver.
“High” patterns across the panel
High results can point to different bottlenecks depending on which markers rise together. Elevated fasting glucose and A1c suggest impaired glucose control, and if fasting insulin is also high, that pattern often fits insulin resistance. Lipid changes require context: LDL-C or ApoB rising during low-carb dieting can occur, but the risk picture is different if triglycerides are also high, HDL-C is low, or inflammation markers are elevated. Higher liver enzymes (ALT/AST) can suggest liver stress or fatty liver patterns, especially when paired with insulin resistance markers, while kidney markers may need attention if you are dehydrated, using creatine, increasing protein, or taking certain medications. High TSH (with low or low-normal free T4) can align with hypothyroid patterns that affect energy and weight regulation. A single high value is rarely the whole story; the cluster and the trend over time matter most.
Factors that influence weight-loss panel results
Your results can shift based on timing, diet phase, training, and medications. Recent illness, poor sleep, heavy training, alcohol, and dehydration can temporarily affect glucose, inflammation, kidney markers, and liver enzymes. Low-carb or ketogenic diets often lower triglycerides and raise HDL-C, but in some people LDL-C and ApoB can rise substantially; rapid weight loss can also transiently change lipids. GLP-1 medications can improve glucose markers quickly, but reduced intake may lower iron or B vitamins if protein and micronutrients are not planned. Thyroid markers can be influenced by calorie restriction, iodine intake, certain supplements (including biotin), and changes in body weight. The most reliable way to use this panel is to compare results to your baseline, note what changed in the weeks before the draw, and retest after a consistent period if you are making a targeted adjustment.
What’s included in this panel
- Absolute Band Neutrophils
- Absolute Basophils
- Absolute Blasts
- Absolute Eosinophils
- Absolute Lymphocytes
- Absolute Metamyelocytes
- Absolute Monocytes
- Absolute Myelocytes
- Absolute Neutrophils
- Absolute Nucleated Rbc
- Absolute Plasma Cells
- Absolute Prolymphocytes
- Absolute Promyelocytes
- Absolute Reactive Lymphocytes
- Albumin
- Albumin/Globulin Ratio
- Alkaline Phosphatase
- Alt
- Ast
- Band Neutrophils
- Basophils
- Bilirubin, Direct
- Bilirubin, Total
- Blasts
- Bun/Creatinine Ratio
- C-Reactive Protein
- Calcium
- Carbon Dioxide
- Chloride
- Chol/Hdlc Ratio
- Cholesterol, Total
- Cortisol, Total
- Creatinine
- Dhea Sulfate
- Egfr
- Eosinophils
- Estradiol
- Ferritin
- Ggt
- Globulin
- Glucose
- Hdl Cholesterol
- Hematocrit
- Hemoglobin
- Hemoglobin A1C
- Homocysteine
- Insulin
- Iodine, Serum/Plasma
- Ld
- Ldl-Cholesterol
- Ldl/Hdl Ratio
- Lymphocytes
- Magnesium
- Mch
- Mchc
- Mcv
- Metamyelocytes
- Monocytes
- Mpv
- Myelocytes
- Neutrophils
- Non Hdl Cholesterol
- Nucleated Rbc
- Phosphate (As Phosphorus)
- Plasma Cells
- Platelet Count
- Potassium
- Progesterone
- Prolymphocytes
- Promyelocytes
- Protein, Total
- Rdw
- Reactive Lymphocytes
- Red Blood Cell Count
- Sodium
- T3 Uptake
- T3, Free
- T4, Free
- Testosterone, Free
- Testosterone, Total, Ms
- Triglycerides
- Tsh
- Urea Nitrogen (Bun)
- Vitamin D, 25-Oh, D2
- Vitamin D, 25-Oh, D3
- Vitamin D, 25-Oh, Total
- White Blood Cell Count
Similar tests and panels to consider
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to fast for the Vitals Vault Weight Loss Panel?
Fasting is usually recommended because the panel includes fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and triglycerides, which are easier to interpret when you have not eaten. A common approach is 8–12 hours of fasting with water allowed. If you cannot fast, you can still test, but you should interpret glucose, insulin, and triglycerides with extra caution and note the timing and content of your last meal.
How should I interpret this panel if I’m on a low-carb or ketogenic diet?
Low-carb eating often lowers triglycerides and raises HDL-C, which can be favorable. Some people also see LDL-C and ApoB rise, sometimes substantially. The most useful approach is to interpret lipids alongside ApoB (a particle-based risk marker), inflammation (hs-CRP), and your glucose/insulin pattern, and to compare with your pre-diet baseline. If LDL-C/ApoB rise sharply, it is reasonable to discuss diet composition, fiber, saturated fat, and overall risk with your clinician.
Can this panel explain a weight-loss plateau?
It can help you narrow the likely drivers. A plateau with elevated fasting insulin and rising A1c suggests insulin resistance and may respond to changes in carbohydrate quality, total energy intake, resistance training, sleep, and sometimes medication support. A plateau with normal glucose/insulin but low ferritin or low B12 may be more about fatigue, recovery, and adherence. A plateau with thyroid pattern changes may warrant a thyroid-focused discussion. Not every plateau has a lab explanation, but labs can prevent you from guessing wrong.
What if my A1c is normal but my fasting insulin is high?
That pattern can suggest your body is producing more insulin than expected to keep glucose in range, which can be an early insulin resistance signal. It does not diagnose diabetes, but it can explain why fat loss feels harder and why hunger and energy swings happen. It is often a reason to focus on strength training, sleep, stress management, and a nutrition plan that improves insulin sensitivity, then retest to confirm the trend.
Is this panel useful if I’m taking a GLP-1 medication?
Yes. Many people use GLP-1s to improve appetite control and glucose regulation, and this panel can track those improvements while also monitoring lipids, liver and kidney markers, inflammation, and nutrient status. If appetite is very low, nutrient markers like ferritin, B12, and folate become more important to watch so you can maintain protein and micronutrient adequacy during weight loss.
How often should I repeat the Weight Loss Panel?
A common cadence is every 8–12 weeks when you are actively changing diet, training, or medication dose, and then less often once you are stable. Some markers (like A1c) reflect a longer time window, so repeating too soon may not show the full effect. Your best interval depends on what you are changing and which markers were out of range.
Should I order this panel or order individual tests separately?
A panel is usually more useful when you want to interpret results as a system: glucose plus insulin, lipids plus inflammation, thyroid plus symptoms, and organ function plus diet/medications. Ordering single tests can miss the context that changes what a result means. If you already know exactly what you need to monitor (for example, just A1c), individual tests can be reasonable, but most plateau and diet-transition questions benefit from a bundled view.
How does ordering Comprehensive Weight Loss Panel work?
Purchase online through Vitals Vault. A licensed clinician reviews and approves your order, then you receive a digital requisition for a Quest Diagnostics blood draw.
Where do I get my blood drawn?
Samples are collected in person at Quest Diagnostics locations nationwide. After checkout you can schedule your visit at a convenient site.
How long until I get results?
Most results are ready about a week after your draw. You can view them securely in your Vitals Vault account.
Do I need a doctor referral?
No separate referral appointment is required. Clinician review is included in the online order flow.
Are HSA and FSA accepted?
Yes. Eligible HSA/FSA cards can be used at checkout for qualifying lab orders.
Are my results private?
Results are available in your secure Vitals Vault account. You control who you share them with, subject to applicable law.
What is the difference between blood glucose and A1c?
Blood glucose shows the amount of sugar in your blood at a single moment. A1c (hemoglobin A1c) estimates your average blood sugar over roughly the past 8–12 weeks. Comparing them helps explain whether your long-term average lines up with your fasting glucose on draw day.
What does Comprehensive Weight Loss Panel help me understand?
It helps you understand how this marker fits into your broader metabolic picture, with results tracked in your Vitals Vault account.
What can I do if my A1c or glucose results are elevated?
Elevated values can signal higher metabolic risk. Many people start with nutrition, activity, sleep, and weight management, then retest and review results with a clinician. This test is educational and does not replace medical advice or diagnosis.
How accurate is this testing?
Your sample is processed at CLIA-certified Quest Diagnostics laboratories. Results should still be interpreted with a qualified clinician alongside your history, symptoms, and other labs.
Why is there an age minimum for ordering?
Consumer-initiated testing through Vitals Vault is limited to adults 18+ so ordering and interpretation stay aligned with clinical best practices for this channel.
