Lifestyle and healthy habits

One of the strangest parts of starting a GLP-1 medication is this: your appetite drops dramatically, but your body still has the same nutritional needs.

Just because you don't feel hungry doesn't mean your body suddenly needs no fuel. Your muscles still need protein, your brain still needs energy, and your immune system still needs nutrients.

Weight loss works best when your body is in a steady calorie deficit, not when it's running on fumes. Eating far too little can actually backfire. It can lead to:

• Fatigue and headaches
• Muscle loss
• Stalled progress
• Hair thinning in some people

In other words, the goal isn't to eat as little as possible. It's to eat enough to support your body while the medication reduces appetite and cravings. Think of food as fuel that helps the medication work properly, not something you're trying to eliminate.

Nausea is one of the most common side effects when starting GLP-1 treatment. When you feel queasy, eating may be the last thing you want to do. But an empty stomach can actually make nausea worse.

Small, gentle foods are usually easier to tolerate. Examples include:

• Toast or crackers
• Plain rice or potatoes
• Bananas
• Yoghurt
• Soup or broth

You might recognise this pattern as similar to the BRAT approach (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast), which has long been used when the stomach feels unsettled. The goal isn't to be strict, but it's just foods that are easy to digest.

The most helpful strategy is often small amounts of food, eaten regularly, rather than trying to manage a large meal. When nausea is present, think of food less as a meal and more as a tool to help settle your stomach.

Sometimes eating something simple is exactly what helps the nausea pass.

Many people on GLP-1 medication find themselves asking the same question: "Should I force myself to eat if I'm not hungry?"

You don't need to force large meals or eat through discomfort. But long stretches of eating almost nothing isn't the goal either. Your body still needs regular fuel, even if hunger cues are quieter than before.

Instead of thinking in extremes (like forcing food or skipping meals), aim for something gentler:

• Small meals
• Simple foods
• Regular timing

Consistency matters far more than quantity. If your appetite is very low, even a small protein snack, yoghurt, soup or smoothie can help keep your energy stable. The aim is to nourish your body in ways it can tolerate, rather than pushing yourself to eat when you feel unwell.

Protein helps protect your muscle while you're losing weight, supports your metabolism, and keeps you feeling fuller and more energised throughout the day.

For most adults on a GLP-1 treatment, a reasonable target is around 1.4–1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For example, someone weighing 100kg may aim for roughly 140–160g of protein daily.

The challenge is that when appetite drops, eating enough protein can suddenly become harder. Smaller meals can easily end up mostly carbohydrates, with very little protein. A helpful approach is to build meals around protein first, then add everything else around it. Foods like eggs, Greek yoghurt, fish, chicken, tofu, lentils and cottage cheese are all good options.

If large meals feel difficult, try spreading protein across the day. Smaller portions eaten regularly often work better than trying to eat a lot at once. Think of protein as protective nutrition. While the medication reduces appetite and helps with weight loss, protein helps your body hold on to strength, muscle and energy.

Many people are surprised by how quickly they feel full on GLP-1 medication. You might stop halfway through a meal and think, that can't possibly be enough.

In many cases, that earlier sense of satisfaction is actually a sign the medication is working. GLP-1 treatments strengthen fullness signals and slow digestion, so your body recognises sooner when it's had enough.

That means "normal" portions often become smaller than they were before. What matters most isn't how big the meal looks, but what's in it. A smaller plate that includes protein, vegetables and some carbohydrates can still be a complete meal.

Feeling satisfied earlier isn't a sign you're doing something wrong. It usually means your appetite signals are working differently, and often more helpfully, than before treatment.

Strength training is especially important while taking GLP-1s to prevent muscle loss during weight loss. Aim for 2-3 sessions a week, focusing on major muscle groups. Examples of strength training are lifting weights, working with resistance bands or yoga. Including these in your routine is a good way to maintain muscle mass while losing fat.

Health guidelines also recommend that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week, but it is important to work up to this to avoid injury and prevent excess fatigue.

Examples of moderate intensity activities include:

• Taking the dog for a walk
• Riding a bike to run errands
• Dancing
• Hiking
• Playing tennis

Examples of vigorous activities include:

• Running
• Swimming
• Riding a bike fast or on hills
• Walking up the stairs
• Skipping
• Aerobics

We understand that starting or getting back into exercise can be challenging, especially if it has been a while. It's important to choose an activity that you enjoy - when you enjoy it, you're more likely to stick with it.

If you've been looking online for nutrition advice while taking GLP-1 medication, you might have noticed something kind of strange. One article tells you to eat three large meals a day. Another says to snack regularly. A third tells you to avoid certain foods completely.

It can feel like everyone is saying something different.

The reason is simple: most general diet advice wasn't written for people taking GLP-1 medication. These medications change how your body signals hunger and how quickly food moves through your system. That means some of the usual rules about eating don't apply in quite the same way.

Advice written specifically for people on GLP-1 treatment tends to be much more helpful because it takes your actual treatment into account.