Wegovy, Ozempic, and Zepbound, Oh My! All About GLP-1 and Your Diet

How low can you go? With GLP-1 medication being easier than ever to find, significant weight loss is possible. Some GLP-1 commercials say GLP-1 users lose up to 20% of their body weight. Unsurprisingly, the foods you eat while on GLP-1 meds affect your well-being and your results. That might leave you wondering how GLP-1 agonists work or if they are safe. If any of these questions spark your curiosity, you’ve come to the right place.

Most GLP-1 medications are injectables

What are GLP1 medications? How are they used?

GLP-1 agonist medications, which have been around for almost twenty years (“GLP-1 Agonists”, 2023), work to harness one of the body’s most well-established hormonal pathways, sugar metabolism. Sugar metabolism relies on two pancreatic hormones, insulin and glucagon. Insulin brings sugar into your body’s tissues from the bloodstream. Glucagon takes excess sugar out of fat cells and into the bloodstream, making you feel fuller. Fat cells are essentially storage units for polymers, or massive chains, of glucose known as glycogen. Thus, when glucagon is activated, you are burning some of the fat you have stored. Most importantly, glucagon triggers the release of insulin. Because of the “see-saw” relationship between insulin and glucagon to manage blood glucose, GLP-1 agonists were first introduced to treat Type 2 Diabetes.

An agonist is a molecule that helps another molecule, such as a hormone, reach its target. This improves the hormone’s ability to do its job. More specifically, agonists activate the hormone’s target, or receptor, on or within the surface of a cell (“Agonist”, 2024). “GLP-1” stands for “Glucagon-like peptide 1”. Sometimes, these drugs are referred to as GLP-1 analogs, meaning that they function similarly to glucagon, but are lab-made (“GLP-1 Agonists”, 2023). Some common GLP-1 agonists are Ozempic, Trulicity, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Semaglutide.

GLP-1 medications assist with emptying your stomach contents slower in addition to bringing glucose into the bloodstream. Both of these changes lead to you feeling fuller for longer, making GLP-1 agonists an appetite suppressant (“GLP-1 Agonists”, 2023). It’s incredibly important to ensure you are eating a nutritious diet since GLP-1 agonists will force you to eat less. 

All of these foods and more are part of a nutritious diet

What are some foods I can eat?

Thankfully, the nutritional guidelines for people on GLP-1 agonists is not very restrictive (Snashall, 2024). These suggestions work best for most people, however, for individual advice and personalized plans, it is best to speak with your physician, dietician, or another healthcare provider. There is no “one size fits all” diet (Braun, 2023). 

Some foods that are best to eat while on GLP-1 agonists include:

• Whole grains (Whole wheat, whole corn, etc.) 

  • Maintain a consistent, regimented intake of carbs; this will avoid blood sugar spikes (Braun, 2023)

• Lean protein sources (low-fat meat, lentils, tofu, etc.)

  • It’s best to maintain a high-protein diet (Braun, 2023)

• Fruits and vegetables

  • This, unfortunately, does not include starchy fruits and vegetables (Snashall, 2024)

What should I avoid?

• Foods high in sugar (candies)

• Deep-fried foods (french fries, fried chicken)

• Spicy foods 

• Foods high in saturated fats (butter, ice cream, etc.)

• Acidic foods (coffee, citrus) 

• Alcohol 

• Carbonated beverages (soda, sparkling water, etc.)

These foods either worsen some common side effects of GLP-1 agonists or reverse their effects. Alcohol should be avoided because it puts additional strain on the liver which occurs as a result of GLP-1 medication (Snashall, 2024). As suggested earlier, talk with a physician, dietician, or another healthcare provider to evaluate the best diet plan for you. 

What are some side effects of GLP1 medication?

• Muscle loss from weight loss (Snashall, 2024)

  • Muscle can be regained from weightlifting or resistance training

• Nausea and vomiting 

• Diarrhea

• Dizziness

• Headaches

• Skin irritation around the injection site 

• Slightly faster heart rate

Some rare, more serious side effects include…

• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas, the organ where glucagon and insulin are produced)

• Worsening diabetic retinopathy (if taken to manage Type 2 Diabetes)

• Kidney injuries

• Medullary Thyroid Cancer (“GLP-1 Agonists”, 2023)

GLP-1 agonists can be an effective tool on your weight loss journey or for your management of Type 2 Diabetes. In general, most foods are safe to have while taking GLP-1 agonist medications. Taking the important step of managing your weight can be anxiety-inducing; ask your healthcare provider as many questions as possible so the best, most personalized care plan is created for you.

Works Cited

Braun, A. (2023, June 27). What are the best diets to follow on GLP-1 medications? Ro | Weight Loss ; Ro. https://ro.co/weight-loss/glp1-diet/

Cleveland Clinic Contributors. (2023, July 3). GLP-1 Agonists. Cleveland Clinic Health Library; Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/13901-glp-1-agonists

Snashall, S. (2024, September 17). Taking a GLP-1? Here are foods to limit — and what to prioritize. Ohio State Health & Discovery; The Ohio State University. https://health.osu.edu/wellness/exercise-and-nutrition/glp1-foods-to-limit

Wikipedia Contributors. (2019, November 13). Agonist. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agonist

Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board