What’s the Best Diet While On GLP-1?

On a GLP-1 weight loss journey? High protein snacks can take your results to the next level.

More than ever before, GLP-1 medications (such as Ozempic® and Wegovy®) are being used to support weight loss. Simultaneously, users have been searching high and low for an effective diet to pair with their weight loss regimen. This article breaks down how high protein foods can serve as an effective GLP-1 diet, take weight loss results to the next level, and serve as a sustainable option for maintaining the hard-earned weight loss achievements.

Let's start with the basics: What is a GLP-1 Medication?

GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic ^® and Wegovy ^® , are changing the way our society approaches weight loss. At their core, these treatments function by mimicking hormones that your body naturally produces after eating. GLP-1 medications work alongside this natural response by slowing down stomach emptying, significantly reducing appetite, and improving your body's ability to manage insulin.

What sets GLP-1 medications apart from other weight loss treatments are their ability to fundamentally change your body's response to food; making you feel fuller for longer and reducing the urge to overeat. While they can be a meaningful tool to achieve an initial weight loss goal –maintaining results after discontinuing GLP-1 treatments often requires diet and lifestyle changes. Transitioning to a high protein diet can be a fantastic way to maintain results from GLP-1 treatments, while offering a satisfying and, more importantly, a sustainable diet for the future.

Protein is a powerful ally when using GLP-1 medications like Ozempic ^® and Wegovy ^® , as it can play a pivotal role in maximizing the effectiveness of these treatments and the results obtained.

Why is protein so important? This article will cover 3 major concepts:

1. Protein helps to preserve muscle mass
2. Protein is highly satiating and leaves one feeling full
3. Protein has the highest thermic effect of all food types

Protein Preserves and Maintains Muscle

First and foremost, protein helps to maintain muscle mass. This is particularly vital as muscle tissue plays a key role in metabolic health and weight management - since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, even at rest. Additionally, prioritizing protein intake not only helps to preserve muscle mass, but also supports strength and functionality of your muscles during GLP-1 treatments.

Protecting healthy muscle tissue during weight loss is critical. Because when someone sets out to lose weight – they’re often really aiming to lose bodyfat, not muscle tissue. Consuming a high protein diet can help to maintain healthy muscles as bodyweight decreases. It's great to see a scale go down - but it’s equally as important to make sure that the drop is coming from bodyfat, and not healthy muscle tissue.

Protein Supports Satiation

Secondly, protein is known for its ability to maintain feelings of fullness, or satiation. High-protein foods increase satiety more than carbohydrates or fats, which can help manage the hunger pangs that might come with calorie-restricted diets often recommended for GLP-1 users. In addition to making the dieter feel fuller, this makes sticking to a healthy eating plan more manageable and helps prevent the common pitfalls of snacking on less nutritious options.  

Protein has the Highest Thermic Effect of Food

Additionally, our bodies burn calories when we consume food, which referred to as the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). This accounts for the energy that’s required to break down and utilize the food that we consume. Different macronutrients have different thermic effects, and protein has the highest thermic effect, followed by carbohydrates and then fats. This means that the body burns more calories digesting and absorbing protein than it does carbohydrates or fats. 

Leveraging the thermic effect of food with a high protein diet can be an effective way to amplify or maintain a weight loss regimen.

The best diet for GLP-1 weight loss is one that works during the treatment and is sustainable after, as well. 

As one transitions off GLP-1 medications like Ozempic ^® and Wegovy ^® , they enter a phase where maintaining their weight loss results becomes as important as the initial loss itself. At this point, incorporating a sustainable diet becomes the blueprint for long-term health and wellness. Integrating high protein snacks and foods into a daily routine is a lasting lifestyle change that can support weight management efforts post-medication.

As mentioned earlier, high protein foods have a proven impact on satiety, which helps manage appetite and reduce the urge to indulge in less healthy options. In addition, leaning on high protein snacks can help to support muscle mass, which is vital for keeping the metabolic rate high - fueling the burning of more calories even at rest. 

Emphasizing protein-rich snacks and meals in the daily diet establishes a foundation that supports weight loss and overall metabolic health. These nutritional habits ensure that the journey to health is sustainable and enriched with enjoyable yet nutritious choices that keep one satisfied and energized long after the course of medication has ended. Again, the best diet is one that supports the initial weight loss period and is sustainable after.