GLP 1 medications quiet your appetite, and for many people that feels like relief. But eating less does not mean your body needs less. It still needs every vitamin, every mineral, and enough protein to protect your muscle, now from far less food.
The part no one mentions
Studies suggest that up to 40 percent of the weight lost on these medications can come from lean mass, including muscle, rather than fat. Muscle supports your metabolism, your strength, and your blood sugar. When it is lost, weight often returns quickly if the medication stops.
Running low on nutrients can also show up as hair loss, fatigue, and weakness. B12, iron, magnesium, and vitamin D are common gaps.
Less food. Same needs.
Why your gut feels different
GLP 1 medications slow how quickly your stomach empties. That is part of why you feel full, and also why nausea, bloating, and constipation are so common.
Three places to begin
- 1Protein firstStart each meal with protein, such as eggs, fish, chicken, Greek yogurt, or bone broth.
- 2Small, slow, and stop earlySmaller plates, chew well, and set your fork down at the first sign of full.
- 3Fiber and water togetherAdd fiber slowly from cooked vegetables and berries, and sip water all day.
Ask your prescriber about checking your levels from time to time, and talk with them if symptoms will not ease. You can also take our free GLP 1 and Nutrition Quiz to find your focus area.
Brittany Bash
Functional Medicine Practitioner · PhD · BSN
Founder of The Whole Healing Method, helping people restore gut, metabolic, and cognitive health at the root. I am with you.