If you want to lose weight while taking Ozempic or Wegovy, your diet may be more important than ever.
Both GLP-1 drugs contain semaglutide, which is similar to the hormone that tells your brain that you’ve eaten. People taking the drug may experience side effects such as decreased appetite and nausea, which can affect how much food they can tolerate.
It can lead to major changes in eating habits.
“Patients tend to skip meals because they don’t feel hungry,” Dr. William Yancey, a weight management expert at Duke Health in Durham, North Carolina, told TODAY.com.
“Skipping meals isn’t a big problem, but I want to know if they’re getting enough protein and nutrients each day.”
Janine Delavecchia said that while she was taking Ozempic, she sometimes forced herself to eat because she had “no appetite,” was “completely nauseous,” and was “vomiting all the time.”
“There were days I would eat an omelet just to get something into my body,” Dellavecchia, 41, who works at a hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, told TODAY.com.
“You don’t feel like eating…it wasn’t good for me.”
Delavecchia was prescribed the type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic to treat symptoms related to insulin resistance caused by congenital adrenal hyperplasia and polycystic ovary syndrome. Losing weight wasn’t a priority, but she was intrigued that this drug might help her lose weight.
That’s exactly what happened, as Delavecchia lost 30 pounds between August 2022 and February 2023. But she says she stopped taking the medication because she couldn’t bear the side effects.
Delavecchia hasn’t returned to Ozempic since then, but says she’s been able to maintain her weight loss on a keto diet — “no carbs,” she explains. — I also had the help of registered dietitian Emily Rubin.
“I’ve seen patients with chronic nausea and vomiting on (semaglutide) who don’t have enough calories or calories every day,” said Dr. Rubin, director of clinical nutrition in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Thomas Jefferson Hospital. Lack of fluid intake can lead to dehydration and malnutrition.” University Hospital of Philadelphia told TODAY.com.
Dr. Maria Daniela Hurtado Andrade, an endocrinologist in Mayo Clinic’s Obesity Precision Medicine Program, advises patients taking these drugs about the importance of avoiding dehydration.
“Sometimes you don’t want to eat, and sometimes you don’t want to drink. So make sure you stay hydrated and remind yourself to drink, even when you’re not hungry. ” Hurtado Andrade reportedly told them. The doctor is a consultant for Novo Nordisk, the company that makes Ozempic and Wegovy.
How to eat while taking Ozempic and Wegoby
Wegovy has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for weight loss and should be used in addition to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, the agency notes.
Ozempic is not approved by the FDA for weight loss, but it is not uncommon for doctors to prescribe it off-label for that purpose.
Patients trying to lose weight on either drug should work with a dietitian to create a meal plan, but in general they should aim to eat between 1,200 and 1,800 calories a day, depending on their starting weight. Rubin says.
Eat a variety of vegetables and lots of healthy protein as the foundation of your diet, advises Dr. Louis Aronne, an obesity medicine physician and director of the Comprehensive Weight Management Center at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. Masu.
“Studies have been done to show that eating vegetables and protein at the beginning and carbohydrates at the end of the meal actually has an effect on blood sugar levels and probably also on weight,” says scientist Aronne. he says. An advisor to Novo Nordisk told TODAY.com.
“The foundation of your diet should be real food – healthy food.”
What is the best diet for Ozempic?
Patients taking anti-obesity drugs eat less, making a nutritious diet even more important. written by researchers Published in Obesity Magazine.
The list includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, lentils, unsalted nuts and seeds, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and lean meats and poultry.
The most ideal situation would be to commit to eating more healthy foods, as semaglutide reduces hunger and cravings for unhealthy options, says Professor of Medicine and Department of Clinical Nutrition at the University of California, Los Angeles. Director Dr. Zhaoping Li said:
She calls this “leveraging the opportunities presented by medicine to help patients improve their lifestyles.”
“It gives you the opportunity to make the right decision to eat something delicious,” Lee told TODAY.com. “There’s nothing better than not only losing weight, but eating healthier food overall.”
For people taking drugs, Rubin recommends increasing intake of lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, beans, soy, and low-fat dairy products. If you have no appetite or feel nauseous, try a low-calorie protein drink, she added.
“I still worry about whether my patients are getting adequate protein and nutrients from their vegetables, so I stress to my patients that they get them at every meal and starting with vegetables,” Yancey says. he says.
Not getting enough protein can lead to excessive loss of lean body mass, weakness, edema, hair loss, and skin changes, warn the authors of the obesity study.
Rubin advises consuming at least 60 grams (about 2 ounces) of protein per day, preferably split between meals and snacks. According to nutritionist Kristin Kirkpatrick, protein maintains muscle mass and provides the amino acids needed for growth and development.
Rubin notes that vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber are essential to a healthy weight loss program. She also recommends consuming one or two servings of healthy fats each day, such as avocados, nuts, and seeds.
Choose small amounts of whole grains (half a cup per meal), such as whole-wheat pasta, whole-wheat tortillas, quinoa, and sweet potatoes, Rubin advises. These are complex carbohydrates that are rich in fiber.
Yancey says it’s important to stay hydrated, as taking medications can lead to dehydration. Not drinking enough fluids can lead to low blood pressure, tachycardia (fast heart rate), and dizziness, the authors of the obesity study warn.
Rubin recommends drinking eight cups of fluids a day, such as water or a calorie-free electrolyte drink.
How to deal with nausea while taking Ozempic and Wegovy
According to Novo Nordisk, the most common side effects of Ozempic and Wigovy include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and constipation.
Rubin advised patients to talk to their doctors about any bothersome symptoms and to discuss the optimal dosage of each drug to minimize side effects.
Aronne said patients should start on the lowest dose and gradually increase the dose. Doctors know how to deal with the problem of nausea, he added.
Some patients are taking anti-nausea medications, but Lee warned against taking other medications. Most anti-nausea medications have serious side effects, she points out.
“We call[nausea]a side effect, but what this drug actually does is make you feel like you don’t want to eat,” Lee said.
In general, if the dose is increased slowly and the doctor advises the patient not to eat beyond the satiety point, to be aware of which foods can worsen symptoms and to reduce their intake, side effects is well tolerated, said Dr. Ania Jastrebov, director of the center. Weight management and obesity prevention at Yale Stress Center in New Haven, CT. She serves on Novo Nordisk’s Scientific Advisory Board. (If you are taking Ozempic or Wegovy, check out the list of foods to avoid.)
For example, Delavecchia likes hoagies, but she feels sick when she tries to eat them. A better option is yogurt with almonds, peanuts and cinnamon. She finds it delicious and filling.
Another Ozempic patient previously told TODAY.com that after starting the drug, fatty foods in general were “really hard to eat.”
“Some people feel like sweets aren’t as fun as they used to be. I’d say, ‘OK, that’s great too.’ If you don’t really enjoy the typical American diet of ultra-processed carbohydrates and high-fat foods, that’s great. ”
If patients change the foods they eat or how much they eat and still experience many side effects, it may be time to reduce their semaglutide dose, Lee says.
Rubin offered the following tips to reduce nausea.
- Drink ginger or peppermint tea.
- Try ginger chews or capsules.
- Eat fewer meals and eat more often.
- Avoid eating or cooking food with strong odors.
- Avoid hot, fried, and greasy foods.
- Do not eat too quickly or drink large amounts of liquids during meals.
- Do not lie down immediately after eating.
- Avoid wearing clothes that are too tight around the waist.
Novo Nordisk had some additional tips:
- Eat bland, low-fat foods like crackers, toast, and rice.
- Consume foods that contain water, such as soups and gelatin.
- Go outside for some fresh air.
