If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you know: Changing your lifestyle and habits is incredibly hard. Taking a weight loss medication, such as a GLP-1, helps make it easier.
Ideally, medication and behavior changes work together.
“Some people need these medications because diet and exercise on their own won’t work, but you still have to optimize everything around the medication,” says UNC Health family medicine and weight management physician Teneisha Davis, MD. “The medication alone won’t work either, so there still needs to be a focus on lifestyle.”
Most weight loss medications work by suppressing your appetite, which might be the help you need to sustainably build healthy habits.
“I’m not big on the word ‘diet’ or thinking of these medications as ‘diet meds’ because you need to think about how you’ll eat for the rest of your life,” Dr. Davis says.
She shares some tips for making those long-term changes.
Healthy habit No. 1: Set achievable food goals.
Weight loss medications typically cause you to eat less, so it’s important to focus on the quality of the foods you do eat. Don’t try to overhaul your diet all at once. Instead, ask your provider about one or two goals you can focus on first.
“I’m big on having people track their protein and fiber,” Dr. Davis says. “Protein and fiber fuel you for longer, and people find as they eat more of them, they usually eat fewer sweets.”
Your starting goal may differ: Maybe you want to reduce ultraprocessed foods in your diet or stop eating late at night. Your provider can help you strategize.
Healthy habit No. 2: Use healthy habits to reduce your side effects.
If you’re experiencing side effects associated with weight loss medications, such as constipation or diarrhea, healthy habits can help.
“Drinking more water—about half your body weight in ounces of water—is an important goal,” Dr. Davis says. “When people experience constipation because of these medications, they’re usually not drinking enough water.”
Slow sips of water throughout the day can help you stay hydrated and reduce nausea without filling you up so much that you can’t eat.
Don’t skip food entirely, even if you’re not hungry, because that can make you even more nauseated and could eventually lead to malnutrition.
“Even starting the day with a cracker, the way you might when you have morning sickness, can help,” Dr. Davis says. “Then, you might be able to focus on getting 20 grams of protein through yogurt or drinking a protein shake as a meal replacement.”
Healthy habit No. 3: Add strength training to your exercise routine.
Healthy adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, as well as two days of muscle-strengthening activity per week. You could think of that as 60 minutes of strength in a week.
“A lot of people struggle to get enough strength training or think they will gain weight if they do it, and then they lose muscle mass,” Dr. Davis says. “You don’t have to join a gym. You can get started with a resistance band. If you do 12 minutes every weekday with a resistance band, upper and lower body, you’re doing it.”
Losing muscle mass can slow your metabolism and make you weaker, increasing your risk for falls and frailty.
Healthy habit No. 4: Manage stress and sleep.
If you’ve been struggling with your weight for a long time, starting a weight loss medication can help to relieve some of the stress and anxiety you feel around food, your weight and your health. But that still likely leaves a lot of stressors in your life, and it’s helpful to consider how you’re managing those.
“Stress and anxiety have a huge impact on weight, because if your mind won’t turn off, you can’t sleep,” Dr. Davis says. “If you can’t sleep, you’re not going to feel like yourself and that’s when stress eating happens.”
Think about your toolkit for managing stress. It might include exercise, mindfulness, time alone, time with friends or seeing a therapist.
Try not to get down on yourself if you falter on your new healthy habits sometimes.
“Life has hills and valleys; it’s a journey,” Dr. Davis says. “I tell patients I will walk it with them so they can learn to manage their weight in trying times.”
Healthy habit No. 5: Keep partnering with your provider.
Not only should you stay in touch with your provider when weight loss is challenging, you should see them when things are working well, too. They can help you identify when you might be ready to build on your progress with another goal; maybe after some initial weight loss, you feel more confident to tackle sleep apnea or prediabetes.
“Some people get really tired when they hear that I want to see them more frequently,” Dr. Davis says. “But it’s key to follow-up with someone regularly so they can see where you are, what’s working for you, what’s not. We’re not here to be judgmental, but to help you stay on track.”
Struggling to build healthy habits? Talk to your doctor or find one near you.The post On a GLP-1? Focus on 5 Habits first appeared on UNC Health Talk.
