Foods to Eat and Avoid When You’re Taking Weight Loss Medication

When you’re prescribed GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP Agonists for weight loss, healthy eating plays a key role in achieving positive results. After all, GLP-1s like Ozempic impact both hunger and digestion, making a balanced diet essential for stable, healthy weight loss.

But what exactly should you eat to encourage positive results? More than just fewer calories or frequent meals, understanding the best nutritious foods and how to eat them requires a bit of know-how.

In this blog, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how food interacts with weight loss medications, so you can make healthy choices that promote gut health and strong muscle mass while supporting your weight loss journey.

How Weight Loss Medications Interact With Food

By interacting with your body’s naturally-occurring GLP-1 hormones (glucagon-like peptide-1)—responsible for regulating blood sugar, appetite, and digestion—weight loss medications react to different foods in a variety of ways. For example, these drugs have been shown to slow digestion, which delays stomach emptying.

While this slowing keeps patients fuller for longer, it can also make high fat foods and certain whole grains harder to digest. Heartburn and GI upset then follow, causing unpleasant symptoms and a lack of progress for patients.

However, no one can deny the effectiveness of weight loss drugs, as multiple clinical trials have shown average weight loss of over 15%. To benefit from this success while making good food choices, we recommend following a few simple tips:

How to Maintain a Healthy Diet on Weight Loss Drugs

More than just knowing what to eat, the first step toward a healthy diet on weight loss medications requires knowing how to eat. After all, weight loss drugs impact your overall health in a variety of ways, so knowing the most effective ways to eat can reduce side effects and improve results.

Here are some of our basic tips:

Eat Smaller Portions: To improve energy levels and avoid discomfort associated with slow digestion, try eating smaller, nutrient-dense portions.
Eat Slowly: Thorough chewing triggers your body’s natural fullness signal, helping to prevent overeating, nausea, and inaccurate hunger cues.
More Frequent Meals: Three meals a day can work well for those taking weight loss medications, but if you’re having a hard time managing blood sugar levels, eating 4-6 smaller meals can help your body digest more effectively.
Don’t Skip Meals: Never skip meals to accelerate weight loss, as this can lead to dangerous fatigue, blood sugar imbalances, or binge-eating patterns later on.
Track Your Meals: Food diaries and tracking apps can help you stay aware of your calorie intake, food choices, and reactions to certain meals. This will help you refine healthy habits over time.
Get Professional Advice: Not sure where to start? A licensed dietitian can help you find foods with very high nutritional quality that won’t interact negatively with your medication.

Foods to Avoid For Weight Management

Foods that are hard to digest are the primary culprits to avoid, but keep in mind that what’s difficult for your body to process may not be the same for someone else. Fatty, greasy foods are the most common suspects, but even fiber rich foods can cause issues for certain sensitive stomachs.

Based on the latest research, here are some foods to keep off your plate while you take weight loss medications:

Fried Foods

Fried foods—including anything smothered in oil and cooked at high temperatures—are laden with unhealthy fats that take longer to digest. This can increase nausea, bloating, and heartburn, especially when gastric emptying is slowed by GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP medications. Examples of popular fried food to avoid include:

French fries
Fried chicken
Onion rings
Mozzarella sticks
Donuts

Food High in Saturated Fat

While fried foods are often high in saturated fat, not every unhealthy, fatty food is fried. Foods that are naturally high in saturated fat not only slow digestion, but can worsen GI conditions and increase cholesterol levels. In turn, this counteracts your heart-healthy weight loss goals. We recommend avoiding:

High-fat red meats (i.e. bacon, sausage, ground beef)
Full-fat cheese
Butter-heavy dishes

Sugary Foods

In the realm of clinical nutrition, excess sugar is one of the most dangerous detriments to healthy weight loss. While weight loss medications work to suppress appetite, too much sugar causes unwanted cravings. This is because eating sugary foods makes your blood sugar spike and then crash, making you feel hungry. Weight loss drugs are also often used as diabetes medications, but sugary foods lead to or exacerbate such conditions.

Keep your diet healthy by cutting out:

Refined carbohydrates (i.e. white bread, cereal, and pasta)
Candy
Soda
Pastries

Ultra Processed Foods

Typically made in facilities using artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, ultra processed foods are laden with both nutritional deficiencies and excess fats, sodium, and sugars. The result is food that contributes to inflammation, poor digestion, and slower weight loss progress. Ultra processing isn’t always easy to spot, but we recommend looking at the nutritional information on:

Packaged snacks
Instant noodles
Frozen meals
Chips
Processed deli meats

If the label shows significant nutritional imbalances, there’s a good sign it’s ultra processed.

Spicy Foods

While there are many healthy spicy foods, those taking weight loss medications should be aware of compounding side effects. For some, spicy food irritates the stomach lining, worsening the reflux or nausea you may already experience on the medications.

Foods to Eat That Help You Lose Weight

When taking GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP medications, a balanced diet rich in vital nutrients is essential for maintaining muscle mass and supporting gut health while encouraging healthy weight loss. The recommendations below work with your medications to help you achieve your weight loss goals:

Lean Proteins

Prioritizing protein intake is the key to maintaining muscle mass while losing fat. Lean proteins, including low-fat red meat options, prevent muscle loss by providing the essential building blocks you need, without the side effect-inducing saturated fat. Aim for at least 20 grams of protein per meal, with popular options including:

Chicken breast
Turkey
Fish
Eggs
Tofu
Soy milk

Remember that you can get the protein you need without eating meat, but you’ll have to carefully consider portion sizes and your specific nutritional needs.

Whole Grains With Dietary Fiber

Not all carbs are bad, especially when paired with a healthy dose of dietary fiber. Increased fiber intake supports blood sugar stability and gut health, especially as GLP-1s slow digestion. Choose fiber-rich grains that are gentle on the stomach, like:

Brown rice
Whole wheat pasta
Quinoa
Oats
Barley

Fresh Produce

Fresh produce, including leafy greens, provide essential vitamins and fiber without the high calorie count. Pair them with lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats for a non-inflammatory diet that also supports weight loss. Great examples include:

Spinach
Kale
Cucumbers
Carrots
Bell peppers
Berries
Apples

Healthy Fats

Low fat doesn’t mean no fat, as the substance still plays an essential role in hormone production and nutritional health. For example, low-fat dairy is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D. Overall, choose unsaturated fats that support cardiovascular health, like:

Low fat dairy
Avocados
Olive oil
Nuts
Seeds
Fatty fish

Bland Foods

If you experience nausea or digestive discomfort associated with weight loss medications, bland food can help you reduce symptoms while getting the nutrition you need. Here are some ideas that can help support your weight loss journey:

Plain oatmeal
White rice (in moderation)
Steamed vegetables
Boiled potatoes
Applesauce

Beverage Considerations When Taking Weight Loss Medications

Many weight loss patients don’t realize that drinks are included in dietary guidelines. The fact is, drinks can have a major impact on your weight loss journey, from the negative effects of alcohol to the excess sugar found in everyday beverages. Here are our three essential tips:

Watch Out for Excess Sugar: Did you know that the average Starbucks Frappuccino contains 60 grams of sugar? Or that a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains 39 grams of sugar? This adds up, impacting not only your blood glucose, but also preventing you from losing weight. Always check labels and do what you can to cut these sugary drinks out of your diet.
Avoid Alcohol: Alcohol not only adds empty calories, but can intensify existing nausea and dizziness. It also disrupts your blood sugar levels and slows your metabolism—two key factors in successful weight management. That’s why we recommend avoiding it entirely.
Drink Beverages That Keep You Hydrated: Water is the obvious example (at least 2 to 3 liters per day), but if you’re not a fan, flavored or carbonated water should have a minimal effect on weight loss drugs. Foods with high water content are also a plus, including soups and fruits.

Knowing Your Body Is The Key To Success

No two bodies respond to weight loss medications the same way, which is why you should know your medical history before you start treatment. Anything from food intolerances to nutritional deficiencies can have an impact. For example, patients with lactose intolerance might need to replace dairy with low-fat soy milk, while those with diabetes need to carefully monitor their carbohydrates.

Listening to your body also makes it easier for medical professionals to identify and prevent issues like muscle loss or digestive upset. By knowing your history, they can provide the most accurate dietary recommendations.

Support Your Weight Loss Journey With A Healthy Diet At Lifestyle Med Spa!

At Lifestyle Med Spa, we combine the latest injectable weight loss medications with expert dietary advice for the most effective weight management plans. From reducing symptoms of diabetes to achieving your goal weight, our certified providers are dedicated to helping you meet your goals.

Plus, we offer a variety of other treatments as well. Whether you need help with chronic fatigue or personal training, we’re committed to helping you achieve the best results. Click here to start your free consultation.