Navigating The Holidays On GLP-1s For Weight Loss

For those who have been taking GLP-1 medications, facing food-centric holidays and occasions in the U.S. like Thanksgiving or Christmas can feel different and sometimes uncomfortable at first. Thanksgiving in particular is a holiday that involves, for most families, a large feast. Now that your appetite and cravings have changed, we’ll dive into some of the best ways to enjoy the holidays while staying on track.

Understanding GLP-1 medications and food noise

GLP-1s work so well for weight loss because they recalibrate your hormones and gastrointestinal tract in a way that makes you feel full for longer, crave food less, and feel less hungry. 

This is great for reducing cravings and “food noise”. Food noise refers to the intrusive thoughts that people have about food such as cravings or counting down the minutes to your next meal. GLP-1s seem to turn off this food noise, or at least turn it way down. 

Hitting the mute button on food noise is great for weight loss but for some people it makes the holiday feel a bit strange. While you may have been used to enjoying the smells and tastes of traditional holiday food, while on GLP-1s those smells and tastes may not bring the same enjoyment. This can be challenging for both you and your family who may feel offended that you aren’t partaking in the feast like you used to.

Set expectations with your loved ones 

Understanding ahead of time, and even discussing it with your loved ones, can be very helpful in making a seamless transition to this new normal. Focus on the other things there are to enjoy about the holidays like quality time with family, loved ones and friends. 

Impact on food enjoyment and taste

For many people, GLP-1s can take away or lower the pleasurable feelings that used to come with eating delicious foods. Some even find that food doesn’t taste as good while on GLP-1s. 

While this definitely helps with weight loss, it can be difficult emotionally to not get those same feelings of pleasure from food. While not an official side effect of GLP-1s, loss of food enjoyment is something that can take some time to get used to. 

However, as you adjust to the new way your mind and body enjoys meal-centric holidays, you may find that you can identify foods or drinks that you still enjoy and try to incorporate those into the holiday meal. Perhaps pumpkin pie doesn’t sound as good as it used to, but a fresh fruit tart or fresh cranberry salad may hit the spot! 

Holiday dish ideas on GLP-1s 

Foods and dishes that tend to be easier on the gut for people taking GLP-1s are lighter on seasoning, easy to digest, and less rich. Here are some easy and delicious holiday dish ideas that you and your loved ones can enjoy together: 

• Roasted vegetables: Roasted vegetables like zucchini, squash, and sweet potatoes lightly seasoned with some herbs and spices are delicious! By roasting them in the oven, it releases the veggies natural sugars, creating an almost caramelized flavor without any added sugar..

• Mashed potato alternatives: Mashed cauliflower or sweet potatoes can be a lighter and more palatable option for people on GLP-1s. When prepared without cream and butter, they are a lighter option that may not feel as dense in the stomach. 

  • Try this: If you’re looking to add a bit more flavor, dig into your spice cabinet! Cinnamon and nutmeg pair beautifully with sweet potatoes. For the mashed cauliflower, you could add in some garlic powder and finely chopped herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, chive etc).

• Butternut squash or carrot soup: Broth-based squash soup (without cream) are easy to digest and pack all of the holiday flavors. Holiday spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger or allspice add that extra bit dimension too.

• Grilled or baked fruit: Grilled peaches, apples, and pears with a sprinkle of cinnamon can bring a little bit of the sweetness without the heaviness of a pie. Similar to roasting the veggies, roasting fruit caramelizes its natural sugars, creating a delicious caramel-like coating.

Celebrate in a new way

Try not to think of your new relationship with holiday food as something negative. Instead, focusing on and engaging in the other parts of the holiday can bring great joy. The social aspects of the holidays are a great opportunity to connect with family and friends, play games, have meaningful conversations, and experience gratitude (the true essence of the holiday). 

Using mindful eating techniques can also make eating more enjoyable:

• Focus on savoring small bites

• Pay attention to the sensations, tastes and smells of each bite

• Consider the origins and ingredients in the food

Fun food alternatives

Consider incorporating new and non-food-related holiday traditions. Taking a nice walk, bringing some crafts or games, or volunteering are some great options to take the focus away from food and onto other pleasurable things. 

Communicate with your friends and family about how GLP-1s have affected your appetite and tastes, you’ll be surprised how supportive they will be. Letting go of the family and societal pressures of holiday eating, even though it may be hard at first,  can be very liberating. Especially with the understanding and support of your loved ones. 

Navigating your new normal on GLP-1s

The holidays are about much more than just a meal, and as you navigate your GLP-1 journey,  you have the opportunity to truly explore the meaning of the holiday and what really matters to you. Embrace the changes and take a moment to be grateful for the positive changes to your health that come with this new path. 

At Agile, we understand that the path toward better health and sustainable weight loss involves much more than just medication. It’s a complete lifestyle change, and that can seem daunting when you first start. That’s why, we provide all of our GLP-1 weight loss program patients with ongoing support. Each patient will have frequent check-ins to discuss medication, diet and exercise recommendations and discuss any issues they may be having.

Interested in seeing what our programs have to offer? Pick one of our program options and see if you're qualified here.