Build Habits That Fit Your Lifestyle When Taking GLP-1s

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When a doctor prescribes a GLP-1 receptor agonist for shedding unintended weight gain, it is intended to boost the patient’s journey. With an ability to slow gastric emptying of food into the digestive tract, GLP-1s can reduce feelings of hunger quicker and the incretin mimetic naturally “jump starts” your weight loss plan by making it easier to consume less calories with chemical signaling that helps stabilize blood sugar spikes and crashes. So, GLP-1s truly ignite the need to make key lifestyle adjustments that will also support more sustainable outcomes.

Strategies for building habits that fit your routine might include adding resistance workout bands for exercise to preserve lean muscle mass during times of more rapid weight loss and prioritizing lean sources of protein and fiber from low-glycemic whole foods to increase satiety. Other science-backed solutions for long-term weight loss success like optimizing eating windows with set circadian meal times, preserving your resting metabolic rate, and tracking your progress can help you stay accountable for building the new lifestyle habits your body needs.

Dietary experts often suggest that men and women can easily implement time-restricted eating periods that shorten their daily window for consumption and limits the late-night snacking more naturally and without needing to count calories. Moreover, GLP-1 weight loss medications work significantly better when combined with the stress management needed for quality sleep. In fact, six hours of high-quality of sleep has been shown to enhance weight loss efficacy, while poor sleep increases inflammation, triggers cortisol, and hinders metabolic processes.

Can the early side effects of GLP-1 RAs disrupt sleep quality?

Yes, the gastrointestinal side effects associated with the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide or tirzepatide can sometimes disrupt sleep. However, experts suggest avoiding large meals within 3 hours of bedtime, staying well-hydrated, and maintaining a regular sleep schedule to help you get over the initial hump for more restorative results. A recent observational study in Japan that observed obese patients in a clinical trial concluded that sleep habits had a positive effect on weight loss efficacy of semaglutide, especially in women and regardless of age, when they took an oral GLP-1 RA.

Are certain foods poorly tolerated while using a receptor agonist?

Because GLP-1 receptor agonists are designed to slow stomach emptying into the digestive tract, certain foods that digest more slowly can make gastrointestinal side effects more severe with increased queasiness, additional bloating, and irritating acid reflux. Dietary culprits include fried and high-fat foods like many fast-food items, pizza, and fatty sources of animal protein. Additionally, refined carbohydrates like white bread, white rice and traditional pasta products and simple carbs like sugary items, candy, pastries, and sweetened beverages can worsen stomach upset when taking GLP-1 RAs.

Does alcohol increase one’s risk of nocturnal hypoglycemia?

In order to optimize the metabolic and restorative results when using a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist for weight loss, too much alcohol consumed too close to bedtime can trigger sleep disruptions caused by nocturnal hypoglycemia. That’s because excess alcohol prevents the liver from releasing glucose and that increases the risk of nighttime lows, restless sleep cycles, and waking up with night sweats. Nonetheless, certain GLP-1 RAs recently received FDA-approval for mitigating obstructive sleep apnea, and incretin mimetics typically provide better glycemic control by stabilizing blood sugar levels throughout the night.

Why "protein pace" throughout the day when taking GLP-1 meds?

Although GLP-1 receptor agonists boost satiety making it much easier to consume fewer calories each day, the incretin mimetic slows the gastric emptying of food into the digestive system making it easy to “under-eat.” In part, that explains why those prescribed GLP-1 weight loss meds may lose up to 40% of lean muscle mass during early periods of rapid weight loss. Plus, without an adequate intake of protein throughout the day, there can be unexpected feelings of fatigue. Moreover, unlike carbohydrates and fat, excess protein is not stored by the body for future use which means pacing is essential for long-term weight management.

How Do You Build Lifestyle Habits That Stick?

Most of us already know that making healthier choices can help us live longer and feel better each day. But, many of the things that impact the quality of one’s life might not seem to be that easily fixed. In fact, maybe you have already tried to hit the gym more often, eat a salad at lunch, quit smoking, or reduce daily stress levels for a better night’s sleep, but discovered that it was not that easy to do. Here’s some science-backed strategies to help shape your plan:

1. Target Core Actions: It is important to identify keystone habits like a 30-minute walk each day that can naturally trigger other positive outcomes like getting quality sleep at night.
2. Transform Broad Goals: Instead of setting a simple goal like eat healthier this year, set specific target goals. For example, follow a protein-forward menu plan, eat protein first, then whole foods, and finally complex carbs.
3. Optimize Your Environment: Reduce the friction and remove temptations from your home and work environments. It is always wise to prep whole foods, so healthy protein snacks are grab-and-go.
4. Utilize Habit Stacking: Not every new habit requires you carve out a new time for taking action. For example, you can practice deep breathing while stopped at traffic lights driving to and from work each day.

Weight loss specialists say there are always positive things you can do, such as identify a negative thought and turn it into a habit that better supports your goals for healthy living. After all, building habits in support of your lifestyle while taking GLP-1 medications to lose weight also produces the consistent routines, so you stick with your goals by following well-planned daily routines from waking-up the same time each morning and turning out the lights at the same time each night.

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The good news is that building habits to support your unique lifestyle leads to making more healthy choices and the structure reduces the need to constantly figure out what’s next. When you make positive choices to improve your well-being, it reinforces the idea that living healthy is worth prioritizing and new patterns that support a predictable rhythm can make it easier to stick with the lifestyle adjustments you need to make. At Metabolic Research Center Centennial / Aurora, our goal is to provide the GLP-1 support needed to create a customized program that preserves crucial muscle mass, limits the common side effects of using a GLP-1 receptor agonist, and produces the changes your body needs for sustainable weight control.