What to Eat on GLP-1 Medications (Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound): A Phase-by-Phase Guide

On semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) or tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro), what works best is eating less but with more intention: small, frequent meals, protein at every meal, enough fiber and fluids, little fat or fried food while nausea lasts, and not much alcohol. What changes from phase to phase is the priority. In the first weeks, it’s getting food to sit well. While you’re losing weight, it’s protecting muscle. At a plateau, it’s holding on to what works. And when the medication stops, it’s getting ready for your appetite to come back.

I built this guide from the US prescribing information for Wegovy and Zepbound, the main clinical trials, and the 2025 joint advisory on nutrition and GLP-1 therapy from four US medical and nutrition societies. On names: Ozempic is semaglutide and Mounjaro is tirzepatide, both approved in the US for type 2 diabetes. Wegovy and Zepbound are the same molecules approved for weight management. The eating advice applies to all four. This guide doesn’t replace your prescriber or a registered dietitian; it helps you walk into those appointments knowing what to ask.

Summary: what to eat in each phase of treatment

Phase	What usually happens	Priority on your plate
First weeks and every dose increase	Nausea, low appetite, slow digestion	Small portions, bland low-fat foods, fluids in sips
Weight loss	You eat much less than before	Protein at every meal, fiber built up gradually, a wide variety of foods
Plateau and maintenance	Weight loss slows or levels off	Keep up protein and habits, strength training, no further cutting
Stopping treatment	The effect on appetite wears off	Meal structure, protein and fiber, a plan agreed with your prescriber

Why GLP-1 medications change the way you eat

Semaglutide and tirzepatide mimic gut hormones: GLP-1, and in tirzepatide’s case also GIP. Both US labels describe GLP-1 as a physiological regulator of appetite and calorie intake, with receptors in several brain areas involved in appetite regulation. Both drugs decrease calorie intake and delay stomach emptying. The Zepbound label adds that the delay in stomach emptying is largest after the first dose and diminishes over time. In practice: you fill up sooner, care less about food and, especially early on, a meal “sits” longer.

The 2025 advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association and The Obesity Society (I’ll call it “the advisory”) reports reductions in energy intake of 16% to 39% compared with placebo. That’s a big, fast drop, so the main risk is falling short on protein, vitamins and minerals.

Digestive side effects are the most common ones, and they cluster around dose increases. The Wegovy label says gastrointestinal reactions were most frequently reported during dose escalation, and the Zepbound label that most nausea, vomiting and diarrhea occurred during dose escalation and decreased over time. That’s why I’ve organized what follows by phase.

Phase 1: the first weeks and every dose increase

Nausea: eat small, eat often, go easy on fat

Nausea is the most common side effect. In the Wegovy label, across three placebo-controlled trials of up to 68 weeks in adults, nausea affected 44% of people on the 2.4 mg weekly injection versus 16% on placebo. The EU prescribing information, which pools four trials, adds two details the US label doesn’t give: most episodes were mild to moderate, and the median duration of nausea was 8 days. In the Zepbound label, across two placebo-controlled trials of up to 72 weeks in adults with and without type 2 diabetes, nausea affected 25%, 29% and 28% of people on 5, 10 and 15 mg, versus 8% on placebo. For comparison, the Ozempic label reports nausea in 15.8% and 20.3% of people with type 2 diabetes on 0.5 mg and 1 mg, versus 6.1% on placebo.

The advisory describes a pattern worth knowing: nausea tends to show up in the morning or after many hours without eating, and some people get caught in a loop where not eating makes it worse. Its suggestions:

• A small breakfast, then something small every 3 to 4 hours.
• Enough fluids through the day.
• Avoiding fatty foods and very high-fiber foods in the first few days.
• No large meals: vomiting is more likely after them.
• Ginger or peppermint tea, which some people find soothing.

One practical takeaway: stopping at the first sign of fullness, instead of finishing the plate out of habit, lowers the risk of vomiting. Saving the rest for later is completely fine.

I go into more detail in my guide to GLP-1 nausea and what to eat.

What to eat for breakfast when nothing sounds good

The advisory notes that homemade smoothies with fruit and milk or yogurt, cottage cheese and soups are often easier to face than heavier foods such as red meat, processed meats or aged cheeses. Here are some small options, with protein calculated from the food pages (in Spanish), which use USDA data. US cup measures are approximate:

• Plain Greek yogurt, 125 g (about ½ cup), with 100 g (about ⅔ cup) of strawberries: 11.9 g protein.
• 2% cottage cheese, 100 g (a scant ½ cup), plain or with soft fruit: 10.4 g.
• One egg (55 g) with 30 g (1 oz, about one slice) of whole-wheat bread: 10.7 g.
• Smoothie with 200 ml (about 7 fl oz) of skim milk, 100 g of Greek yogurt and 100 g of strawberries: 16.8 g.
• Cooked oatmeal, 150 g (about ⅔ cup), with 150 ml (5 fl oz) of skim milk and half a small banana (60 g): 9.8 g.

If a few spoonfuls are all you can manage, start there. Something small beats nothing until mid-afternoon.

Hydration matters more than you might think

Both US labels report postmarketing cases of acute kidney injury, mostly in people whose nausea, vomiting or diarrhea led to dehydration. The Medication Guides put it plainly: drinking fluids helps reduce your chance of dehydration, and nausea, vomiting or diarrhea that doesn’t go away is something to tell your healthcare provider about right away.

As a general reference, the National Academies (the body that sets the US Dietary Reference Intakes) found that adequately hydrated women take in about 2.7 liters (91 oz) of total water a day and men about 3.7 liters (125 oz). That’s total water from all drinks and foods. About 80% usually comes from beverages and 20% from food. These are averages, not a quota.

When your stomach feels full, a whole glass at once is hard. What works better:

• Sip throughout the day, not just with meals.
• Choose still drinks over carbonated ones if you’re burping or bloated.
• Lean on water-rich foods: per 100 g (3.5 oz), cucumber has 95.2 g of water, zucchini 94.8 g, tomato 94.5 g and watermelon 91.4 g.

If you’re vomiting repeatedly and can’t keep fluids down, don’t wait: call your prescriber the same day.

Digestive symptoms: what tends to help and what to avoid

This table is general information. The percentages are from the US labels and compare people on the drug with people on placebo: Wegovy 2.4 mg weekly (three trials, up to 68 weeks) and Zepbound 5 to 15 mg (two trials, up to 72 weeks). If a symptom is severe, lasts a long time or keeps you from eating and drinking, talk to your prescriber.

Symptom	How often (US labels, drug vs. placebo)	What tends to help	What to avoid
Nausea	Wegovy 44% vs. 16%; Zepbound 25–29% vs. 8%	Small breakfast and something every 3 to 4 hours, fluids in sips, ginger	Large, fatty or fried meals; long gaps without eating; alcohol
Constipation	Wegovy 24% vs. 11%; Zepbound 11–17% vs. 5%	Enough fluids, food fiber increased gradually (fruit, vegetables, beans, prunes)	Adding lots of fiber at once; very fatty meals
Reflux (GERD)	Wegovy 5% vs. 3%; Zepbound 4–5% vs. 2%	Small portions; finish dinner at least 3 hours before lying down	Alcohol, fatty or spicy foods, chocolate, coffee, peppermint, citrus and tomato if they bother you
Diarrhea	Wegovy 30% vs. 16%; Zepbound 19–23% vs. 8%	Replacing fluids, small meals	Large or very fatty meals
Burping	Wegovy 7% vs. under 1%; Zepbound 4–5% vs. 1%	Eating slowly and sitting down	Carbonated drinks, straws, gum, hard candy, talking while you eat
Fatigue	Wegovy 11% vs. 5%; Zepbound 5–7% vs. 3%	Regular meals with protein, good hydration	Skipping meals; very low-calorie diets on your own

Sources for the table: US labels for Wegovy (Table 3) and Zepbound (Table 1) for the frequencies; the advisory for nausea, constipation, diarrhea and alcohol; the NIDDK (National Institutes of Health) for reflux and burping.

Three details that don’t fit in the table:

• Constipation lasts longer than nausea. In the EU prescribing information for Wegovy, the median duration of constipation was 47 days, compared with 8 days for nausea and 3 for diarrhea. The US label doesn’t report durations. Start early with fluids and fiber; I explain how in my guide to constipation on GLP-1 medications.
• Protein and fat slow digestion too. The advisory warns that very high-protein or high-fat foods can make constipation worse, and that it sometimes makes sense to limit them for a while. It’s a balance, not a contradiction with the rest of this guide.
• Peppermint and reflux. Peppermint tea is suggested for nausea, but the NIDDK lists peppermint among foods that can make reflux worse. If you have both, ginger is the safer choice.

Phase 2: what to eat while you’re losing weight

After the first few weeks, nausea usually eases and the challenge changes: making the little you eat cover what you need.

Protein: how much, and why it matters now

Not all the weight you lose is fat. The advisory reports that in STEP 1, out of an average loss of 13.6 kg (30 lb), 8.3 kg (62%) was fat mass and 5.3 kg (38%) was lean mass, which includes muscle and other tissue. Since muscle makes up roughly half of lean mass, the authors estimate that about 20% of the weight lost would be muscle. The Wegovy label puts it this way: semaglutide lowers body weight with greater fat mass loss than lean mass loss.

To limit muscle loss, protein and strength training are the two levers with the most support. These are the reference numbers:

• 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight per day (0.36 g per pound) is the Recommended Dietary Allowance for adults set by the National Academies, and the figure the advisory uses for the general adult population.
• 1.2 to 1.6 g per kilogram per day (0.54 to 0.73 g per pound) is the range the advisory cites during active weight loss. It draws on reviews such as Leidy and colleagues (2015), which also suggests at least 25 to 30 g of protein per meal.
• If you’re over 65, the PROT-AGE group recommends at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kilogram, and 1.2 g or more if you exercise. The ESPEN expert group (the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism) suggests 1.2 to 1.5 g per kilogram for older adults who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition because of an acute or chronic illness.

An example with round numbers: for someone who weighs 154 lb (70 kg), 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg works out to 84 to 112 g of protein a day. You can run your own numbers with the protein calculator. It’s in Spanish and works in kilograms: divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.

Three honest caveats:

1. It isn’t clear which weight to use. The advisory acknowledges that in people with obesity, calculating from current weight may overestimate needs. As a practical alternative, it suggests a fixed target of 80 to 120 g a day.
2. There are limits. The same document says intake shouldn’t drop below 0.4 to 0.5 g/kg, and that a prolonged intake of 2 g/kg or more should be avoided.
3. Your kidneys matter. PROT-AGE excludes people with severe kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate below 30 ml/min/1.73 m²) who aren’t on dialysis, because they may need to limit protein. If you have kidney disease, talk to your doctor before increasing it.

A tip from the advisory: start your meal with the protein part of the plate. If you fill up halfway through, at least that part is already in. I dig into this in protein and muscle on GLP-1 medications.

Protein per serving in common foods

With a small appetite, the last column matters: more protein per 100 kcal means reaching your target without filling up on calories. Meat and fish are weighed raw; beans and lentils, cooked.

Food	Serving	Protein	Energy	Protein per 100 kcal
Chicken breast, skinless (raw)	150 g (5.3 oz)	33.8 g	180 kcal	18.8 g
Turkey breast, skinless (raw)	125 g (4.4 oz)	29.6 g	143 kcal	20.8 g
Atlantic cod (raw)	150 g (5.3 oz)	26.7 g	123 kcal	21.7 g
Atlantic salmon, farmed (raw)	125 g (4.4 oz)	25.5 g	260 kcal	9.8 g
Light tuna, canned in water, drained	60 g (2.1 oz)	15.3 g	70 kcal	22.0 g
Sardines, canned in oil, drained	60 g (2.1 oz)	14.8 g	125 kcal	11.8 g
Lentils, cooked	150 g (about ¾ cup)	13.5 g	174 kcal	7.8 g
Black beans, cooked	150 g (a scant cup)	13.3 g	198 kcal	6.7 g
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), cooked	150 g (a scant cup)	13.3 g	246 kcal	5.4 g
Ricotta, part-skim	100 g (a scant ½ cup)	11.4 g	138 kcal	8.3 g
Greek yogurt, plain, whole milk	125 g (about ½ cup)	11.3 g	121 kcal	9.3 g
Cottage cheese, 2%	100 g (a scant ½ cup)	10.4 g	81 kcal	12.8 g
Skim (nonfat) milk	250 ml (about 1 cup)	8.9 g	93 kcal	9.6 g
Egg, whole	1 egg (55 g)	6.9 g	79 kcal	8.8 g
Deli ham, sliced	40 g (1.4 oz)	6.6 g	66 kcal	10.1 g
Almonds	25 g (0.9 oz, about 20)	5.3 g	145 kcal	3.7 g

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central, as used in the food pages (in Spanish). Servings are a guide, not a recommendation, and cup measures are approximate.

Three combinations that land around 25 to 30 g per meal with moderate amounts:

• 100 g (3.5 oz) chicken breast, 80 g (about ½ cup) cooked black beans and 100 g (about ⅔ cup) cooked white rice: 32.3 g.
• 100 g (3.5 oz) salmon, 100 g (about ½ cup) cooked quinoa and 100 g (about 1 cup) green beans: 26.6 g.
• 120 g (4.2 oz) cod, 100 g (3.5 oz) boiled potato and 100 g (about ¾ cup) zucchini: 24.4 g.

The advisory favors beans and lentils, dairy, fish, eggs and poultry, with red and processed meats kept moderate or minimal. Some people reach their target with protein shakes or fortified foods; if you think you need them, ask your prescriber or a registered dietitian.

Fiber: enough, but gradually

The National Academies recommend 25 g of total fiber a day for women and 38 g for men up to age 50, and 21 g and 30 g after 50. Small portions make that hard, and ramping up suddenly brings gas and bloating. Reference portions:

• Black beans, cooked, 150 g (a scant cup): 13.1 g of fiber.
• Lentils, cooked, 150 g (about ¾ cup): 11.9 g.
• Pear, 170 g (about one medium): 5.3 g.
• Avocado, 70 g (2.5 oz): 4.7 g.
• Apple with skin, 180 g (about one medium): 4.3 g.
• Kiwifruit, 100 g (3.5 oz): 3.0 g.
• Whole-wheat bread, 40 g (1.4 oz, a thick slice): 2.4 g.

Fiber needs water to do its job. The advisory recommends increasing high-fiber foods gradually and making sure you drink enough. If beans give you gas, start with small servings and build up as you tolerate them.

Volume and calorie density: when they matter

Calorie density is the number of calories in each gram of food. To see the difference, here’s how much of each food adds up to 100 kcal:

Food	Amount for 100 kcal
Cucumber	667 g (23.5 oz)
Strawberries	313 g (11 oz)
Apple	192 g (6.8 oz)
Potato, boiled	115 g (4.1 oz)
White rice, cooked	77 g (2.7 oz)
White bread	38 g (1.3 oz)
Milk chocolate	19 g (0.7 oz)
Almonds	17 g (0.6 oz)
Olive oil	11 g (0.4 oz)

Off medication, foods near the top help you feel full on fewer calories. On a GLP-1 the logic shifts. If your problem is that four bites fill you up, filling your stomach with cucumber isn’t the best idea. What matters more then is that each bite brings protein, vitamins and minerals. Almonds or a drizzle of olive oil on your plate aren’t a problem: the advisory lists nuts and vegetable oils such as olive oil among the foods to favor.

Density does matter for what the advisory recommends minimizing: sugary drinks, sweets, salty packaged snacks and fast food. They take up room and give little back.

Vitamins and minerals

The advisory warns that below about 1,200 kcal a day for women or 1,800 kcal for men, the risk of deficiencies goes up. It names iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc and vitamins A, D, E, K, B1, B12 and C as nutrients to watch. The best protection is variety: fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans and lentils, dairy, fish, eggs and nuts. Your doctor can order blood work or suggest supplements if needed.

Alcohol

According to the advisory, alcohol can worsen nausea and reflux during treatment, and it’s best kept to a minimum. The NIDDK also lists it among reflux triggers. On top of that, it’s liquid calories with no protein.

If you have diabetes and use insulin or a sulfonylurea, the US labels for all four medications warn that combining them with insulin or an insulin secretagogue such as a sulfonylurea may increase the risk of low blood sugar, including severe episodes. In that case, ask your doctor how alcohol fits with your treatment.

Sample 3-day menu for a small appetite

This menu shows one way to spread protein across five small meals on days when your appetite is very low. It isn’t a calorie plan or a diet to follow to the letter. As written, it’s short on energy: roughly 890 to 1,100 kcal a day before any oil, per the food pages (in Spanish).

As your appetite allows, add energy and nutrients: olive oil for cooking or drizzling (10 g, a little over 2 teaspoons, adds about 88 kcal; a full US tablespoon is closer to 14 g and 120 kcal), more bread, fruit, vegetables and a handful of nuts. All three days fall below the 1,200 kcal (women) and 1,800 kcal (men) thresholds the advisory links to deficiency risk, so they shouldn’t be your everyday pattern. Meat, fish and vegetables are weighed raw; beans and grains, cooked.

Day 1

Meal	What	Protein
Breakfast	Plain Greek yogurt (125 g, about ½ cup) with strawberries (100 g, about ⅔ cup)	11.9 g
Mid-morning	One egg (55 g) with whole-wheat bread (30 g, one slice)	10.7 g
Lunch	Cod (120 g, 4.2 oz) with boiled potato (100 g, 3.5 oz) and zucchini (100 g, about ¾ cup)	24.4 g
Afternoon snack	Cottage cheese (100 g) with half a pear (85 g)	10.7 g
Dinner	Two-egg omelet (110 g), tomato (100 g) and whole-wheat bread (30 g)	18.5 g
Total		76.2 g

Day 2

Meal	What	Protein
Breakfast	Cooked oatmeal (150 g, about ⅔ cup) with skim milk (150 ml, 5 fl oz) and banana (60 g)	9.8 g
Mid-morning	Plain Greek yogurt (125 g)	11.3 g
Lunch	Chicken breast (100 g, 3.5 oz), white rice (100 g, about ⅔ cup) and black beans (80 g, about ½ cup)	32.3 g
Afternoon snack	Almonds (20 g, about 16) and a kiwifruit (100 g)	5.4 g
Dinner	Part-skim ricotta (100 g) with tomato (100 g) and whole-wheat bread (30 g)	16.0 g
Total		74.7 g

Day 3

Meal	What	Protein
Breakfast	Smoothie: skim milk (200 ml, about 7 fl oz), Greek yogurt (100 g) and strawberries (100 g)	16.8 g
Mid-morning	Deli ham (40 g, 1.4 oz) on whole-wheat bread (30 g)	10.4 g
Lunch	Salmon (100 g, 3.5 oz) with quinoa (100 g, about ½ cup) and green beans (100 g, about 1 cup)	26.6 g
Afternoon snack	Cottage cheese (100 g) with papaya (100 g, about ⅔ cup)	10.9 g
Dinner	Salad of light tuna in water (60 g, 2.1 oz), chickpeas (80 g, about ½ cup) and tomato (100 g)	23.3 g
Total		87.9 g

Totals use unrounded values. The three days land between 75 and 88 g of protein. For someone who weighs 154 lb (70 kg), the 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg range means 84 to 112 g: days 1 and 2 fall a bit short, and day 3 just reaches the low end. If your target is higher, add a dairy serving or enlarge the main meal slightly. Fiber also comes up short, at 12 to 20 g a day against the National Academies’ 21 to 38 g: another reason to add fruit, vegetables and whole-wheat bread when you can.

Eating this little for weeks isn’t an achievement or the goal of treatment. If you can’t eat noticeably more than this, talk to your prescriber or a registered dietitian. If you have or have had an eating disorder, tell your prescriber: the advisory recommends screening for it and, where there’s a history, involving an eating-disorder specialist. And if food or your weight is causing you distress or fear, reach out for professional help.

Phase 3: plateau and maintenance

What changes when your weight levels off

According to the advisory, in the trials weight loss is fastest in the first 6 months, then slows and tends to level off around 18 months. In STEP 1, with semaglutide, average weight fell 14.9% at 68 weeks, versus 2.4% with placebo. In SURMOUNT-1, with tirzepatide, it fell 15.0% to 20.9% depending on the dose at 72 weeks, versus 3.1% with placebo. In both trials, participants also received diet and exercise counseling.

A plateau is part of the expected course, not a failure. What changes at the table:

• The goal shifts from losing to maintaining. Protein matters just as much, and strength training matters more.
• Don’t cut further on your own. Eating less and less to “break” a plateau raises the risk of nutrient deficiencies and muscle loss. Decisions about treatment at this stage belong to you and your prescriber.
• Watch for signs of deficiency. The advisory lists more fatigue than you’d expect, excessive hair shedding, dry, flaky or itchy skin, muscle weakness, wounds that are slow to heal and unexplained bruising. If you notice any of these, talk to your doctor.

Strength training: the other half of protein

Protein alone isn’t enough to keep muscle. The four societies recommend pairing treatment with a structured exercise program: strength training at least three times a week and at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic exercise. They also point out that aerobic exercise on its own protects lean mass less during rapid weight loss.

Strength training doesn’t have to mean a gym. Chair squats, wall push-ups, resistance bands or stairs count if you do them regularly and make them gradually harder. Match the plan to your fitness level, and if you have heart disease, joint problems or another condition, check with your doctor first.

Phase 4: what to eat when you stop treatment

Whether to stop, reduce or continue the medication is a decision to make with your prescriber. What I can tell you is what the evidence shows and which part depends on food.

What the studies show about weight regain

• STEP 1 extension (semaglutide). 327 participants who had completed 68 weeks of treatment were followed for another year with no medication and no lifestyle program. They had lost an average of 17.3% of their body weight. A year later they had regained 11.6 percentage points, for a net loss of 5.6% from where they started. The authors sum it up as regaining two-thirds of the weight lost. Most cardiometabolic improvements drifted back toward baseline.
• SURMOUNT-4 (tirzepatide). 670 adults who had lost an average of 20.9% over 36 weeks were randomly assigned to keep taking tirzepatide or switch to placebo for another 52 weeks. On placebo, weight went up 14.0%. On tirzepatide it fell another 5.5%. Among those who stayed on the drug, 89.5% kept at least 80% of the weight they had lost, versus 16.6% of those switched to placebo.

Two caveats. First, these are averages: some people regain a lot, others little. Second, the advisory acknowledges that no controlled trials have tested whether structured nutrition support reduces that regain. The STEP 1 extension authors read the results as confirming that obesity is a chronic disease. Regaining weight after stopping the medication is not a personal failure.

How to prepare at the table

The medication curbs appetite while it works, so expect hunger and interest in food to rise once it’s gone. What you can do, within the plan you agree on with your prescriber:

• Talk through the plan before stopping: what follow-up looks like and when to review it.
• Keep the meal structure you’ve built: regular meal times, protein at every meal and enough fiber. These habits don’t depend on the medication.
• Keep up strength training, which helps preserve the muscle you’ve built or protected.
• Plan your meals rather than improvising when hunger hits. The advisory links long-term weight maintenance with planning ahead, tracking your weight and what you eat, and regular physical activity. If tracking or weighing yourself makes you anxious, raise it with your prescriber or dietitian.

I cover this in more depth in stopping Ozempic and weight regain.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to eat even if I’m not hungry?

Small, regular meals help even when hunger is low. The advisory recommends avoiding long stretches without food, which can worsen nausea and make it harder to cover protein and nutrients. The point isn’t to eat a lot, just not to skip meals. If you still can’t eat, talk to your prescriber.

How much protein do I need on Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound or Mounjaro?

During weight loss, the advisory cites 1.2 to 1.6 g per kilogram a day (0.54 to 0.73 g per pound), or a fixed target of 80 to 120 g. For adults over 65, the PROT-AGE and ESPEN references range from 1.0 to 1.5 g/kg depending on health and activity. You can estimate yours with the protein calculator (in Spanish, in kilograms). If you have kidney disease, ask your doctor first.

Can I drink alcohol on semaglutide or tirzepatide?

The advisory recommends keeping it to a minimum because it can worsen nausea and reflux. With insulin or a sulfonylurea, the labels also warn of a higher risk of low blood sugar. Talk to your doctor.

What should I eat for breakfast if I feel sick in the morning?

Something small, bland and with some protein: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, an egg with a little toast or a milk-and-fruit smoothie. Then another small snack 3 to 4 hours later. Skip anything greasy or fried. Ginger tea helps some people.

Do I need supplements or protein shakes?

Not necessarily. The foundation is a varied diet with protein at every meal. The advisory says specific supplements (vitamin D, calcium, B12 or a multivitamin) may be considered case by case, and shakes are an option if food alone falls short. Check with your prescriber or a registered dietitian first.

Will I regain the weight if I stop treatment?

In the trials, on average, people regained a substantial share: about two-thirds over the following year in the STEP 1 extension, and an average gain of 14.0% over 52 weeks on placebo in SURMOUNT-4. These are averages with a lot of individual variation. The decision to stop, and the plan for afterward, is one to make with your prescriber.

For more guides in English, see the Saciedad home page.