GLP-1s have shifted from the doctor’s office to the wellness zeitgeist. Medications like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro now come up in both dinner conversations and scrolling sessions. What’s not well understood by most? What happens after taking them?
Vancouver-based Certified Nutritional Practitioner Sidney Shindle works with many clients taking GLP-1s using a holistic approach that looks at sleep, stress and what’s on your plate. We sat down with her to talk about how to keep yourself fueled when the food noise goes quiet and your body’s other signals start getting loud.
What are GLP-1s?
GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone that you make naturally in your gut. Think of it as one voice in a conversation your body is always having. When you eat, your gut speaks up: “Food is coming in!” Your pancreas answers by releasing insulin, your stomach agrees to slow things down, and then your brain replies, “Great we’re satisfied.”
Normally that message is a quick whisper that fades within minutes, and for some people, the conversation can be jumbled or not quite get across. Insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and carrying extra weight can all quiet that natural voice, affecting how well we make and respond to our own GLP-1. Genetics, poor sleep and a gut microbiome that isn’t getting enough fiber can also make the message harder to hear.
The good news is that how we eat can help that voice speak up. Protein, fiber and healthy fats all encourage your gut to send the message, and fiber feeds the gut bacteria that help it along. Even how you eat matters! Eating slowly, and starting a meal with protein and veggies before the carbs, gives your gut more time to join the conversation.
GLP-1 medications, like semaglutide and tirzepatide, repeat the same message, only louder and for much longer. They started as treatments for type 2 diabetes and are now widely used for weight management. In simple terms, they keep three conversations going:
Gut to pancreas: “Blood sugar is up, release some insulin.” This supports blood sugar regulation.
Gut to stomach: “Take your time.” This slows stomach emptying, so you feel full sooner and stay full longer.
Gut to brain: “We’re good here.” This acts on the appetite and reward centers and turns down hunger and cravings.
This can result in people eating less, and can often put someone in too much of a deficit. For others nausea, reflux, bloating or constipation, especially in the first weeks or after a dose increase can be a side effect. The takeaway is that the medication changes the conversation about appetite, not what your body needs. Your protein, fiber, minerals, fluids and muscle still need support, and so does your gut!
What is ‘food noise’ and what happens when GLP-1s turn it off?
It’s that kind of constant chatter in the back of a lot of people’s minds where it can be the, “Okay, I’m hungry, but I’m not hungry”, “I kind of feel like I need a snack”, “I have these little cravings” or like, “oh, you shouldn’t have eaten that you ate that thing” and GLP-1s can turn that off for a lot of people. It’s almost like the hum in the background, but all of a sudden you don’t have to hear anymore. And that can be great, but also like, now what? So, to help people through that is really important.
I’ve had some clients who’ve had such a positive experience of feeling lighter as a human being, as well as physically and mentally, like it feels like a weight has been taken off of them. And a lot of people find that they have more mental space because that food noise is no longer there.
What is the biggest mistake people make with their meals after taking GLP-1’s?
The body doesn’t just care about calories. Calories are a unit of measurement that were invented for chemistry purposes. But we use them to understand the amount of energy in versus energy out in [our] daily life from literally breathing and having a conversation like this to exercise, to like working at a desk all day, etc…
But outside of that calorie intake, we also need protein, carbs, and fat and fiber and vitamins and minerals. So when somebody starts to take GLP-1s, their appetite really does change because when appetite drops, people kind of just stop eating or they feel like they don’t need to eat as much.
So if I’m thinking upstream, it’s not just a crash, it’s why is this crash happening? We have to go upstream and go, okay, well, if you don’t have an appetite and you decide, I’m going to have a nibble on crackers or an apple, maybe just run on a coffee, or have a bit of yogurt and call it a meal. But that’s not necessarily what your body needs because the drug itself is basically just turning down the hunger signals, but it’s not turning down the actual requirements of what your body needs.
If someone really loses their appetite, how do you help them eat enough to avoid energy crashes?
So an analogy that I love to use with people, especially when they’re not hungry, is that you would never go on a long road trip without putting gas in your tank. I think it’s important to remind my clients that they might not have the same hunger cues, so relying on anchor times and helping them by reminding them to eat would be really helpful. And that could look like setting an alarm or could be setting specific meal times and making sure that I’m getting my nutrition in at those times, kind of like “filling up your gas tank”.
And then if they don’t have an appetite, I’ll ask them to look back and be their own detective. They’ll notice those crashes, then start to think, okay, did I get enough nutrition in those meals? Or was I just eating the half bite of something? So you have to be your own detective in that way, when you start to notice energy crashes, you have to actually think about it for a second.
We need to make sure that they’re fueled – that they’re getting enough protein, fiber, water, and also enough smart carbohydrates and healthy fats to fuel themselves, but in a way that’s approachable for them.
Why is losing weight too fast an issue for our muscles?
When you’re seeing the number drop on the scale, it’s not going to be just fat that’s being lost because weight loss doesn’t work that way. The easier thing for our body to grab and turn into energy is muscle.
So the protein that would be found in our muscles is this pool of stored amino acids, kind of like Lego blocks, and the body would rather use that as the immediate fuel source because it’s easy, and the body is always trying to do the easiest thing first.
When people aren’t mindful of their food choices on GLP-1’s, research shows that for some people, roughly a quarter to a third of their weight loss can come from their lean muscle mass. This can leave somebody much more vulnerable from an immune perspective, a mood perspective, but even from a bone density perspective, especially for women who are in perimenopause or menopause.
You can eat protein, but you also have to tell your muscles to build. And that is done through resistance training. Even two times a week could be enough. You should both make it and maintain it.
It’s also ensuring that someone’s getting enough of the key nutrients that play a role in protecting your bones and actually building bones. So that would be primarily Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2 and Magnesium. Working with a provider can be so helpful to determine the right supplement form to be working with and ensuring that someone’s getting enough of these nutrients and helping to actually build meals without overthinking it.
What would you say is one of the most surprising changes that your clients report after taking GLP-1’s?
I’ve had some clients who’ve had such a positive experience of feeling lighter as a human being, as well as physically and mentally, like it feels like a weight has been taken off of them.
But the flip side is there can be a lot of emotions. If people are using food as a coping mechanism, and because GLP-1s can quiet some of that food noise, they’ll start to notice that that coping mechanism no longer is there for them. Some people can find that very freeing, but then other people don’t how to cope with their emotions in the same way that they once did when they were using food. When this comes up in my clients, I recommend working with a counsellor for further support.
A lot of people actually notice that their food choices change, like they don’t want to eat the sweets or the fast food in the way that they once did, because it doesn’t feel the same or taste the same anymore. It can be shocking for some people in a positive way, but also kind of create a shift during social outings.
For example, a big one is alcohol. Some people lose their interest in alcohol when they use GLP-1s or their connection to alcohol changes, as they realize how much they craved the sugar in alcohol.
The biggest one is food noise, which GLP-1’s turn off in a lot of people. It creates more mental space when that food noise is no longer there, which we can leverage to create nutrition and lifestyle changes through small habits and systems.
What are some ways that people seeking nutrition support can work with you?
I work clinically with a very positive approach to food. With coaching, I want to be your biggest cheerleader and support you through making change. I see clients in person in the Vancouver area, as well as online around the world.
My approach is very step-by-step, always meeting people where they’re at whether they’ve never cooked a day in their lives or they’re someone who’s super body aware. Whether you’re working with GLP-1s, managing pain, gut conditions, or even preparing for a HYROX, I love supporting people on their unique journeys.
I do a lot of workplace wellness, which is basically getting in front of a big room of people and share information with lots of people at once. It’s such a big joy for me. So anyone who’s interested in bringing workplace wellness into their office space to learn how to eat for energy in a really positive way, understanding stress management, or how the digestive system affects productivity, I love to make it fun and approachable!
About Sidney Shindle and Verita’s Wellness
Sidney Shindle is a Certified Nutritionist whose approach is grounded in balance, building sustainable, supportive habits that work with your life rather than against it. She works with clients managing digestive concerns, metabolic conditions such as prediabetes and fatty liver, hormonal changes, and athletes looking to optimize their performance and recovery. Sidney practices in Vancouver at Fit to Train and in New Westminster at New West Wellness. She also leads public speaking workshops for wellness practitioners, helping them communicate their expertise with clarity and confidence.
