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With the holidays fast approaching, you may be wondering what to expect, especially if you’re new to managing holiday meals on GLP-1 medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide.
For many people, the holidays are a time of joy, but they can also be a struggle to not overindulge in the plentiful and delectable dishes of the season. The decadence is tempting, and with holiday parties at the office, with friends, with multiple family gatherings, the opportunities to eat, and eat, and then eat again can be overwhelming.
At EllieMD, we have strategies for how to not only adapt your holiday eating on GLP-1s, but also enjoy every bite!
The first tip is so important, it shouldn’t be limited to only holiday meals with GLP-1s. It’s important all year round—hydrate.
Tipple opportunities during the holidays are often increased, and the eggnog, wine, and spirits can lead to dehydration. Not only is this feeling unpleasant, but thirst can be mistaken for hunger and lead to eating more than we planned.
Having water before, during, and after meals helps us feel full sooner as well as develop an understanding of true hunger. Water also boosts semaglutide and tirzepatide’s efficacy while aiding the digestive process.
Strategy: If water feels boring and you want something more festive, liven up your glass with sparkling water, or infuse it with fruit. Slices of fruit in your glass not only make water taste refreshing, but they can also turn it into a festive mocktail without adding extra refined sugars.
For some of us, GLP-1s are helping us reestablish a healthy mental relationship with food, so it’s normal to be nervous about the upcoming holidays. What if the food noise—the constant mental chatter about the next meal, the next snack, the need to taste every flavor—is worse this time of year?
It helps that semaglutide and tirzepatide studies show these medications can reduce the food noise and offer relief from a preoccupation with food. For people first experiencing holiday food on GLP-1s, it may be a breeze to stick to our planned meals and healthy snacks.
Or, we may face the creep of food noise concerning foods we rarely get, our holiday favorites, or family recipe traditions. At EllieMD, we suggest treating yourself with grace. We should enjoy holiday meals on GLP-1s, not cut them out completely. If some food noise comes back, maybe it’s temporary holiday anticipation. Or maybe it’s time to speak to our provider about a dosage change—after the next family gathering.
Strategy: Fiber and protein are our friends for managing holiday meals on GLP-1s. These foods, like turkey, ham, and vegetables, keep us on track. Sugar and carb-laden choices like pies and stuffing are a quick flash of energy in our systems and gone, leaving us craving the next snack. Protein keeps us feeling fuller longer, and fiber helps balance blood sugar, stabilizing mood and energy levels. For emotional eaters, fiber and protein may be key to decreasing that compelling voice whispering about food.
Good news! We can still enjoy the flavors we love during holiday meals on GLP-1 medications. The thing to be mindful of is our portion sizes.
Semaglutide and tirzepatide suppress the appetite and help us feel full sooner. GLP-1s also slow gastric emptying, which helps that full feeling last longer.
Essentially, choose what you want to eat—even pumpkin or pecan pie—just eat less of it. Holiday meals on GLP-1s don’t have to be enormous to be delicious and satisfying.
Strategy: Start with half of your pre-GLP-1 portions, and stop when you’re full. Some of the best holiday planning means leftovers. You’ll have the chance for more holiday meals on GLP-1s, so if you missed something the first time around, save it for round two.
Many of us taking GLP-1s have foods that trigger the dreaded side effects, e.g., fried foods that lead to bloating, or sweets that contribute to sulfur burps. Sometimes, simply eating too much at one time, even of foods we tolerate well, can lead to gastric distress. These are unfortunate new realities to life on these medications.
Maybe certain foods you love from holiday meals with GLP-1s will not love you back. For these people, the decision is to risk it, risk it a little, or not risk it at all.
Strategy: You know your body and your limits better than anyone. Ultimately, the decision is yours. Perhaps your food triggers become a beautiful photograph on your socials, but you don’t partake at all. Or perhaps a whole piece of cheesecake is a mistake, but one bite won’t cause misery.
Bonus Strategy: There may be another way. If you know full-fat, three-kinds-of-creamy-cheese cheesecake with the sugary strawberry compote and whip cream topping will put you in a fetal position, maybe substitutions creating another delicious version of cheesecake won’t be as detrimental to your digestion. Or maybe a lovely tart sorbet is your choice, so you still get dessert; it’s just not the rich, high-sugar, high fat cheesecake you’d regret.
Let’s talk about decadence, since holiday meals are, after all, meant to be over-the-top, which is what a lot of people avoid on GLP-1s.
As they say on one of the most popular global cooking shows, is it “worth the calories?” If your great-great grandmother’s stuffing absolutely rates every savory bite, but you can take or leave the dinner rolls and sweet potato casserole, by all means, skip the rolls and potatoes.
If the host puts out a plate of homemade holiday candy and cookies to munch on while they’re prepping the big meal, we don’t have to nibble. We can save our stomach’s precious capacity for what we really want, and then make every bite count.
Strategy: Indulge wisely. Like the KonMarie method of tidying, ask yourself if this dish sparks joy. If it does not, it’s not worth the calories. On the flip side, what will you regret not having? When it’s worth eating, use your portion strategy for a small enough amount that won’t send you over the edge. You can always get seconds if you have room.
As with any sustainable, life-long habit, you don’t have to sacrifice your holiday favorites to live healthy. Adapting recipes to respect side effects, practicing portion reasonableness, and taking sweets on a bite-sized basis can save your holiday enjoyment. Combine with a little body movement, and you’re in great shape for sustainable change!
One final thought: if you do over-indulge or regret a particular choice, it doesn’t have to ruin your holiday. It also doesn’t need to derail your whole holiday season.
Remember the joy of the indulgence, and then choose eating healthier for the next holiday meals on GLP-1 medications. Resume your weight loss journey with the confidence you will continue to improve and regain control of your health and wellness for many holidays to come.
