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Interested in how a dietitian can benefit you if you are using a GLP-1 agonist for weight loss?

GLP-1 medications can be a valuable tool for weight loss, but it’s essential to be aware of potential nutritional issues, especially when considering pregnancy.

The risk of nutrient deficiencies when taking a GLP-1 medication is high. A GLP-1 medication often leads to reduced or no appetite. These changes  in food intake can increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies, including vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. It’s crucial to maintain a balanced diet rich in whole foods to minimise this risk.

That’s where an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) can help. Working with a dietitian can  provide tailored guidance and support to optimise weight loss and overall health while you are on your fertility journey.

Personalised nutrition plan 

  • Working with a dietitian can help you determine your appropriate energy (kilojoule/calorie) intake to support weight loss goals while preventing nutrient deficiencies.
  • Ensuring you choose nutrient-dense foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibre ensures that you optimise the choices you make while your appetite and intake is greatly reduced.
  • Assistance with meal planning tips and strategies helps you create balanced and satisfying meals that align with your dietary needs and preferences. This is especially important if you are losing weight to improve your fertility.
  • Work with your APD for tips to stay hydrated. Using Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda or Mounjaro can sometimes lead to dehydration.

Managing side effects 

  • APDs can suggest strategies to manage nausea and vomiting. These are common early side effects of these injectable medications.
  • People using GLP-1 agonists report both diarrhoea and constipation at different times. Dietitians can help with practical strategies to manage both of these side effects.

 Addressing Potential Nutrient Deficiencies

  • Knowing how balanced your intake is at this time is important. An APD can help you monitor your nutrient intake and identify any potential deficiencies.
  • If necessary, they can recommend appropriate supplements to address any nutrient deficiencies and/or elevated requirements. This is especially important if you are planning a pregnancy.

 Supporting Overall Well-being

  • APDs can address the psychological aspects of weight loss, including body image and self-esteem, and provide strategies for coping with emotional eating. Our Dietitians are very experienced in working with women to improve their relationship with food.
  • They can also encourage you to seek support from friends, family, or support groups to maintain motivation and accountability.

Long-Term Weight Management

  • APDs can help you develop sustainable healthy eating habits that can be maintained even after you stop taking these medications.
  • Learn new strategies around mindful eating, portion control, and stress management to support long-term weight management.

Remember, an APD can work closely with your healthcare provider to ensure your nutritional plan complements your overall treatment plan for optimal results.   

You can make an appointment with a Lifestyle Maternity dietitian without a referral from a GP or specialist.

If you have private health insurance, some of your appointment costs may be covered depending on your level of cover – we recommend you check with your insurer.  To check what you will be required to pay, provide your insurer with the consultation cost and the HICAPS item number below to find out how much you will be required to pay. (HICAPS item number: Initial individual consultation: 301 & Long review or review appointments: 302).

Your GP can assess your eligibility for a Chronic Disease Management Plan (CDMP). These Medicare plans allow for a rebate (e.g., reduced out-of-pocket costs) for visits to an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD).  The CDMP allows a client to access up to 5 subsidised dietetic sessions in a calendar year.

Click here to book now.

 

Image credit: Photo by Katja Vogt on Unsplash

Image description: three half figs and one full fig on a pink plate placed on an unironed pink sheet.

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Is what and how you eat working for you…or against you?

We think ‘diet’ is a four-letter word.

Food restriction or “dieting” means intentionally depriving yourself. Ongoing deprivation is generally only ‘successful’ for a certain amount of time before we ‘fall off the wagon’ and start eating for comfort or to rebel against the ‘diet’.

Initially we might feel temporarily better before we inevitably become disappointed or frustrated with ourselves that we ‘failed’ and decide to “diet” again.

Why does the diet industry thrive? Repeat business!

Does this cycle sound familiar?

The majority of clients that we see for weight management are already aware of what an ‘everyday’ food and a ‘sometimes’ food is, yet struggle to reach or maintain their most comfortable weight. Why is that?

When working towards your weight loss goals it is imperative to not only look at what you eat but also why you eat, how you eat and where you eat.

We are all capable of eating when we are not physically hungry and it is quite normal to do this on occasion. This is called ‘non-hungry eating’. Do it too often however and this type of eating behaviour can result in unwanted weight gain or difficulty losing weight.

If we can reduce the amount we are eating when we don’t really want it, as well as reduce the amount we are eating when we don’t really enjoy it, it will make reaching a healthy, comfortable weight easier without relying on extreme diet restrictions.

Experience tells us that in many situations, a particular type of food might taste great initially, but if we pay attention to the taste, texture and flavour, surprisingly quickly the food becomes less pleasurable.

Being more aware of whether or not we are enjoying the food we are eating is an important step in reducing the overall amount of food we eat.

Do you start off enjoying something but then just keep eating to finish it off?

The If not dieting© ‘Law of Diminishing Pleasure’ is a concept that can assist us to eat less, while at the same time increase our enjoyment from food. It can show us that if we eat with awareness, the more we eat of a particular food the less pleasure we receive as we continue to eat that particular food. It applies to all types of food that we eat although the rate of decrease will vary for various types of foods.

By being more mindful of this decrease in pleasure we can continue to eat all types of foods (everyday and sometimes foods), however learn to eat less by stopping earlier – when our enjoyment has diminished.

Lifestyle Maternity Dietitians specialise in dietary counselling methods that focus on the behaviour of eating. We use a coaching approach to weight management and healthy eating that draws on evidence based strategies to promote a ‘life-skills’ focus to facilitate lifestyle change to assist our clients achieve a more comfortable and healthy weight.

For further information or advice on being a healthier you, make an appointment here.

 

IMAGE CREDIT:  Nicolas Hoizay/Unsplash

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Looking down into a spiral staircase

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