Dr. Szálka Brigitta - GLP-1 – Hogyan (l)együnk jól a kezelés alatt?

Summary

Dr. Szálka Brigitta, a dietitian with experience in GLP-1 clinical trials, explains how nutrition and lifestyle support can help people eat well during GLP-1 treatment. She emphasizes that treatment is not a “magic fix”: weight management is more successful when medication is combined with sustainable habits and support from a care team.

Key strategies and advice

• Build a support team. Work with your doctor and, where appropriate, a dietitian, physiotherapist, psychologist, or nurse. Weight gain can have many contributing factors, so support may need to address nutrition, movement, motivation, and health conditions together.
• Use medication alongside lasting habits. GLP-1 medicines can reduce appetite and “food noise” (persistent thoughts about food). However, weight and health risks may return after stopping treatment if lasting lifestyle changes have not been established.
• Use a balanced-plate approach. At main meals, aim for:
  • Half the plate vegetables
  • One quarter protein
  • One quarter carbohydrate foods, preferably high-fibre choices

Portions and food choices should be personalized, especially for people with diabetes or other conditions.

• Include protein and fibre regularly. These can support fullness and help maintain adequate nutrition when appetite is reduced. Evidence that specific foods or supplements increase the body’s natural GLP-1 is not conclusive.
• Address “food noise” mindfully.
  • A short food diary—around three days may be enough—can help identify patterns or triggers for overeating.
  • Enjoy desired treats in moderation rather than treating them as forbidden.
  • Eat attentively by noticing a food’s taste, smell, and texture instead of eating while distracted by a phone or television.
• Manage nausea or vomiting.
  • Try small portions and cold foods, such as chilled sandwiches or salads.
  • Reduce exposure to cooking smells; prepare food ahead or ask someone else to cook if possible.
  • Avoid skipping meals, particularly if you have diabetes, since low blood sugar may worsen nausea.
  • Ginger may help; the speaker recommends trying it cold rather than as a hot drink.
  • Symptoms often occur in the days after a dose and may ease over time. Discuss persistent or severe symptoms with your clinician.
• Manage constipation.
  • Increase fibre gradually rather than suddenly. The speaker suggests starting with a small amount of a fibre supplement and increasing it over several days.
  • Drink enough fluid when increasing fibre.
  • Kiwi may help; the talk suggests two or three per day.
  • Using a footstool to raise the knees while on the toilet may make bowel movements easier.
• Manage diarrhoea. Replace fluids and electrolytes, avoid sweeteners containing sugar alcohols, and ask a doctor or dietitian whether probiotics are suitable.
• Protect muscle and bone during weight loss.
  • Include protein at meals. The speaker gives a palm-sized portion of meat or fish as a rough guide and also mentions plant proteins.
  • Combine cardio-type activity with resistance training. A physiotherapist can help tailor exercise to your fitness, joint health, and body weight.
  • Choose activities you enjoy and vary them to make exercise easier to sustain.
  • Adequate protein, good-quality fats, and vitamin D are also discussed as relevant to bone health.
• Pay attention to hydration. Appetite and thirst may both decrease, and eating less can also mean taking in less fluid from food. Urine colour can offer a rough hydration cue: darker yellow may suggest that you need more fluid. Fluid needs vary, so follow medical advice if you have a condition that requires fluid restriction.
• Prepare for a dietitian appointment. Bring relevant medical records, recent blood tests, and a food diary that includes drinks, physical activity, and symptoms. If applicable, record blood glucose and insulin use; a blood-pressure diary may also help your treating clinician monitor changes.
• Tell your doctor about GLP-1 treatment before a colonoscopy. The procedure timing and preparation may need to be adjusted.

The speaker cites research suggesting that GLP-1 treatments can produce substantial weight loss, but also emphasizes that weight regain and the return of cardiometabolic risk factors are common after treatment ends. Long-term dietary and activity habits are therefore important.

Presenters and sources

• Presenter: Dr. Szálka Brigitta, dietitian.
• Sources mentioned in the talk: A study published in Obesity on common side effects; a Nature article on Akkermansia muciniphila; and a review combining 37 studies of weight-loss programs and GLP-1 treatment. The talk also refers generally to clinical studies and research on nutrition, exercise, and side-effect management.