Your GLP-1 Program · Your foundation
Build your foundation, one habit at a time.
Four pillars carry what the medicine starts. Each section covers what the evidence says, why it matters more on a GLP-1, and one small way to make it a habit. Start with the pillar that feels most doable, not the one that feels most urgent.
Pillar 1 of 4
Fuel: eat less, eat better
The medicine helps you eat less. Eating better is the part you build with your care team: a smaller plate, with more of what your body needs on it.
What the evidence says
- Protein first at every meal. During weight loss, experts often suggest about 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day, which is roughly 80 to 120 grams for many adults. Ask your care team for your number.
- Plenty of fiber from vegetables, fruit, beans and whole grains. Add it gradually, and drink enough fluids through the day.
- Small meals every three to four hours instead of long gaps. When hunger no longer reminds you to eat, a phone reminder can.
- Supplements fill gaps; they don't replace food. With less food, your care team may suggest vitamin D, calcium or B12. Ask your doctor about a multivitamin designed for your age and sex; some are available by prescription. A protein shake can help on low-appetite days.
- Creatine has some of the strongest evidence of any supplement for muscle. Combined with strength training, it adds lean mass and strength in older adults, and trials in people taking GLP-1 medicines are under way. Ask your care team whether it fits you, especially if you have kidney disease.
Why it matters more on a GLP-1
Most people keep eating the same foods, just less of them, so protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals all shrink with the portions. Over time, that can cost muscle and bone along with fat.
Make it a habit
If it's mealtime and I'm not hungry, then I'll still have a small plate, protein first.
Before each meal, ask one question: where's the protein? Start there and build the rest around it.
Nausea, constipation or very low appetite? Your prescriber can help with side effects and with your dose.
Pillar 2 of 4
Strength: protect your muscle
Strength training tells your body to keep its muscle while weight comes off. Muscle carries you up stairs, steadies your balance and helps manage blood sugar.
What the evidence says
- Strength training at least two to three days a week, working the major muscle groups: legs, hips, back, chest, shoulders and arms.
- About 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, spread across the week.
- Start light and build gradually. Body weight, resistance bands, machines and free weights all count.
- Notice everyday strength. If getting up from a chair or climbing stairs gets harder, tell your care team.
Why it matters more on a GLP-1
Some of the weight lost on a GLP-1 can be muscle. Strength training, together with enough protein, is the most reliable way to protect it, and it matters even more as we age.
Make it a habit
If it's Monday, Wednesday or Friday after my morning coffee, then I'll do ten minutes of chair squats, wall push-ups and band rows.
Small and steady beats ambitious and occasional. Add a little weight or a few repetitions when it starts to feel easy.
New to exercise, or living with heart, joint or balance concerns? Check with your clinician before starting, and consider a few sessions with a trainer or physical therapist.
Pillar 3 of 4
Sleep: steady your energy
Sleep is when your body recovers and resets the signals that drive hunger, mood and energy.
What the evidence says
- Most adults need seven or more hours of sleep a night.
- Keep a consistent wake-up time, even on weekends. It anchors the rest of your sleep.
- Wind down the same way each night: dim lights, screens away, a cool and quiet room.
- Loud snoring, gasping at night or heavy daytime sleepiness are worth raising with your clinician. Sleep apnea is common with obesity, and it's treatable.
Why it matters more on a GLP-1
Short sleep turns up appetite and cravings, lowers mood and drains the energy you need to train and recover. Good sleep makes every other pillar easier.
Make it a habit
If it's 10 p.m., then my phone goes on the charger outside the bedroom.
Pick one change, such as the same wake-up time, and keep it for two weeks before adding another.
Trouble sleeping most nights for a month or more? Ask about cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, the first-choice treatment.
Pillar 4 of 4
Stress: cope without food
For many people, food was a main way to handle stress. When the medicine quiets food noise, the stress is still there, and it needs somewhere else to go.
What the evidence says
- Proven approaches help: cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness practice, regular physical activity and time with people you trust.
- Have a short list of quick resets for hard moments: a walk, slow breathing, a call to a friend, music.
- Watch your mood. Most people's mood holds steady or improves on a GLP-1, but if low mood, anxiety or hopelessness lasts, tell your prescriber.
- If you have thoughts of harming yourself, reach out right away. In the US, call or text 988.
Why it matters more on a GLP-1
Stress drives emotional eating, disrupts sleep and wears down motivation. Building coping skills that don't run through food protects the progress you've made.
Make it a habit
If I feel the urge to eat when I'm not hungry, then I'll take three slow breaths and a five-minute walk first.
Notice what the urge is really asking for: rest, comfort, company or a break. Then give yourself that.
A psychologist or counselor can help you build these skills. Many people find the support makes the whole program easier.
Pick one keystone habit, then rate the four pillars once a week. About a minute, with a summary to bring to your next visit.
Safety check
Am I eating too little?
When the medicine turns appetite way down, some people eat less than their body needs. Tick anything you've noticed in the past week or two. Nothing you tick is saved or sent anywhere.
Adults over 65 need extra care here: weakness and dizziness make falls and accidents more likely.
Check again any time your appetite, energy or weight changes quickly.
If you faint, have chest pain, or feel confused or very unwell, seek urgent care or call 911.
Sources
Where these recommendations come from
- Mozaffarian D, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association and The Obesity Society. Am J Clin Nutr 2025 (also in Obesity, Obesity Pillars and Am J Lifestyle Med). Summary
- US Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, 2018.
- Watson NF, et al. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: a joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Sleep 2015.
- Chilibeck PD, Kaviani M, Candow DG, Zello GA. Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis. Open Access J Sports Med 2017;8:213–226. Ongoing GLP-1 trial: NCT07625202.
- Rutledge T, Greco R. Changes in psychiatric symptoms, eating disorder behaviors, and health behaviors following six months of GLP-1 treatment for obesity. Heart and Mind 2026.
Educational only, not medical advice. Your prescriber and care team know your health history; talk with them before changing your medicine, your eating plan or your activity.