From Food Noise to Fullness

How GLP-1 Transforms Weight Loss

What Do GLP-1 Meds Do?

The most obvious answer is that GLP-1 meds help you lose weight.

But what and how do they do it?

The scientific answer? Let’s ask Google!

“GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound) mimic a gut hormone to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity by stimulating insulin release, suppressing glucagon, slowing gastric emptying, and signaling the brain to reduce appetite and increase fullness. They improve blood sugar control and may reduce risks of addiction.”

GLP-1 medications, Wegvoy, Mounjaro, Trulicity, Zepbound

Appetite Suppression & Satiety: They directly act on the brain’s satiety centers to reduce hunger and cravings.
Blood Sugar Management: They stimulate the pancreas to release insulin when blood sugar is high and suppress glucagon, a hormone that raises blood sugar.
Delayed Digestion: They slow down gastric emptying, meaning food stays in the stomach longer, which helps you feel full faster.

TL;DR GLP-1 meds suppress your appetite to reduce cravings, slow down your digestive system so you feel full sooner and longer, and help your body more effectively manage your blood sugar.

Appetite? What Appetite?

For me, the medication worked as advertised. It suppressed my appetite and reduced my cravings. With my first meal, I felt full and even stuffed as I tried to eat the same portions I’d always eaten. It was surprising and a bit unsettling. It didn’t seem like a good idea to reduce my calories even further. Wouldn’t I feel unsatisfied and hungry if I cut my calories that much?

Short answer?

No. I was fine.

Long answer?

My appetite had disappeared. If anything, I felt sick and sluggish from eating too much. The previous serving sizes were too big, and I couldn’t finish my meals. I learned that if I kept eating, I would get indigestion and would need to take an antacid.

This is where the long-held belief of cleaning my plate had to be addressed. I was no longer capable of doing that. I learned I either had to make smaller meals or get comfortable throwing food away because the portions I was trying to eat were too big.

At the opposite end of the spectrum was another lesson I learned. I became nauseous and weak if I didn’t eat approximately every three hours. It also had to include protein so it would hold me over until the next meal. Which led me to eat three regular, smaller meals and two or three snacks throughout the day. Which brought home the importance of meal planning.

Food Noise

GLP-1 meds did something else for me that was just as important. It got rid of my food noise. That’s the part above where it talks about the brain’s satiety centers reducing cravings.

What’s food noise?

Let’s ask Google!

“It is persistent, intrusive mental chatter, cravings, and constant thoughts about food, often leading to reduced satiety and difficulty stopping eating. It is characterized by nonstop thoughts about when, what, and how much to eat, frequently triggered by stress, dietary restriction, or highly palatable, ultra-processed foods.”

Real-life definition?

You know all those thoughts you have about food? Maybe you’re constantly planning what to eat next. Or you have an overwhelming urge to eat pizza or chocolate. Or you can’t stop thinking about stopping at Starbucks on the way home for a Caramel Frappuccino. Or maybe you’re stressing out about something, and you turn to food to soothe yourself, only to get caught up in its comfort. You might even use food to deal with boredom. Do you recognize any of this? This is food noise.

I had constant thoughts sneaking up on me, and suddenly they were gone. Puff! It was disconcerting. I had a lot of old behaviors and habits hanging out in the back of my head, which were confusing because I didn’t need them anymore, nor did they really work. I’d see something I liked to eat, think about buying it, and then realize I wasn’t as interested in it as I used to be. It was an odd feeling. Suffice to say, thoughts about food dissipated.

Side Effects Serve a Purpose

I will admit, I occasionally indulged in old habits. I learned that if I followed through on previous behaviors, either the food was unsatisfying or it was unappealing once I had it in front of me. I learned that fatty foods I once enjoyed didn’t sit well in my stomach, and while I still might want pizza, etc. I learned to eat a lot less or avoid it altogether. Even sugar didn’t give me the lift it once did, and if I ate more than a bite or two, I found it too sweet and sort of repellent.

This is where all the warnings about nausea, indigestion, and lower tract digestion issues, etc., come into play. If you eat something high in fat, I can guarantee you’ll be sick to your stomach, or your lower digestive tract will rebel later.

I developed indigestion and had to keep antacids handy almost immediately upon starting the medication. But I got lucky. In a short time, I stopped needing antacids because I learned what I could eat and how to limit my portions. Interestingly enough, I didn’t miss the food I gave up.

But the side effects served their purpose—I stopped eating foods that made me ill. (I’ll get into side effects later. For now, let’s lump digestive issues into one big category and agree it’s all unpleasant and you would rather avoid them.)

Changing Relationship With Food

GLP-1 meds work by changing your relationship with food. They suppress your appetite to reduce cravings, so that they disappear, along with the food noise you were plagued with. All of which makes old food rules obsolete because you can no longer eat the way you once did. And it also rids you of old behaviors because foods you can’t easily eat become unappealing or cause discomfort. All of which forces you to relate to food differently. In the end, the GLP-1 meds work because the outcome of all the changed behavior they cause is that you end up eating less, which translates into weight loss. Exactly what we all want!