How to Eat Well on a GLP-1 Diet

Brian Lawson/Unsplash

Ashley Damaj
8 Minute Read

Women using GLP-1 need to lift weights, but information about fuelling for training amid appetite suppression is scarce. Here: a macros-dense, GLP-1 diet.

Last year, GLP-1 medications became impossible to ignore in my coaching practice. About thirty-five percent of my current clients currently take one.

That statistic is skewed by the population I work with, of course. As a fitness and wellbeing coach based in Miami, I work with high-performing, affluent women who often have access to physicians willing to prescribe these medications, and the financial means to afford them long-term. Many also prioritize a lean physique. I also work with women who started the medication… and now want to stop.

A few months ago, a client said something during her intake that captures the tension many women are navigating right now. “I can finally see my abs and I’ve stopped binge eating,” she said. “But I feel weaker in the gym… and I’ve lost my butt.”

That sentence summarizes both the promise and the problem with GLP medications. They can be powerful tools, especially for people with obesity, metabolic disease, or who struggle with binge eating, but users need to be diligent about training and diet to ensure their bodies are nourished. They exist within a larger system of health that includes physiology, behavior, and training, and one biological rule still applies: weight loss is not a one size fits all approach.

GLP-1 works by suppressing the appetite and reducing 'food noise', but women on this medication do still need to eat. Despite this, there are currently no established guidelines or eating plans for how to nourish yourself well on GLP-1. Guidance suggests maintaining a deficit of 500 calories per day, plus proteinmaxxing. Beyond this, information is scarce.

On top of this, GLP-1 users are advised to strength train. Building muscle and staying lean requires alternate dietary strategy; how should women who are training eat to stay within a calorific deficit, but ensure they are adequately fueled to counterbalance the load? There is no magical per-meal calorie number to meet, which makes things complicated.

THE ISSUE

Many of my clients on GLPs drift into eating one meal per day simply because they’re not interested in food which creates a problem for muscle maintenance and growth. Many women on GLPs show up to workouts fasted simply because they’re not hungry, but women are increasingly aware of the need to fuel morning workouts to balance our hormones, especially into menopause. Being underfueled also makes it hard to stay hydrated.

Another issue appears quickly. Food diversity shrinks; when appetite disappears, people default to the same foods repeatedly. Over time a monochromatic diet will compromise micronutrient intake and gut health. Your gut bugs love diversity and your organism needs a kaleidoscope of vitamins and minerals to be optimized.

THE NUANCE: GLP-1 DOSE MATTERS MORE THAN PEOPLE THINK

The right dose should slightly reduce appetite. It should not erase it completely. This remains one of the most important conversations I have with clients and their physicians. If the only time someone feels hunger is the day before their next injection, the dose is too aggressive.

Underfueling when you are on a GLP makes it near impossible to preserve lean muscle during fat loss—forget gaining muscle. Women who lift do not need a huge carb load for every workout, but they do need enough available fuel and glycogen stores to train with quality and recover well.

HOW TO FUEL MORNING WORKOUTS

If your appetite is low, you don’t have to force a massive meal. I ask my clients to consume about 20 grams of carb pre-lift with about 15g protein. If you are doing cardio, that carb floor can raise up to 50 grams–if you’re running, 80 grams will suffice.

Think: A half banana with organic peanut butter (PB2), half a scoop of grass fed whey isolate protein, or greek yogurt with honey. All three options are good for most lifts, as they are low volume with fast digesting carbs and a touch of protein. For my clients who seriously cannot tolerate any fuel, an EAA (essential amino acid) drink can work as a temporary bridge.

Pro tip: try to find an amino acid with a touch of carb.

SO, WHAT SHOULD I EAT?

When food intake declines, every bite needs a job because your appetite no longer leaves room for freeloaders. Every calorie needs to fight for its life. Nutrient density becomes crucial. From a macro perspective, we’re talking most calories from protein, adequate healthy fats, and carbs from rotating whole food choices.

Many women ask me how they should determine calorie intake if they don’t track calories or wear a smartwatch or activity tracker. The truth is that most wearables are wildly inaccurate when estimating energy expenditure anyway.

Instead of obsessing over one perfect calorie number per meal, I would give women a simple framework: if you are training three days per week, most meals will often land somewhere around 350 to 450 calories, built around 30 to 40 grams of protein, a real serving of produce or fiber, and enough fats and carbs to make the meal hormonally and physiologically useful.

If you are training five days per week, meals often need to land a bit higher, at 400 to 550 calories, with the increase usually coming from carbohydrates. That is not because five training days require some dramatic bulk. It is because women who train more need a little more fuel to recover. The upside: you’ll feel strong enough to actually enjoy your workouts, instead of feeling like every session is powered by self-loathing. Don’t let yourself train on fumes.

THE GLP-1 FRIENDLY, MACROS-DENSE DIET

PROTEIN

GLP-1s are an expensive way to make your muscles disappear unless you’re nailing your protein.

Aim for roughly 25–35 grams of protein across multiple meals per day. Protein might look like 4–5 ounces of chicken or fish twice per day, a grass-fed, whey isolate shake with an egg, or egg whites at another meal. This typically lands someone in the 120–140 grams of protein range without needing large meals that feel overwhelming on a GLP-1. Overall, whether a woman is lifting three times per week or five, the protein needs are the same—though the latter needs to hit the upper end of the range more consistently.

If you are training 3x per week: aim for roughly 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day, spread across multiple meals, with some carbohydrate around training.

If you are training 5x per week: aim for the top end of that protein range. Make sure you are not under eating total calories.

Pro tip: If heavier protein shakes aren’t for you, look for clear pink lemonade flavors (found at MindBodyGreen) that pack the same amount of protein but don’t feel like a large, unwanted meal. For those with dairy sensitivities, beef protein powder (found at Equip) has the highest protein to lowest-calorie ratio on the market.

NUTRIENT-DENSE FOODS

On a GLP-1, volume is your enemy. Users tend to prefer smaller, more frequent meals, but it’s easy to quickly become full on starchy vegetables and salads, leaving little room for protein and carb needs. The target is not maximum fullness, it is maximum nourishment in portions you can actually tolerate.

Rotate nutrient dense foods, even if they don’t “sound good”, and prioritize foods that give you more nutritional ROI in smaller quantities. Think: potatoes, root vegetables and squashes. Eggs, 2% Greek yogurt, salmon, chicken thighs and lean red meat for protein. Avocado for fats. Plus beans, lentils, chia, and flax seeds. I like these for my GLP-1 clients because they help fill in protein, healthy fats, and other essentials.

If you are training 3x per week: cover your bases by hitting high protein with fats, and eat your protein first. Use moderate portions of starchier carbs so you can eat enough without feeling stuffed.

If you are training 5x per week: this is where you need a little more fuel from potatoes, rice, oats, beans, lentils, squash, or fruit so your training can be fueled and you can recover well from it. Aim for the same foundation of protein and fat.

CARBOHYDRATES

The most important differentiator between 3 and 5 day training weeks is carbs and total energy, not protein.

For most women, it’s often just 25 to 60 grams of extra carbs per day, equating to around 100 to 250 additional calories. especially on training days. I call this the Goldilocks amount, because the increase is not huge, but it’s just right.

Basically, women need enough to support performance and recovery—not enough to accidentally turn a strength phase into a bulk.

Potatoes, rice, oats, fruit, beans, lentils, and squash can all work. Potatoes are often better than squash when the job is actual fuel, because it gives you more carbohydrate per serving, plus potassium. Wellness people love to act dramatic around white rice, but I’m here to dispel the myth: white rice is not inferior to brown rice (which has more fiber). In fact, for GLP-1 users, white rice is often superior as it’s easier to digest and works beautifully around training. I eat eggs and white rice often during bodybuilding prep.

If you are training 3x per week: you do not need a mountain of rice at every meal, but you do need to eat enough quick digesting carbs strategically around training to perform. All carb types help you to recover, and not feel like you’re dragging your ass through the week.

If you are training 5x per week: stop pretending carbs are optional because they need them for the energetic output required for strength training. Those extra 25 to 60 grams per day (100-250 carb calories, roughly) gives you good ROI, especially on training days.

Pro tip: Cook carbohydrates in bone broth to add minerals and collagen. Think: instant pot rice, quinoa, farro and pasta.

FATS

Eat a maximum of 50g per day, which is actually not very much. For a 150 pound woman at roughly 25 percent body fat, that often looks like 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil across meals and a small handful of nuts during the day.

As your body fat reduces on GLP-1, now is not the time to lower fats indefinitely. Why? Fats are the top of the totem pole for hormones, absorption of fat soluble vitamins, satiety, and overall diet quality. I get protective over maintaining fats, and for most women, I treat 50 grams per day as a floor, not a ceiling.

Fat needs do not change whether someone is lifting three days per week or five. Pay attention to whether you are feeling colder, flatter in the gym, more fatigued, more food focused, constipated, or hormonally just off—all are signs that the deficit is getting too aggressive. I’d add more fats in this instance.

If you are training 3x per week: aim to keep fats steady at a real baseline, not get rid of them to get lean as you will suffer hormonally. For most women, 50 grams a day is the minimum; adjust total calories (specifically carbs) carefully around it.

If you are training 5x per week: aim to keep that same fat floor in place, and add fuel with carbohydrates. More training does not mean fats become optional. It means recovery matters more.

FIBER

GLP-1 constipation is one of the least sexy parts of this whole conversation, but here we are. A reality of any GLP-1 is that it slows food’s metabolism in your gut. This means fiber becomes a crucial part of your dietary landscape.

What to eat: prioritize tolerable, fiber rich foods that do not crowd out protein. Think: berries, kiwi, avocado, chia seeds, ground flax, lentils, beans, oats, potatoes. Plus, moderate portions of non-starchy vegetables such as zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, and leafy greens. Make sure fluids and electrolytes are high enough for that fiber to actually help.

If you are training 3x per week: aim for roughly 20 to 25 grams of fiber per day, enough to help keep you regular without making already limited intake feel even heavier or harder to tolerate.

If you are training 5x per week: aim for roughly 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day, but make sure you are still prioritizing protein and carbohydrates with every meal. In other words, don’t fill up on non-starchy vegetables first. Fiber is important to keep digestion moving, but protein and carbs still take priority.

Pro tip: Magnesium citrate helps pull water into the bowel and get things moving. And if your constipation gets worse when you are stressed, vagus nerve work can help too, because a dysregulated nervous system can slow everything down even more. If your body is stuck in fight or flight, it is not exactly in the mood to peacefully take a dump. There are awesome guided vagus nerve guided meditations apps, which usually include breathwork and ‘S’ sounds. See also: walking after meals, hydration, and a consistent bathroom routine.

IS THERE ANYTHING I SHOULD AVOID EATING?

You don’t need a food blacklist; no fruit is too sugary for GLP-1 diets.

Berries and kiwi (skin on!) are great because they are fiber rich and relatively low calorie. Bananas are great when someone actually needs a more useful training carb. Avocado is incredibly nutrient dense, but it is also easy to overdo.

Pro tip: think in terms of one quarter to one half per meal, rather than mindlessly adding a whole one. For rice, a good starting point is about one half cup cooked in a meal.

Use this as a guide, but always go off how you feel. All these portion estimations are truly based upon your calorie and macro needs.

If you are recovering, sleeping, hitting your protein, lifting well, staying reasonably regular, and your body fat percentage and skeletal muscle mass (SMM) metrics are trending in the right direction, the intake is probably close. Using this eating plan, GLP-1 users can feel nourished, get lean and stay strong.

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