Almost her entire life, 56-year-old Jennifer Kirtley felt so consumed by food thoughts that immediately after breakfast, she would ponder her lunch menu. Recently, though, Kirtley went almost all day without eating, a noticeable behavior change coming only 31⁄2 months after starting Wegovy, a popular weight-loss medication. “It’s mind-blowing that I have to remember to eat,” said Kirtley of Lake Worth Beach.
“But when I am eating less amount of food, I know that I have to pay attention to what I am eating and make sure I am getting nutrients.” Kirtley started at 328 pounds on April 1 and has lost 38 by taking the weight-loss medication under a doctor’s supervision. She follows a carefully researched diet heavy on lean protein, vegetables and lots of water.
“To avoid losing muscle mass, I focus on the protein, not on calories,” she said. GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy , Ozempic and Mounjaro have emerged as a game-changer for weight loss, slowing digestion and increasing how satiated you feel after eating. But South Florida dietitians caution that taking weight-loss drugs can be risky if you don’t have the right diet.
Everything from your bones to your muscles can atrophy as you shed pounds too quickly. They guide patients on how to eat while on medications without causing their body harm. “If someone does not know how to eat on these medications, they may be exchanging one problem for another,” said Lillian Craggs-Dino, a licensed dietician and support grou.