Starting a GLP-1? Here’s how to set yourself up for success

If you’ve been reading the headlines about GLP-1s, you might think the process goes something like this: Jab, wait, lose weight, repeat. Easy enough! But there’s more to the medication than that, and if you want to really set yourself up for success on a GLP-1, especially for long-term results, then there might need to be some bigger shifts involved.

Making those changes may feel a little easier than they have in the past. That’s because the medication reduces your appetite and quiets your food noise, giving you more bandwidth to fine-tune your healthy habits. So what kind of things should you focus on? Consider this your playbook.

Key takeaways

• GLP-1s reduce your appetite and food noise, giving you an opportunity to establish healthy habits.

• The most important habits include eating protein and fiber, moving regularly, strength training, and staying hydrated.

• If you end up tapering or stopping the medication, having a baseline of healthy habits in place could help you hold on to more of your weight loss.

• Behavior change can be hard, but the Weight Watchers GLP-1 Success Program and app were built to support these shifts.

There’s no arguing that GLP-1s are designed for ongoing treatment. After all, type 2 diabetes — for which GLP-1s were initially FDA approved — and obesity are considered chronic conditions requiring long-term medication. But research shows that 64% of people taking GLP-1s for overweight and obesity stopped taking the medication within a year, with two common reasons being side effects (which can include gastrointestinal issues like vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea) and cost.

That means you might not be on a GLP-1 forever — one reason why adjusting your lifestyle alongside medication is so important. Here’s why: Going off a GLP-1 can come with the risk that you gain back the weight you lost (without the medication, your appetite will increase). But if you have healthy habits firmly in place and maintain those routines post-medication, you might be able to minimize how much weight you gain back. For instance, one study found that people who started an exercise program while they were on a GLP-1 maintained their weight loss better than people who weren't physically active while on a GLP-1.

The time you’re taking a GLP-1 is the perfect moment to build those habits. You can “allow the GLP-1 to take the pressure off the hunger cues and the food noise,” says Weight Watchers Coach Creator Olivia Ward, who’s been on a GLP-1 for nearly four years. That allows you to be more intentional with your choices and, as Ward describes it, build your “muscle memory.” For instance, “I wake up and I start drinking water,” she says. “And I take a 10-minute walk after I eat.” Ward feels that these habits will be easy to maintain even if she decides to stop taking the medication. And that’s the whole idea — that you establish behavioral and eating habits while you’re on the drug that start to feel like second nature. That, in turn, can make it easier to sustain them wherever your GLP-1 journey takes you. 

The GLP-1 may give you an edge in making healthy changes in your life, but it’s still up to you to take action and adjust how you eat, drink, exercise, and more. Here’s what to focus on and how to make meaningful changes. 

Hit your protein target

Getting adequate protein is important for everyone, but it becomes even more crucial if you’re taking a weight-loss med. “GLP-1 medications reduce appetite dramatically, which is the point — but it means patients often eat far less protein than they need without realizing it,” says Dr. Gitanjali Srivastava, M.D., medical director for obesity medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. When you lose weight quickly and aren’t eating enough protein, that weight loss can come from lean mass, including your muscles. “Muscle is what keeps you strong, mobile, and metabolically healthy as you age, so we want to protect it,” she says. 

A good goal: roughly 1.0 to 1.6 grams of protein for every kilogram of your current body weight. Make it easy by prioritizing high-protein foods whenever you eat and tracking food in the WW app, which automatically tallies your protein intake throughout the day. It’s one reason why 72% of Weight Watchers Med+ members who participate in the GLP-1 Success Program say the app helps them reach their protein targets.*

Don’t forget about fiber

Fiber can help keep you regular — something that becomes extra important when taking a GLP-1, which can cause constipation. So alongside your protein, make sure to have some whole grains or beans on the side. Throughout the day, you’ll want to aim for about 25 grams for adult women and 38 grams for adult men through age 50. For adults over age 50, that recommendation is 21 grams for women and 30 grams for men. This is another area that you can rely on the WW app: It tracks your fiber intake automatically and shows you how close you are to reaching your goal. 

Move often

Physical activity is a key part of staying healthy on a GLP-1 — particularly strength training. “It's the most direct signal you can send your body to hold on to muscle while you're in a calorie deficit,” says Srivastava. Strength training cues the cells in your muscles to maintain and potentially rebuild tissue — and effectively tells the body that it’s still important and therefore shouldn’t be used for fuel. Srivastava recommends working all major muscle groups via resistance training two to three times a week, adding weight over time as it gets easier (because you’re getting stronger).

That said, aerobic activity shouldn’t be off the table. “It still matters for cardiovascular health, mood, and long-term weight maintenance, so walking and cardio stay in the plan,” she says. “But if a patient tells me they only have time for one, I'll ask them to lift.”

Prioritizing exercise isn’t always easy on a GLP-1. Research suggests that people who take these weight-loss meds actually lessen their physical activity. But Weight Watchers Med+ members given the GLP-1 Success Program increase the number of days they strength train by 53.2%.** 

Track what matters

When you aren’t on a GLP-1, tracking food can help you make sure you’re eating the right amount to lose weight at the right pace. But GLP-1s reduce your appetite to the point that you don’t need to worry as much about overeating. That doesn’t mean you should stop tracking your food, though. After all, you can’t stay on top of your protein and fiber intake or hydration if you have no idea how much you’re getting. And people aren’t great at guesstimating. With protein, for instance, “most people overestimate their intake,” says Srivastava. 

However, only track what’s important. “For many patients, protein, fiber, and fluids is enough to monitor,” Srivastava says. “Obsessive tracking of everything can backfire.” The Weight Watchers app makes that easy by tracking those key metrics right on the dashboard, so you can know exactly how much you need to eat or drink to close the gap. And it can have a real impact. After two years, Med+ members who engage regularly with the app lost 19% more weight than those who didn’t.^

Prioritize hydration and sleep

Hydration is critical when you’re on a GLP-1, since it can help ease certain side effects. Without it, “dehydration worsens nausea and constipation,” says Srivastava. But it can be hard to drink more water with a reduced appetite, as that can also make you less thirsty, she says. Keep a water bottle nearby so you can take small sips throughout the day (versus chugging a full glass only when you remember), and incorporate water-dense foods like fruit and vegetables into your meals and snacks. Srivastava also recommends dialing back your alcohol intake as well, since it can be a diuretic and leave you even more dehydrated.

Also on your list should be getting a good night’s sleep and managing your stress, “since both affect appetite and metabolism,” says Srivastava. Poor sleep can lead to an uptick in hormones that drive hunger, while both stress and a lack of shut-eye can make it harder for your body to manage your blood sugar. Plus, GLP-1s can sometimes lead to fatigue, especially early on, since you’re running on less fuel than usual. Prioritizing your shut-eye can give you the energy you need to stay on track with your other good habits (after all, it’s hard to work out when you’re running on fumes).

You can track your nightly sleep and water intake right in the Weight Watchers app as well, which can help you focus on getting enough of both. And this can have a trickle-down effect on how you feel. In a survey, 73% of Med+ members given the GLP-1 Success Program say it helped minimize their side effects.*

Build your support system

Like any other endeavor out there, it helps to have a community of other people on the same journey as you. This is a core component of Weight Watchers Med+ program, which is described by 79% of survey participants who are taking a GLP-1 and following the GLP-1 Success Program as a supportive, judgment-free community.* 

This can be huge for your well-being. “To lose weight long-term, you really need a community of people that can show up for you — and that you can show up for,” says Ward. “Seeing others have success, and reclaim their own health, can validate the decision you made for yourself.” And research shows that this peer support can actually lead to more weight loss as well.

Support can also mean having a coach. “Good coaching, whether from a dietitian, a health coach, or a structured program, helps patients translate ‘eat more protein’ and ‘lift weights’ into a real regimen,” says Srivastava. This is why all Weight Watchers Med+ members get access to coaches who are trained in behavioral science. After all, “the landmark GLP-1 trials didn't give medication in a vacuum,” Srivastava says. “Participants also received lifestyle counseling.” 

Practice the mindset shift

Even if your GLP-1 journey isn’t a lifelong commitment, the habits you build alongside it can be — but you need to give yourself grace along the way. For one thing, you don’t have to master all of the above tasks at once. “There are going to be a lot of changes that you'll have to make, but you can do it over time,” says Ward. “You get to take small steps: making small changes every day, working on how you approach things, and learning about setbacks is a huge part of it.” 

Taken together, all of these little steps combine to be something big. 73% of GLP-1 Success Program members surveyed said that Weight Watchers, with its focus on simple lifestyle changes, has given them life-changing results.* 

And if you slip up, know that it’s an expected, normal part of the process. Aiming for perfection can create an all-or-nothing approach, where the moment you go off your plan, you throw in the towel and write off the whole day as being “unhealthy.” 

This is also a good time to practice broadening your idea of what “success” even is. “Most people don't celebrate anything they do except for what they see on the scale,” says Ward. To that end, she recommends identifying what a “ non-scale victory ” might be for you — maybe you lifted 20-pound dumbbells for the first time, or went on a walk with a new friend from a support group — and find a way to celebrate it.

The entire idea behind the GLP-1 Success Program, which is offered to all Weight Watchers Med+ members, is that it can help you create healthier habits while you’re taking weight-loss medication. Right in the app, you can track protein, fiber, and hydration and sync your fitness tracker or smartwatch to stay on top of your physical activity. You also get access to on-demand workouts, virtual and in-person Workshops, coaches, and a community of people just like you. That can go a long way in getting and maintaining the best results. “The medication changes the biology; the support system changes the behavior,” says Srivastava. 

And if you ever find that you need to stop taking a GLP-1, you can switch from the Med+ program to the Core+ program to help you keep up with the healthy habits you worked so hard to create. 76% of Med+ GLP-1 Success Program members surveyed say the program has helped them build healthy habits that will last.* “Structure and accountability help people build the habits that carry them through plateaus, side effects, and eventually maintenance,” says Srivastava.

So you’re getting ready to wind things down with your GLP-1, whether that’s because of the cost or you lost your insurance coverage. First, loop your clinician in early and talk to them about how to taper your GLP-1, since it may make the transition easier (and early signs show that tapering might minimize regain).

As you head into your last 30 days on a GLP-1, stay super focused on your healthy habits, since your appetite and the food noise will come back soon after you stop the medication. Talk with your coaches, a registered dietitian, and other people who have gone through this transition to get tips on ways to keep up with your lifestyle. You don’t need to navigate this phase on your own. 

A GLP-1 can help create the perfect conditions — less food noise and a reduced appetite — for establishing healthy habits. Use it as an opportunity to focus on eating a balanced diet with lots of protein, stay on top of your hydration, lock in an exercise routine you can stick with, and build a support system. By prioritizing a healthy lifestyle and getting support and guidance, you may be able to keep up with those habits and maintain more of your weight loss even if you go off the medication. Weight Watchers can help you make these shifts by giving you the tools you need, from easy-to-use trackers and on-demand workouts to supportive peer groups and coaches.