Millions of people currently using medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro, or Zepbound are facing a dilemma this Thanksgiving. They have to decide whether to stick to their medication schedule to suppress hunger or to indulge in feasting.
GLP-1 weight loss drugs are changing the holiday meal plans of users, affecting their dietary habits, menu choices, and even social interactions.
Many GLP-1 users are trying to strike a balance between enjoying holiday foods and achieving weight loss goals by strategically adjusting their medication and diet during the festive season.
Some patients choose to skip or delay their weekly medication injections in order to maximize their appetite on Thanksgiving. Taryn Langer from New Jersey, who lost 65 pounds after taking Mounjaro, decided to pause her medication this week to fully enjoy the feast.
She told The Wall Street Journal, “My sister-in-law usually serves sausage bread, deviled eggs, and cheese platters. I don’t want to miss out on those delicacies, or end up feeling full after just appetizers and unable to eat the main course.”
Since GLP-1 medications reduce interest in greasy, heavy, and overly sweet foods, some people’s holiday menus have already seen changes. Michael Donnelly-Boylen, who lost 125 pounds after taking Mounjaro, now reduces the use of maple syrup and brown sugar in cooking sweet potatoes and makes healthy pumpkin cheesecake with high-protein ingredients.
Jamie Steinberg from San Diego, who lost 40 pounds after taking Zepbound, told The Wall Street Journal, “I can eat what I want, but my brain and stomach tell me I’m ‘full’ pretty quickly.”
Apart from physical changes, GLP-1 medications may also bring psychological and social challenges, especially at family gatherings.
Endocrinologist Rocio Salas-Whalen from New York shared with Fox Digital News the psychological issues that may arise during weight loss. She pointed out that patients may struggle to keep up with the speed of their weight loss progress. Many find it hard to accept the changes in their body image post-weight loss and adjust to how family and friends treat them after losing weight.
According to her observations, some patients distance themselves from relatives because their new lifestyle, such as reduced social eating and drinking, conflicts with old social patterns.
Caley Svensson from New Jersey experienced “food noise” (constant food cravings) and weight regain due to stopping medication in the past. This year, she chose to stick to her injection schedule to prevent the recurrence of this situation.
Facing challenges during holiday feasting, doctors advise taking open and preventive measures.
Doctors suggest that delaying medication injections by a day or two is permissible, yet Ania Jastreboff, director of the Yale Obesity Research Center, recommends patients adjust their injection schedule afterwards.
Dr. Salas-Whalen recommends being open with family members as the best way to overcome social pressure and explain the dietary changes due to GLP-1 medications.
She told Fox, “You can say, ‘I’m full, I’m stopping here, please don’t persuade me anymore.'”
Jastreboff summed up the essence of Thanksgiving in an interview with The Wall Street Journal: “The focus of Thanksgiving is being together with family, friends, and loved ones… and the turkey is just the icing on the cake.”