- Lifestyle choices can either hinder or complement the effectiveness of GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound.
- Health experts say there are several research-backed strategies that may help improve weight loss results while taking GLP-1 drugs.
- These include getting regular exercise, reducing stress, eating a healthy diet, and prioritizing sleep.
GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound have grown in popularity due to their ability to help people lose significant amounts of weight.
However, while these drugs are a useful tool for many people, they’re far from a “silver bullet” that guarantees you’ll shed pounds quickly or, in some cases, lose any weight at all.
Lifestyle choices can greatly impact the effectiveness of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.
Experts say the following healthy habits can help increase the weight you may lose while taking these medications, as well as maintain the results long-term.
Exercise regularly
It probably won’t come as much of a surprise that getting regular exercise is a great way to complement the effects of Wegovy and Zepbound.
A common complaint about these drugs — and dramatic weight loss in general — is that they may cause you to lose muscle mass as well as fat.
“Exercise will help you maintain your muscle mass and prevent muscle loss during weight loss,” said registered dietitian Kim Shapira.
She explained that resistance training, specifically, is a great way to help protect against the loss of muscle mass and promote fat loss, which is essential for your metabolism and weight maintenance.
Kristin Kirkpatrick, dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Department of Wellness and Preventive Medicine, points to a study published in 2021 that supports this idea.
Researchers found muscle mass loss impacts metabolism, cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, and even mortality.
“This is also a critical factor if/when you choose to reduce the dose or stop the medication completely, as low muscle mass increases the risk of rapid weight gain,” Kirkpatrick says.
Prioritize sleep
Quality sleep might not immediately spring to mind when it comes to weight loss, but it may play a bigger role than you realize.
Feeling tired and irritable can affect your ability to make healthy choices and, on a physical level, your ability to lose weight.
“When a person doesn’t sleep well, meaning they have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up feeling unrested, this increases the stress hormone cortisol,” Shapira says. “When cortisol levels are high, it changes the way we metabolize food and disrupts our hormone balance.”
Research suggests that sufficient sleep is essential for maintaining a healthy weight.
A study published in 2022 found that a pattern of sleep duration of less than six hours a night has been associated with a higher body mass index.
The same study cites short sleep duration as a “significant risk factor for weight gain and obesity.”
Eat a healthy diet
While Wegovy and Zepbound can produce dramatic results, the importance of good nutrition should not be overlooked — particularly if you want to maintain weight loss long-term.
GLP-1 medications help regulate the hormones that signal the brain that you’re hungry and help increase feelings of fullness so you’re more likely to eat smaller amounts of food.
That said, Shapira says it’s always best to eat a balanced diet full of fiber, vegetables, whole grains, and foods with omega-3 and protein.
Consuming enough protein may be key to preventing weight regain if you decide to stop taking Wegovy or Zepbound.
A 2021 review notes that diets with higher protein intake can provide significant benefits to prevent weight regain.
For Kirkpatrick, making every bite count is key when you’re taking a GLP-1 drug.
“GLP-1 agonist drugs reduce appetite and, consequently, the volume of food intake. A deficient volume of food may increase the risk of malnutrition, so getting a nutritional bang in every bite is critical,” she explains.
Reduce stress
Stress can also impact your ability to lose weight.
“Just like lack of sleep, being stuck in a ‘fight or flight mode‘ increases our cortisol levels, which affects our metabolism, causing insulin resistance and disrupting our hormone health,” Shapira explains.
Several studies have found an association between stress and obesity, including recent research published in January that suggests childhood stress may contribute to an increased risk of heart disease and obesity.
“It’s important to practice ways to regulate your nervous system, such as taking deep breaths often or spending some time meditating,” Shapira advises.
Takeaway
Drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound can trigger dramatic weight loss results. However, lifestyle choices can hinder or complement their effectiveness.
Health experts say that the best way to increase the effectiveness of GLP-1 weight loss drugs is with healthy strategies like regular exercise, stress reduction, and prioritizing quality nutrition.
Implementing these lifestyle changes now may also help you maintain your weight loss results in the future.
