Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, these drugs are now widely used for rapid weight loss. Their popularity has soared, with influencers, celebrities, and even your neighbor touting them as miracle solutions.
But while these medications may help shed pounds quickly, they might not be the healthiest or most sustainable path. Before you jump on the GLP-1 bandwagon, it’s worth understanding what they are, what they do to your body, and why there may be a better way forward.
GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone naturally produced by your gut when you eat. Its primary job is to regulate blood sugar by triggering insulin release and slowing the emptying of your stomach. This also helps reduce appetite and increase feelings of fullness.
GLP-1 plays an important role in digestion, appetite control, and overall metabolic health. When functioning properly, it helps your body respond efficiently to food, preventing dramatic blood sugar spikes and crashes.
GLP-1 medications are synthetic versions of this hormone. Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro mimic the effects of natural GLP-1 to help regulate glucose and reduce hunger. While they were initially designed for managing type 2 diabetes, they’re now being prescribed off-label and widely used for weight loss.
GLP-1 drugs work by mimicking your body’s natural hormones to suppress appetite and improve blood sugar control. By slowing digestion and promoting satiety, people taking these drugs tend to eat less, which often leads to rapid weight loss.
However, the side effects can be significant. Many users experience nausea, vomiting, constipation, or diarrhea. More concerning are reports of muscle loss, fatigue, and potential nutrient deficiencies due to severely reduced calorie intake. There are also growing concerns about how these drugs might impact long-term metabolic health. Some negative impacts could range from bone loss to muscle mass.
Beyond the physical side effects, there’s the issue of sustainability. Many people regain weight once they stop taking the medication. There’s also a psychological cost when your relationship with food is shaped by aversion and suppression rather than nourishment and balance.
There’s a new trend of “GLP-1 diets” where people on these medications follow ultra-low-calorie plans to accelerate weight loss. But combining extreme dieting with appetite-suppressing drugs can be dangerous. It increases the risk of nutrient deficiency, energy crashes, and disordered eating patterns.
Instead of crash dieting or relying on pharmaceutical intervention, it’s worth exploring whole-diet strategies that support metabolic health naturally. Two of the most promising approaches are the ketogenic and carnivore diets.
The ketogenic diet, which emphasizes healthy fats and low carbs, stabilizes blood sugar, increases satiety, and has been shown to naturally elevate GLP-1 levels. It helps your body become more metabolically flexible, reducing insulin spikes and improving hunger signals.
The carnivore diet, while more restrictive, eliminates processed foods, sugar, and many common gut irritants. By focusing on nutrient-dense animal products, it naturally reduces inflammation, balances blood sugar, and promotes fullness. Both diets support the same pathways that GLP-1 drugs attempt to influence, but they do so without the need for synthetic hormones or pharmaceutical intervention.
GLP-1 medications might offer fast results, but they don’t address the root causes of weight gain and metabolic dysfunction. They’re designed to manage symptoms, not fix the underlying issues.
Sustainable weight loss and better health come from working with your body, not against it. A diet rooted in whole foods, natural hormones, and smart lifestyle changes empowers you to reclaim control. Keto and carnivore may not be trendy quick fixes, but they can offer something far more valuable: lasting change without dependency.
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Hannemann, K. (2025, February 10). What is the MOA for GLP-1 drugs and how do they work?. Drugs.com. https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/what-moa-glp-1-drugs-how-work-3579170
Tucker, M. E. (2025, May 22). Be aware of lesser-known downsides to GLP-1 weight loss. Medscape. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/be-aware-lesser-known-downsides-glp-1-weight-loss-2025a1000cwy
Nymo, S., Coutinho, S. R., Jorgensen, J., Rehfeld, J. F., Truby, H., Kulseng, B., & Martins, C. (2017, August). Timeline of changes in appetite during weight loss with a ketogenic diet. International journal of obesity (2005). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28439092/