Can You Be A Festive Foodie On GLP-1 Medication?

Is it possible to enjoy a ‘normal Christmas’ on GLP-1 medication? For many of us, December is an excuse to overindulge and end up in a festive food coma. Mince pies, Quality Street chocolates, Irish Cream and novelty pigs in blankets flavoured crisps abound - and that can add extra pressure when you’re on a weight management journey with Mounjaro (tirzepatide) or Wegovy (semaglutide). As the big day approaches, we’ve had lots of questions from our community about how to navigate Christmas whilst taking GLP-1 medication. Whether you’re worrying about losing the appetite for your favourite treats, nervous about withstanding seasonal snack cravings or questioning if it’s safe to skip a dose to indulge, our in-house women’s health expert, Dr Sarah Welsh, is here with the answers.

Can I Skip A Mounjaro or Wegovy Dose At Christmas?

“In the UK, it’s common for us to overeat at Christmas time, or indulge in rich multi-course meals as part of the celebrations. With this in mind, you might be considering your injection schedule and how it will impact your enjoyment. Seen a TikTok trend about skipping a dose to better enjoy turkey and treats? Our community cite various motivations behind wanting to skip a dose of Mounjaro or Wegovy at Christmas, including:

• As Mounjaro and Wegovy work to suppress appetite, some worry that they won’t have the appetite to enjoy festive favourites. If the thought of idly picking at a roast potato is disappointing, you might be tempted to skip a dose to boost your appetite for the big day.

• GLP-1 medication also affects how quickly your stomach digests food, slowing down the digestion process so you feel fuller more quickly and stay feeling full for a longer time. If you’re used to all-day grazing and have been calorie-restricting as part of a weight management programme, you might think skipping a dose will ensure you can stomach your usual level of indulgence.

• You might be worried about experiencing gastro-intestinal side effects (including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation) over the festive break, especially if your injection day lands on Christmas Eve/Day and you usually experience these.

Don’t get too excited, though. Like many social media fads, you should follow official guidelines for taking your medication. Here's why...

Why You Shouldn’t Skip A GLP-1 Dose Over Christmas

• An important reminder: consistency is key with GLP-1 medication for weight management. Mounjaro and Wegovy are most effective when taken as prescribed: once a week, ideally at the same time and on the same day. 

• Skipping a dose to ‘boost’ your appetite, or minimise side effects from overeating, may have little to no impact as the ingredients in Mounjaro can stay in your system for up to 30 days.

• Missing just one dose to indulge at Christmas could have a negative impact on your ongoing motivation and healthier mentality. Staying focused on weight management as a longterm lifestyle choice, rather than a short term restriction mode, is the key to success. 

• You might experience stronger side effects when reintroducing medication to your system after a missed dose. 

Instead, you might wish to slightly reschedule your injection day, if it lands on Christmas week celebrations, to give yourself 24-48 hours for your body to adjust to any side effects.

What Can I Eat At Christmas On Mounjaro or Wegovy?

Going into the festive season when managing your weight with GLP-1 medication requires a full mindset shift. Instead of suffering through restrictions under duress, make the effort to find a new reasonable and sustainable way to enjoy Christmas. Rather than an ‘everything and anything’ mentality, go into Christmas with an open mindset to making it work for where you are right now, and your future goals.

• You don’t need to go wild. Consider this period business as usual, with continued focus on a calorie-controlled diet. You don’t need to eat things you wouldn’t usually due to peer pressure. If pastry-clad mincemeat or parma ham wrapped quail stuffed inside a turkey aren’t things you’d ever go for outside of the holiday break, you don’t need to for the sake of ~tradition~ or festive spirit.

• Make swaps to enable you to still take part in the traditions. Some people find that rather than avoiding Christmas dinner altogether, swapping in less calorie-rich options results in a delicious meal without straying off track. For instance, rather than reaching for the Cheeselets, make your own stash of protein-rich snacks to keep on hand. In the final stages of planning your festive meal? Find our top weight management-supporting Xmas food swaps here.
  
  

How To Handle Festive Food Noise?

Food noise, aka constant mental chatter about food, can be frustrating to manage at the best of times. Whilst GLP-1 medication is proven to reduce this, Christmas might test your willpower a little more. Here are some ways to manage it over the break:

• Find festive activities that don’t revolve around food. If weakly smashing through a Chocolate Orange in front of The Great Escape at 3pm is your weakness, switch off the box and get outside for some fresh air. My family are big fans of touring all the Christmas lights in the local area, or heading to the hills for a long walk and gossip (wrapped up warm!).

• If you usually get treated to mounds of chocolate, ask your friends, family and loved ones to hold back from sliding a metre long Toblerone in your stocking. You’re less likely to obsess over treats if they aren’t in your immediate vicinity.

• On the other hand, you might find that your usual appetite for festive indulgence is lacking this year. It’s true: Mounjaro and Wegovy do quieten so-called food noise. This can be a little strange if you’ve always been a foodie. For many of us, the planning and preparation of the festive feast is a major part of the holidays, so it might take a while to get used to an absence of enthusiasm for the old faves. It doesn’t mean you’ll never feel it again, but you might want to try exploring other areas of festive celebrations e.g. decorations, crafting a wreath for your front door or elaborate mocktail creation.
  

Do I Need To Tell My Family I’m On Mounjaro or Wegovy?

A weight management journey with GLP-1 medication involves making key lifestyle changes, including moving more and eating a calorie-controlled diet. If you weren’t previously a gym-goer, or are making major changes to your food choices, you might be worried about family, friends and loved ones’ reactions to you being on weight management medication. Despite being science-backed, effective and as emerging studies shows, especially effective for women versus traditional weight loss advice, Mounjaro and Wegovy are still heavily stigmatised. 

If you’re worried about having the conversation, remember that your health and medical treatments are your own business. You don’t need to tell anyone that you have been prescribed GLP-1 medication if you don’t wish to. If you do prefer to keep it to yourself, you could simply meet curious questions with the response that you are “working on managing my weight, slowly and steadily” - no further details required. However, if you are open to discussing GLP-1 medication with friends, family and beyond, and want some potential backup, here are our responses to common (and wrong) arguments including 'Mounjaro is lazy' or 'taking medication away from diabetics'.

However you’re celebrating this year, stay hydrated, be proud of your progress so far and remember that there’s more to Christmas than the selection box. Good luck, and happy holidays!”

Want more?

• Can you drink alcohol when on GLP-1 medication? Read our guide.

• “Why are people weird about me taking Mounjaro?” We explore the main myths about weight loss medication here.

• Considering GLP-1 medication to support your health goals? Find out how the weight management programme at HANX works.