Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro have emerged as a game-changer for weight loss, slowing digestion and increasing how satiated you feel after eating. But South Florida dietitians caution that taking weight-loss drugs can be risky if you don’t have the right diet. Everything from your bones to your muscles can atrophy as you shed pounds too quickly. They guide patients on how to eat while on medications without causing their body harm.

"If someone does not know how to eat on these medications, they may be exchanging one problem for another," said Lillian Craggs-Dino, a licensed dietitian and support group coordinator for the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at Cleveland Clinic Florida. "It’s easy to become vitamin deficient." The side effects are challenging

Ten GLP-1 drugs, including a class of medications called semaglutides, are FDA-approved to treat either type 2 diabetes or weight loss . Most are given by self-injection and work by regulating insulin production and lowering blood sugar levels.

The most common side effects are gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. Dietitians say the symptoms often can be managed: diarrhea by drinking plenty of water and avoiding dairy products and high-fiber foods , and constipation by eating more fiber and drinking plenty of water.

"It may not be the drugs, it may be your diet causing the nausea or constipation. Maybe someone is eating too fast or picking the wrong foods," Craggs-Dino said.

At Cleveland Clinic Weston, Craggs-Dino does a full assessment before someone starts weight-loss drugs to discover whether a patient has vitamin deficiencies, to learn their lifestyle habits and to find out their food allergies, likes and dislikes. She then creates an eating plan.

"Medications will help with behavior because you will feel full, but you still have to eat balanced meals with lean protein, fat, whole grains and vitamins," she said. "Some people are not hungry and don’t eat. If you don’t eat, you are not nourishing your body and you are losing muscle mass along with fat."

Some people need vitamin supplements, and others need a higher amount of "good fat," […]

Taking Ozempic or other weight-loss meds? Watch your diet to avoid ‘exchanging one problem for another,’ says dietitian