To GLP-1 or Not To GLP-1, That is the Question.

By: Jillian Foley, RD, LDN

Nutritionista

50% of my patients are taking a GLP-1 & 50% of them are thinking about it or are jealous they can't. These stats are a rough estimate, but you get the point. When it comes to nutrition and healthy eating, weightloss is almost always at the front of the priority line. That would make sense, since we are designed through evolution to overeat when the opportunity is there, because it wasn't always.

300,000 years ago homo sapiens were hunter/gatherers searching for: meat, fish, nuts, plants, leaves, honey and insects. Food wasn't always availlable and there was no way for them to preserve it, so when they did have it, they ate it all.

10,000 years ago people started using agriculture, but poor conditions like: rain, drought and frost made it hard to stay consistent. Even then, there was a risk of other animals or people stealing from the crops. At this point, humans had been using techniques to preserve food like: smoking, fermenting and salting, but with food not always being available, this didn't allow them to have huge stores.

Even the early 1900's we had both World Wars which led to scarcity and rationing. I remember my grandmom who was alive during World War II say to me, " ya know Jilly, we had to choose between getting eggs or butter, we couldn't afford both." She said it wasn't even real butter because the working class couldn't afford it.

Fast forward to 2026, it's no wonder so many of us feel like we can't control ourselves around our favorite foods. We are designed to overeat just-in-case and many of us were taught at an early age to eat all of our food because not everyone has it and our parents were taught that by their parents. The problem we are facing now is that there is enough food, and our overeating is killing us, and it is our responsibility as adults to re-teach ourself a balanced relationship with eating regardless of all the options and availability.

Whether you decide to take the GLP-1 or one of it's cousins like Trizepatide, you will still (should still) work on the habits and awareness around food that you would on or off the medicine. What I've found from the hundred of patients I've observed on this medication is that it's affects are truly effective at first, but over time they don't work as well because the body develops a tolerance.

YES, it will help you eat less because you will get full quicker, but if you are still ordering that burger instead of a grilled chicken sandwhich, eventually you will be able to eat most of the burger again.

YES, it will help not think about food all day, but when the medicine stops working as well or isn't available, not eating all day will lead to overeating at night.

YES, you may have control now, bringing your trigger foods in the house like chips and candy and not overeating them, but this won't be the case once the medicine stops working as well.

YES, you will see a significant decrease on the scale in a short amount of time, but when it slows down and it will slow down it can either make you obsess with the number or make you indifferent, acting as if you don't care about your goals right now.

The point I'm making is that it's not your fault you love food; our past has made us this way. Embrace who you are, who WE are. We didn't have a lot of food, and now we do. Regardless of being on the shot, the psychological relationship with food and the work you put into it IS the real answer.

Jillian Foley, RD Nutrititionista is a Registered Dietitian that specializes in Food Therapy. She believes that weight-loss & disease prevention/management is 20% food education & 80% psychological. She owns her own practice, accepting most insurances virtually or in person & offers courses to help you reach your goals quicker. You can find more info @www.Nutritionista267.com Follower her on IG @Nutritionista_1