In a LPG-1? How to survive Christmas meals without derailing your progress

While taking GLP-1 can help speed weight loss and regulate blood sugar, it also has the potential to change the way people interact socially.

As the holidays approach, sitting down to a meal with the family and enjoying lots of indulgent food can be a challenge for those taking obesity medications, as they tend to decrease appetite, reduce tolerance to alcoholic beverages, change mood, and even affect mental health.

Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen, board-certified endocrinologist, weight loss specialist and author of the upcoming book “Weightless,” shared the severity of these changes in an interview with News Digital.

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“For the first time in history, we are seeing masses of people achieve weight loss goals that have never been possible before,” said the New York-based doctor.

“Some patients have never seen themselves at that new weight, or for some, their spouses found them at a different weight. Many patients have decades of trauma from [struggling with] its weight: shame, guilt”.

“We’re not doing anything for the psychological part of weight loss,” Salas-Whalen continued. “The psyche does not move as quickly as it can with weight loss.”

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Some may face physical changes such as excess skin, changes in shoe size, and intolerance to colder temperatures, but there are also emotional and mental barriers.

Many of Salas-Whalen’s patients have admitted that they struggle mentally because of the different way they are treated after losing weight.

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“Many patients don’t see themselves at that new weight,” he said. “They see themselves as they were before. Some patients have a hard time understanding how they are treated better now than before, even though they are the same person.”

The doctor said she has also seen some patients distance themselves from their spouses and friends because social eating and drinking doesn’t fit into their new lifestyle.

In some cultures, it may be considered rude to refuse food at family events, Salas-Whalen said, and some family members tend to pressure people to eat and make statements like “you’re too skinny.”

Instead of overdoing it, which can make people feel sick while on medication, the doctor recommends being open about weight loss journeys and setting clear boundaries.

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“I think a lot of people feel embarrassed or even embarrassed by other people for taking weight-loss medications,” she said. “It’s going to be very difficult for someone not to say, ‘Are you sick? Why aren’t you eating?'”

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“Your body has completely changed, you’ve lost 80 pounds and now you’re eating half of what you normally would and maybe not drinking,” Salas-Whalen continued. “Then people will wonder.”

The best way to address this, according to the expert, is to share that your eating habits have changed due to GLP-1 medication and that you don’t want to feel pressured in social situations.

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“It’s harder if you want to keep it a secret, but even if it’s kept a secret, you can just say, ‘I’m full and this is it, and I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t keep pushing,'” she said.

“It’s just about setting boundaries that sometimes we don’t have with family, but I encourage patients to share their [journeys]”.

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Disclosing the use of GLP-1 may also help eliminate the stigma associated with using medications to help with obesity, Salas-Whalen added.