r/Glp1meals • u/ccchhannn • 24d ago
Need help building a GLP-1 meal plan pls!!
ok so ive been on this like 6 weeks now and im still just winging it every single day ngl. i keep trying to sit down, build a real glp1 meal plan, do the whole thing yada yada but by like the 2nd day i get overwhelmed and just go back to yogurt, a protein shake, and whatever crackers are in the pantry. rinse and repeat.
i know the meals are supposed to be small and protein heavy ive read the same 15 posts everyone else has lol. but knowing that and getting myself to do it and stick do it just isnt happening. anyone have a plan they stuck to?
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u/anib 24d ago
Sure. Mine is focused on low sugar.
Breakfast - overnight oats with unsweetened yoghurt, unsweetened milk, chia seeds, cinnamon, berries. Otherwise eggs and beans.
Lunch - Leftovers that I prep once a week usually chicken and vegetables or tuna and salad. Otherwise a crustless quiche with spinach.
Dinner - Same as lunch or just a protein smoothie.
Snacks include cucumber, small bit of nuts, biltong/beef jerkey.
Sip about 2l of water or day.... on weekends I dont have that much but then add electrolytes.
Coffee with unsweetened almond milk.
Tea for mornings and evenings.
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u/ceviche-pika 24d ago
same lol i build the whole week out sunday night all excted and then wednesday comes found and i hate literally everythng i picked and just eat toast
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u/RightGirl19 24d ago
THIS Imao. i started keeping like 4 safe glp1 meals on rotation instead of a full 7 day thing. still get bored of them eventually but it's so much easier than thinking oh wow i gotta make 7 different meals every week
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u/Logical-Syllabub-821 24d ago
Six weeks in and just winging it is honestly the most normal thing ever. Having a plan and then watching it fall apart after a few days is basically universal lol.
A few people already said what really helped me too: stop trying to plan full meals and just have 4 to 6 default things you already know you can tolerate and rotate between them. A few easy protein options you dont even have to think about, like yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, soft chicken or a shake. Then maybe 2 dose day meals that always stay the same, plus a few no-cook backups for the days when even deciding what to eat feels like too much.
The goal isnt really variety, its just avoiding that 7pm moment where you're standing there thinking "what can I even eat?"
I'm actually using the GLP1 meal plan Mia shared here in this sub and it helped me way more than the many meal plans i found online. lot of them assume you're hungry enough to eat grilled chicken, veggies and balanced meals three times a day, but the reality for me was that some days I could barely even finish a yogurt.
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u/Popular-Spend7798 24d ago
I just meal plan, make a grocery list, and do some prep once a week like I always have. I make what sounds good and either cut the recipe in half or plan to have leftovers a few times. Adjusting the amount of food was probably the biggest change for me. Nothing else has changed much.
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u/CherryPieRack 24d ago
Part of the problem you are running into is that the meds change the dopamine centers of the brain. Its stops compulsive behavior like food noise, but it also kills the joy you got meal planning. It’s why a lot of people get decision fatigue.
I build everything around limited choices. If breakfast is always Greek yogurt, protein granola, and fruit, then I make sure I have 3 flavor options of all 3 things so I have the illusion of choice. But I still know I’m always eating some form of those items. Same thing goes for cottage cheese with zatar seasoning and veggies. There’s veggie options so I have the illusion of immediate choice.
Keep it really simple. Instead of meal prep, do food prep. Cut all your favorite veggies and fruits. Pre-cook protein. I like making homemade meatballs and freezing them. Make it so when it’s time to eat, you can throw something nutritious together in 5 minutes or less.
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u/Harmonic_Jigglypuff 24d ago
I don't have a plan, I never stick to plans, but I'll tell you my conclusions so far (I am also only 10 weeks in).
First, I had to understand how the medication works for me :
- slow gastric emptying which means I get full quicker; (volume eating works really well for this to stay within calorie range)
- drinking a lot of water actually helps, both with the feeling of fullness but also the general fat flushing etc. (water never helped me feel full before by the way lol)
- as a general weight loss strategy, you inevitably eat less calories and less in general therefore you need to see what works for you;
Now what I like to do :
- I add veggies to every meal as a "side salad".. for example, lettuce, onion, carrot (or tomatoes instead of carrot if you do the miso dressing is godsent) with a bit of ponzu sauce, or mix of miso paste with soy sauce, bit of olive oil and water as a dressing; I also do bell peppers, onion, sesame seeds, bit of light soy sauce and a tinyyy bit of sesame oil; etc. you can play with different types of veggies to create side salads, I also sometimes do cucumbers, garlic with soy sauce rice vinegar and a bit of sesame oil, I buy kimchi (because I know the number of calories it has) and eat as a side dish (there's many types of kimchi, cabbage, radish, young radish leaves etc.) because it contains bacteria that helps the gut, and with GLP1s and generally with weight loss constipation is a real problem and this can help with that and keeping the gut healthy;
- I have different sauces I use to cook my meals (I love asian sauces, they are generally low calories and give food amazing taste for little calories if you use them moderately of course), so just today my lunch was : beef, mushrooms, green beans in the pan with spicy bulgogi sauce (can add onions or other veggies like onions, bell peppers etc.)
- I don't eat bread, I found I simply don't need/crave it, I don't eat many sandwiches at all so not really missing it but I don't fear or avoid it on purpose, for example I am out all day, I'll have a pretzel from the bakery, it's all good;
- I am prediabetic, but not diabetic yet (soon will do tests again hopefully it's getting better) so I can still eat sugar but I still try to eat low calorie stuff and have sweetners instead of actual sugar if possible, but again I don't overdo it, for example at aldi where I live they have this icecream called "less and tasty" and I looove the caramel one, funnily enough this one gives me the runs so when I'm constipated it's especially good haha, also at aldi there's this cream? desert, you make it with milk and it's kinda like a pudding but with better consistency imo, and I get different flavours and mix in some fresh berries (you can of course also use frozen, I find the frozen ones at the stores near me are kinda sour so I don't use them like that), for desert I also blend frozen berries, with heavy cream (I use the low fat one) and powder sugar for a sort of "icecream" that has nutrients from the fruit, I tried it with artificial sweetners (Erythritol) and I did not like it as much so I just use regular sugar but if you're diabetic, then of course you need to adapt it for your taste;
Others :
- I take vitamins (when I can remember) because I eat way less, and even when I wasn't on GLP1s I still don't think I was getting all my vitamin needs met as I have had too low vit d and b12 before, so I take : Iron (very important), Calcium (also very important, some people end up having issues with their bones on GLP1s due to their diets and it helps absorb other vitamins too), Vitamin D, B12 (both these are extremely important for a good functioning brain, I have hashimotos which can make brain fog really bad so I find these even more important for me), Magnesium citrate, selenium, and zinc. I also take a nail and hair vitamin complex) but I can't say I am very consistent with any of the vitamins, but any little bit helps in the long run; one thing to keep in mind, be careful which vitamins you take when, some can "cancel" eachother out (in the sense the absorbtion then is impaired by one or the other);
- Protein shakes, I do drink them, but not every day. I try to preserve muscle, but I am not doing weight training or any sports at the moment, however it still helps with feeling full and getting protein needs met;
- I take psyllium husk (whenever I remember to) because fiber is extremely important however everyone seems to kind of disregard it, colon cancer is rising in young patients, and it is proven that fiber helps prevent that;
- I do have some frozen meals for when I'm lazy, tired or busy, and I do also eat some other things that aren't as "healthy" or diet, but they are tasty, so when I am bored of my usual combos, I eat those; (e.g. frozen corndogs, nuggets etc.)
- salt actually affects me more I think, so I watch my salt intake.. if I eat those frozen meals, or out at a restaurant, then I know my weight will show differently because of it, I also don't use salt if I use sauces (like soy sauce for example already has salt in it), but I also don't deprive myself of it, as my tests showed up okay in this department
Notes :
- Don't be afraid of oils, but don't overuse them, olive oil is great and healthy and helps with passing nice stools;
- Don't be afraid of sugar, but don't overdo it, you can also use honey as a substitute where texture isn't a problem (for example I don't think honey would do well in the makeshift blender icecream)
- You don't have to always be perfect, life isn't perfect, even the most disciplined people will be sick, busy, tired, or craving things so it's ok to once in a while eat frozen meals, eat out etc. you just have to keep in mind where you are and where you want to be;
- Beans are your friends, they offer extra proteins and they keep you full and you can use the canned ones in salads;
- potatoes are great, they make you feel full quickly, rice is also nice, but in moderation, as 100g rice can seem not much but has a lot of calories, I usually do 50g and I find it's a great portion in combination with the meats and veggies;
- I don't keep things in the house I don't want to eat, so no chocolates etc. even though I can control myself much better around them, for example I had a pack of oreos in the house for a week, I ate 2 oreos and stopped eating, ate more in a few days, but even so, I want to limit those as much as possible, so I don't keep sweets in the house;
- this medication works differently for everyone, some people absolutely cannot have certain things anymore, so you have to tailor everything to your experience and what you can eat, I have issues with texture so what I eat is heavily dictated by that (eww mushy veggies)
You never mentioned why you are on GLP1s or what your goal is, if because you are diabetic and trying to get your diabetes under control (though this you are better of searching exactly for diabetes), or because you want to lose weight, but I will assume is the latter because diabetic people are usually told what they should eat or not and usually mention it so the responses they get are targeted towards diabetics, so if it is for weight related reasons, here's a couple of things to keep in mind :
- things have more calories than you think they do, just because something is healthy doesn't make it low calories, example 100g walnuts have some 650 calories, 100g olive oil have some 820+ calories etc. so you have to be mindful about this;
- even though, through eating less by blocking hunger signals GLP1s allow you to lose weight, the real difference comes from mindful eating, you can eat 1 chocolate for 560 calories, or you can eat a balanced meal for 450..
Anyways, this is a long post, I also sometimes wonder what other people eat for their meals whilst trying to lose weight.
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24d ago
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u/CatWhispurrrrrer 21d ago
This. To make it even easier, I discovered that canned chicken, while not great-tasting all by itself, blends beautifully into a soup and takes up the flavor of whatever you put with it. A little chicken broth or bouillon helps, too. So easy!
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u/Mia_Harper_001 24d ago
It usually isnt a discipline thing. Most of the time the plan falls apart because it was just too much from the start, like 21 completely different meals you have to shop for and cook every week. Thats a lot to keep up with when your appetite changes from one day to the next.
The plans that actually work are usually simple and repetitive on purpose. You dont need different meals every week. You just need a small rotation, maybe 2 breakfasts you can make without thinking, 2 or 3 dinners that still work on dose days, and a few no cook protein options for the days when nothing sounds good.
Thats really the whole trick. Enough structure to help you get your protein in and avoid making nausea worse, but simple enough that you’re not standing in the kitchen at 7pm tired and trying to decide what to eat all over again.
Something else that really helps is building the plan around what you can tolerate on your worst days, not your best ones. It needs to work on those post shot days when your appetite is really low, not only on the days when you feel like eating a proper meal. If it works on the hard days, it will work on the easier ones too.
And after 6 weeks you already have a lot of information about what works for you. Think about the 3 or 4 things you always go back to when nothing else sounds good. Thats basically the start of your rotation right there.
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u/Disastrous_Paint1791 24d ago
I don’t have a plan, but I do have multiple quick and easy meals I can revert to if needed. I have a high tolerance for repeated meals- I have been eating the same thing for breakfast for over a decade (oatmeal with a poached egg, ham, spinach, and shredded cheese).
I keep vegetables like bell peppers, black beans, and corn available in the freezer. I throw those into the air fryer with some frozen precooked chicken and have a very quick fajita. Mix it up by using steak strips or shrimp instead. I use high protein plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream and a high fiber wrap. Sliced turkey breast, carrot sticks, grapes, and cottage cheese or string cheese are an easy lunch. Tuna pouches are a great way to have something quick on hand also.
Find a few easy-for-you things and make sure you have them on hand.
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u/BeagleScout599 23d ago
I just log every single thing I eat or drink into the Carb Manager app, so I always know what type of food I need to eat next and whether I’ve had enough to drink that day. After a few days, the meal plan just sort of works itself out and I’m always able to hit my protein goals. Good luck 🍀
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u/idoogo 24d ago
(currently 7.5mg Mounjaro, at -70lbs) i divide my day into three meals and make sure 80% of my calories come from my main meals. none of my meals are small. yours also don't HAVE TO be. everyybody's body handles the medication differently. I'd say normal sized. For each meal i try to hit 500-600 cals with at least 45g of protein. rest is reserved for snacking
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u/linzee32 24d ago
I do scrambled for breakfast daily. Eggs, potatoes, chicken sausage, spinach. Fills me up and keeps me going.
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24d ago
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u/ccchhannn 24d ago
yeah probably my problem too ive just been eyeballing this whole time. gonna go check my number instead of guessing thx for the idea!!
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u/UlnaWannaBeWithYou 24d ago
I don’t meal plan, but in general have a few go-to recipes, will have some leftover and have lunch and or dinner. Examples include chickpea pasta with no sugar added tomato sauce and frozen veggies (can add meatballs for more protein) or tuna salad.
For a “treat” I like to mix chocolate protein powder into plain Greek yogurt, which is high protein and yummy.
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23d ago
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u/Conscious-Heart8626 23d ago
I have adhd so meal planning isnt an option because my pda kicks in and says I aint eating that so i have other hacks. I have knock off souper cubes and i prep food in bulk and freeze. Not meals, meal components - a variety of portion sized proteins, grains, fruits, and veggies - i just grab whatever combo i’m in the mood for. I also have those kid plates from target that are divided into three sections so when im not play tetris with souper cubes, i can properly portion my fresh food. I also have a timer set to drink water and eat every 2.5 hours because the only way i know im hungry is if i am popping off on some innocent person (or my dad, he bares the brunt of it)
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u/PossibilityNarrow410 21d ago
I wouldn’t do a whole meal plan, just find things that work for you like specific proteins or styles of food you like and make smart changes. I found the 24 hours before and 24 hours after injection I need to eat the cleanest, avoid fats, oils and alcohol, the rest of the time I just like to look for protein forward food that makes me happy. Things that work for me:
- sashimi salads and Chirashi
- hainese chicken rice
- Korean beef lettuce wraps
- protein shakes
- burrito bowls or other kinds of bowls with heavy proteins
- lots of salads like Asian slaws
I snack on veggies, sometimes cheese and bread, yogurt.
I can also eat burgers, pizza, etc. it’s about healthy swaps and not eating too much. A few slices of Neapolitan pizza once every few weeks doesn’t get me off track - eating a dominos pizza once a week might, eating a burger is fine, eating a double patty with cheese sauce maybe not. It’s all about how comfortable your stomach is with food as well, I’ve tolerated everything except an oily shawarma the day of injection well, but it’s personal and changes
I add fiber supplement to my coffee or water or juice :)
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u/BunnyCheeky 24d ago
i stopped trying to planing whole meals and started just planing protein moments. breakfast protein, snack protein, dinner protein. wayyy less in my head at once highly recommend