09/10/2025
From a concerned daughter and certified nutrition coach:
Hi!
I’m going to try to keep this as brief and as un-necessarily scientific as possible - for all our sakes. I can get very passionate about this in a hurry.
Let’s talk tirzepatides and semiglutides (think Mounjaro (Zepabound) and Ozempic (Wegovy)).
I have had strong feelings about this for a while now, but I never had anyone in my life that I knew on a personal-enough basis to feel the right to step into this space. Why now? I found out yesterday, via Facebook, that my mom had started Mounjaro injections. About 10 minutes later, I called her. This morning, I asked if I could make a post about our conversation and was given the green light.
From the moment food enters our mouths and chewing starts, digestion begins. Small enzymes called amylase begin the process of breaking down our foods (most notably, carbohydrates). Other chemical processes are signaled and different organs, such as your stomach, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder (etc.) jump in on the process. Now, imagine a human whose body does not send out these chemicals and hormones in a correct way (think diabetes); medicine helps to aid in this process (think peptide hormones, like insulin).
My mom had been on Metformin with regulated blood sugars for some time. After COVID, her A1-C has been creeping up, and increased dosages of Metformin are no longer effective. For someone like her, Mounjaro is a well-considered option. Why? It affects the liver and pancreas in such a way that more insulin is secreted, glucagon release is reduced, appetite is suppressed, and the stomach empties more slowly. This slows her release of nutrients after eating and helps her avoid blood sugar spikes. All of this also promotes a “feeling” of satiety after eating.
(Ozempic operates in a slightly different manner, but it also stimulates organs such as the pancreas and liver to produce more insulin, lowers glucagon production, and delays the stomach from emptying).
Studies and trials were conducted and were successful in lowering blood sugar levels. However, big pharma noted another side-effect to cash in on – the weight loss was also clinically significant. Time went into formulating different dosages to market for weight loss (incidentally, taking attention off of making more of the medicine readily available for diabetic patients) and here we are… injecting medicine into our bodies that chemically alter our metabolism in a population of people that have no medical need to chemically alter their metabolism. Another “Why Now” reason I felt strongly to post today: Completely unrelated to my conversation with my mom, but still occurring yesterday, I happened to read someone say the following: “I love that it really seems to be helping everyone that I talk to sort of change their whole relationship with food.”
I’m going to get to the point now… and it’s going to be blunt (sorry, not sorry.)
Standing in front of a refrigerator and nothing appealing to you because you feel too full to even consider eating even though you last ate a small meal 5-6 hours ago is not a normal relationship with food. This has been chemically altered… and, once the chemicals are no longer there, if you have not INTENTIONALLY repaired your relationship with food, all the old cravings and bad habits will be present in force.
Do these medications lower blood sugar and help patients with heart disease, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, high cholesterol, (etc.)? Yes.
Are these medications great for patients with medically impaired metabolic functioning and endocrine system disorders? Yes.
Will these medications help you lose weight? Yes
Are these medications FDA approved? Yes
Are these medications a jumpstart to help a new, healthy lifestyle? Possibly.
Does that mean they should be used the way they are being marketed? No.
Are these medications meant for long-term use? No
Do these medications repair your metabolism? No (I would argue the exact opposite, message me for more).
Do these medications repair your relationship with food? No (I would argue the exact opposite, message me for more).
Will you gain the weight back, and all your pre-existing conditions, when you stop the injections? Possibly… again… if you are not INTENTIONAL about repairing your relationship with food during the process.
Listen… your body needs food for nutrients, vitamins, minerals, water, and ENERGY. Energy to move. Energy to operate vital orans… creating the “feeling” of satiety is not the same thing as actually being sated. Your body will not have what it needs to operate the way it was meant to if you are not deliberate about refueling it correctly. Additionally, you may be doing irreparable damage to bio-signals – information from your body, letting you know when you are hungry and full. It may take time for your metabolism to reach homeostasis after chemically altering it. Longitudinal studies have yet to be conducted on long-lasting effects on these medications.
If you are intentionally medicating yourself to not feel the need to eat… make no mistake… this is disordered eating.
Okay… Soapbox over.
If you are on this medication, and you would like to take steps to learn how to fuel your body in such a way that you are receiving the nutrients and energy it needs… and learning how to eat in a sustainable manner once your treatment course is through… please reach out and let me know.
In the meantime… do what I advised my mom:
Set a timer for every 3 hours and eat – even if you don’t want to.
Make sure you are getting AT LEAST 1,400 calories in a day.
Eat more than chicken and vegetables and listen to your doctor. 😊
Yours in Health and Wellness. - Gina
