Simple Hacks To Consume MORE Calories
One of the strangest things about GLP-1 medication is standing in front of the fridge with no idea what to eat – not because you’re overwhelmed by options, but because nothing appeals.
You’re not hungry. Nothing sounds good. But you know you need to eat something.
This isn’t normal diet advice.
Most diets should encourage volume-dense foods, such as salads, vegetables, and high-protein foods, to maximise satiety with minimal calories.
Calorie-dense foods are advised in moderation.
On GLP-1 medication, you might need to flip that. When appetite is low, and you’re struggling to get enough in, calorie-dense options become your friend:
● Full-fat dairy instead of low-fat
● Olive oil drizzled on salads
● Nuts and nut butters
● Avocado
● Oats, banana, and peanut butter blended into shakes
This is side-effect dependent–some people can’t tolerate higher-fat foods early on. But if you can, don’t be afraid to use them. Getting enough nutrition matters more than keeping calories artificially low.
The simple formula: protein + vegetable.
When decision fatigue is high, this combination covers your bases.
Protein protects muscles and helps you function.
Vegetables add fibre, vitamins, and volume without overwhelming your stomach.
It doesn’t need to be exciting.
It needs to be easy enough that you’ll actually do it.
When solid food feels like too much:
Some days, even a small meal feels impossible. That’s when liquid nutrition helps. (We covered this in (The Under-Eating Trap).
A word on pre-made shakes: many are designed to be low-calorie, packed with artificial sweeteners. That’s the opposite of what you need right now.
Make your own instead–full-fat milk, protein powder, frozen berries, oats, and peanut butter.
Calorie-dense. Nutrient-dense. Easy to get down.
Small bits throughout the day.
You don’t have to make entire meals. Keep food close and snack throughout the day.
Trail mix, cheese and crackers, yoghurt, and a handful of nuts.
Set alarms or reminders if you need to — when you’re not hungry, you forget to eat. Timers help.
Eat whatever sounds good in the moment.
Sometimes it’s yoghurt. Sometimes it’s toast. Sometimes it’s grapes.
If something sounds manageable, eat it.
Getting some calories in beats getting no calories in!
The 70/30 rule applies when calories are low.
If your calories are low, you’ve trained, your steps are done, and you can tolerate eating the doughnut, the chocolate, the glass of wine–don’t negotiate with yourself. Consume them.
This isn’t permission to live on junk.
It’s permission to take any opportunity to eat when you’re genuinely struggling to consume enough calories.
The priority is adequate nutrition. Everything else is secondary.
Make every bite count.
When you’re eating less overall, the food you do eat matters more.
Prioritise nutrient-dense foods: protein, vegetables, healthy fats… and let the rest fill in around them.
If you’re consistently struggling to eat enough over several weeks, speak to your prescriber. Adjusting your dose might be an option.
Next: (Hydration, Fibre, and Electrolytes) – the stuff that helps everything else work better.