Eatiful, cravings & weight loss injections
Weight loss injections have emerged as a game-changer for many on their weight loss journey. The rising popularity of these drugs, such as Saxenda® (Liraglutide®) and Wegovy® (Semaglutide®), has sparked global curiosity, with many people already benefiting from their effects. Most know about their ability to control appetite by curbing physical hunger, but what about cravings and the desire to eat for other reasons? What can weight loss injections do, when it comes to appetite regulation, and what can’t they do? And if you’re using weight loss injections, can Eatiful offer you any additional benefit?
Eatiful offers a non-medicated way to lose weight, which is an alternative approach to medication. But even if you’re using medication, Eatiful can help complement your medicated weight loss, because Eatiful does things the medication can’t. Here, we lay out the facts so you can make an informed choice about whether Eatifu can support your weight loss journey.
First, the fundamentals
Injectable Weight Loss Medications Saxenda® (Liraglutide®) and Wegovy® (and Ozempic®) (Semaglutide®) are also known by their drug type: GLP1-RAs*.
GLP-1 (Glucagon-like Peptide 1) is a hormone produced naturally in the intestines that plays a role in regulating blood sugar levels and appetite. GLP-1-RAs (GLP-1 Receptor Agonists) are drugs that mimic the effects of the naturally produced GLP-1 by binding to its receptors. This leads to increased insulin production and decreased appetite.
How do GLP-1 RAs cause you to eat less food?
GLP-1 RAs reduce feelings of “physical hunger” by increasing feelings of fullness (satiety) in two ways:
1. By slowing gastric emptying - Gastric emptying is the process by which food travels through your digestive tract. If the food you eat passes through your digestive tract, you will then feel hungry in order that you eat again. Slowing down how long food takes to travel through your digestive tract makes you feel fuller for longer.
2. By reducing cravings - Cravings are the feelings we have that compel us to eat certain foods. Cravings are different from general physical hunger, and often we crave certain foods like sweet foods or salty foods. Studies have shown that some individuals experience a decrease in cravings for certain foods while taking GLP-1-RAs.
The effects of both slower gastric emptying and the reduction in cravings mean that patients experience a greater sense of control around food when using the medication. Indeed anecdotal evidence from users backs up the claim that cravings (as well as physical hunger) are reduced.
Additionally, the drug Tirzepatide® (sold under the brand name Mounjaro®) is both a GLP-1 RA and a GIP (a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) receptor. The GIP receptor stimulates lipolysis which is the breakdown of fat, so it can be said to be ‘dual action’. Indeed it is this dual action that has led Tirzepatide to perform even better than GLP-1s alone.
Do weight loss drugs help stop all types of cravings?
Do they help everyone to eat less? Will they help you to eat less if you eat for emotional reasons? To even begin to explore this question it's essential to acknowledge that eating, and specifically overeating isn't solely driven by true physical hunger. We may all turn to food for various reasons, including:
- Stress: Food becomes a coping mechanism to deal with stress or anxiety.
- Boredom: Eating fills idle time or offers a sense of pleasure.
- Low Mood: Food can provide comfort during periods of sadness or low mood.
- Lack of Control: It's a way to regain a sense of control, particularly in an unpredictable world.
- Social Influences: We may eat to conform to social norms or please others.
Cravings for specific foods, often high in sugar, fat, or salt, can be particularly challenging to overcome. The fact that GLP-1-RAs have shown some promise in reducing these cravings is extremely promising for many. It could mean that emotional eating may be curbed by taking weight loss medication.
Yet it's unlikely they will stop all forms of emotional eating. Especially if you have long-established habits that cause you to crave certain foods. If you associate food with comfort, the fact that you’re using weight loss injections doesn’t mean that connection is going to go away altogether. You will likely have a decreased appetite and feel fuller or longer, but you may still experience psychological hunger or the desire to eat to satisfy an emotion. You may even feel sad that you no longer want to eat, or that you get less enjoyment from eating.
Weight loss injections may cause you to feel full, and less interested in food, but they can’t fix a broken relationship with food. They may potentially curb emotional eating, but they may also just postpone it until you stop using the medication. There’s the potential that if you don’t address your habits and beliefs around food, and your emotional response to it, you’ll have a hard time maintaining weight loss without the drugs.
The psychological aspects of weight management are really important. It’s worth considering the following as part of your weight loss journey.
1. Self-Love: Building self-respect, self-acceptance, and self-love should precede any weight loss journey. It's about boosting your self-worth independently of the numbers on the scale.
2. Understanding Yourself: Recognising and addressing the emotional triggers that contribute to weight gain can be transformative. It allows you to move forward from past trauma and make lasting changes.
3. Growth Mindset: Developing mental resilience and self-belief are essential for success. A growth mindset enables you to see yourself as someone capable of achieving your goals.
4. Fitness: Weight loss injections, like any weight loss method, may cause muscle loss as well as fat loss. loss. Engaging in physical activity can help build muscle, in turn supporting fat loss.
5. Nutrition: Understanding your nutritional needs ensures you provide your body with essential nutrients, even when eating less.
6. Building New Habits: It's crucial to establish sustainable habits for long-term success.
While weight loss injections are going to be instrumental in helping many people to lose unwanted weight, there could be an increasing need to support patients with the rest of their weight loss needs; their psychological needs. Even if the drugs can curb cravings, many may still need help with mindset to support their longer-term health goals as part of a holistic weight care programme.
If you’re considering starting weight loss injections, we advise you to be realistic about what the medication can do and what it can't, and if possible, choose a provider that can offer you at least some additional support with the psychological aspects of weight loss, not just the physical ones.
Eatiful is here for you to use whether you use weight loss injections or not. Eatiful helps you with psychological aspects of weight loss and helps you discover how you feel about food and eating, and about yourself. It can help you learn to listen better to your body and nourish your body, and to enjoy food more as part of a holistic weight care journey.
*You will also be aware of Ozempic® (Semaglutide®), but we do not specifically discuss Ozempic® here as it is officially only licensed as a treatment for type 2 diabetes and not for weight loss.
