Nutrition

TDEE and BMR calculators give a useful starting estimate, but they get less reliable for people with obesity — and less reliable again after large weight loss, because of prediction-equation limits and metabolic adaptation. Here's why the number drifts, and how to correct it against what your body is actually doing.

There's a widely shared "banned foods" list for GLP-1 users — no fried food, no sugar, no alcohol, ever. The kernel of truth: high-fat, greasy, very sugary meals and alcohol commonly worsen the medication's GI side effects, so limiting them often helps. But that's about tolerance and comfort, not prohibition — no food is medically off-limits, GLP-1s have no dangerous food interactions, and the triggers are individual and usually worst only during titration.

Most people on a GLP-1 don't need an electrolyte habit — but during vomiting, diarrhea, or very low intake, replacing sodium and potassium (not just drinking more water) becomes the thing that actually protects you. Here's when electrolytes matter, when they don't, and how to get the balance right.

Protein is the hardest target to hit when a GLP-1 has cut your appetite — and the most important one for protecting muscle. Here are practical, low-effort, low-volume ways to get 20–30g at a time when a full meal feels like too much, plus how to prioritize when you can only eat a little.

Many people drink less on a GLP-1 — sometimes without deciding to — and the drinks they do have can hit harder. Here's what the medication changes about alcohol: the craving research, why tolerance often drops, what it does to a small calorie budget, and the interactions worth respecting.

The claim that your body "can only use 30g of protein per meal" is one of the stickiest myths in nutrition — and it's built on a real finding that got stretched into something false. Here's where the number came from, what the evidence for and against it actually shows (including a 2023 study that fed people 100g in one sitting), and why the myth matters more, not less, when a GLP-1 has cut your appetite.

A nutrition label counts every gram of protein the same — your muscles don't. Here's how to judge protein quality from the label and ingredient list, with a side-by-side comparison of popular picks: Optimum Nutrition and Seeq protein powders, Oikos Pro, cottage cheese, David bars, Built Puffs, and protein "pop tarts" — plus how to track intake when not all grams are equal.

David protein bars got popular in GLP-1 circles for a reason: ~28g of protein for ~150 calories. The ingredient that makes that math work — EPG, a near-calorie-free fat replacer — is also what drove a labeling lawsuit and ongoing safety debate. Here's what EPG actually is, what the controversy was really about (and how it ended), and the two questions that matter most if you're eating them on a GLP-1.

You don't need a cabinet full of pills to succeed on a GLP-1 medication. But when appetite drops and you're eating in a deficit, a few well-chosen supplements can fill real gaps. Here's what people commonly take, what each one is actually for, and how strong the evidence is.

"Dietitian" is a protected, licensed credential; "nutritionist" often isn't regulated at all — anyone can use the title in many places. Here's what actually separates them, why the difference matters more on a GLP-1, and when each one is the right person to see.

A calorie deficit runs on one mechanism: the energy you take in versus the energy you burn. GLP-1 medications lean hard on the "calories in" side and leave "calories out" — four moving parts that all fall as you lose weight — up to you. Here's how the balance actually works and how to protect the side the medication ignores.

GLP-1 medications don't replace the calorie deficit — they make it easier to sustain one, sometimes too easily. Here's what a deficit actually is, why it still matters on these medications, what a healthy range looks like, and how to calculate your own.

Reduced appetite often means reduced fluid intake too, and GLP-1 medications raise the stakes on staying hydrated — affecting everything from nausea and constipation to a rare but serious kidney injury risk. Here's why hydration deserves deliberate attention, not an afterthought.

GLP-1 medications shrink how much you eat overall, which makes what you eat matter more. Here's why protein, fat, and carbohydrates each play a distinct role — and where most people on these medications fall short.

A dietitian or trainer can turn general advice about protein and strength training into a plan specific to you. Here's how to make that first conversation productive.

A weight-tracking app that smooths out day-to-day fluctuations to show your real trend line — useful for telling a normal water-weight blip apart from an actual plateau on a GLP-1.