26/08/2026
Losing weight on a GLP-1? Don’t forget your gut. 🦠🥦
If you're taking a GLP-1 medication, or simply trying to lose weight by eating less, there's something important to remember:
Eating less doesn't mean your nutritional needs disappear.
In fact, when your appetite is reduced and you're eating significantly less food, the quality of what you do eat becomes even more important.
A recent study from Deakin University's Food & Mood Centre - the MicroFit Study - compared two very-low-energy diets in women with a high BMI.
Both diets provided around 800–900 calories per day.
But one was predominantly made up of whole foods, while the other relied more heavily on meal replacement supplements.
Interestingly, the whole-food approach was associated with:
🌱 Greater gut microbial diversity
🦠 Greater microbial richness
🥦 Better preservation of bacteria involved in breaking down fibre
So while both approaches resulted in a very low energy intake, what made up those calories mattered to the gut microbiome.
And this is particularly relevant if you're using a GLP-1.
When your appetite is much smaller, it can be surprisingly easy to end up eating very little,, and potentially miss out on:
• Fibre
• Protein
• Vitamins and minerals
• A variety of plant foods
• Enough food to support muscle
• The foods that help nourish your gut bacteria
This doesn't mean you need to eat a perfect diet.
And it doesn't mean meal replacements or supplements are "bad."
It simply highlights an important point:
When you're eating less, make the food you ARE eating count.
Your weight is only one part of your health.
Your gut health, muscle, nutritional status, energy levels and relationship with food matter too. ❤️
If you're using a GLP-1 and struggling to know what to eat when you just don't feel hungry, this is exactly where personalised nutrition support can help.
Link to the MicroFit study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666379125004902
