A woman enjoying a health shake as part of a nutritious diet.

Weight Management

GLP-1 Weight Loss Medicines & Your Nutrition Needs

Herbalife 2 May 2025

What are GLP-1 weight loss medicines?

Originally developed to help manage Type 2 diabetes, glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (or GLP-1 medication for short) mimic the action of body’s natural GLP-1 hormone, but they are designed to have a stronger and much longer-lasting effect1. This hormone regulates our appetite, blood sugar levels and feeling of fullness1. As a result, they have rapidly become a popular and effective part of weight loss treatments.

What effect do GLP-1 medicines have on our body?

Women naturally have around 20–30% lower intramuscular creatine stores compared to men.²

These medicines act mainly on three areas of the human body – the stomach, pancreas and brain2.

In the stomach, they slow gastric emptying, helping people feel fuller for longer.
In the pancreas, they increase insulin secretion when blood glucose levels are high.
In the brain, they reduce appetite and increase satiety signals, lowering the desire to eat.

Combined, these effects reduce both the need and desire to eat, helping people to lose weight more easily when used as part of a structured approach. They also support improved blood‑sugar control, which is particularly beneficial for individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Are there side effects to this type of weight loss?

GLP-1 medicines reduce appetite^3,4, but they do not reduce the body’s requirement for essential nutrients such as protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Eating significantly less food can increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies, which may result in:

Lower energy levels
Suboptimal muscle growth and maintenance
Suboptimal digestive health
Overall health issues

Maintaining good nutrition supports overall health, including normal immune function, which relies on a consistent intake of key nutrients, including vitamins and minerals and other key nutrients from a balanced diet⁵.

Is GLP-1 weight loss sustainable longer term?

Published studies show that many individuals regain weight once they stop taking GLP-1 medicines^6,7. This highlights the importance of establishing long-term healthy habits, including balanced nutrition and regular physical activity, to help maintain results over time.

Why breakfast still matters

With appetite reduced and meal volumes smaller, breakfast remains an important opportunity to deliver key nutrients early in the day. A protein-forward, nutrient-dense breakfast can help support muscle mass maintenance, energy levels and overall nutritional adequacy when eating patterns are disrupted during GLP-1 medicine use**.

*Herbalife does not sponsor, endorse or promote any prescription weight‑loss or diabetes medicines, including GLP‑1 medicines

**Herbalife® products are not intended to treat, prevent or manage any disease, including diabetes.

References

Müller TD, et al. Mol Metab. 2019;30:72-130.
Liu QK. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024;15:1431292.
Aldawsari M, et al. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2023;16:575-95.
Feier CVI, et al. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(8).
Munteanu C, et al. Front Nutr. 2022;9:1082500.
Berg S, et al. Obes Rev. 2025;26(8):e13929.
Tzang CC, et al. EClinicalMedicine. 2025;90:103680.