GLP-1 Exit Plan E-Book

A.M. Yale

• Herausgeber: WS
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 173

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

“GLP-1 Exit Plan” by A.M. Yale provides readers with a practical roadmap for achieving lasting weight loss and improved health.

This book is unique in its focus on using GLP-1 medications for a limited time while developing sustainable eating habits. Yale shares her candid experience of losing 57 pounds in 12 months, detailing both the challenges and successes along the way. Her story is complemented by science-based nutritional guidance, developed in collaboration with registered dietitian Melissa Mitri, ensuring the credibility and scientific basis of the advice.

"GLP-1 Exit Plan" covers essential topics such as:

- Understanding GLP-1 medications and their effects on appetite and weight loss

- Developing a personalized nutrition plan that supports long-term health

- Strategies for managing hunger and food cravings

- The psychology of eating and how to develop a healthier relationship with food

- Practical tips for portion control and meal planning

- Gradual approaches to incorporating physical activity

Yale's "Just the Minimum" (JTM) method offers readers a way to make incremental lifestyle changes that are easier to manage and maintain. This approach helps readers avoid feeling overwhelmed and increases the likelihood of long-term success.

Whether you're considering GLP-1 medications, currently using them, or looking for sustainable weight loss strategies, "GLP-1 Exit Plan" provides valuable insights and actionable advice. Yale's honest account of her journey, combined with evidence-based nutritional information, makes this book an essential resource for anyone seeking to improve their health and achieve lasting weight management.

Leseprobe

Copyright © 2024 by A.M. YaleGLP-1 Exit PlanAll rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Exceptions are made for brief quotations in critical reviews and specific noncommercial uses allowed by copyright law.

Ordering Information:www.foodinformed.com

For permission requests, contact [email protected]

For Media requests, contact [email protected]

To reach the Author, A.M. Yale, contact: [email protected]

Book Cover by Bstro.com

Illustrations by alltheexperiences.com

First edition 2024

Important Warning and Disclaimer

This book is not intended to provide medical advice. It shares personal experiences and perspectives on GLP-1 medications for weight loss to expand the current discourse.

The author and publisher disclaim liability for any injury or damage resulting from misuse of information presented here. It’s crucial to seek appropriate medical advice tailored to your health needs. The content has been developed with a registered dietician and nutritionist but may not suit every individual.

This publication is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Regular consultation with healthcare providers is recommended for health-related concerns requiring diagnosis or attention.

Efforts have been made to ensure accurate information regarding nutrition and GLP-1 medications at the time of publication. However, no liability is assumed for errors or omissions that could result in loss or damage due to negligence, accident, or other causes.

eBook ISBN: 979-8-35098-875-8

Printed in the United States of America

No, you can’t always get what you wantYou can’t always get what you wantYou can’t always get what you wantBut if you try, sometimes you’ll findYou get what you need

The Rolling Stones

Contents

Preface

Introduction

CHAPTER 1: How Loud Was The Food Noise? So Loud.

CHAPTER 2: Where Does a GLP-1 Weight-Loss Journey Begin? In My Case…

CHAPTER 3: The Plan And The Surprises

CHAPTER 4: The Holy Sh*t Scary Moment Had Arrived

CHAPTER 5: The 101 on GLP-1

CHAPTER 6: RIGHT SIZE YOUR RESEARCH

CHAPTER 7: GOOD EATING 101

CHAPTER 8: IF I NEED TO LEARN TO EAT DIFFERENTLY, IT NEEDS TO BE SIMPLE

CHAPTER 9: JUST THE MINIMUM

CHAPTER 10: The Psychology of Eating

CHAPTER 11: The Surprisingly Cool Adventure Continues

APPENDIX

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MORE ON FOOD INFORMED

Preface

It Must Be Said

This book is for individuals who want to limit their use of GLP-1 medications (Ozempic/Wegovy, Mounjaro/Zepbound, etc.).

This book is not medical advice. If you are planning to take or stop any type of weight loss medication, talk to a licensed doctor about starting, using, and stopping the medication.

I Wrote the Book I Wished For

This book outlines my personal experience starting and stopping my use of Mounjaro (now Zepbound), a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medication while losing weight. It provides science-backed nutritional information from a licensed and skilled dietitian I partnered with on content. The genesis of this book was my own need for a resource that did not exist-a comprehensive guide that would support someone like me, able to take a GLP-1 medication for a limited amount of time. I spent months researching GLP-1 medications to understand how they might affect me, how long I would need to stay on them, whether I could stop taking them without immediately gaining weight back, and the most direct—and easiest—approach to an overhaul of my nutrition.

Why Consider GLP-1?

For as long as I can remember, food and the need for weight loss were at the center of my family life, so it is no surprise that dieting started early for me:

At 11 years old, my classmates called me Wobbles. I was overweight, and my classmates thought I ‘wobbled’ when I walked. I certainly didn’t feel that way, but horrible nicknames have a way of sticking with you and impacting you long past the point where anyone but you remembers the name.My father constantly told me that I needed to lose weight and that I didn’t look good. Needless to say, he never received a parent of the year award. By the time I was 13 years old, I was already dabbling in dieting. My stepmother was always on one fad diet or another. I can’t even remember them all now; there were so many. Throughout high school and college, I followed in her footsteps.When I was 23 years old, I learned about the diet drug Fen-Phen. It worked. I went from a size 12 to a size 8. It felt fantastic until data showed that Fen-Phen could cause heart problems. I immediately stopped taking it. I did manage to keep the weight off for a few years but did not fully improve my eating habits. Most of my ‘weight maintenance’ during these years was eating far too little of the wrong foods.

For the better part of the next 20 years, I worked 60+ hours a week, building my career, eating out, and being on the go. My weight fluctuated from a size 8 to a size 16. My closet looked like a clothing store with every size and style. My clothing choices were based on how I felt about myself. Most of the time, it wasn’t great.

In my mid-forties, I experienced a double whammy: the global pandemic and early menopause. The external world felt as purely chaotic as my internal world. It became my license to eat and drink whatever I wanted because why not? By age 51, I was a size 16 and 188 pounds at 5 feet 6 inches tall.

Something had to change…

Introduction

Whether you’re interested in understanding the nuances of dietary choices, navigating the psychological impacts of weight loss, or simply learning how to start small and sustain changes, this book aims to empower you with knowledge and inspire you with real-life success. I’ve divided it into two categories, each of which is designed to provide you with actionable advice for successful weight loss:

My Personal Approach

My personal approach to weight loss includes the result of research on GLP-1 medications, how to change habits by changing your mindfulness, and what foods help this process. I focused on my state of mind as much as what I was eating while working to lose weight.

Science-Based Content

Science-based content from a licensed dietitian that outlines the transformative potential of GLP-1 medications when paired with: Lifestyle changes aimed at sustainable weight management Nutrition data and a framework for eating better without feeling like you are missing out

Any nutritional content in the book was written in partnership with Melissa Mitri, a Registered Dietitian. Melissa is the person I wish I had known at the start of my weight loss journey. She took my imperfect nutritional approach and translated it into a science-backed and vetted framework for healthy weight loss.

At the core of this book is an understanding that, for many, GLP-1 medications do not need to be used ”forever.” Instead, they can serve as a useful tool for reducing hunger and a partner, of sorts, for implementing a new approach to eating and long-term weight management.

After decades of struggling with weight issues and the constant ‘food noise,’ I committed to a new mental and physical approach to eating that not only altered my waistline but fundamentally changed my relationship with food and health.

Here’s what you’ll discover as you read through the chapters:

Immediate Effects—how starting GLP-1 medications can help change your daily eating habits and overall health right as soon as you start.Getting To Know GLP-1 Medications—how these medications work to reduce appetite and manage blood sugar, providing a foundation for their use in weight loss.Good Eats 101—the basics of good nutrition and how to adjust your diet to support your weight loss goals while managing medication side effects.A Framework for Losing and Maintaining Weight—an outline of the sustainable framework to guide both weight loss and the ongoing maintenance of a healthy weight.Just the Minimum—learn about the small, manageable dietary changes that can make a big impact and help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

I hope that by sharing my story, you will find the encouragement and information needed to start your own journey toward health and a newfound ease with food. Weight management is not just about what you lose; it’s also about what you gain in health and quality of life.

CHAPTER 1: How Loud Was The Food Noise? So Loud.

Written by A.M. Yale

Food was a constant presence in my thoughts for as long as I can remember. I was always hungry, and my mind was always preoccupied with what I would eat next. Breakfast was spent thinking about lunch; lunch was spent thinking about afternoon snacks, and so on. I loved nothing more than sitting down to a big dinner and taking my time to finish the meal. Midnight snacking was a regular occurrence. Food was my constant, a voice in my head that I had been conversing with since I was very young.

11-year-old me was on the chunky side, which piled on to the usual pre-teen angst. This led to a complicated relationship with food for decades. I’d lose a few pounds, feel great, and then they’d come right back. It was a frustrating cycle that kept repeating itself.

In my early 20s, I realized not everyone has the same, all-consuming relationship with food. Early in my relationship with my husband, I noticed that, comparatively, I talked about food a lot. When I asked him how often he thought about food, he said, “Very little.” He explained that when he’s full, he only thinks about food again once he’s hungry. This surprised me. I had always assumed everyone thought about food constantly, even when they weren’t hungry.

Growing up, my family also shaped my relationship with food. We were a food-focused family, always discussing our next meal while still eating the current one. We also had chronic weight issues.

After every meal, my Grandmother would say, in the most sincere tone of voice:

“That was the best meal I’ve ever had.”

It reflected how much she loved and prioritized food—our whole family still does!

I thought maybe my Grandmother had the same food noise as me:

“That’s the way everyone always feels.”“It’s normal to always feel hungry.”“I’m overweight because I don’t have enough self-control to manage it.”

My husband’s perspective made me realize that my family and I have a different—and more intense—relationship with food than others do. Yet, it took me more than two decades to understand that a person’s relationship with food and body weight is personal; it can be extremely complex—and is not often easily solved.

CHAPTER 2: Where Does a GLP-1 Weight-Loss Journey Begin? In My Case…

Written by A.M. Yale

I am a self-proclaimed “bread-aholic.” I love bread so much that I used to plan my schedule around arriving at the bakery while the loaves were still warm. It’s a family thing; one of my happiest memories is of my Grandmother and I walking into the bakery just as the warm bread emerged from the oven, filling the bakery with that delicious ‘freshly-baked’ aroma. We’d take it home, sit at her table with some butter, and eat the entire loaf together.

The Struggle with Weight

As the years went by, my weight continued to increase, and my health began to suffer. After decades of struggling with my weight and my relationship with food, I knew things needed to change, but I wasn’t sure how to start, and I just couldn’t get past the hunger when I tried to cut back on my portions. However, I knew if I didn’t make a change, I would face health consequences I might not be able to undo.

I was also mentally exhausted from constantly thinking about food, feeling unwell, being overweight, and being uncomfortable. I was 51. I knew I needed to make a change for my physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

I increasingly thought about how badly I felt most days and questioned whether it was my age or my weight. I reached a point where I needed to understand the answer. I had been putting off prioritizing my health for a very long time. But it caught up with me. The uncomfortable truth was that I was living the consequences daily:

Clothing Size Changes—On my third clothing size in four years…but of course, certain brands of clothing must ‘run small’ - there was no way I could be a size 16.Breathlessness—Stopping halfway up a flight of stairs because I’m out of breath.Health Concerns—My triglycerides were high, and my cholesterol category was “You better do something about this.”Overeating Patterns—Finishing a meal feeling overfull, only to start snacking an hour later. Scale Anxiety—When the nurse gave me an ‘oh you poor thing’ look when I said I didn’t want to know my weight after stepping off the scale.

38 years of off-and-on dieting had taught me how challenging it was to drown out the constant food noise and make healthier choices.

Discovering GLP-1 Medications

From experience trying every diet imaginable (and far too many diet medications) lasting change required different approaches—enter GLP-1 medication. I’d heard that it diminished food cravings and quieted the food noise, giving people the ability to eat less.1

I also knew that medication alone wasn’t going to guarantee success. I finally understood that I had to be ready, both mentally and physically, to make trade-offs and prioritize my long-term health over short-term cravings and food comfort. It was no longer just about fitting into my favorite clothes or feeling more confident but about taking control of my health before it was too late.

Research And Conversations

With this realization, I went deep into researching GLP-1 medications and nutrition.

I read medical journals and pharmaceutical companies’ GLP-1 information in detail. I also wanted to hear from those who had already used the medications. So, I dove into online forums and communities, spending hours scrolling through the personal stories and experiences of people who had used these medications. Reading the positive and negative feedback was eye-opening, it gave me a better idea of what I might be getting myself into.

I also spent time talking to doctors about the medication. During these conversations, I was completely open about my health history, my long-term struggle with weight, and my interest in trying GLP-1 medications. I asked a ton of questions and really listened to their perspectives.

These conversations were incredibly valuable in helping me understand the potential risks and benefits of these medications in my unique circumstances. The doctors provided personalized insights and advice I couldn’t have achieved from any website or forum. They helped me evaluate the pros and cons and make an informed decision about whether GLP-1 medications were right for me.

So, after all this research, what did I learn? I learned that these medications mimic a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1, a regulator of appetite, blood sugar, and insulin levels. The more I learned about the science, the more I started to think that these medications could help me break free from food noise and hunger-to give me just enough of a break to focus on changing my eating habits.

The Beginning Of Change

But even as I left the pharmacy with the medication, I realized this was just the beginning. I understood that the medication wasn’t a cure-all and that I would need to commit to making lifestyle changes to achieve lasting results. This meant altering my diet and exercise habits and shifting my mindset and relationship with food. I knew from all the previously failed attempts that preparing my mind for this weight loss journey would be crucial.

I started by setting clear, realistic goals and developing a plan to gradually incorporate healthier habits into my daily life. I also took the time to reflect on my emotional relationship with food and explore strategies for coping with stress and other triggers that had often led me to overeat in the past and quiet the food noise.

1https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9877131/

CHAPTER 3: The Plan And The Surprises

Written by A.M. Yale

Where I started

Month 1: Size 16, 34-inch waist, weight 188 pounds (5 foot 6 inches)Always hungry. Always thinking of food.I was a chronic overeater. Although I mostly ate whole foods, I consumed too much food and the wrong combination of food types. Over 70% of my nutritional intake was processed carbohydrates and sugar.I was exhausted by the constant fear of gaining weight and the debilitating effects of the excess weight on my body.

What I Planned

To stop feeling miserable because of being overweight. At 21 years old, the body can compensate. At 51 years old, my body was increasingly ‘screaming at me’ that it couldn’t anymore. To lose enough weight to get healthier, become more active and go from a 34-inch waist to a 30-inch waist.I decided to take Mounjaro, a GLP-1 medication, for a maximum of 6-8 months. I consulted with my doctor to confirm I was healthy and could take and stop the medication. Almost a year of research led me to believe that I could use the medication to reduce my hunger to the point that I could start to retrain my eating habits and then go off the medication.I made a deal with myself: this would be the last diet I ever went on. To achieve this, I would need to commit to learning how to eat nutritious foods in the right quantities and retrain my mind to have a healthier relationship with food.

My Commitment

Giving myself the space to ‘rewire’ my eating habits by removing the food noise with the aid of Mounjaro. Decreasing my portions. Increasing nutrients to ensure I was eating the optimum amount and type of protein, fiber, fat, and carbohydrates. Simple in concept, complex in practice.Slowly increased my physical activity over months on the diet. It is worth noting that I subscribe to the approach of adding exercise once a new diet and portions have become routine since increased physical activity requires additional nutrition and portions.

What I Expected

I expected to feel a significant sense of loss as I committed to changing my eating habits: loss of the food and drink I loved; loss of freedom to choose; loss of joy. So much of what I looked forward to daily involved socializing over food and drink, going to restaurants, and cooking my favorite meals, so I imagined a life of eating for health being devoid of joy.

What Happened

After 12 months, I had a 28-inch waist and a weight of 131 pounds for a total weight loss of 57 pounds. I took Mounjaro for 4 months and kept dieting without the medication for 8 additional months. I lost 30 pounds while taking Mounjaro and intended to stay on the medication for another 2 months. I received a call from my pharmacy telling me it could be up to a month until they could refill my prescription, so I thought, “Why not continue losing weight without the training wheels.”The medication worked exactly as I expected, based on my research. Within a day of taking it, my appetite had decreased to the point where I was eating 60% less (and not overeating daily).2For the first time in my life, I didn’t wake up feeling very hungry, which gave me the chance I needed to improve my nutrition:I could feel when I was truly hungry instead of constantly thinking I needed food. I could now differentiate between what my mind was craving and what my body needed.I could see the benefits of an approach to eating foods that didn’t previously resonate with me, e.g., a foundation of fruits, vegetables, protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. Since I was eating dramatically less, I knew that I needed to increase my nutrient intake to stay healthy. I was able to add a small amount of exercise to my routine in 4 weeks, versus my plan for a few months, because I was feeling so much better. Each month, I increased the frequency and duration of my exercise sessions.I remember telling myself before going off the medication, “You will need to be even more strict with your portions and food types so that you don’t fall back into old habits.” I was worried that the hunger would increase immediately off the medication, and I would immediately start overeating again.

What Surprised Me

More than anything, the mind is the most important factor for successful weight loss. I attribute my initial weight loss success to GLP-1 and good nutrition. My success with keeping the weight off is 100% about my mind being ready to make a long-term commitment. How important it is to make the decision to stop dieting and instead focus on understanding nutrition