If you’re using weight loss medications like Mounjaro or Wegovy, you might be familiar with side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, and abdominal discomfort.
You’re not alone. While most don’t get side effects at all, around 1 in 10 users of Mounjaro and Wegovy will experience discomfort. Side effects might improve as your body adjusts to the medication. Or, you might notice they get worse as you increase your dosage.
But you don’t need to throw in the towel if you experience mild discomfort. There are simple steps you can take to help alleviate it.
In this article, we give you some top nutrition, movement and mindset tips to manage some common side effects of weight loss jabs: low mood and brain fog, headaches, constipation and diarrhoea, and insomnia.
Important Note: While most of these side effects are tolerable, we advise you keep your healthcare provider updated if you’re experiencing them.
Low Mood and Brain Fog
Low mood can be extremely difficult and pervasive. However, these nutritional, movement and psychological tips can help you get through these periods.
Nutrition Tips:
Our eating habits can have a massive influence on our moods, from “hanger” to low mood and anxiety, our gut can often be thought of as our first brain.
- Eat Regular Meals – Regular meals help keep your physiology balanced and give your brain and body all those nutrients it needs to stay happy and healthy. Aiming for three meals each day is a great first step toward improving your mood.
- Construct Bright, Colourful Plates – Bright colours on your plate can help you engage with enjoying your meal. Try to eat the rainbow – get all different colours of food on your plate throughout your day.
- Enjoy your Favourite Meal with Others – Choose your favourite meal and spend quality time crafting a tasty dish. Share it with family or friends and cook together to form treasured memories.
- Stay Hydrated – Try to make sure you’ve had something to drink within the last hour. Adding your favourite fruit to your water, having a warm comforting cup of tea, or making a nice, tasty smoothie will be a great way to perk up your day.
Movement Tips:
Movement is an amazing tool that allows you to physically transform yourself. However, the benefits of movement extend far beyond the physical changes.
- Remember Every Little Helps – Any movement is better than no movement at all. Research shows that light physical activity, such as walking and stretching, can improve mood and enhance cognition, clearing that fog away.
- Enjoy Movement – Do anything you enjoy – walk, jog, swim, run, stretch, stand up and down, garden, clean, cook or play sports. Mentally, you will feel much happier, lighter and more fulfilled. If you want to further boost the effects, do your movement outside, especially when it is sunny. Fresh air helps to further reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
- Keep it Consistent – Make movement a regular part of your daily life. Choose something you enjoy and can slot seamlessly into your daily routine. This will help you maintain your healthy habits.
Mindset Tips:
It’s perfectly normal to have good days and bad days (and some average days too). One of the best things you can do if your mood is low, is to remind yourself it’s temporary.
The ARR approach (AKA the Pirate Approach), will help you deal with psychological issues. It has 3 basic steps:
- A – Acknowledge – What’s happening? For example, “I feel low, and this is a common side effect with this medication”
- R – Respond – Use helpful strategies. For example, write down 3 things you’re grateful for, or write a letter to your future self, telling yourself how proud you are for sticking with the journey
- R – Remind – Remind yourself that discomfort is temporary and that you have the strength to deal with it. Remind yourself why you’re on this journey and what the benefits are
Bonus Tips:
- Plan your day the night before
- Reduce your screen time
- Meditation
- Take regular breaks
- Do at least one thing you enjoy
Headaches
A headache can drain your motivation. However, these quick tips can help you manage them – and even reduce the likelihood of experiencing them again.
Nutrition Tips:
- Drink and Eat Regularly – While your medication will reduce hunger, aim for three meals a day. On more active days, increase how much you eat and drink, even if you just add a small snack.
- Eat Magnesium-Rich Foods – Like nuts and seeds, spinach or broccoli, and even dark chocolate (the darker the better).
- Eat Foods High in Coenzyme Q10 – Like meat, fish, and poultry, and nuts and seeds
- Eat Foods High in Vitamin B2 – These include mushrooms, milk, egg, seaweed and spinach, and plain yoghurt
Movement Tips:
- Rest and Recover – Take time to rest and allow some of the pain and discomfort to subside.
- Start Small and Build Up Gradually – This will help maximise the release of endorphins – the pain-relieving chemical in your brain that can alleviate headache symptoms.
- Do Light Aerobic Activities – Like walking, cycling, or simply moving around the house.
- Stay Well-Hydrated – If you don’t drink enough water, movement could worsen your headaches.
Mindset Tips:
- Limit Screen Time – Sometimes our eyes can become strained from focusing on something so close to us, so going for a walk or a cycle can be useful to allow yourself to see the sights and let your eyes relax from the consistent strain of looking at a screen.
- Distract Yourself – Focusing on your favourite hobby. If you like audiobooks, colouring books or artwork, puzzles and stitching now can be a great time to engage in it.
- Relax and De-stress – Take some time for some high-quality self-care. Like having an indulgent bath, listening to soothing music, having a nice candle-lit dinner, or doing some breathing exercises.
- Try Grounding Exercises – Like the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method: List 5 things you can see. List 4 things you can hear. List 3 things you can feel or touch. List 2 things you can smell or like the smell of. Take one nice, long, deep breath.
Constipation and Diarhhoea
The health of your gut is key to reducing the likelihood of constipation or diarrhoea. Here are some proactive measures you can take to improve it.
Nutrition Tips:
For constipation
- Eat Fruit and Hydrate – Have an extra portion of fruit and drink a bit more water (or tea) throughout your day. This allows your body to soften the blockage and provide lubrication to help it move.
For diarrhoea
- Drink Water – You lose a lot of fluid when you have diarrhoea. So it’s important to hydrate more to replace these losses. Avoid fruit juices, caffeinated drinks, and alcohol where possible.
- Eat Regularly – Aim for three small meals a day. Try to have more of your favourite vegetables and grains.
Movement Tips:
If you have constipation/diarrhoea, movement helps as it increases your blood flow. This helps stimulate intestinal muscles and promote regular bowel function. But only do what is comfortable. Doing too much may make symptoms worse.
- Light Aerobic Activity – Do whatever is comfortable. If walking or jogging are not comfortable, try cycling on an exercise bike.
- Housework – This could be a good time to get housework done. Not only will this increase blood flow to your digestive system, but the sense of achievement could perk you up and improve your symptoms.
- Yoga and Breathing Exercises – They’re another low-impact way of stimulating your digestive system.
Nausea
Nausea can be debilitating and sap your motivation. Here are some ways to minimise this side effect, so you can keep succeeding in your journey.
Nutrition Tips:
- Eat Small, Plain Meals – Another useful tip to help support you with nausea is to have small meals of plain food, avoiding any smells of cooking that may trigger more nausea. Due to the need to limit fat intake whilst nauseous, plain toast, crackers, or biscuits may be useful here.
- Have Small Energy Boosts – If you’re struggling to eat, having an ice pole (not ice-cream) or water with fruit in it can give you an energy boost.
- Choose Food (and Meal Times) Wisely – Plain, cold, savoury foods may help you better than hot or sweet foods, due to the smell and richness. If you experience nausea repeatedly, note down when you feel it the worst and eat around this.
Movement Tips:
- Focus on the Breath – Movement should help you relax, and not be too stressful for the body and mind. So pick an activity that allows you to focus on your breathing in a controlled manner.
- Take a Light Walk or Do Yoga – Not only do these exercises help relieve muscle tension, but you’ll focus on your breathing. Together, this puts you in a relaxed state, helping to ease the symptoms of nausea.
- Start Small – Over time, you may find that you can increase the intensity of the activity. Doing some light movement on an empty stomach can reduce the feelings of discomfort and nausea.
Mindset Tips:
- Dress for Comfort – Ease pressure upon the body, especially the stomach, by wearing loose clothing. If the nausea is making you feel warm, loose clothing will help keep you cool.
- Distract Yourself – Organise an activity to distract and relax you. Watch a movie or have tea (ginger preferably) with a friend or family member.
- Rest and Relax – Finally, remember to rest. Ensure you have a light day and don’t push yourself too far past your limits. Include some time in your day for meditation or breathing exercises.
Insomnia
A poor night’s sleep can be very uncomfortable and inconvenient, and the effects can continue for a few days. If you’re experiencing insomnia, here are a few mindset, movement and nutrition tips you could try. The key is to build and maintain a routine that works for you.
Nutrition Tips:
- Have a Routine – Try not to eat too late or have too large a meal before going to sleep. Digestive discomfort can impair your sleep quality.
- Limit Refined Sugar Before Bed – This will help reduce feeling restless.
- Cut out Caffeine, Alcohol and/or Nicotine At Least 6 Hours Before Sleeping – And minimise caffeine intake in general, particularly in the afternoon.
Movement Tips:
- Try Aerobic Activity – This could mean walking, swimming, or simply cleaning the house. By moving more, you’ll fall asleep faster and wake up much fresher.
- Find the Sun – Studies suggest that sunlight exposure during the day can improve sleep. So doing exercise outdoors will get you the fresh air and sunshine you need to sleep better.
- Do Light Exercise Before Bed – For example, an evening stretching routine or yoga sequence will ease you into a more relaxed state before nodding off.
Mindset Tips:
A sleep routine will help your body know when it should – and shouldn’t – feel sleepy. Set aside an hour before going to sleep to build a sleep routine. Here are some things you can do:
- Have a Warm Shower or Bath – The heat and water will help relax you.
- Do Some Gentle Stretching – If you’ve just had a bath or shower, you should be nice and warm to allow your muscles to stretch.
- Read a Book. Avoid screens and artificial light for at least an hour before sleeping.
- Do Some Breathing Exercises – Think of breathing around a triangle. One side you inhale, one side you hold your breath, and another side you exhale. Breathe into your lower chest, and imagine pushing your belly button out as far as it can go.
- Make Your Room as Dark as You Can – This helps your brain know it’s time to sleep.
- Listen to Something Relaxing – Listening to something slow and melodic or an audiobook is a good way to help your brain shut down. Upbeat music can be distracting as your body will focus on the energy of the beat.
- Restrict your Bed to Sleep or Sex – This helps your brain define the bed as an area for rest, not activity. Avoid screens (such as your phone or TV) or working in bed, as it will increase stress.
It’s also important you start the day right. Did you know that we are most productive for the first two hours after waking? Here’s some things to energise yourself.
- Go for a Brisk Walk
- Have a Large Glass of Cool Water
- Make Yourself a Delicious and Healthy Breakfast – Stuck for ideas? Try some of our GLP-1-friendly recipes.
- Get Up Immediately – Scrolling on your phone or watching TV can increase sleepiness.
