If you are taking a weight-loss medication like Wegovy or Saxenda, you want to get the most out of it. So, you should know what foods to avoid and which to aim for. Doing so will allow you to get the most benefit out of these medications. 

This article will explain what foods to avoid or aim for when taking Wegovy or Saxenda. It will also explain why to avoid these and highlight some better options. 

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How Do Wegovy and Saxenda Work? 

To understand what foods you should avoid while taking Wegovy and Saxenda, you should understand how they work. This will give you a better understanding of why you should avoid these foods and help guide you in other ways. 

Wegovy and Saxenda are different medications, yet they accomplish their goals in similar ways. They work toward activating the effects of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). This hormone is responsible for sending signals to the brain that regulate things like the body’s insulin production, which is why these medications are used to treat diabetes. 

However, GLP-1 also reduces hunger. The signals it sends are some of the same signals your body naturally sends as you eat. These let your brain know you don’t need to be hungry anymore; thus, your brain makes you feel full. In addition, GLP-1 slows down your digestive system to make food pass through it slowly. With food taking longer in your digestive system, you stay full longer. 

How To Maximize the Effect of Wegovy and Saxenda

You can see that neither Wegovy nor Saxenda is responsible for burning fat or forcing your body to lose weight. Instead, they simply cause you to eat less. Doing so results in a calorie deficit that makes your body lose weight. 

A calorie deficit is when your body uses more calories than you are taking in. When this happens, your body uses your stores of fat to provide you with energy. This is where weight loss happens. 

To get the most out of Wegovy or Saxenda, you need to do what you can to work toward maintaining this calorie deficit. In most cases, this isn’t too difficult, as the medications make it easier to take in fewer calories naturally. However, you can take steps or participate in weight loss treatments to do more. 

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Exercise While Using Wegovy and Saxenda

One way to maximize the effect you are getting from Wegovy and Saxenda is to exercise. Everyone knows that exercising is a great way to lose weight in general. However, it is particularly helpful while on these weight loss medications, as it directly works toward extending their benefits. Doing so will help you extend the calorie deficit that you are creating. 

For example, if you go on a run four times a week for about 30 minutes, you can burn upwards of 300 calories. This equals around 1,200 calories per week. If you keep this up for three weeks, you’ll burn around 3,600 calories. There are 3,500 calories in a pound of body fat, so you’ll have burned an extra pound in less than a month. 

 

Close-up of a person running on stone stairs

 

Eat the Right Foods While Using Wegovy and Saxenda

Alongside exercise, eating right has the biggest impact on maintaining your calorie deficit. In fact, eating right is one of the best ways to maintain this. Knowing what foods to eat and avoid will help you do this. 

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Foods to Eat While Using Wegovy and Saxenda

While taking Wegovy and Saxenda, you should mostly try to eat foods that are healthy in general. However, there are a few specific categories you can aim for. These are foods that will fill you up, keep you full, and make sure that you stay healthy. 

One category to aim for is foods that are high in protein. Foods high in protein will help you stay full for longer periods. They will also help you build muscle mass if they are paired with strength training exercises, which can increase the number of calories your body burns on a daily basis. 

You should also aim to eat plenty of foods packed with essential vitamins and nutrients, like vitamin B-12. Since you are eating less, you will be missing out on some of the benefits that foods provide. An important benefit is the vitamins and nutrients found in just about every type of food. So, you need to aim for foods that provide more of these vitamins and nutrients, like healthy vegetables, while requiring you to eat less. This will prevent you from entering a state where you become deficient in an important vitamin

Whole grains are another category to include in your diet. These are foods that are high in fiber, which makes you stay full for longer periods. They are also complex carbs, which take your body longer to break down. It is particularly important to choose whole grains over other alternatives, as the alternatives will fill you up for a bit but leave you hungry again soon after. 

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Foods to Avoid While Using Wegovy and Saxenda

While on Wegovy and Saxenda, you want to avoid foods that are high in calories or high in sugar. This is important because Wegovy and Saxenda can’t create a calorie deficit if you load your body with calories. 

Think about how these medications work. They make you feel full faster, which causes you to eat less. However, if every meal you eat has hundreds of calories packed into each bite, this doesn’t matter. You will still exceed your calorie requirements despite eating less food because your food simply has more calories in it. 

So, try to avoid foods that are high in calories. These include fried foods, heavily processed foods, and foods with a lot of saturated fats. As a general rule, try to avoid fast food or food from unhealthy restaurants, as these usually contain a lot of these bad things. 

In addition, avoid sugar as much as possible. This means staying away from sugary sweets and carbonated drinks. A single can of soda is something you can drink even when you feel full, yet it can contain upwards of 150 calories. When possible, you should avoid throwing these extra calories into the mix. 

 

Box full of an assortment of candy bars

 

Getting The Most Out of Wegovy and Saxenda

While taking Wegovy or Saxenda, you should know what foods to avoid and which to eat. This will allow you to make diet choices that will enhance the effectiveness of these medications. By doing so, you will make your weight-loss journey an effective one. Related: IV Therapy Benefits: What to Know for Your Health