Can certain foods mimic the effects of weight loss injections?

There are several types of weight loss medicines available, and most work in a similar way. Some prevent your body from absorbing fat, while most modern options focus on curbing hunger. By replicating the ‘fullness hormones’ your body naturally produces, these medicines help you eat less. They also slow down digestion, meaning food stays in your stomach longer and keeps you feeling full well after a meal.

Helena Barham-Coppola, nutritional therapist and founder of Nourish&Be, London, UK, explains that for those seeking foods that act as a ‘speed bump’ for hunger, there are three key nutritional components worth exploring to sustain fullness.

Helena Barham-Coppola

To maximise the effects of foods that may naturally mimic weight loss medicine, the order in which you eat them can be surprisingly important.

Barham-Coppola recommends you start your day off with a protein-packed breakfast – for example, boiled eggs, some Greek yoghurt, chicken breast, salmon, or scrambled tofu. Since protein sends a powerful ‘fullness’ signal to your brain that takes roughly 20 minutes to activate, eating it early gives your body a head start on appetite control.

She explains that protein triggers a wave of ‘fullness’ hormones that tell your brain to stop eating and your stomach to slow down. By making protein the star of your breakfast, you stabilise your blood sugar for the rest of the morning. It also shuts off ghrelin, the hormone that makes your stomach growl. Because your energy stays steady, you won’t face the mid-morning sugar crash that usually leads to reaching for snacks.

“Starting your meal with a few bites of protein can be a great way to use this chemical signal to your advantage in weight loss,” says Barham-Coppola. “All alongside some veggies and complex carbs – depending on the person.”

According to Barham-Coppola, because your body can’t digest fibre, if you eat your vegetables early on in your meal – before or alongside protein – they can act like a protective net that catches sugar and slows its entry into your bloodstream.

“This is the reason why eating an apple can have a minimal blood sugar spike, while eating 2–3 teaspoons of pure sugar – the roughly 10–15 grams of sugar in an apple – can lead to blood sugar spikes and crashes,” she says.

“Fibre also slows gastric emptying and promotes satiety through physical bulk in the stomach. Dietary fibre can also promote the secretion of natural GLP-1.”¹

It’s widely accepted that what works for one person may not work for another. Often, it is not a simple case of ‘eat less and eat the right things’. The phrase “just try harder” has haunted many people navigating a weight loss journey – especially those whose genetics are predisposed to make losing weight more difficult than it is for others.

Barham-Coppola addresses this by explaining that some people do have a naturally higher ‘set point’ for weight. This is due, in part, to genetics, but it is also influenced by early-life exposures and the health of their parents prior to conception.

“The body often responds to caloric restriction with stronger hunger signals,” she says. “Another important point to remember is that weight and fat mass can be totally independent of metabolic health. So for someone with a higher set point, that doesn’t mean they should give up.

“Prioritise healthy eating for the wealth of other benefits it provides – including metabolic stability and mental wellbeing. Body shape isn’t everything.”

Barham-Coppola warns that for those living in environments where UPFs are the norm, the struggle to lose weight often becomes a battle against their surroundings. This is where weight loss injections can offer a bridge, but they are most effective when paired with a long-term plan. Without that foundational support, there is a significant chance that weight will return once you stop taking the medicine.

Using these biological ‘hacks’ can take you a long way towards finding a healthy weight, but, as Barham-Coppola describes, it’s rarely as simple as a math’s equation.

She explains that when you cut calories to lose weight, your body eventually senses ‘scarcity’ and triggers a survival mechanism. It begins to lower your metabolism to preserve energy – which is why many people hit a weight loss plateau after a few weeks, even if they haven’t changed their routine.

“To overcome this, I often recommend a weekly ‘treat meal’,” she says. “This is really beneficial from a psychological perspective too, as constant restriction can have a negative effect on the mind. It serves to remind your body that it is safe, that it is not living in a famine, and it can continue to lose weight, if that is your goal.”