Latest news with #weightloss
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Health
- Yahoo
First they took a GLP-1. Then they got the 'meat ick.'
It's hard to meet your protein goals when you suddenly can't stand a bite of chicken or steak. Merris Taylor has never loved a fatty ribeye or New York Strip steak. She prefers leaner cuts. But that preference morphed into a downright disgust after Taylor started taking Zepbound, a powerful GLP-1 weight loss medication. 'If I get a weird piece of meat in my mouth — whether it has a weird texture or fat in it — I'm like, 'oh, no,'' the dietitian tells Yahoo. 'That just turns your stomach,' she adds. This sudden loss of appetite for meat is not uncommon among people taking GLP-1s. They call it the 'meat ick.' If you're not on a weight loss medication, maybe you've felt a version of the meat ick if you've taken a first bite of salmon and it tasted too fishy, or you've cooked up some chicken that still tastes suspiciously gamey. But for some people taking injection weight loss drugs such as Zepbound and Wegovy, even the freshest chicken, pork, steak or salmon can lose its appeal. Researchers, patients and prescribers of GLP-1 medications are discovering that the drugs can significantly change people's tastes in food. And losing a taste for meat is especially concerning for people on these medications because they need to consume plenty of protein to prevent muscle loss and reduce side effects. So what's going on, and can a case of the meat ick be cured? Here's what we learned. What is the 'meat ick' and why do people get it on GLP-1s? The meat ick is just a more relatable version of a more technical term called food aversion. It's a phenomenon that's probably most familiar to people who have been pregnant and experienced the dreaded morning sickness along with appetite changes that can leave them hating their favorite foods. Food aversion can come with or without nausea and has a number of potential causes, ranging from hormonal changes, such as those in pregnancy, to certain illnesses and even mental health issues like depression or anxiety. Medications, including antibiotics and omeprazole — a common acid reflux treatment — can also cause food aversion. So the effects of blockbuster GLP-1 drugs aren't totally unprecedented. But something new is going on with these particular types of medications. Older diabetes medications that are also considered GLP-1s — including Victoza and Saxenda — have been around for more than a decade. 'What's very strange is that really nobody ever reported this meat ick thing to us [while taking these drugs],' Tiffany Bailey, a physician's assistant who makes educational content about GLP-1s on social media, tells Yahoo. 'What I found strange is that we started seeing this phenomenon when we started using GLP-1s for weight loss,' rather than to treat diabetes, she adds. There isn't much research on the meat ick or other food aversions triggered by GLP-1s — Bailey notes that it was never mentioned to her or her colleagues when they were learning how to prescribe and manage side effects — but there are some sensible theories. For one, Bailey suspects that the reason people are getting the meat ick while on, for example, Mounjaro, but not Saxenda, is that versions of drugs designed for weight loss are usually higher doses than the same medication formulated for diabetes treatment. That likely means the side effects of the weight loss versions will be stronger. Second, these drugs help people lose weight by slowing down gastric emptying, or the process of digestion. So after someone taking a GLP-1 eats, 'food just sits there longer,' helping them to feel fuller faster, explains Bailey. Heavy, dense foods, including meat and other proteins, already take longer to digest. But if they sit in your gut for too long, they can trigger nausea, a biological response designed to tell us Slow down, I've had enough and can't handle more right now! Your digestive system 'registers that you ate this, and it sat there and made you nauseous, so it will subconsciously tell your brain, 'This is bad.'' So your brain gets conditioned when it tastes, smells or in some cases even sees that food to think: nausea. It's not just meat Bailey estimates that between 10% and 15% of her GLP-1 patients with food aversions get the meat ick, specifically. But she says as many as 70% of people taking the injections develop some kind of food aversion. The most common culprit? Coffee, 'even if they used to live for their coffee,' says Bailey. Too much caffeine from coffee can cause nausea, queasiness or stomach upset, which might partially explain the phenomenon. But Bailey says that coffee simply tastes bad to many of her patients. Plenty of GLP-1 users have reported the same breakup with their morning joe on social media. One possible explanation is that both caffeine and GLP-1s interact with dopamine, our reward chemical, in the brain. GLP-1s can make those once-rewarding food and drinks (and, researchers think, drugs and alcohol too) less so, which may explain why coffee and caffeine aren't so appealing to those taking the drugs, Bailey suggests. Eggs are probably the second most commonly-reported 'ick' in Bailey's family medicine practice. And they're now 32-year-old Courtney Kline's biggest turn-off. Since starting to take a GLP-1, 'I've tried every which way to cook them or put them in something,' but to no avail, she tells Yahoo. 'I've always loved eggs, but the second I started on a GLP-1 I [tried to make] some eggs, liquid egg whites and spinach, and I felt like vomiting,' she says. Her egg reaction takes one easy way to cook and consume protein off the menu. But for others with the meat ick, including Taylor, eggs are a solution. While scrambled eggs are 'no-go' for her, boiled eggs are a great go-to source of protein, along with softer meats that are made in the crock pot, added to soup or in spaghetti sauce. Cassandra Smith has the opposite problem. A day or so after the 30-year-old middle school English teacher and mother took her first injection of compounded tirzepatide, Smith had plans to go to Olive Garden with her coworkers. Smith ordered her usual: cheese ravioli with red meat sauce, topped with a layer of Parmesan. 'When I got it, I was like, eww,' she tells Yahoo. 'I was like, 'I just can't eat this — this is disgusting.' The dish didn't smell off or look off, but 'it was like my brain just said, 'You're not eating that,' says Smith. 'It's weird, I can't really explain it.' Her best guess is simply that her brain and body have learned that all of that heavy food — the red meat, the carbs and the cheese — didn't sit well with her anymore. (Dairy, notes Bailey, also comes up as a GLP-1 ick.) Why the ick isn't all bad — and how to cope with it There's an upside to these icks, however. Smith no longer has any desire for some of the rich foods she once enjoyed. Instead, 'my cravings are completely different now. I crave salmon and brussels sprouts, and I'm wondering, 'What restaurant has the best broccoli?'' she says. 'I'm like, who craves broccoli? But my whole palate has changed.' That's been hugely helpful to Smith. She used to love steak, but had to stop eating it because it caused flare-ups of her rheumatoid arthritis. Since starting on a GLP-1 Smith has been able to stop taking her arthritis medications under the guidance of her doctor, 'and these are medications that people never come off of,' she says. Now she's discovered a love of salmon, a healthy, nutrient-packed source of protein and good-for-you fats. Smith avoids any highly processed 'manmade' foods, she says, opting instead for whole foods — and teaching her 4-year-old daughter to do the same. It's a common, positive effect of being on these weight loss medications, Bailey says. 'Studies show that people choose a lot lighter foods in general after being put on a GLP-1,' she says, referring to a shift away from high-sugar foods and unhealthy fats found in ultra-processed foods. That's good for weight loss and improving health metrics like cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. But this dietary change does present a problem: consuming enough protein. Fatty fish like salmon and tuna are great sources of protein, but Bailey says some of her GLP-1 patients can't tolerate even this good fat. So how can you hit your protein goals if you're on a weight loss medication? Lean options like grilled chicken or turkey are less likely to trigger the ick, say both Bailey and Taylor. And, when in doubt, you might just have to hide the meat a little. Taylor and Bailey suggest going for lightly breaded chicken. Try cooking it in an air fryer or baking it in the oven, rather than deep-frying it, which bathes the chicken in fatty oil — or else you might find yourself right back in the ick. Solve the daily Crossword
The Sun
an hour ago
- Health
- The Sun
I lost 3st with my ‘belly blitz' DVD but I'll NEVER take Ozempic – the side effects are horrific, says Charlotte Crosby
CHARLOTTE Crosby says she'd never take Ozempic because of all the horror side effects her friends have had. She famously lost over three stone with her 'belly blitz' DVD, but now, as Charlotte reveals she's finally happy with her body and would never jump on the fat jab bandwagon. 7 The former Geordie Shore star, 35, says she's seen friends experience the same debilitating side effect when taking the medication and as a result has vowed to steer clear. 'I'd never go on Ozempic or Mounjaro or anything like that,' she told The Sun exclusively. 'I know people on it - the whole world's basically on it - and they all feel tired and lethargic. 'It's scary, because you don't know what the long term effects are going to be. I think there will be a lot of people who are going to suffer. "I'm not a scientist and I'm not a doctor, but what's it going to do to peoples' bodies? 'I'm not willing to take that risk. Each to their own. But I'm worried about what's going to happen in the long term with these jabs, so that's why you won't ever see me on them.' I'm not against surgery at all, if you want to change something about yourself, go for it. But please, don't go to Turkey to do it Charlotte Crosby35 Charlotte, who has two daughters, Alba, three and six month old Pixi, instead advocates for a regular exercise regime to stay slim. Though she admits she hasn't done much of that since Pixi was born in January. 'By using the fat jabs, you're not getting anything like what you would get from exercise,' she explains. 'I lost weight naturally many, many years ago. I've been there. And I'm a big promoter of exercise. Geordie Shore's Marnie Simpson gives birth to her third child and tells fans she feels 'so blessed' "I love doing exercise. I personally haven't got back into it yet, because with two children, it's very hard, but I am all for the natural endorphins it releases. "When I'm exercising, I am the best version of myself, so that's how I choose to get my kicks.' Despite not attempting much exercise of late, Charlotte insists she's happier than ever in her own skin after a lifetime of battling her weight, which has seen her dress size fluctuate between a 16 and an 8 over the years. Since giving birth for the second time she now feels 'really happy with my body again' and although she doesn't give away what size she is now, she confirms 'I'm not a size zero, I'm a normal girl.' 'I actually love my body more than ever after pregnancy, because my hips have widened and I like that look,' she says. 'I've got more of an hourglass figure purely because of my hips. I love it.' The subject soon turns to surgery, most notably the terrifying amount of women who are dying after having specific 'mummy makeovers' in Turkey. The issue prompted the government to warn Brits that the standard of medical care in the country can vary, and they confirmed that ' six british nationals died in Turkey in 2024 following medical procedures.' When asked if she'd ever consider going under the knife again (Charlotte has had breast and nose surgery before) for a mummy makeover, she recoils in horror. 'I would never, ever go to Turkey for any form of surgery,' she says, defiantly. 'I'm not against surgery at all, if you want to change something about yourself, go for it. But please, don't go to Turkey to do it. "I can understand why people want to jump ship because it is so expensive in England but don't opt for a cheaper price, not when it comes to your body. "Pay more. Get the better service. Do your research and stay in England. It'll cost more but you'll be happier with the results.' When it comes to setting an example for her daughters, who she shares with fiance Jake Ankers, Charlotte's not necessarily concerned about them being influenced into getting surgery. 'I'm not worried Alba is going to see someone getting a boob job, and think, I want a boob job when she's ten,' she says, but she is concerned about the amount of screentime they have. It's why she's championing the kids Summer Reading Challenge, an incentive to get more children reading books over the summer holidays. 'Reading with Alba is so magical,' Charlotte, who has just written her first fiction novel, gushes. 'I want her exposed to as many books as possible. There's too much emphasis on screen these days. "You know one teacher told me how some children when they start school get given a book and they immediately try to swipe the cover. "They don't even know how to turn pages, all they know is how to use an ipad. It's really quite scary.' Open now in public libraries and online, the Summer Reading Challenge is the UK's biggest free reading programme for all families across the UK, inspiring children aged between 4-11 to read for fun over the summer holidays. 7 7
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO) Could Lose To Eli Lilly, Warns Jim Cramer
We recently published . Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer recently discussed. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) came up during the show in the context of trade discussions between the US and Europe and potential tariffs on the pharmaceutical sector. For context, Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) is among the few firms in the world that can compete with Eli Lilly in the weight loss drug market. Cramer's previous remarks about the firm have wondered why Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) has lost the lead in the weight loss drug market despite introducing the product first. This time, he discussed the dynamics of the market: '[If market should start thinking about sectoral tariffs after Trump's latest remarks] I mean when I heard it first I said okay, so they put a tariff on Novo Nordisk. It's really good for Eli Lilly. Now that's not necessarily what we're talking about but remember this price differential right now. . CVS, Eli Lilly versus Novo. So for Wegovy versus Zepbound. Be interesting to see what happens, I think it's very bullish for Eli Lilly. Photo by Myriam Zilles on Unsplash Here's what Cramer said earlier about Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) and tariffs: 'I want you to know I don't want Novo Nordisk… and the reason that is because if there's going to be talk about tariffs on foreign drugs versus Eli Lilly, Novo is going to have an even less of an edge on this thing. So I say Novo, we don't need the bottom finish. It's not for me.' While we acknowledge the potential of NVO as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the . READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
McDonald's fan shares how he halved his weight
Fast food fan Joshua Hilton has lost the equivalent of a great Dane in weight after ditching his £5,000-a-year takeaway 31-year-old mostly ate at McDonald's but would also binge on KFCs and Chinese and Indian hairdresser, from Lyneham, Wiltshire, said he became so embarrassed by his weight, he would avoid leaving his home as he did not like seeing after changing his diet, he has halved his weight from 20 stone (127kg) to 10 stone (63.5kg) in about 18 months. Remembering his former self, he said: "I did not do any walking or exercise as it would make me feel exhausted and I would be sweating."I would also want to avoid people so I would never really want to be out in public." At the time the money he was spending did not seem significant as it would be "£10 here, £20 there". On bad days, Mr Hilton would start the day with McDonald's."But it would be two of everything. I would quite often skip lunch so I could pre-plan my binge for the evening. "That could be going back to McDonald's. It could be Chinese, Indian, KFC," he the beginning of 2024, a photograph taken in work made him realise it was time to change his said the key to losing weight has been to eat the correct portion sizes and avoid takeaways, although he does still eat the odd burger. When it comes to exercise, he does not go to the gym. "I'm on my feet all day and along with dog walks, that was enough for me," he new slim self has left him feeling happier and his sleep has improved. "It's 100% made me more confident," he said. Mr Hilton recommended others looking to lose weight should make steady changes to their diet over added by doing this, he has "lost the equivalent of a great Dane".
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Telegraph
Ask Rachel: My husband has lost his lust for life (and sex) now that he's on a weight-loss drug
Have a sex or relationship question? Ask Rachel about it using the form below or email askrachel@ Dear Rachel, My husband has never been a slim man. Even when we got married 26 years ago, he despised the pictures because he said he looked fat. He tried those Cambridge diet sachets years ago and did manage to shrink his gut, but his residual grumpiness made our family life (we had three young children at the time) so unbearable that we all decided it wasn't worth the aggro. Yes he's a little chubby – but he's always been such a cheerful man. When he mentioned one of his friends was on one of those weight-loss drugs I didn't discourage him from looking into it because I know how much his belly has bothered him all our married life. I had no idea how much it would change him. It's not just food that has become irrelevant – all the fun seems to have been squeezed out. Dinner parties are a bore because he doesn't even fancy the odd glass of Gavi, and by the time we get into bed he is too exhausted to even consider sex. If I'm honest, although his trousers are dropping off him and he looks 10 years younger, he's so lethargic he's become boring to be around. The only thing that perks him up is when someone tells him how sprightly he looks. I don't want to discourage him, but watching a man push his pasta round his plate just isn't sexy. What on earth do I say to him to get him off this bloody drug and back to the man I married all those years ago? Any advice is most welcome. - Melanie from Tiverton Dear Melanie from Tiverton, or 'Tivvy' as we West Countryfolk call it, This is possibly the most on-trend question I've had. The first thing to say is his body is his, not yours, but I hear where you're coming from. I went to a big fat English lunch earlier in the month. There were lashings of Léoube, a smorgasbord of River Café-level scran, and exquisite wisps floating about in broderie anglaise maxi dresses. I'm not going to mention the women again as they were the same. No carbs have passed their lips for decades and they weigh less than they did on their wedding days. No, it was the men that jumped out (not literally, from the bushes, but you know what I mean). Around half of them looked different…and somewhat diminished. In this day and age, we know of course that when men suddenly become thin and listless and silent it's not because they're 'battling' some horrid disease. It's because they've become hooked on weight-loss jabs. At the lunch, when asked why they were half the men they used to be, the slimmed-down boasted proudly they were on Mounjaro or Ozempic or whatever. I have to say it. Most of them were shadows of their former strapping selves. Instead of the raucous carousing they were known and loved for in their past lives, they sat uneasily at the feast, nursing their sparkling waters and pushing their micro-portions of grilled sea bass with salsa verde around their plates as I went up for seconds and thirds. As the host joked afterwards, 'next year I'll just lay on some crisps and save myself a fortune!' as many of the blokes were so birdlike in their appetites. And this is the point isn't it. Mounjaro (and the other jabs) are designed to decrease appetite. Of all sorts. Appetite and lust for life. It creates feelings of satiety and fullness even when you've barely touched a morsel. It also seems to lower the mood. I know a few men on Mounjaro and, like your husband, they seem tired, both of London and of life. Your old man has been turned off the pleasures of the flesh apparently by a drug that is making its manufacturers bigger and bigger as its millions of users become smaller and smaller. According to anecdotal reports, some reported side effects do include lower libido, erectile changes and flat mood or 'emotional blunting' as the weight drops off – but so does general mojo. And as we all realise as we get older, people are appealing not so much for their outward appearance, but their inner energy. Big Pharma, its prescribers, makers and users will cite the manifold benefits of losing a lot of timber: improved confidence, self-esteem, cardiovascular health (and that can improve sexual stamina too) and higher testosterone, ie it could indeed prove to be a miracle wonder drug and who are you and I to knock it? Well, in your husband's case, the weight-loss drug has served as a fun- as well as fat-suck. And for others too. Like you, I've also noticed something… grey about men on the pen. But if you beg men to stop it and say, 'But I preferred you like you were before, all…normal and jolly,' I've noticed they brush you off because they quite understandably love their new svelte physiques more than they loved being the life and soul of the party. After being the chubby one all their lives, or carrying too much middle-aged spread, it's too late for them to stop the weight jabs now. After a lifetime's bad body image, they have achieved their BMI nirvana and that's all that matters, never mind that they no longer care about sex very much, they can't be arsed and what matters now is not the notches on the bedpost but the belt. The pen is mightier, it turns out, than the penis. In terms of advice: until he achieves his target weight, I'd suggest your chap take some supplements such as zinc, magnesium, Omega 3, calcium and Vitamin D, and see whether that increases his sexual appetite. Oh yes, when my husband gave up booze for a year – he switched to an alcohol-free beer called Kaliber – I was quite relieved when he started drinking again as it chirped him up (it still does). I missed the Rabelaisian man and good-timer I'd married, so you have my sympathies. And also tell your chap this. Men don't love skeletal self-denying women who live on a rocket leaf a day even if it makes them as ripped as Demi Moore, and – newsflash! - nor do women. We like a dad bod (think Jon Hamm in Friends and Neighbours …mmmm….). Unlike men – annoying generalisation alert – we don't find the opposite sex attractive only on the basis of looks alone. I'd tell him you love him as he is and always will, but fancied him more before, then quickly quote Shakespeare's Julius Caesar before he takes his diet too far. 'Let me have men about me that are fat, sleek-headed men and such as sleep a-nights. Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look' etc. And then tell him he's gorgeous and seduce him.
