Tuning Out Food Noise: How GLP-1 Medications Can Help Manage Cravings

Many people struggle with constant thoughts of food, which can make healthy eating and weight loss feel like an uphill battle. Have you ever thought about food all day, even when you’re not hungry? You’re not alone! I hear this all the time from my clients, family members, and friends.

You may also know this by a term that’s been gaining popularity lately: food noise. It can affect our daily lives and eating behaviors overall. The surge in popularity of GLP-1 medications for weight loss and blood sugar control has brought more attention to it. A big part of this conversation includes how these medications can be a tool to help make more mindful choices.

GLP-1 medications target specific hunger hormones, helping to reduce food cravings or “food noise” by regulating appetite and promoting feelings of fullness. 

A study in Proceedings of the Nutrition Society highlights how the mere thought of a particular food can stimulate our brain’s reward system, contributing to these persistent food-related thoughts. 

What Is Food Noise?

So, what exactly is "food noise?" As I like to explain to my clients, food noise is a term used to describe the experience of having constant, intrusive thoughts about food. This mental chatter can make it difficult to focus on anything other than what to eat next, or it can show up as an overwhelming craving for a specific food.

A study in nutrients found that patients reported reduced food noise after using GLP-1s, particularly semaglutide for weight management, 

While food noise can be a normal experience for many people, it becomes problematic when it interferes with your ability to maintain a balanced approach to eating, prevents you from meeting your goals, or does not allow you to focus on other aspects of life. While it’s not considered a medical term, and there’s still a lot of ongoing research about it, it’s shown to be more common in those who are overweight or have obesity.

Key Contributors that may Impact Food Noise

• Hunger Hormones: An imbalance in one or both hormones, like ghrelin or leptin, may increase cravings and make food thoughts more persistent.
• Extreme Restriction: Restricting food intake may increase preoccupation with food. 
• Emotional and Psychological Triggers: Stress, anxiety, boredom (and even happy feelings!) can trigger food noise. :‍
• External Cues: Advertising, social media, and food smells or sights can also contribute to food noise. ‍
• Metabolic Disorders: Conditions like insulin resistance, PCOS, and endometriosis can lead to hormone imbalances that may increase food cravings. 

Understanding Food Noise 

While it can feel overwhelming, remember that food noise is not all bad. When managed, it can help you become a more mindful eater and teach you to be more aware of eating patterns and habits. Food noise can also help your body communicate between your brain and gastrointestinal system. This gut-brain connection is a key communication pathway, letting you know if you’re hungry or full.  

Research shows that food cravings and excessive thoughts about food or diet can make it harder to eat well and may lead to overeating; this can make weight loss efforts more difficult for some.  Working with a nutrition expert to help plan your meals can help manage the food noise, improve diet quality, and manage your weight with personalized support.

How Food Noise Affects Weight Loss

Various factors play a key role in weight loss efforts, including food noise. The louder the noise, the more difficult it is to stop overeating and control cravings for non-hunger-related triggers. These can include:

• Poor sleep quality or not getting enough sleep can make you more likely to overeat or not recognize signals that you’re full.
• Stress can affect the brain and trigger your body to make hormones, such as cortisol, that control energy balances and hunger cues.
• Health conditions such as metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome can contribute as well.
• For people with a high genetic risk for obesity, making healthy lifestyle changes can help lower that risk. 
• Some medications cause weight gain by disrupting the chemical signals that tell your brain you are hungry.
• Your work, home or social environment may impact weight loss efforts negatively

How GLP-1 Medications Help Reduce Food Noise

GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and compounded semaglutide, can slow digestion, control blood sugar levels, and prevent overeating. Combining these factors can lower instances of food noise and, when combined with healthy lifestyle changes, lead to sustained weight loss. In fact, patients report experiencing less obsessive preoccupation with food while on these types of medications.

The Role of GLP-1 in Controlling Cravings

GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, is a peptide hormone made by the small intestine and helps reduce glucose levels by stimulating insulin and reducing glucagon secretion. It’s a natural hormone that we all have! GLP-1 hormones have several roles, including:

• Triggering insulin release from the pancreas
• Blocking glucagon secretion
• Slowing stomach emptying
• Increasing satiety or how full you feel after eating 

All of this helps reduce feelings of food noise.

How Reduced Food Noise on GLP-1s Feels

When your hunger hormones are more regulated, and if you’re practicing mindful eating, you can focus on the food experience, recognize physical hunger, and identify any emotional or non-hunger triggers for eating. 

As a registered dietitian who works with people using GLP-1s as a weight loss tool, I have noticed that some patients feel less preoccupied with food, have reduced hunger pangs, and have a greater sense of satiety. Together, with GLP-1 medications and mindful eating, we can raise awareness of satiety and healthier food choices and help people develop a healthy, intentional approach to their nutrition plan.

Hunger vs. Food Noise: Understanding the Difference

‍Knowing the difference between hunger and food noise is key to making mindful eating work for you. Hunger is a natural signal to increase energy intake, driven by physical cues. Food noise is often triggered by external factors such as emotions or stress. 

Recognizing Physical Hunger Cues

Remember, physical hunger will feel different from the hunger that comes from food noise.

• Physical hunger is your body’s biological signal that it needs fuel. It typically occurs more gradually when your body requires energy and nutrients to function correctly. You may notice fatigue, lack of energy, concentration, lightheadedness, or your stomach growling! The symptoms can get stronger as you go longer without food. 

• On the other hand, food noise or emotional hunger can come on suddenly and is more emotional than physical. It involves persistent thoughts, cravings, or a preoccupation with foods. This occurs for many reasons, even when your body does not need energy. 

Dietitian-approved tips for recognizing the difference

Here are my top tips for recognizing true hunger vs emotional cues for hunger: 

1. Check for physical symptoms of hunger, such as stomach growling, low energy, the time of your last meal, or even trouble focusing. 
2. Notice the rate of the cue: physical hunger is often gradual, whereas emotional hunger often comes on quickly.
3. Notice any specific triggers for emotional eating. Things like stress, boredom, anxiety, and sadness are just a few examples. 
4. Identify the craving: With physical hunger, you may be open to eating various foods, whereas emotional hunger can be craving for specific “comfort” foods such as a specific sweet or salty snack. 
5. Pause and give yourself the chance to respond. Ask yourself: Did something trigger this urge to eat? Or Am I actually hungry? 

How GLP-1s May Help with Mindful Eating

By practicing mindful eating in combination with the appetite-regulating effects of GLP-1s, people may find a balance of self-awareness and control, making it easier to make balanced food choices. This strategy helps people slow down and assess whether they are eating out of hunger or habit. By incorporating mindful eating practices, one can enhance and learn along the way and improve one's overall relationship with eating. 

Some mindful eating tips to further quiet food noise for long-term success: 

• Use your senses: Pay attention to the sight, smell, taste, and texture of your meal.
• Slow Down: Be more present in the moment.
• Eat without distractions: I know this is a tough one, with phones, TV, and all the distractions. But it’s helpful!
• Pause and check in with yourself: “How hungry am I right now?” “Am I comfortably full?”

What About the Side Effects of GLP-1s?

Some people on GLP-1 medications, like semaglutide, do experience side effects. While these side effects can be bothersome, they are typically manageable and tend to lessen over time with proper guidance. For some, semaglutides may have fewer side effects than others.

Can GLP-1s Help Silence Food Noise for Good?

GLP-1s have been linked to reduced food noise while taking them, as they help reduce food cravings and appetite by slowing stomach emptying, making people feel full for longer.

The effect is temporary, and the feeling could return without the medication. To keep the effects going, prevent potential disordered eating behaviors, and experience lasting, sustainable results, it’s best to combine these medications with healthy lifestyle approaches.

Combining GLP-1s & Lifestyle Changes to Beat Food Noise

GLP-1 medications effectively regulate hunger hormones and promote fullness, reducing persistent food noise and making it easier to manage cravings. But for the best long-term results, working with a registered dietitian or nutritionist is key!

Working with a dietitian or nutritionist for weight loss is the best way to ensure lasting change. They can provide personalized support and guidance that helps reinforce healthy habits and maximize weight loss efforts. For example, at Nutrisense, we help members with:

• Customized meal planning, which allows our members to focus on nutrient-dense food options that support their metabolic health and include foods that support satiety.
• Mindful eating strategies to help distinguish between physical and emotional food noise.
• Long-term accountability, with regular check-ins, ongoing support, recommendations, and adjustments along the way to support lasting results.
• Strategies to prevent weight-related complications, including conditions like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, just to name a couple.
• Establishing long-term healthy habits like portion control, regular physical activity, and balanced meals to meet the nutrient needs of their unique bodies.

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