Eating on GLP-1 Medications: What Prescribing Information and Guidance Say

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Short answer: No specific GLP-1 diet is set out in the prescribing information for semaglutide and tirzepatide, sold as Wegovy and Zepbound. Both say the drug is used with “a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity,” the injections can be taken “with or without meals,” and their Medication Guides say “it is important for you to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydration” (Wegovy prescribing information; Zepbound prescribing information). A 2025 joint advisory from four obesity and nutrition societies adds that smaller, more frequent meals and avoiding large or high-fat meals may ease stomach side effects (joint advisory).

This page reports what those documents say, with each line attributed. It is not a meal plan. For your own situation, talk to a licensed provider.

Is there an official GLP-1 diet?

No single diet is named in the Wegovy or Zepbound prescribing information. The Wegovy prescribing information says the injection is indicated “in combination with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity,” and says to give it once weekly “at any time of day, with or without meals” (Wegovy prescribing information, revised 6/2026). The Zepbound prescribing information uses the same structure: “in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity,” given “once weekly at any time of day, with or without meals” (Zepbound prescribing information, revised 8/2026).

The pharmacology sections of both also describe effects on eating. Both say the drug “decreases calorie intake,” that “the effects are likely mediated by affecting appetite,” and that it “delays gastric emptying,” meaning food leaves the stomach more slowly (Wegovy prescribing information; Zepbound prescribing information).

What does prescribing information say about nausea and other stomach side effects?

Both list nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and constipation among the most common side effects. Both also say use of the drug “has been associated with gastrointestinal adverse reactions, sometimes severe,” and the Zepbound prescribing information says it “is not recommended in patients with severe gastroparesis” (Wegovy prescribing information; Zepbound prescribing information). These are the rates from the weight-loss trials in each:

Side effect	Wegovy 2.4 mg	Placebo (Wegovy trials)	Zepbound 5 / 10 / 15 mg	Placebo (Zepbound trials)
Nausea	44%	16%	25% / 29% / 28%	8%
Diarrhea	30%	16%	19% / 21% / 23%	8%
Vomiting	24%	6%	8% / 11% / 13%	2%
Constipation	24%	11%	17% / 14% / 11%	5%

Sources: Wegovy prescribing information Table 3, adults with obesity or overweight on the 2.4 mg injection (DailyMed); Zepbound prescribing information Table 1, pooled placebo-controlled weight-reduction trials (DailyMed). The two tables come from different trials and cannot be compared head to head. In the SURMOUNT-1 trial of tirzepatide, the authors reported that GI events were mostly mild to moderate and occurred mainly during dose escalation (Jastreboff et al., NEJM 2022). For the full side-effect lists, see our guides to semaglutide side effects and tirzepatide side effects.

What does prescribing information say about fluids and dehydration?

Both Medication Guides use the same words: “Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration) which may cause kidney problems. It is important for you to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydration.” They add: “Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that does not go away” (Wegovy Medication Guide; Zepbound Medication Guide).

In the prescriber sections, both say most reported kidney injury events “occurred in patients who experienced gastrointestinal adverse reactions leading to dehydration such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea,” and they tell prescribers to “advise patients to take precautions to avoid fluid depletion” (Wegovy prescribing information; Zepbound prescribing information). For what the prescribing information reports about tiredness, see our GLP-1 fatigue guide.

What does the 2025 joint advisory say about eating on a GLP-1?

On May 30, 2025, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association and The Obesity Society released a joint advisory, “Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity,” published in four journals (The Obesity Society). It is written for clinicians. Its authors describe an expert group that reviewed the literature and drew on clinical experience, so most of its points are expert recommendations rather than results of trials testing each one (Mozaffarian et al. 2025).

Here is what the advisory says on common questions about eating on these drugs (joint advisory):

• Stomach side effects: “Smaller, more frequent meals and avoiding fatty or high fiber foods during the first few days” may ease symptoms; “Vomiting is more likely to occur with large meals”; and for diarrhea, “avoidance of large or high-fat meals can be helpful.” Separately, its dietary recommendations say individuals should be counseled to avoid refined carbohydrates and sugar-sweetened beverages.
• Fluids: its GI table lists “Ensure adequate fluids,” and it notes that “dehydration from severe nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea can cause acute kidney injury.”
• Fiber: for constipation, it lists a “gradual increase in foods with soluble and insoluble fiber,” and says “adequate fluids and fiber from foods should be encouraged.” It gives no gram target.
• Protein: it cites the general recommended allowance of “0.8 g/kg/d,” says “higher targets, such as 1.2-1.6 g/kg/d, have also been proposed during active weight reduction,” mentions an absolute target of 80-120 g/d, and states “there is still no consensus on the optimal approach.”
• Vitamins and minerals: it says the large drop in food intake “can lead to insufficient intakes of essential vitamins and minerals,” and that supplements “can be proactively considered for at-risk nutrients, such as vitamin D, calcium, B12.”
• Muscle: it says “increased protein intake alone is likely inadequate to support the preservation of muscle mass,” and describes resistance training as “well established to help preserve lean mass during weight reduction,” with strength training “at least 3 times weekly” and “at least 150 min” of moderate aerobic activity weekly.
• Dietitians: it says registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) “have important roles to play,” while noting “limited direct evidence” on GLP-1 use with versus without RDN care.

The authors also write that, in their experience, “many individuals prescribed GLP-1s have not received meaningful nutrition or other lifestyle guidance” (joint advisory). For what studies report about supplements, see our GLP-1 supplements guide.

Who says what: prescribing information vs the advisory

Topic	Wegovy and Zepbound prescribing information	2025 joint advisory
Diet	“Reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity”	Nutrition priorities for clinicians; protein targets with “no consensus”
Meal timing	Injection “with or without meals”	“Smaller, more frequent meals” for GI symptoms
Fluids	“Important for you to drink fluids”	“Ensure adequate fluids”
High-fat meals	Not addressed	“Avoidance of large or high-fat meals can be helpful” for diarrhea
Supplements	Not addressed	May be “proactively considered” for vitamin D, calcium, B12

What should you know before surgery or a procedure?

The prescribing information for both drugs says they delay gastric emptying, and both Medication Guides warn about “food or liquid getting into the lungs during surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation).” They say to “tell all your healthcare providers” that you are taking the drug before a scheduled surgery or procedure (Wegovy Medication Guide; Zepbound Medication Guide).

When should you talk to a doctor?

The Wegovy and Zepbound Medication Guides list these as reasons to contact a healthcare provider (Wegovy Medication Guide; Zepbound Medication Guide):

• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea that does not go away.
• Severe pain in your stomach area that will not go away, with or without vomiting, sometimes felt from the abdomen to the back. The guides say to stop the drug and call right away.
• Signs of gallbladder problems: pain in your upper stomach, fever, yellowing of skin or eyes (jaundice), or clay-colored stools.
• Signs of low blood sugar if you also take insulin or a sulfonylurea, such as dizziness, sweating, shakiness, confusion, fast heartbeat or hunger.
• Any planned surgery or procedure with anesthesia or deep sedation.

If you are unsure whether a symptom matters, talk to a licensed provider.

What about Wegovy tablets and food?

The oral form has food rules that the injections do not. The Wegovy prescribing information says to take one tablet “on an empty stomach in the morning with water (up to 4 ounces),” to swallow it whole, and to “wait at least 30 minutes before eating food, drinking beverages or taking other oral medications” (Wegovy prescribing information). It also says the drug “delays gastric emptying” and may affect how other oral medicines are absorbed.

Does this apply to compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide?

Not directly. The prescribing information and Medication Guides quoted on this page are written for the brand-name products Wegovy and Zepbound. Compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide are prepared by pharmacies and do not have brand prescribing information of their own. If you use a compounded GLP-1, ask your provider about eating, fluids and side effects.

GLP-1 plans offered through PrescribedRX

Compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide are offered through PrescribedRX. Compounded medications are prepared by licensed pharmacies and are not FDA-approved. As listed on the product pages, both are once-weekly injections, provider-dosed:

• Semaglutide Injections (compounded): 3 month plan $420 · $140/mo · Billed every 3 months. Cancel anytime.
• Tirzepatide Injections (compounded): 3 month plan $597 · $199/mo · Billed every 3 months. Cancel anytime.

A licensed provider decides whether it is appropriate for you, and your provider sets the dose. For a breakdown of costs, see what semaglutide costs.

Next step: to see the plans and the eligibility check, visit the weight loss treatment page. A licensed provider reviews every intake.

Sources

1. DailyMed, National Library of Medicine. WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection and tablets, prescribing information and Medication Guide (Novo Nordisk), revised 6/2026. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed Oct 2026.
2. DailyMed, National Library of Medicine. ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection, prescribing information and Medication Guide (Eli Lilly), revised 8/2026. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed Oct 2026.
3. Mozaffarian D, Agarwal M, Aggarwal M, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and the Obesity Society. 2025. PubMed Central. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed Oct 2026.
4. The Obesity Society. Nutritional Priorities to Support GLP-1 Therapy for Obesity (May 30, 2025). obesity.org. Accessed Oct 2026.
5. Jastreboff AM, Aronne LJ, Ahmad NN, et al. Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity (SURMOUNT-1). N Engl J Med. 2022;387(3):205-216. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.

This article is for general information. It is not medical advice and it is not a recommendation for any particular treatment. Whether a treatment is appropriate for you is a decision for a licensed clinician who has reviewed your health history and current medications.