Diet and nutrition
Eating well during weight-loss treatment: protein, eating out and a smaller appetite
Organize three meal combinations, dining options, and protein portion conversion methods.
Even if your food intake is reduced, you still need to eat enough nutrients. Arrange protein, vegetables and an appropriate amount of staple food for each meal; if you eat too little and your energy level deteriorates, please return to the doctor for discussion.
Arrange protein food at every meal
Eggs, tofu, fish, lean meat, sugar-free soy milk or dairy products are all easy choices. The food intake is small and can be eaten in several portions without having to cram it all in one meal. How much protein you need will be adjusted according to your body shape, age, activity level and kidney function. You don't have to copy other people's grams.
Rice and sweet potatoes don’t have to be given up entirely
Vegetables, moderate amounts of fruits and whole grains should also be retained. Drinking only milkshakes or eating only meat can easily make a meal incomplete. People who are prone to bloating can first boil the vegetables until soft, then gradually increase the portion size to find a combination that is comfortable for them.
Eating out can be simple
For breakfast, you can choose eggs, sugar-free soy milk and whole wheat toast; just choose steamed fish or braised tofu, plus vegetables and an appropriate amount of rice. Every meal doesn’t have to be perfect, just get the basics right first. The portion size is adjusted according to appetite and nutritionist’s recommendations. If you can’t finish the meal, divide it into portions.
Even if you are not hungry, remember to eat and drink water
When you're busy and not too hungry, it's easy to eat just a little bit throughout the day. You can arrange fixed meal times and replenish water in batches. If you have heart or kidney disease or need to restrict water, please follow the individual doctor's advice on the amount of water you drink. Don't force yourself to pursue a fixed number of liters.
How can convenience stores and lunch boxes go together?
In convenience stores, you can choose from tea eggs or tofu, sugar-free soy milk, sweet potatoes and vegetables; for bento boxes, you can choose fish, chicken or soy products, plus vegetables and an appropriate amount of rice. This is a sample combination, not a prescription for fixed portions. If you can only eat a few mouthfuls, divide the meal into small portions first, and don't cram it in for the sake of completeness; if you continue to eat not enough, ask a nutritionist for help.
How much protein is there? Convert from nutrition label
"20 grams of protein" can be used as an example to practice label reading, and is not a prescription or upper limit for everyone per meal. Confirm your daily goals first, and then allocate meals; you don’t need to rely on the same food for every meal.
| Food selection | What to look for when estimating |
|---|---|
| Chicken, fish, lean meat | First confirm whether the food weight is raw or cooked, and deduct inedible parts such as bones; do not mix values from different states. |
| Egg | The number of pills is suitable for daily recording, but the protein will be different depending on the size; it can be paired with soy milk or dairy products. |
| Flat tofu, dried tofu, edamame | The items and moisture content vary greatly, and the same weight cannot be regarded as the same protein; read the label first on packaged products. |
| Sugar-free soy milk, milk | Look at protein per 100 ml or serving, multiplied by the actual amount consumed; one bottle does not necessarily equal one serving. |
| Original yogurt, Greek yogurt | Brands vary greatly and cannot be estimated solely by the "Greek" name; when comparing protein, also look at total calories and sugar. |
| Protein powder | One spoonful is the weight of the powder, not the grams of protein; convert according to the label and confirm whether there are any allergens. |
Label conversion exercise
Actual protein = declared protein × number of servings eaten.
Assuming that a product contains 10 grams of protein per 100 grams, eating 200 grams is 20 grams; if it contains 8 grams per serving and there are 2 servings in the whole package, eating the entire package is 16 grams. This is an example calculation, not nutritional values for a specific brand.
If your food intake is small, you can share it with two foods, such as eggs and sugar-free soy milk. If the care team has provided a gram target, you can take photos of the nutrition labels of frequently eaten products and bring them back to the clinic, and convert them into easy-to-implement portions.
Mark interpretation reference:FDA Nutritional Labeling Instructions ↗。
On a day when you don’t have much to eat, do three things first
- Arrange nutritious small meals first.Put eggs, beans, fish, meat or dairy products into your meal plan; if you can’t finish them all at one time, divide them into separate meals.
- Eat other foods too.Combine vegetables, fruits, whole grains and water according to what you can afford. Protein powder should only be used as a supplement.
- The rewards continue to be overwhelming.If you continue to eat very little, feel dizzy or have reduced physical strength, please contact the medical team in advance to evaluate nutrition, symptoms and medication.
Reading with:Muscle preservation and home training when losing weight。
Let’s take a look at the next meal: Is there protein? Are there any vegetables? Is there an appropriate amount of staple food? Just start with these three things.
This update: Added protein food selection, nutrition label conversion and meal portioning method for small portions.
Sources and important notes
- Joint recommendation from four societies: Nutritional care during GLP-1 treatment (2025) ↗
- NIDDK: Diet and activities during weight loss and maintenance periods ↗
This guide is for adult patient education and does not replace a medical consultation. Overseas information may differ from Taiwan-approved labeling. Follow the Taiwan prescribing information and your clinician’s instructions for medication, dosing and device use.
Discuss any questions with your clinician
You can inquire about the return consultation time through the official LINE. When seeing a doctor, please tell the doctor about recent changes and medication problems; if you are seriously unwell, please seek medical treatment directly.
Contact BH Clinic LINE ↗