Low appetite days
When nothing appeals
Some days on a GLP-1 the honest answer to "what do you fancy?" is nothing at all. Here is what still goes down, and how to get protein in on a day like that.
What tends to still work
People report the same handful of patterns again and again. Cold, plain, smooth and unsmelly beats hot, rich, complicated and aromatic. Smell drives a lot of early food aversion, and cold food smells far less.
Cold and smooth
Greek yoghurtCottage cheeseSkyrMilkKefirChilled custardSmoothiesIce lollies
Plain and dry
CrackersToastRice cakesPlain riceOatcakesPretzelsBanana
Savoury and light
Clear soupMisoBone brothScrambled eggTinned tunaCold chickenHummus
What most commonly does not work: anything fried, very fatty, very sweet, heavily spiced, or cooked in a way that fills the house with the smell of it.
Getting protein in when you cannot face a meal
This is the part that matters. Eating little is fine for a day; eating little without protein, repeatedly, is how people lose muscle rather than fat. On a bad day, aim to get protein in liquid or spoonable form and stop worrying about whether it constitutes a meal.
| If you can only manage… | Try |
|---|---|
| A drink | Milk, a ready-made protein shake, kefir, or milk blended with frozen fruit |
| A few spoonfuls | Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, custard, thick soup with lentils blended in |
| Something dry | Crackers with cheese or hummus, a hard-boiled egg, cold chicken |
| Nothing at all | Fluid with electrolytes, and try again in an hour. Do not force it. |
Six things that help on a low-appetite day
- Eat by the clock, not by hunger. Hunger is not coming to remind you. Small amounts at set times work better than waiting to feel like it.
- Protein on the fork first. If you only manage a third of the plate, make it the third that counts.
- Cold beats hot. Less smell, less effort, easier to face.
- Let someone else cook, or do not cook. Preparing food you do not want is its own deterrent. Tinned, pre-cooked and ready-made all count.
- Drink between meals rather than during. Filling a slow stomach with liquid at mealtimes leaves less room for food.
- Do not bank the calories. Skipping today to "save" for tomorrow is a habit worth breaking early; it tends to be how the muscle goes.
When low appetite is worth a call
- You have not managed to keep food or fluid down for around a day.
- You are lightheaded, very tired or passing much less urine than usual.
- Appetite loss came with severe abdominal pain that will not ease.
- You are consistently eating far less than feels sustainable and it is not improving between doses.
A prescriber can adjust things. Holding at a lower dose for longer is routine, and often all it takes.
A free guide from Sated · satedglp1.com/guides
General information, not medical advice, and no substitute for the team who prescribed your medication. Always follow the patient information leaflet that came with your pen and the instructions you were given. Last reviewed August 2026.