GLP-1 high-protein meal prep: what the science says about eating on semaglutide

What did @themyamethod actually say?

Honestly? Not much, medically speaking. This video is a comedic lip-sync to a parody song about not wanting to be a "big back" anymore, punctuated by a self-aware caption admitting she only cut up "about 4/5" of her chicken tenderloins. The creator references eating fettuccine with cheese "on top of the cheese" in the audio, which she's using ironically to contrast with her GLP-1 weight loss journey. There are no explicit health claims here. What she is communicating, through humor, is the very real psychological tension between food cravings and trying to eat in a calorie deficit while on a GLP-1 medication. That tension is actually clinically documented, and it's worth unpacking.

Does the science back this up?

The cravings conflict she's joking about? Completely real, and more nuanced than most people think. GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide do suppress appetite, but they don't erase food preference or the psychological pull toward high-fat, high-calorie foods. Research from Blundell et al. (2017, Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism) found that while GLP-1 agonists reduce overall energy intake, hedonic eating, meaning eating for pleasure rather than hunger, remains a separate neurological pathway that isn't fully suppressed by these drugs. A 2023 paper by Chao et al. in Obesity Reviews specifically noted that food cravings, particularly for savory and high-fat foods like, say, fettuccine with extra cheese, can persist even as physical hunger decreases. So the joke about still wanting cheese on top of cheese isn't just relatable content. It's a real pharmacological reality that clinicians should probably be talking about more openly.

What did they get wrong (or right)?

There are no false medical claims to correct here, which is refreshing compared to a lot of GLP-1 content on TikTok. Credit where it's due: by framing this as comedy and self-deprecation rather than advice, @themyamethod avoids the most common pitfalls in this space, like overstating results, dismissing side effects, or implying the medication does all the work. The implicit message, that she's still actively managing portion sizes and eating high-protein meals while on GLP-1 therapy, is actually consistent with clinical guidance. The SCALE trial (Davies et al., 2015, The Lancet) and SURMOUNT-1 trial (Jastreboff et al., 2022, NEJM) both showed that lifestyle modification alongside GLP-1 therapy produces significantly better outcomes than medication alone. Cutting up "4/5" of the chicken before stopping is, in a weird way, portion control in action. She's not wrong.

What should you actually know?

If you're on a GLP-1 medication and still experiencing strong food cravings, especially for specific comfort foods, that is not a sign the medication isn't working. Appetite suppression and craving reduction are distinct mechanisms. GLP-1 agonists primarily work by slowing gastric emptying, increasing satiety signals, and modulating insulin response. They are not a complete override of the brain's reward system around food. A 2022 study by Grill and Hayes in Cell Metabolism confirmed that dopaminergic food reward pathways remain partially active even under GLP-1 receptor activation. This means behavioral strategies, like pre-portioning food before you start eating, which is essentially what this creator describes, still matter. Protein prioritization, which the hashtag "highproteinmeals" references, is also evidence-backed. Higher protein intake supports satiety and preserves lean muscle mass during caloric restriction, per Leidy et al. (2015, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition).

The bottom line

This video is comedy, not a medical tutorial, and it should be consumed as such. But embedded in the joke is something clinically honest: GLP-1 medications help, they are not magic, and the mental negotiation around food doesn't just disappear. Anyone telling you otherwise is selling something. If you are considering GLP-1 therapy, talk to a licensed provider who can assess your full health picture. Compounded versions of these medications are not equivalent to FDA-approved brand-name drugs, and dose decisions should never come from social media, including this one.