Food noise has become a hot topic recently, especially with the rise of GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly thinking about food, feeling guilty after eating, or worrying about whether you should or shouldn’t eat something, you’ve experienced food noise. And you’re not alone.
This blog dives into:
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What food noise actually is
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Why GLP-1 drugs reduce food noise (but aren’t a magic solution)
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The risk of muscle loss during rapid weight loss
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How age and menopause increase vulnerability
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Practical strategies to quiet food noise naturally
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How structure, planning, and mindset shifts can make food feel easier
This post is inspired by a recent article in Alan Aragon’s Research Review (a respected monthly review of studies and expert insights I subscribe to). This is my take on it, combined with my experience coaching women for over 16 years.
I also did a recent podcast on this topic, which you can find here:
What Is Food Noise?
Food noise can be defined as ‘an obsessive preoccupation with food’ – constantly ruminating and thinking about it, especially delicious highly palatable foods like chocolate, biscuits, and cake.
It can involve:
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Thinking about your next meal while still eating your current one
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Feeling like you’re missing out if you don’t eat what others are having
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Worrying about whether you should or shouldn’t eat something
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Feeling guilty after eating
Our modern world makes this worse. We’re surrounded by food, bombarded with adverts, and tempted by smells in supermarkets, bakeries, and restaurants.
From an evolutionary perspective, our desire for these delicious temptations makes a lot of sense. Our ancestors needed to be motivated to seek out food, especially high-calorie foods, to survive. But unlike them, we live in an environment of abundance, not famine. And this mismatch drives excess eating, weight gain, and food noise.
It’s vital to recognise that this is not a moral failing: genetics, upbringing, environment, and biology all play a significant role. If you struggle with food noise, you’re not weak – you’re human. And you’re very much not alone.
The Rise of Food Noise and GLP-1 Drugs
Google Trends shows that searches for food noise have skyrocketed in the past year. This coincides with the rapid rise in GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro. This begs the question:
Do GLP-1 drugs reduce food noise?
Indeed they do, in two different ways:
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Psychologically: They influence the brain’s reward pathways, dampening cravings and appetite.
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Physically: They slow gastric emptying, meaning food stays in your stomach longer and you feel fuller on less food.
This combination can reduce intrusive thoughts about food. And this leads many people to eat less and experience weight loss.
But here’s the problem:
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Studies show that after stopping the drugs, most people completely regain the weight they lost.
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This suggests that GLP-1s may mask food noise and food struggles, but don’t resolve them long-term.
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So unless someone is willing to take them for life, it’s essential to work on nutrition habits and relationship with food alongside the medication.
The Risk of Muscle Loss
Another key issue with sudden, large calorie deficits – whether through drugs or extreme dieting – is muscle loss.
When the body senses a big calorie drop, it interprets this as famine (because throughout evolution, that was the only explanation). In this state:
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The body holds on to fat (for survival).
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It breaks down muscle (because muscle burns calories and fat insulates vital organs).
Yes, you’ll still lose fat – but you risk losing significant amounts of muscle too.
And here’s why that matters:
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Muscle is metabolically active – it burns calories.
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If you lose muscle, your maintenance calories drop.
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The food amount that once maintained your weight can now cause weight gain.
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This is a key reason many people rebound after restrictive diets – ending up heavier than when they started.
How to Protect Muscle During Weight Loss
You can avoid (or significantly reduce) muscle loss with:
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Strength Training
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Resistance training tells your body “we need this muscle – keep it.”
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It encourages the body to use fat stores instead of breaking down muscle.
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Protein Intake
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Protein provides amino acids needed to repair and maintain muscle.
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Without enough, your body is more likely to burn muscle for fuel.
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For guidance on how to eat more protein, check out the blog below.
Need a strength training plan to follow?
There are done-for-you training plans for home or gym training here:
Get Strong
Why Muscle Matters More as We Age
The older we get, the more at risk we are of sarcopenia – loss of muscle and strength.
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Muscle decline starts in our 30s.
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It accelerates during and after menopause.
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Reduced appetite as we get older can make this worse.
This means protein and resistance training are important at every age, but especially if you’re losing weight or over 40.
Practical Ways to Quiet Food Noise
Here are some research-backed and client-tested strategies to quiet food noise naturally:
1. Prioritise Protein, Fibre, and Food Volume
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Protein target: Aim for 1.6-2.2g per kg of goal bodyweight.
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Example: If your goal weight is 65kg, that would mean aiming for 104-143g protein daily.
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From my coaching experience, 100g+ works well for most women.
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High-volume, low-calorie foods: Fruits, vegetables, soups, and salads help keep you full and well-nourished.
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Fibre-rich foods: On top of fruit and veg, oats, beans, lentils, chickpeas, avocado and wholegrains also keep you fuller for longer and support both gut and heart health.
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Zero-calorie drinks: Water, herbal teas, diet drinks in moderation.
Note: Don’t stress about a Diet Coke here and there. Research shows you have to drink A LOT for negative health impacts to become an issue. Overall, the benefits of finding sustainable ways to reach a healthy bodyweight are far greater than the risk of a few additives and sweeteners.
2. Time Your Meals Strategically
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Place your largest meals at the times you’re hungriest.
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Avoid long gaps that lead to overeating later – ideally eat every 3-4 hours.
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Build meals with protein and fibre so they last longer.
3. Learn to Tell Hunger from Cravings
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Cravings: sudden, urgent, food-specific (e.g. chocolate after stress).
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Hunger: builds gradually, and would be satisfied by healthy foods (not just whatever you crave).
Quick check: Would I eat an apple or bowl of broccoli right now?
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Yes = hunger.
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No = craving.
4. Identify Triggers and Make Plans
These are some common craving times for my clients, and strategies they’ve found helpful:
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4pm slump: Try a protein snack or shake to tide you over until dinner.
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Evening post-dinner: Enjoy a small portioned snack, then brush teeth.
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Desire for seasonal comfort food and hibernating on the sofa: Plan warming foods like stews, soups, or herbal teas. Go for a walk, and then snuggle up on the sofa in some comfy clothes with a small portioned-out snack to mindfully enjoy.
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Eating as a response to stress: Often (though not always) we can predict when stress might happen. Prepare by mentally rehearsing calm responses to common stressful situations.
5. Use Visualisation to Change Habits
When we’re stressed or tired, we default to old habits – old neural pathways that our brain is used to following. Somewhat suprisingly, visualisation can be an extremely powerful tool in helping us change this.
Our brains don’t know the difference between a memory and something we have just vividly imagined. So, clearly picturing yourself doing the habits you want to build will create new neural pathway. As a result, your brain will have more chance of remembering and following that option in challenging moments.
For example:
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Picture yourself feeling stressed and craving chocolate, but taking deep calming breaths first, and noticing the urge start to fade.
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Visualise drinking water and waiting 15 minutes before deciding.
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Imagine how good it feels to be in control rather than feeling regretful.
This practice can be a game changer. With practice and a bit of patience, it rewires your brain to have options beyond food, and this can dramatically improve your confidence, consistency, relationship with food, and weight loss results.
6. Reframe Hunger
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Hunger isn’t always a problem – it’s a normal physiological part of being human.
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Slight hunger between meals is ok and often fades if you wait.
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When you don’t instantly respond to slight hunger, your body taps into fat stores for energy instead.
Of course, don’t skip meals or ignore hunger to extremes. And if you have any current or previous experiences with an eating disorder, this point may not be one to follow – please seek advice from a dietician or your doctor.
Ultimately it’s important to do what feels right for you.
If fat loss is your goal, the aim is to create a small, sustainable calorie deficit where you still fuel your body well, have good energy and can enjoy life along the way. Sometimes that might mean feeling a bit hungry, but always while taking care of your body too.
7. Work on Your Relationship with Food
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Give yourself permission: Plan your favourite foods intentionally so you don’t feel deprived.
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Choose the best: Allowing yourself to have the delicious and special indulgences you love most can make it easier to say no to other temptations that are not as special.
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Mindful eating: Eat slow, savour each bite, and stop when satisfied, even if that means leaving food behind (knowing you’ll always be allowed to have it again another time).
8. Structure and Routine
From my coaching experience, those who struggle most with food noise are often not yet in the pattern of having a meal structure. The trouble with having no consistent routine or structure to your eating means:
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Skipping or delaying meals leaves the body guessing and prone to sudden hunger or cravings.
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Breakfasts too low in protein cause hunger or energy dips soon after.
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No plan can mean endless food decisions, anxiety, and overwhelm.
The solution: create structure and routine.
Balanced meals at regular times help regulate hunger and quiet food noise dramatically.
Free Resource: 7 Steps to Quiet Food Noise
I’ve created a free download to help you apply these strategies.
Click here to grab your copy – Food Noise Guide
Final Thoughts
Food noise is common and normal – but it doesn’t have to control you.
GLP-1 drugs may reduce it, but they come with risks like muscle loss and weight regain. The good news? With protein, strength training, meal structure, mindfulness, and mindset shifts, you can quiet food noise naturally, lose weight sustainably, and feel in control around food.
If you’d love guidance and support, my 1:1 Online Coaching will help you build a happier relationship with food while losing weight in a way that empowers you to keep it off for good.
You can find more about having me on your team here:
Online Weight Loss Coaching with Hayley
