GLP-1s, Stewardship, and the Habits That Still Matter
- Tana tanjoe1234@q.com
- Jun 15
- 10 min read
There is a reason so many people are talking about GLP-1 medications right now.
For many women—and men too—these medications feel like relief.
Relief from constant hunger.
Relief from food noise.
Relief from cravings.
Relief from years of trying so hard and feeling like nothing worked.
After joining Denise Jelinek on the Weight Loss with the Holy Spirit podcast, What Every Woman on a GLP-1 Needs to Know, I wanted to continue the conversation here—not to debate GLP-1s, but to ask a deeper question:
How do we use any tool, including medication, in a way that supports true stewardship of the body God entrusted to us?
As a registered nurse and faith-based health coach, I have seen the physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion that can come from struggling with weight, inflammation, energy, cravings, emotional eating, and feeling disconnected from your own body.
So let me say this clearly:
This conversation is not anti-medication.
It is not anti-GLP-1.
And it is not meant to shame anyone who is using one.
For some individuals, GLP-1 medications can be incredibly helpful tools.
But I also believe we are asking the wrong question if all we focus on is:
“How do I lose weight?”
A better question may be:
“How do I become healthier, stronger, more nourished, more regulated, and better able to steward the body God entrusted to me?”
While GLP-1s may help suppress appetite, quiet food noise, and support weight loss, they do not automatically promote health.
They do not build muscle for you.
They do not nourish your body.
They do not heal emotional patterns around food.
They do not create peaceful rhythms.
They do not teach you how to care for your body once the medication is reduced or stopped.
That is where stewardship comes in.
Lifestyle still matters.
Rhythms still matter.
Nourishment still matters.
Strength still matters.
Healing still matters.
And if we ignore those pieces, we may lose weight without actually restoring wellness.
Before Starting a GLP-1: Build the Foundation First
One of the most important things to understand is this:
Your body already makes GLP-1 naturally.
GLP-1 is a hormone produced primarily in the gut. It helps regulate blood sugar, slows digestion, signals fullness to the brain, and influences cravings and appetite.
The medication mimics a system your body already has.
So before starting a GLP-1—or even while considering one—it is worth asking:
“What supports my body’s ability to regulate hunger, fullness, blood sugar, and metabolism naturally?”
That question changes the conversation.
Instead of only asking, “Should I take this medication?” we begin asking, “How can I support the body God gave me?”
Certain foods and lifestyle habits may help support natural GLP-1 activity and better metabolic regulation.
These include protein-rich foods, fiber-rich foods, healthy fats, fermented foods, walking after meals, resistance training, quality sleep, stress regulation, and blood sugar stability.
Some practical examples include eggs, Greek yogurt, fish, chicken, lentils, beans, chia seeds, flax seeds, oats, berries, avocados, olive oil, sauerkraut, kefir, leafy greens, and other nutrient-dense whole foods.
Bitter foods may also support digestion and metabolic health, including arugula, radicchio, dandelion greens, lemon, ginger, and parsley.
These are not magic foods.
They are supportive foods.
They help create an internal environment in which the body can function with greater stability.
And that matters whether you are on medication or not.
What May Work Against Regulation?
Sometimes we focus so much on what to add that we forget to notice what is working against us.
Highly processed foods, excessive sugar intake, low-fiber meals, poor sleep, chronic stress, inactivity, and constant grazing can make it harder for the body to regulate hunger, cravings, blood sugar, and energy levels.
But this is not about perfection.
This is not about creating another rigid plan that you can fail.
It is about awareness.
It is about asking:
“What is helping my body feel safe, nourished, and supported?”
“What is keeping my body in survival mode?”
“What small rhythm would make the biggest difference right now?”
Sometimes the body is not broken.
Sometimes it is overwhelmed.
And when the body is overwhelmed, it often asks for quick relief.
Food can become comfort.
Sugar can become energy.
Snacking can become a distraction.
Eating can become the way we regulate what we have not yet learned how to name.
This is why weight loss has to go deeper than appetite suppression alone.
A GLP-1 May Quiet the Noise, But You Still Have to Build the Life
One of the biggest gifts of a GLP-1 for many people is that it can quiet the noise.
Food feels less consuming.
Cravings feel less powerful.
Hunger feels less urgent.
The mental battle may soften.
That can be a beautiful window of opportunity.
But the medication should not replace healthy habits.
It should create space for them to build.
If the food noise gets quieter, what will you do with the quiet?
Will you use it to under-eat and chase the scale?
Or will you use it to learn how to nourish your body, build strength, practice peace, notice your emotions, and create rhythms that can hold you long term?
That is the deeper work.
Because the goal is not simply to become smaller.
The goal is to become healthier, stronger, more peaceful, more resilient, and more able to live the life God is calling you to live.
The SEEDS Framework and Sustainable Wellness
This is where I believe the conversation has to move beyond calories or medication alone.
Health is not just physical.
The body is connected to stress, emotions, nourishment, movement, sleep, relationships, daily rhythms, and spiritual well-being.
That is why I teach through the SEEDS framework:
Spiritual Health
Eating
Exercise
Daily Rhythms
Sabbath
SEEDS is not another rigid routine.
It is a way to look at the soil of your life.
Because habits do not grow well in exhausted soil.
They grow when the roots are tended.
Spiritual Health: Your Identity Is Not the Number on the Scale
Many people are not just physically hungry.
They are emotionally exhausted.
Spiritually depleted.
Anxious.
Overstimulated.
Lonely.
Disconnected.
Living in constant survival mode.
Food can become a source of comfort, reward, relief, distraction, or coping.
A medication may reduce appetite.
But it does not automatically heal the deeper places where we have been using food to soothe.
This is where prayer, reflection, identity in Christ, community, gratitude, and learning to live from peace instead of pressure become so important.
You are not more lovable when the scale goes down.
You are not less worthy when your body struggles.
You are not your cravings.
You are not your weight.
You are not your before picture.
You are not your medication.
You are not your food history.
You are a beloved child of God.
And stewardship flows best from identity, not shame.
Eating: The Goal Is Not Just Eating Less
While on a GLP-1, appetite is often lower.
That means food quality matters even more.
The goal is not simply eating less.
The goal is nourishing the body well.
This is especially important because if you are eating less overall, every bite has to do more work.
Protein becomes especially important during weight loss because it helps protect muscle mass.
Fiber supports fullness, digestion, and blood sugar stability.
Hydration helps the body function well.
Minerals, colorful plants, healthy fats, and nutrient-dense meals help protect the body from depletion as the scale changes.
It is easy to celebrate weight loss without asking:
“What kind of weight am I losing?”
Am I losing fat?
Am I losing muscle?
Am I becoming stronger?
Am I becoming weaker?
Am I nourished?
Am I depleted?
That is not fear-based.
That is wisdom.
If you are using a GLP-1, this is a good time to work with your healthcare provider, dietitian, or other qualified health professional to ensure you are getting enough protein, staying hydrated, and meeting your nutrient needs.
Exercise: Muscle Is Stewardship
One of the biggest concerns with rapid weight loss is muscle loss.
And muscle is not just about appearance.
Muscle supports metabolism, blood sugar regulation, bone health, strength, balance, mobility, longevity, and independence as we age.
For women, this matters deeply.
We naturally begin losing muscle as we age, and menopause can make this even more noticeable. This is why resistance training becomes so important.
But resistance training does not need to be extreme.
You do not have to punish your body into health.
Simple exercises matter: walking, bodyweight squats, resistance bands, wall push-ups, step-ups, light dumbbells, carrying groceries, and getting up and down from a chair with control.
The goal is not punishment.
The goal is building a body that supports your life.
A body that can carry groceries.
Hold grandchildren.
Walk with a friend.
Serve your family.
Get up from the floor.
Travel.
Work.
Rest.
Live.
Strength is not vanity.
Strength is stewardship.
Daily Rhythms: Your Body Thrives on Rhythm
The body was designed for rhythm.
Sleep.
Sunlight.
Meals.
Movement.
Rest.
Prayer.
Connection.
Recovery.
These rhythms influence hunger hormones, energy, cravings, blood sugar, digestion, mood, and resilience.
Many people underestimate how much poor sleep, chronic stress, rushing, overstimulation, and constant screen time affect metabolism and appetite regulation.
Sometimes we want a medication to fix what our rhythms are constantly disrupting.
Again, this is not about blame.
It is about honesty.
If your nervous system is living in survival mode, your body may keep asking for relief.
That relief might look like sugar.
Or salty snacks.
Or wine.
Or scrolling.
Or eating when you are not hungry.
Or eating past fullness because your body is trying to settle.
This is why daily rhythms matter.
Not because they make you a “good” person.
But they help your body feel safe enough to function well.
Sabbath: Rest Is Not Laziness
Many women are exhausted long before they are overweight.
They are tired of carrying everyone else.
Tired from over-functioning.
Tired from performing.
Tired of proving.
Tired of ignoring their own body until it finally starts shouting.
Sabbath reminds us that we are human beings, not machines.
Rest is not laziness.
Rest is obedience.
Rest is humility.
Rest is trust.
It is a way of saying, “God, I am not the source. You are.”
Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is stop trying to force ourselves into unsustainable extremes and begin listening to the body with compassion.
What is my body asking for?
Where am I overriding myself?
What am I using food to avoid feeling?
Where do I need support instead of another plan?
Where is God inviting me into peace?
While You Are On a GLP-1
If you are currently on a GLP-1, this season can be a powerful opportunity.
But do not waste the quiet.
Use it to build the habits that still matter.
The basics are not glamorous, but they are protective: protein to preserve muscle, fiber to support fullness and digestion, hydration to help the body function well, walking to support blood sugar, and strength training to protect the metabolism you are trying to heal.
This is also the time to pay attention to sleep, stress, digestion, emotional awareness, and your relationship with food.
The medication may quiet the noise.
But you still have to build the life.
Coming Off a GLP-1 and Keeping the Weight Off
One of the biggest concerns people have is weight regain after stopping a GLP-1.
And honestly, this is where lifestyle matters most.
If the only change was appetite suppression, it is very easy to fall back into old patterns once the medication is reduced or stopped.
But if healthier rhythms were established during that season, the body would have a much stronger foundation.
Strength training, adequate protein intake, balanced meals, hydration, walking, sleep, stress management, emotional awareness, peace with food, a supportive community, and spiritual grounding all matter.
For some individuals, long-term medication use may be appropriate. That is a conversation between a person and their healthcare provider.
But the deeper goal should never be medication without formation.
We still need to learn how to nourish, strengthen, support, and care for the body sustainably.
The goal is stewardship.
Not shame.
Not obsession.
Not chasing the scale.
Not outsourcing our health completely.
Stewardship is learning how to participate with grace.
It is learning how to care for the body with wisdom, humility, patience, and peace.
Key Takeaways
GLP-1 medications can be a helpful tool for some people, but they are not a replacement for whole-person wellness.
The goal is not simply to eat less. The goal is to nourish the body well, protect muscle, stabilize blood sugar, support digestion, and create rhythms that can last beyond the medication.
If you are on a GLP-1, use the quieter appetite and reduced food noise as an opportunity to build habits that still matter: protein, strength training, walking, hydration, sleep, stress regulation, and prayerful awareness.
If you are considering coming off a GLP-1, your foundation matters. Weight maintenance is much harder if the only change was appetite suppression.
Most importantly, your identity is not in the scale, the medication, the before-and-after photo, or the number of pounds lost.
Your identity is received from God.
Stewardship begins there.
Final Thoughts
Maybe the deeper question is not:
“Is a GLP-1 right or wrong?”
Maybe the deeper question is:
“Am I using this as a tool for stewardship, or am I hoping it will rescue me from doing the deeper work?”
That question is not meant to shame you.
It is meant to invite honesty.
Because medication can be a tool.
But it cannot become your identity.
It cannot become your peace.
It cannot become your relationship with God.
It cannot replace the slow, sacred work of learning how to live in your body with compassion, wisdom, and care.
If this conversation stirred something in you, maybe the next step is not another extreme plan.
Maybe it is learning how to listen to your body with more compassion, nourish yourself with more wisdom, move with more intention, and invite God into the places where food, weight, stress, and identity have felt tangled for too long.
You do not have to force your way into wellness.
You can begin with one small seed.
One rhythm.
One honest prayer.
One faithful next step.
Because wellness is not just about becoming smaller.
It is about becoming whole.
Healthier.
Stronger.
More peaceful.
More resilient.
More rooted in Christ.
More able to fully live the life God has called you to.
That is stewardship.
And that work still matters.
Ready to care for your body from a place of peace instead of pressure?
Through faith-based wellness coaching, I help women build sustainable rhythms around nourishment, movement, stress, rest, and spiritual health—without shame, striving, or another rigid plan.
You do not have to overhaul your life overnight.
Start with one small seed.
Let's have an honest conversation about what you need more of today!
Click the link to schedule a call.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always talk with your healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication, nutrition plan, or exercise routine.
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