· What is the role of GLP-1s in the management of food noise?

· Does food noise collate with hormones (menstrual)?

· Should I be thinking about food at all?

· When should you seek professional help?

What is the role of GLP-1s in the management of food noise?

GLP-1s are likely the reason you have heard the term ‘food noise.’

People who use GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Ozempic and Mounjaro often report that the intrusive and obsessive food thoughts, described as food noise, start to quieten.

This can be the first and most significant change they experience before they start to notice weight loss. This suggests GLP-1s are doing more than just reducing physical hunger by suppressing appetite but could also be changing our thought patterns associated with food.

How do they work?

We already know that GLP-1s act on receptors involved in appetite and food intake. Further research is now looking into how they affect the neural circuits involved in food reward, motivation and anticipation of eating. Emerging evidence suggests that GLP-1 signalling changes activity in brain networks that are involved in attention, mind-wandering and self-referencing thoughts. This could then overlap with some of the processes involved in repetitive thinking.

This is currently very early-stage psychology research but presents a promising theory for the mechanisms of action. However, we are not at the point to state this as factual - the detailed science investigating exactly how these drugs affect food-related brain activity is at rodent stage, and you are not a rat!

We do have human research on experiences.

People taking GLP-1 medications self-report reductions in appetite, cravings and food preoccupation, and consequently a reduction in food intake (hence the weight loss). For most people, that reduction in food noise is a significant and important benefit, improving quality of life.

The small increases in natural GLP-1 you experience from eating a high protein and fibre meal is not an equivalent to taking a GLP-1 medication. GLP-1s are a medical intervention that directly activate GLP-1 receptors and affects several aspects of appetite and energy regulation – their power by far out-weighs daily nutrition.

Disclaimer: GLP-1s are prescription medicines, and their use should be discussed with an appropriate healthcare professional who can assess whether you meet the relevant eligibility criteria and whether treatment is appropriate for you.

Does food noise change with your menstrual cycle?

If you’re a woman who menstruates, you are probably aware that your appetite fluctuates with your cycle. You might also notice that your food thoughts also change in frequency and/or intensity at certain times of the month.

So yes, hormones can influence appetite and eating behaviour across the menstrual cycle.

Fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone throughout the cycle are the main hormonal contributors to appetite changes. There’s research to show, on average, females tend to consume slightly more calories during the luteal phase (between ovulation and the start of your period) however, the size of the effect varies a lot between individuals.

This increase in appetite is not always accompanied by increases in food noise. At this phase in the cycle, energy demands are slightly higher (emphasis on the word ‘slightly’ – we’re talking around 30-120kcal per day). This can increase physical hunger which is a very normal physiological response and leads to eating more – this might look like slightly larger portions or a preference for more energy dense foods.

Food noise is more about the mental experience - repetitive, intrusive preoccupation with food. Hormonal changes may influence that experience indirectly. If you’re hungrier, tired, experiencing PMS symptoms, have poorer sleep quality, or feeling more emotionally vulnerable, food is naturally going to feel more comforting. If at the same time, you’re actively trying to restrict your intake, the combination can feel overwhelming.

Try not to criticise your determination during the luteal phase – adding in another layer of guilt or feelings of failure only further exacerbates the issue.

I’d highly recommend tracking your appetite and food thoughts over a few cycles. If you find a pattern in heighten food noise at particular points, it may be worth checking in with yourself – does your intake need to accommodate rather than work against your appetite?

This doesn’t mean ‘eat everything in sight’ – it simply means allowing yourself a little extra food, building more satisfying meals, or simply accepting that your appetite isn’t going to be identical every day of the month.

Your appetite doesn’t have to be perfectly consistent to be healthy.

If the changes are extreme, beyond appetite changes, leading to significant mood changes, anxiety, irritability, binge eating or disruption to your normal life, it’s worth having a chat with a healthcare professional rather than self-labelling as “food noise”.

Should I be thinking about food at all?

If you’ve spent years consumed by food noise, you’ll probably experience huge relief when those thoughts become quieter. But reduced food noise doesn’t always equate to a healthier relationship with food.

For some, their food thoughts reduce because they’re experiencing effective appetite regulation – this is the aim. But for others, the reduction in food thoughts is because of severe restriction of intake, avoidance of foods out of fear, or increased rigidity around eating – It’s a way to force ignorance of the thought.

The reason they are not the same is because food is supposed to occupy some space in our brains. We’re supposed to notice hunger, to think about what we’d like to eat, and to look forward to eating. You need to eat to live, and you do deserve to enjoy what you eat.

The goal isn’t to completely silence your brain. It’s to be able to think about food without feeling like food is all you can think about, and to able to eat without over analysing every thought and mouthful.

When your experiencing loud food noise, rather than immediately looking for a way to switch it off, try to pause and ask why it’s so loud in the first place.

When should you seek professional help?

It can be really hard to ask for help when symptoms come down to thoughts. Often you can feel like you should be able to manage them by yourself - follow a food plan, hit your macros, eat your protein, remove trigger foods from your house, decline invitations to go out for a meal, and get a coach for accountability.

The problem is that, if food is already something you’re spending a lot of mental energy on, adding more rules, tracking and external accountability won’t necessarily solve it. It can even make it worse.

If your food noise is being driven by restriction, rigid food rules or anxiety around eating, giving yourself an even more detailed plan to follow can create more mental load, heightening the stress:

“Did I stick to the plan?”

“Was that 40g or 45g of oats?”

“I’ve only got 400 calories left.”

“I’ve gone over my macros so I need to go under tomorrow.”

This is extra, and potentially new food noise.

Professional, tailored support absolutely can help, but it’s not about accountability. It’s about helping you to understand why eating has become so mentally exhausting.

What’s driving it?

Is it about the physical food and energy you allow yourself to eat?

Is it about fear of certain foods?

…binge-restrict cycles?

…body image concerns?

…emotional eating?

…obsessive or intrusive thoughts?

When did it start?

Those questions require a different skills from simply putting somebody on a meal plan.

I’m going to sell myself a little bit here…

I have a Master’s in Human Nutrition and a PhD in Appetite Psychology, so I blend nutrition science (what you eat) with the psychology of eating (your thoughts and behaviours). With clients who are experiencing difficulties with food noise, we look into what’s actually driving it. From there, we can develop practical strategies that help understand and manage the noise, rather than simply trying to suppress it.

Ultimately, food is something you have to navigate for the rest of your life. So long-term, it’s really important that you have enough understanding and flexibility to make food decisions without feeling reliant on someone else.

Get in touch: sayhello@emilynutritioncoach.co.uk