GLP-1s and the Truth About What They Can’t Fix

Why emotional healing still matters—even when the scale is moving.

GLP-1 medications have been making headlines—and for good reason. They're helping people quiet the food noise, reduce cravings, and lose weight in ways that many never thought possible. The success stories are everywhere, especially on social media. It’s inspiring, and for many, it’s life-changing.

But there’s another side of the story—one that doesn’t always make it to the highlight reels. And that’s what I want to talk about today.

The Side of the Story No One Talks About

In my coaching work, I see clients who are taking these medications and still struggling.

Not with hunger. Not with cravings (at least not in the same way). But with something deeper. Something that no medication can reach: the emotional roots behind their relationship with food and their bodies.

So if you’re someone who’s taking a GLP-1, or thinking about it, and you’re wondering Why am I still struggling with this?—you are not broken. You’re human. And this message is for you.

The Meds Work… But They’re Not Magic

Let’s be clear: GLP-1s help people reduce their appetite. They quiet the food noise. They make it easier to say no to the pantry full of snacks that used to call your name.

But that doesn’t mean all the struggles disappear. Here are some of the things I still see in my clients—even when the medication is doing “what it’s supposed to do”:

• Cravings still happen. Especially when they’re tied to emotions like stress, boredom, or loneliness.

  
  

• Emotional eating patterns remain. If you’ve used food to cope for decades, that instinct doesn’t vanish overnight.

  
  

• Fear and anxiety stick around. Even with the scale going down, many clients are terrified that the weight will come back.

  
  

• Food guilt and body shame still show up. Making a food choice that’s outside the “plan” can still trigger spirals of self-doubt and judgment.

  
  

• Body image doesn’t magically improve. Losing weight doesn't automatically mean you’ll love your reflection or even feel more confident getting dressed in the morning.

Because here’s the truth: medications change your hunger. But they don’t change your beliefs.

The All-Or-Nothing Trap

One of the biggest challenges I see, whether someone is taking medication or not, is the all-or-nothing mindset. You know the one:

• If I eat one cookie, I’ve blown it.

• If I don’t follow the plan perfectly, I might as well give up.

• If I gain a pound this week, it’s all over.

This mindset keeps us stuck in cycles of restriction, guilt, and fear. It tells us we can’t trust ourselves. It keeps us afraid of our bodies and the weight coming back.

GLP-1s don’t fix that mindset. That kind of transformation doesn’t happen through a shot or a pill. It happens through healing. Through rewiring the way you see yourself and your relationship with food.

What Coaching Can Do That Meds Can’t

This is where coaching comes in. Not to tell you what to eat, but to help you unearth the roots of your relationship with food.

We look at the shame. The guilt. The black-and-white thinking. The old stories that were planted by toxic diet culture. We gently wiggle those roots loose, so you can plant something new.

Because here's the truth I’ve learned over and over again in the last decade:

👉 You can change what you eat without changing how you feel.

👉 You can lose weight and still feel unworthy.

👉 You can quiet cravings and still hear the voice that says you’re not enough.

Until you heal the emotional side of this, peace will always feel just out of reach.

A Real Fear, A Real Opportunity

I work with clients who’ve lost 40 pounds or more, and they still feel anxious around food. They still don’t trust themselves. They’re still afraid of regaining the weight.

That fear is real. And it makes sense. But it also tells us something important:

👉 Weight loss does not equal peace.

If you’re feeling stuck even while the scale is moving, you’re not alone. You’re not failing. And you don’t need more willpower.

You need compassion. You need support. And you need tools that help you heal the parts of this that medication can’t touch.

You Deserve Peace

Whether you’re taking medication or not, you deserve peace with food and your body.

You deserve to feel safe in your skin. To trust yourself around the foods you love. To quiet the noise... not just in your stomach, but in your mind.

And if you want support with that, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

Head to AmyEnglishCC.com to book a free connection call. Let’s talk about where you’re stuck and how coaching can help you finally feel at home in your body.

Because the number on the scale is just one part of the story. Let’s write the rest together.

 xo,

Amy English

Emotional Eating Coach | Fat2Fierce®

Fat2Fierce | YouTube | Podcast

Empowering women to reclaim their power with food and find peace with their bodies.