While taking Saxenda, you can technically eat McDonald's, as no food is strictly "off-limits". However, fast food items are often high in fat, sugar, and salt, which can significantly worsen the common gastrointestinal side effects of Saxenda (e.g., nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) and hinder weight loss efforts.
With Saxenda, you should avoid or limit unhealthy foods like saturated fats, fatty foods, fried foods, fast food, ultra processed foods like cakes, cookies, and deli meats, and sugary foods and drinks.
The TRUTH is that you sure CAN eat fast food and lose weight. It may not be optimal, but if you just can't get yourself to cook at home or select easily made meals from the grocery store, then maybe it is an option.
There is no official guidance on this combination, and clinical evidence is lacking. Patients should consult their GP or prescribing clinician before combining Saxenda with intermittent fasting, as it may increase risks of gastrointestinal side effects, hypoglycaemia, and excessive calorie restriction.
Additionally, sugary foods can make possible side effects of Saxenda worse. If you're experiencing nausea or any other gastrointestinal side effects of the medication, try avoiding sugary foods to see if that reduces the severity and incidence of these effects.
Foods to avoid while on Saxenda® to reduce side effects
Take these tips from the Calibrate medical team for a spin: Avoid fried, greasy, or fatty foods and foods high in sugar: These tend to be the toughest for your body to digest and the most likely to cause nausea while taking a GLP-1 medication.
Ozempic tends to result in more weight loss than Saxenda, and it's more cost-effective per pound lost. However, it's a once-weekly injection, while Saxenda requires daily dosing, which may affect user preference.
If you (or your teen) miss your daily dose of Saxenda®, just take the next daily dose as usual on the following day. Do not take an extra dose of Saxenda® or increase the dose on the following day to make up for the missed dose.
Common Reasons Saxenda Makes You Feel Hungry
Insufficient dose escalation is a frequent cause; Saxenda requires gradual titration from 0.6 mg daily up to the maintenance dose of 3.0 mg daily over five weeks. Patients who remain on lower doses may not achieve adequate GLP-1 receptor activation for appetite suppression.
To reach the best long-term weight loss success with Saxenda, make sure to practice a holistic approach that includes eating a healthier diet, finding more physical activity and exercising each week, sleeping better, staying hydrated, and managing stress levels, especially when you are feeling overwhelmed in trying to ...
Low-Calorie Picks That Keep It Light at McDonald's
The 3-3-3 rule for weight loss is a simple, habit-based method focusing on three key areas: 3 balanced meals a day, 3 bottles (or ~1.5L) of water by 3 PM, and 3 hours of physical activity per week, aiming for consistency over complex diets. It simplifies fat loss by establishing rhythm through consistent eating, adequate hydration to support metabolism, and regular movement, promoting sustainable health without intense calorie counting or restrictive rules, says Five Diamond Fitness and Wellness, Joon Medical Wellness & Aesthetics, and EatingWell.
If the weight fluctuation is very rapid (for example, a weight increase of 1-3 kg from one day to the next), it's definitely water, because fat doesn't accumulate that quickly! If it's water retention, swelling is often localized, manifesting as puffiness in the legs, ankles, hands, and abdomen.
On Saxenda, we recommend limiting the consumption of these foods: Ultra-processed foods: Most boxed cereals, supermarket bread and pastries, fast food, microwave meals, oven pizza, crisps, biscuits, fizzy drinks, and supermarket sandwiches. Added sugar.
Saxenda® should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Click here for full Indications and Usage.
In fact, eating more calories than you should, even while taking Saxenda, can cause you to inadvertently gain weight. This is because Saxenda has no effect on how your body processes calories.
When you first start using Saxenda, the starting dose is 0.6 mg once a day for at least 1 week. Your doctor will then tell you to gradually increase your dose by 0.6 mg, usually every week until you reach the recommended dose of 3.0 mg once a day. You should not increase your dose unless your doctor has told you to.
For side effects like weakness, low blood sugar and tiredness, make sure you are eating enough. Although Saxenda can help you lower your calorie intake, you still need to eat a safe amount. For safe weight loss, it is not recommended to reduce your calorie intake by more than 600 calories a day.
For most people, this occurs after 4-8 weeks. Clinical trials have shown that people who use Saxenda alongside a healthy lifestyle can lose, on average, 5% of their body weight in 8 weeks, 7% in 16 weeks, 8% in 24-36 weeks, and 9% in 56 weeks.
Saxenda starts working immediately after your first injection. Some people begin to feel the effects of the medicine within a few days of taking it. However, weight loss isn't usually noticeable for a little while yet.
Current UK product guidance provides specific recommendations for discontinuing weight loss injections before attempting to conceive. The timing varies by medication: Semaglutide (Wegovy): Stop at least 2 months before attempting conception. Liraglutide (Saxenda): Stop at least 1 week before attempting conception.
It is important to understand that Saxenda does not burn fat directly. The main benefit comes from helping people eat less in a sustainable way.
GPs are reminded the GLP-1 receptor agonist Saxenda will no longer be available in Australia by year end. Saxenda will be unavailable for purchase in Australia after December 2025, and GPs are being advised to discuss alternative treatments with patients.
1. Semaglutide (Wegovy®)
What are the serious side effects of Saxenda?