Lent on Zepbound: Fasting, Fridays and Giving Something Up

For many Christians, Lent is the forty days of preparation before Easter. Practices vary by tradition and by person. For Catholics, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting and abstinence, and Fridays during Lent are meatless. Many people also give something up for the season, such as sweets, alcohol, or snacking, and Friday fish fries are a community tradition in many places.

If you take Zepbound or compounded tirzepatide, you can usually observe Lent comfortably. But fasting days and a changed diet interact with a medication that already reduces appetite, so a bit of planning helps.

Fast days on an appetite-suppressing medication

In the Catholic tradition, fasting means one full meal and two smaller meals that together do not equal a full meal, with no snacking between. Many people on these medications already eat roughly like that, so fast days may not feel very different.

The risk is in the other direction. On a medication that reduces appetite, it is easy to treat a fast day as a reason to eat almost nothing, and then carry that habit through the season.

Make your full meal a proper one, with protein and vegetables.

Include protein in the smaller meals, too.

Drink water through the day. Fasting traditions generally do not restrict water, and you need it.

Do not extend fasting beyond what your tradition asks in the name of weight loss.

Low blood sugar

The Zepbound prescribing information states plainly that Zepbound lowers blood glucose and can cause hypoglycemia, and it tells clinicians to inform patients of that risk and educate them on the signs and symptoms.

The risk is generally greatest for people with diabetes who also take insulin or medications such as sulfonylureas. If that applies to you, talk to your clinician before fasting, because those medications may need adjusting on fast days.

Whatever your situation, know the signs: shakiness, sweating, a racing heart, sudden hunger, confusion, or feeling faint. If you notice them, eat or drink something with sugar and contact your provider.

Most traditions, including Catholic practice, exempt people for whom fasting would be harmful to their health. If you are unsure, talk to your clinician and your priest or pastor.

Meatless Fridays

Meatless Fridays can quietly reduce your protein intake if the usual replacement is pasta, cheese pizza, or a grilled cheese.

Choose fish or seafood, which are excellent protein sources.

Use eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, Greek yogurt, and cheese in meals.

Plan Friday meals in advance so you are not defaulting to something low in protein.

Friday fish fries

Fish fries are a cherished Lenten tradition in many communities. They are also fried, often served with fries, coleslaw, and rolls, and usually eaten in the evening. On a slowed stomach, a large fried meal can mean nausea, reflux, or a poor night’s sleep.

Take a smaller portion of fried fish, or ask whether baked or broiled fish is available.

Go easy on the fries and rolls.

Leave a gap before bed.

Giving something up

Giving up sweets, alcohol, or snacking can fit nicely with treatment. Just make sure that what you give up does not leave a gap in your nutrition. If you give up something like dairy or meat, plan replacements for the protein. If you give up alcohol, our guide on getting the most out of your GLP-1 treatment covers the everyday habits that will help you notice how you feel.

Plan your dose around Ash Wednesday and Holy Week

Side effects tend to be strongest after a dose increase and in the day or two after an injection.

Time your injection so fast days do not fall in that window if you can. Ask your provider before changing your usual day.

Hold any dose increase in the week before Ash Wednesday and Holy Week if you can. Our guide on when to increase your tirzepatide dose covers how those decisions are usually made.

If you are new to Zepbound, our guide on the starting dose of tirzepatide covers why the early weeks tend to bring the strongest side effects.

Signs you are not eating enough

Over forty days, small changes add up. Watch for fatigue that does not lift, feeling cold, hair shedding, dizziness when you stand, losing strength, or losing weight faster than you and your provider intended. If you notice these, tell your provider.

Consider this scenario: someone on Zepbound who also takes a sulfonylurea for type 2 diabetes decides to fast more strictly than their tradition asks on Ash Wednesday, eating almost nothing all day. They do not mention it to their clinician. By mid-afternoon they feel shaky, sweaty, and confused. A conversation with their clinician before Lent, a proper full meal with protein, and knowing the signs of low blood sugar would have prevented it.

Easter

Lent ends with Easter, often a day of brunch, a big dinner, and chocolate. After weeks of giving something up, it is tempting to make up for it all at once. Our guide on what to eat after your Ozempic injection has simple ideas for the day after if you overdo it.

The short version

Keep your full meal on fast days a proper one with protein, drink water, and do not fast beyond what your tradition asks. If you have diabetes and take insulin or a sulfonylurea, talk to your clinician before fasting, and know the signs of low blood sugar. Plan protein for meatless Fridays and go easy at fish fries. Time your injection away from fast days and hold dose increases. Watch for signs you are not eating enough over the season.

If you want a provider who will plan your treatment around the seasons you observe, TrimRx includes ongoing provider access alongside treatment.

This information is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Consult with a healthcare provider before starting any medication. Individual results may vary.