Can You Stop Taking a GLP-1 Once You’ve Lost Weight? Here’s What Experts Say

Reviewed by dietitian Karen Ansel, MS, RDN

Highlights

• When you stop taking GLP-1, it is completely normal to regain some of the weight you lost.

• Experts say this is due to increased appetite, cravings and food noise.

• Focus on fiber-rich, non-starchy vegetables and lean proteins to help hedge your losses.

A surprising 1 in 8 Americans say they use GLP-1 drugs. While many take them diabetes managementGLP-1s are also often prescribed for weight loss. This begs the question: Can you stop taking them once you reach your goal? weight loss goals? So what happens to your weight after you stop using them?

As new as these medications are, there is already research that provides some helpful answers. Evidence shows that most people gain a significant amount of weight, sometimes in as little as 12 weeks.

If you use GLP-1 and have reached your goal weight, what does this mean for you? Experts say you should talk to your healthcare provider first and foremost. “Obesity is a chronic condition. Just like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, we do not stop medications when a person reaches the goal, it is not recommended to stop GLP-1 medications when the person reaches the target weight,” he says. Cynthia Odogwu, MD.

Instead, your healthcare provider may want to wean you off the medication to help your body adjust, he explains. Ali McGowan, MS, RD. This might help prevention of rebound hunger and protects against possible weight gain.

what will happen your Did you gain weight after stopping taking GLP-1? We asked the experts to find out. Here’s what you can expect, as well as healthy strategies to help you maintain your weight loss.

Things to Consider When Stopping GLP-1

You May Gain Some Weight

GLP-1 drugs help you lose weight by reducing hunger, helping you eat less. When you stop taking GLP-1 and these mechanisms no longer work, you are likely to eat more, which can lead to the following problems: weight gain. “It’s not that you did anything wrong,” Odogwu explains. “In contrast, systems to aid weight loss no longer exist. This regain occurs even when someone receives nutritional counseling or behavioral therapy.”

Generally, the amount of weight a person regains is proportional to the amount they lose. So people who lose more weight can expect to gain more weight. In some cases, recoil can be extreme. Some people have reportedly regained 40% of their lost weight within 28 weeks, while others have regained up to 50% within a year of stopping treatment.

Your Appetite May Increase

This is common feeling hungrier When your GLP-1 dose is reduced or discontinued, especially if you eat less while taking the medication, McGowan explains.

Blame it on your hormones. When you lose weight, your levels satiety hormone leptindecreases, making you feel hungrier. It also increases ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry. Without GLP-1 to dull this feeling of hunger, you may find yourself wanting to eat much more than when you were taking the medication.

You May Notice More Cooking Noise

Many people who use GLP-1 are amazed at the sudden disappearance of the “food noise” in their brain. If you’ve never heard of food noise before, it’s those disturbing thoughts about food that keep you constantly daydreaming about your next meal or snack. Although many people get some relief when they take GLP-1, the noise usually returns when they stop taking the drug, he says. Steph Wagner, MS, RDN, CSOWM, LD.

You May Request More

Another benefit of GLP-1 drugs is that they significantly reduce the desire to eat. This may help people make healthy changes that lead to weight loss, such as eating apples instead of cookies. The problem is that once you stop taking GLP-1, the cravings will probably come back, and it’s hard to realistically ignore all of that.

You May Experience Metabolic Rebound

GLP-1 drugs affect more than appetite. They also play a role in blood sugar control. cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Research has found that blood sugar and blood pressure may also increase when GLP-1 medication is reduced or stopped. In most cases, these changes are closely linked to weight gain rather than the drug itself.

Nutrition Strategies to Maintain Weight Loss

Stopping GLP-1 medication does not mean you will regain the weight you lost. Having the right strategies like these can help you sustain those losses in a healthy way.

• Balance your plate: Every expert we spoke to said: Save half your plate for this. non-starchy vegetablesthen fill each of the remaining two quadrants with: high-fiber or whole-grain carbohydrates and lean protein. Odogwu explains that non-starchy vegetables have high water content. Making sure they’re the focal point of your plate “will keep you feeling full without eating a ton of calories,” she adds.

• To drink: Research shows that adequate hydration It helps support weight loss, so make sure you drink plenty of water. For maximum results, try drinking 2 glasses of water before each meal. This research-backed strategy has been proven to promote weight loss.

• Don’t forget lean protein: One of the ways a high-protein diet helps you lose weight is by triggering your body’s own natural release of GLP-1. Aim for 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight (to find your weight in kilograms, divide your weight by 2.2).

• Try a food diary: When you stop taking GLP-1 medication, you may find yourself returning to some of your old eating habits. McGowan recommends using a food diary to spot these patterns so you can nip them in the bud before they become your norm again.

Our Expert Opinion

It is normal to gain some weight after you stop taking GLP-1 due to increased appetite, cravings, and food noise. So it can help you be prepared. You’ll also want to make sure you get your healthcare provider’s approval, as they may want to wean you off the medication for best results.

There is also targeted nutrition strategiesThings like making non-starchy vegetables the focal point of your plate, eating lean protein, and drinking water before meals can help guard against weight gain. Keeping a food diary can also help you recognize old eating habits as they re-emerge. Go slow, be patient, and most importantly, be kind to yourself. After all, permanent weight loss is not a marathon. It’s more like a long, bumpy hike with many hills and valleys along the way.

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