New weight loss medicines such as Wegovy, Saxenda, and Mounjaro have had all the hype in recent years due to their ability to effectively promote rapid weight loss. However, when you hit a healthy weight, you may wish to cease the medication.
According to recent research – an extension of the STEP-1 clinical trial – it was found that those who stopped taking semaglutide, the active ingredient in both Ozempic and Wegovy, regained around two-thirds of their prior weight loss.1 Likewise, those who stopped taking Mounjaro regained more than half of the weight initially lost.2 While these stats may seem worrying, there are several effective strategies that can help you maintain your weight after stopping medication.
Wegovy, Mounjaro, and other popular GLP-1 receptor agonists work by mimicking the effect of glucagon-like peptide 1 in the human body, which is a hormone naturally released by your stomach whenever you eat food to help your body produce more insulin and combat a rise in blood sugar.1 By doing so, your digestion process slows down, which helps you feel fuller for longer, and consequently encourages you to eat smaller meals.
However, when you stop taking these medications, your body resets and tries to get back to what it thinks is ‘normal’. What that means is that your hunger hormone, ghrelin, is released by the stomach more often than it was while you were taking GLP-1 receptor agonists.3 In turn, you feel hungrier and become less content with the meals you were eating on your weight loss medications, which leads to weight gain.
Bear in mind that the weight loss rebound effect is not unique to weight loss medications. This effect can happen to anyone who has followed a weight loss programme, which emphasises the necessity of adjusting your lifestyle in a sustainable and consistent manner.
The most common reason for weight regain after stopping weight loss medication is not maintaining a healthier lifestyle in the long term. Weight loss medicines work best when combined with a shift in habit change to that which includes a balanced diet and movement in a daily routine. While yes, changing your habits and attitudes towards health is difficult, you can work alongside a health coach who will be there to guide you on the different approaches you can take to slowly transform your lifestyle into that which promotes longevity.
If you stop taking weight loss medicines and have not shifted your eating and exercise patterns, you’re more than likely going to experience rebound weight gain. Thankfully, though we appreciate it’s not as easily done without medications, keeping the pounds off after you stop taking weight loss medicines is possible.
For too long, we’ve focused on weight and body shape as the primary indicators of health. But weight loss is more effective if you don’t just focus on physical appearance. Instead, look beyond the external and focus on the good you’re doing on the inside.
For example, lowering cholesterol levels, reducing cardiovascular risk, and eliminating fat from metabolic areas like adipose tissue can significantly enhance overall health. These improvements can lead to a longer, more vibrant life, making a far greater impact than simply fitting into a smaller clothing size.
Once you start thinking about weight loss in a way that looks at all the good you’re doing to the inside of your body, your figure will eventually take shape and, before you know it, you’ll be leading a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
You can lose weight overnight if you manage to get a good night’s sleep. Feeling well-rested can revoke brain fog and give you more energy, which in turn makes it clearer for you to make healthy choices when it comes to picking the food you eat and getting in those extra steps. Likewise, research has found that getting adequate sleep can lead to a lower risk of obesity and better overall health.4
If you struggle with sleep, our Numan health coaches recommend that you try and adopt healthy sleeping habits, such as:
Avoiding exercise too close to your bedtime
Avoiding heavy meals within 6 hours of sleep
Staying away from blue-light emitting screens for at least an hour before bed
Keeping your bedroom as a place solely for sleep to avoid negative connotations associated with staying up late
It's important to remember that you can still enjoy the foods you love. You don't have to adhere to ridiculous fad diets to lose weight. The key is to appreciate what goes into your body and understand how to balance your choices. If you fancy a treat, simply compensate by making healthier choices elsewhere.
Not all unhealthy foods are evil. Viewing them as such can lead to resentment towards dieting and exercise. Instead, enjoy your favourite treats in moderation and focus on overall balance. This way, you can maintain a healthy lifestyle without feeling deprived, ensuring that both your body and mind are well-nourished and content.
The same goes for exercise. Where studies have found that two hours of exercise every week that raises your heart rate and makes you work for your breath can help you lose weight, they don’t specify that you need to be training for a triathlon just to make it work. Dancing can elevate your heart rate, as can an overly enthusiastic spring clean of the house. Find what you love and what works for you, stick to it, and see the change over time.
Successful weight management after stopping your weight loss medications is complicated and requires a thorough understanding of the benefits beneath the skin to drive your success. Your health isn’t defined by your weight, but by how you go about your day-to-day life.
Wilding, J. P. H., Batterham, R. L., Calanna, S., Davies, M., Van Gaal, L. F., Lingvay, I., … Kushner, R. F. (2021). Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine, 384(11), 989–1002. doi:10.1056/nejmoa2032183
Aronne, L. J., Sattar, N., Horn, D. B., Bays, H. E., Wharton, S., Lin, W.-Y., … SURMOUNT-4 Investigators. (2024). Continued treatment with tirzepatide for maintenance of weight reduction in adults with obesity: The SURMOUNT-4 randomized clinical trial. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 331(1), 38. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.24945
Caro, R., Samsel, D., & Savel, P. (2023). Is there sustained weight loss after discontinuation of GLP-1 agonist for obesity treatment? Evidence-Based Practice, 26(5), 7–8. doi:10.1097/ebp.0000000000001786
Chaput, J.-P., & Tremblay, A. (2012). Adequate sleep to improve the treatment of obesity. Journal de l’Association Medicale Canadienne [Canadian Medical Association Journal], 184(18), 1975–1976. doi:10.1503/cmaj.120876
