GLP-1 Plateau - what happens when we stop?

Light_Life

Light_Life

Well-known member
I'm feeling discouraged and I'm curious if anyone else has gone through something similar to this.

I have PCOS and struggle with insulin resistance. I decided to try Ozempic about a year ago (without consulting a doctor). For about 7 months it was helpful, bringing me down from 185 lbs to around 155 lbs. But then, the weight loss stopped completely. So I decided to switch to Mounjaro. I've been using 10 mg of Mounjaro for about 3 months now, and my weight hasn't budged at all during this time.

My big concern is that I don't want to rely on these medications forever. I'm worried about the potential long-term side effects and I'd really like to be able to discontinue them. But if I miss even one injection, like if I'm 3 or 4 days late, my appetite goes crazy and I'm afraid I'll quickly gain all the weight back.

It really feels like I’m trapped in a cycle:
* When I take the medication --> I'm not losing any more weight
* When I don't take the medication --> my appetite goes wild

Just for some context:
* Height: 5'5"
* Current weight: 155 lbs
* I typically eat around 1000–1200 calories per day
* I still have significant abdominal fat (classic PCOS distribution)

I've never successfully weighed less than 150 lbs for any significant time, even before starting these medications.

Has anyone here successfully discontinued GLP-1 medications without regaining the weight?
 
Yep, I have, and so have plenty of others. We've either kept the weight off or kept losing. Check out the community
 
It's not super common to stop without regaining, but it's definitely possible.

I've struggled to maintain even while on the medication, so I know I'll probably be on it or something similar for the long haul.

No one wants to be on meds forever, but compared to being obese, the risks are much lower.
 
Yes, in a way. I just recently went back on Ozempic, but I was on Mounjaro for about a year and a half and lost about 75 pounds. Then I had to stop for 8 months because of insurance and job issues. I gained back about 10 pounds almost immediately (within a week), but then nothing more. I'm back on it now for diabetes, but I didn't have any problems maintaining the weight I lost during my break. I also made a lot of changes to my lifestyle over the last couple of years.
 
I just saw an ad for Contrave.

It's a combination of naltrexone and bupropion, designed to help control cravings and promote weight loss.

I've never tried naltrexone, but I do take bupropion, and it's surprisingly helped reduce my BED symptoms, even though I initially started taking it for depression.

Also, you really shouldn't go below 1200 calories a day. Your body will think it's starving and hold on to weight.
 
I stopped right before the holidays and it was a big mistake. My hunger went crazy at the worst possible time. I gained almost 40lbs between September and January. I've started again and have lost about 10lbs since the end of January. I've since learned that you should gradually reduce your dosage if you want to stop the medication. So, if you're planning to stop, do it slowly over time, don't quit cold turkey like I did.
 
I stopped and actually dropped another 5 pounds after stopping. I'm sure some days I eat more and some days I eat less, but I eat around 1500 calories minimum. It sounds like you are undereating. I stopped taking it last May. My current weight is 175 lbs (5'8"). I'd suggest spacing out the injections gradually to wean yourself off. I'm not doing any formal exercise right now, just aiming for about 7000 steps on good days. I'm too busy with work. I do pay attention to what I eat, but I had some amazing cake the other day and enjoyed it throughout the day. My point is that even though my eating isn't perfect, I haven't gained weight, and I'm not even exercising much right now.
 
I've stopped for about 3 weeks twice in the last 9 months. Both times my appetite came back super strong. And I'm only using a low dose. I've never needed what they say on the label. I lost about 20 lbs and want to lose a bit more, but I also needed to boost my energy, so I'm continuing to use a small dose every 2 weeks. I've stayed at the same weight for 2 months doing this.
I'm a bit worried about having to do this forever, but there will be new options (prescriptions).
 
I read an article that said these meds are really intended for long-term use. It made me think about people who use them to lose just a little bit of weight.

It also said that when you stop, the hunger comes back hard. Basically, if appetite was the issue before, it'll be the issue again after you stop.
 
So, if you stop taking something that suppresses your appetite and then go back to eating how you did before, you gain the weight back? Groundbreaking!
 
What about people who only used it to drop like 20 lbs? I guess it depends *why* they wanted to lose those pounds and if they had issues with overeating to begin with? I admit I used GLPs after gaining about 25 lbs in perimenopause. I really don't think I was eating THAT much differently--I think my body was just changing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top