How Do You Keep the Weight Off After Stopping GLP-1 Weight Loss Medications?
- Angela Yender
- Oct 2, 2020
- 4 min read
Maintaining weight loss after stopping GLP-1 weight loss medications, like semaglutide or tirzepatide, requires a strategic approach to avoid gaining the weight back. While GLP-1 medications help regulate appetite and blood sugar levels, discontinuing them may lead to an increased appetite, making it crucial to adopt sustainable lifestyle changes.
I always advise my clients to make healthy lifestyle changes while you’re on the GLP-1s, so when you go off the medication, you already have the knowledge to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here’s what I would suggest:
1. Focus on Sustainable Lifestyle Changes
The cornerstone of long-term weight management is implementing healthy lifestyle habits. GLP-1 medications can help kickstart weight loss, but sustaining it requires adopting changes that can be maintained in the long run.
Dietary Changes: Practice a balanced, nutrient-rich diet which prioritizes clean eating of whole foods. Focus on high-protein meals to keep you fuller longer, healthy fats, and fiber-rich foods, while avoiding processed foods, refined sugars, and empty-calorie snacks.
Consistent Meal Patterns: Eating smaller, frequent meals can help regulate hunger and prevent overeating. Avoid skipping meals, as this can lead to increased hunger and poor food choices later in the day.
2. Mindful Eating Practices
Listen to Hunger and Satiety Cues: Pay attention to your body's hunger and fullness signals to avoid overeating. Eating slowly and savoring each bite can help you recognize when you're satisfied, rather than stuffed.
Manage Emotional Eating: Stress, boredom, and emotions can trigger unhealthy eating habits. Practice mindful techniques such as journaling, meditation, or breathing exercises to manage these triggers.
Portion Control: Be mindful of portion sizes. Use smaller plates and serving sizes to avoid overeating, especially when consuming calorie-dense foods.
3. Regular Physical Activity
Exercise is an essential factor for weight maintenance, as it helps to burn calories, boost metabolism, and improve overall health. Incorporate a mix of walking and weight training to keep yourself lean.
Walking: Engage in rituals that keep you consistent, like walking in the morning before breakfast, or walking over part of your lunch break or walking at night after dinner. Aim for at least 20 minutes every day.
Strength Training: Incorporate strength training exercises two to three times a week. Building muscle helps maintain a higher resting metabolic rate, which can counteract any reduction in metabolism after weight loss.
Stay Active Throughout the Day: Even outside of structured workouts, find ways to move more—take the stairs, walk during breaks, or use a standing desk so you’re not sitting all day.
4. Maintain a Support System
Having a support system, whether friends or family, can provide encouragement and accountability. Consider hiring a health coach (like me!) where you can have a safe space to make the changes you need in order deal with emotional eating or stress or whatever got you here in the first place.
5. Monitor Your Progress
Track Food Intake: Use apps or journals to track your diet. Make sure you’re getting 8-10 ounces of water/day, at least 100 grams of protein/day and 25 grams of fiber/day. This helps maintain awareness of what you're consuming.
Non-Scale Measurements: Make sure you are measuring your 5 body points every 3-4 weeks. This is more important than scale weigh-ins. Focus on how your body feels in your clothes.
Adjust as Needed: If you notice weight creeping back up, adjust your habits accordingly. This might mean increasing physical activity, tightening up on portion sizes, or reducing calorie-dense foods.
6. Manage Appetite and Cravings Post-Medication
Discontinuing GLP-1 medications may cause an increase in appetite. Consider incorporating foods that naturally help suppress hunger, such as:
High-Protein Foods: Eggs, chicken, fish, tofu, legumes.
High-Fiber Foods: Psyllium Husks, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
Healthy Fats: Nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil.
Hydration: Drinking a full glass of water before meals may help reduce hunger. Sometimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger.
7. Sleep and Stress Management
Prioritize Sleep: Poor sleep can disrupt hunger-regulating hormones (ghrelin and leptin), making weight maintenance more difficult. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Talk with your doctor if you are having trouble staying asleep at night. A lack of progesterone can cause poor sleep as well.
Manage Stress: Chronic stress can lead to weight gain through stress-related eating and hormonal changes. Practice stress-relieving techniques such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing, or hobbies that help you relax.
8. Work with a Health Coach
Regular Coaching Sessions: Continue meeting with your health coach (that’s me!), especially if you have a history of weight cycling. Schedule a 90 minute session with me every month, just to keep yourself on track.
Explore The Root Cause: Many times, the root cause of the behavior needs to be healed before your body can be successful with weight loss. Together we can work through these issues and create a practical and sustainable health plan going forward.
Food Sensitivities: My clients will take a food sensitivity test to ensure there isn’t an offending ingredient they are eating which is causing their body to have inflammation, adding weight on the scale or thickness around the belly.
9. Understand the Potential for Weight Regain
Acknowledge that weight loss is a lifelong journey. Weight fluctuations are normal, and it’s crucial to remain patient and persistent. Set realistic expectations for your weight maintenance goals, and focus on overall health rather than just the number on the scale.
If weight regain becomes a significant issue, your doctor may suggest restarting a low dose of a GLP-1 medication (mention Angela Yender for a discount) to help maintain the weight loss.
Keeping the weight off after stopping GLP-1 medications requires a combination of lifestyle changes, mindful eating, regular physical activity, and a strong support system. By implementing sustainable habits and remaining vigilant, you can maintain your progress and continue leading a healthier life. Remember, it’s not just about the weight loss but about creating a balanced, enjoyable lifestyle that promotes long-term well-being.
As a GLP-1 Health Coach, I empower women to modify past behaviors and have incredible results in maintenance. If you feel overwhelmed with navigating your GLP-1 journey and want to set yourself up for long-lasting weight loss results, let's hop on a Discovery Call today!
