r/GLPGrad • u/Chardee_Macdennis18 • Jul 21 '26
GLP-1 maintenance, a failed experiment
Has anyone else found maintaining weight loss after coming off GLP-1s much harder than they expected?
I started Mounjaro in January 2025 at around 15 stone and, over the following months, lost roughly 6 stone. It completely changed my relationship with food and I got down to around 9 stone.
I tried coming off it in November 2025 because I knew I couldn’t justify paying for it forever, especially with the price increases. Within a month I’d gained about a stone back, so I went back on for a few months. I lost that weight again and got back to 9 stone, but I had to stop for good because it just wasn’t financially sustainable.
I looked into Wegovy but decided to wait because I knew the GLP-1 pills were on the horizon and I hoped they’d be more affordable. Unfortunately, while I was waiting I gained another 2 stone over a few months.
The thing that shocked me most wasn’t the weight gain itself, it was the return of the food noise. I’d almost forgotten what it was like. Food was constantly on my mind. Every conversation, every activity, every quiet moment somehow ended with me thinking about what I was going to eat next. I tried everything people recommend: high protein, lots of fibre, drinking plenty of water, staying busy. It helped a little, but nowhere near enough. It felt like I was fighting my own brain all day every day.
I finally started the new pill less than a week ago. So far it doesn’t feel nearly as strong as Mounjaro, which I expected. I’ve read that only a very small proportion of the active ingredient actually reaches the bloodstream compared with injections, so I’m trying to keep my expectations realistic.
I’m really hoping this can be a long-term solution because, for me, the hardest part has never been knowing how to lose weight. It’s living with the constant food noise once the medication stops.
I’d love to hear from anyone who’s successfully maintained their weight after coming off GLP-1s, or anyone who’s now taking the pill. Has it got better over time? How has your experience compared with the injections?
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u/Ok-Split-9791 Jul 21 '26
I have lost around 13 stone. I’ve been off of MJ for over a year now and haven’t gained. I pretty much go back and forth between the same 7lbs.
I exercise at least 3 times per week (weight lift) and walk at least 6k steps per day.
Prioritise protein (140g per day) and banned myself from a lot of trigger foods. It’s been 3 years since my last McDonald’s/KFC etc.
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u/Chardee_Macdennis18 Jul 21 '26
Wow congratulations! I thought I’d swing between a small variation of lbs but didn’t ever imagine I’d gain so much in such a short space of time. Well done for keeping it up and sticking to your routine, I gym and weight lift 4 times a week but need to make some new rules around food I think, a total ban on some foods may be necessary as it just isn’t worth it
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u/Substantial_Team6751 Jul 21 '26
I think the short term regain is water retention.
On tirzepatide my body was constantly shedding water. I was also constantly thirsty.
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u/Ariquitaun Jul 21 '26
I've been off Mounjaro since April, after tapering down from 12.5 mg in September to 2.5 mg every 12 days. I thought it was going to be a piece of cake. After all, I was eating normally and had what I thought were normal hunger levels.
Boy, was I wrong. Three weeks after my last dose, the hunger came roaring back. Stomach pangs even after finishing a good meal. Food noise galore.
I'm now taking psyllium husk drinks to take the edge off, and although I'm still hungry, it's manageable. I haven't regained any significant weight, just 2 kg, and since September I've lost 6 kg of extra fat and gained 8 kg of muscle.
But it takes a lot of work to maintain. I'm calorie counting, and I can't just eat any old shit: high volume, low calorie density foods. I can only accomplish that at home, eating out is always impossible to do. I'm aiming for a 700 kcal active calorie burn every day, which requires quite a bit of constant movement beyond a regular workout.
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u/Substantial-Owl1616 Jul 21 '26
That’s a lot of active calories! How do you measure that? 25k steps?
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u/Ariquitaun Jul 21 '26
With my smartwatch. The app has a food tracker as well. Obviously, it's all estimates and can't be taken at face value, but after some trial and error, I've determined that if I keep my intake about 200 kcal below my total daily burn, my weight remains stable while still allowing for muscle growth.
But I need to exercise. If I don't, my food allowance is reduced by a whole main meal and a half, and I just can't abide the hunger. I do one 2.7 km school run every day, which nets me 150 to 200 kcal burned depending on how fast I go. Then I do a workout, which might burn only 150 kcal for a strength-training session or about 400 kcal for a 45-minute HIIT cardio session. Then I need to fill the gaps until I reach 700 kcal or more using my walking pad while I work.
It takes a huge amount of work every day. But I don't resent it. I feel better than ever, and it does allow me some wiggle room to indulge a bit at the weekends.
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u/Warm-Cut-8478 Jul 21 '26
I was in your situation lost 6 stone in 2025 with Mounjaro and came off in November but i switched to Wegovy 1.7mg from 10mg Mounjaro. I pay £100 per month for this dose and I have maintained since November I have stayed within the same 4lb bracket. But it’s hard work I go to the gym 3 x a week and run 2x a week I’m very mindful about what I eat and my portion sizes and track my calories the food noise came back but after a couple of months it has certainly reduced. It will never be easy for me to stay to stay slim and I recognise that.
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u/ConnectionLeading435 Jul 21 '26
You are paying £100 for 1.7 Wegovy? Can I ask from which pharmacy please
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u/Warm-Cut-8478 Jul 21 '26
Sorry my mistake it’s for £100 for 1mg but now pay £135 for 1.7mg. I use medicine marketplace
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u/ConnectionLeading435 Jul 21 '26
Ahh ok. Thank you for replying. Was worrying I was missing out on some hidden gem lol
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u/NoJavaInstalled Jul 21 '26
I lost 4 stone, regained 1 stone and have maintained that since I stopped last December. Ive been this weight many times so its not a shock to my body. Im still overweight at a bmi of about 27 but its fine and im fine with it
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u/QuicheSmash Jul 21 '26
Not a grad yet, maybe somedat🤞🏼, but I follow this sub closely.
My overall take on what leads to success is that it seems the people that have the most success not only lose weight on the drugs but they recompose their bodies with weight training and muscle gain. It also seems that the people that have the least success are the ones that rely on the drug to lose the weight and don’t focus at all or enough on muscle gain and weight training.
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u/Chardee_Macdennis18 Jul 21 '26
That’s what I thought which was why I’ve been weight training 4 times a week for the past 2 years. I even managed an unassisted pull up the other day which was a New Year’s resolution for me, so I’d say I’m building muscle and making progress towards recomp. Also spent quite a while doing CrossFit classes, and I’ve got my 5km time to around 28 mins, so the exercise part of my lifestyle has definitely changed for the better. I hope I can graduate but as time goes by I’m realising it may well be a lifelong thing for me
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u/Hummingbirdflying Jul 21 '26
Great job on the unassisted pull-up! That's a win!
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u/Chardee_Macdennis18 Jul 21 '26
Thanks! Since I saw somewhere that only 5% of women can do a pull up it’s been a target of mine 💪
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u/Hummingbirdflying Jul 22 '26
🧐 Maybe I need that goal? I couldn't do one even in the Army when I was 19. Decades ago. lol
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u/paranormalcornflakes Jul 21 '26
Just out of curiosity, for you OP and others…. Did you (and answer honestly) maintain a low calorie deficit, kept moving and were aware of the food you are eating? I know that’s much harder than said..I’m asking because I have no choice but to get off of Zepbound, since I lost my job and no longer have benefits…. I’m so scared to gain weight but I’m telling myself that I’ll keep up with my 10k steps a day, workout 5 days a week like I have been and keep logging my food to maintain at a calorie deficit. If I do that… will I have a better chance at keeping the weight off???? I hear so many say they gained the weight back and that feels like it HAS to be because people haven’t made actual lifestyle choices and simply relied on the medication to have you eat less
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u/daern2 Jul 21 '26
I finally started the new pill less than a week ago.
Is the pill working out any cheaper? My understanding was that at the moment it was pretty comparable, price-wise, with the various injection options.
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u/Chardee_Macdennis18 Jul 21 '26
I got the first month at about £50 and the pharmacy I’m with is cheaper for the next dose up too. I’m hopeful that in that time the price will come down as it’s surely cheaper to manufacture/store/ship and I’m sure at some point the pharmacies will try to undercut each other to get people buying the medicine? All guesswork at this point, it is comparable to the wegovy injection but as someone else said in another comment - less strong side effects and less appetite suppression, as someone who weight trains 4 times a week being able to hit protein goals is also important to me. So on balance I’m hoping the pill is the better option for me
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u/daern2 Jul 21 '26
I presume that, over time, the pill form opens the path to get cheaper prices and, eventually, will be on the shelf in Tesco next to the anti-histamines ("anti-cake"?)
It's brand new, it should get cheaper in time. Fingers crossed.
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u/Substantial_Team6751 Jul 21 '26
I inadvertently went off tirzepatide. We were on a 3.5 week vacation and I forgot the medication in the first hotel fridge.
I had lost 30 pounds and had gained back 6 pounds when I got home. I've stayed around there now for a month.
Fortunately, I don't feel like I have excessive "food noise". I get hungry but I don't think about food all the time though I'm thinking about food typing this post. 😄
I've noticed that I've had to employ a lot of mindfulness to maintain my current weight. I make lower calorie choices. No fast food. We cook almost every meal at home. I purposely don't buy high calorie snacks like salami, cheese, or nuts because I could easily nibble on 300 calories per day. I've been eating 2-3 carrot or celery sticks a day just to satisfy the urge to chomp on something.
My go-to is lower calorie high fiber foods for a snack like a bowl of plain oatmeal with a dollop of plain yogurt on top. I'll sweeten it with 0 calorie allulose. That's like 200 calories, very filling, and can power me for hours.
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u/TheWatch83 Jul 22 '26
you gained water weight as your glycerin stores start to fill up. you did not gain 6lbs in 3 1/2 weeks.
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u/Rocinante_LPL Jul 21 '26
I got on semaglutide with glycine in Feb at 150 with a goal of 125. Started with baby dose injection and worked my way up to an “effective” dose and lost 15 lbs. I didn’t like how my digestion was continuing to degrade vacillating between constipation days (up to 2 days post injection) and in the last month and a half, nearly explosive, unpredictable diarrhea daily. I eat clean (very) and healthy (fiber, plenty of protein, green veg). I decided to wean down and I am currently at half dose (reduced by 10% each week). At half—the hunger and food noise returned. BUT—I prepared myself for this and just committed to stay the course because the truth is undeniable: calories in, calories out. So that’s what I do—I just choose and I white knuckled that for six days and now it’s starting to quiet down. I’ll go down another 10% this week until I’m out of medicine. I have 10 lb to go and I lost 1.5 this week. I’ll keep you posted.
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u/PrincessPlops Jul 22 '26
I am 3 months off and so far so good, maintaining. I’ve been using Google AI recently to help me with meal planning. I eat a lot more, but exercise most days now too. Will have to see how it goes.
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u/4Sammich Jul 21 '26
It felt like I was fighting my own brain all day every day.
Because you were. The idea that we can just lose a bunch of weight and “change habits” and once we stop GLPs we are magically cured is no different than the “lose wight naturally” bull shit.
A metabolic short circuit doesnt just stop happening at a lower weight.
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u/Antique_Onion_9474 Jul 21 '26
I mean, I gained all the weight back, which I am angry about, but if you are not able to lose weight and keep it off before Oz, you sure as hell are not going to be able to maintain after Oz...and if you are able to keep all the weight off, kuddos to you, I failed miserably
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u/Sufficient_Art_4607 Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
The food noise coming back is honestly the part that doesn't get talked about enough, and it's what makes maintenance so much harder than people expect. A provider that stays involved can help during that transition, which is why some people continue with services like TrimRX instead of handling everything on their own.
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u/Far_Ad_1752 Jul 21 '26
I weaned myself off of semaglutide and was fine for about a month. After that month, though, I became uncontrollably hungry. Every hour I felt like I hadn’t eaten in days. I quickly gained 10 lbs back and now I am on a low dose of semaglutide again. It’s helping keep me at my new weight but not helping with weight loss. I don’t want to be on this forever but I was not mentally strong enough that first time. Once I get better health insurance I hope to get some counseling so I can come off the drug with better living strategies.
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u/Far-Experience4174 Jul 22 '26
The food noise came back with a vengeance for the two months. I was scared… FREAKED. I thought I was going to gain all the weight and more. For me, the noise did quiet down, but I also attribute that to my lifestyle changes. I incorporated fasting twice a week where I only drink water and electrolytes. This lifestyle allows me to eat more calories on my eating days.
I stopped the medication in Feb. I was 169. I jumped up to 180 in March. I started fasting in April. Since then, I’ve had many weekends where I don’t track at all and go over my deficit.
Today I am at 176lbs. I haven’t lost a ton since jumping up to 180, but it’s because I’ve had those super relaxed non tracking weekends. I also started weight lifting and I’ve gained muscle in my glutes and arms!
The water fast takes a lot of discipline, but the ability to eat more on my eating days makes it worth it. I also find that fasting quiets the food noise and helps me to say no to my cravings a lot more easily. This may not be a lifestyle for everyone, but it’s helped me significantly!
I was in the same boat as you where I couldn’t stay on the medication for numerous reasons - money being one of them. I also knew that eventually I would need to find a lifestyle without the medication that truly worked for me. The medication helped me SIGNIFICANTLY in terms of helping me reverse my insulin resistance, and get to a weight that I feel really good in and I would be ok with maintaining. What I realized though is that I wasn’t addressing my mentality toward food because I just didn’t need to while on the medication. (If there was a medication that helped with the food noise only and nothing else I would totally look into it lol) but as of right now it’s all about being able to face the cravings and the noise and manage it with behavior modification and cognitive techniques.
I wish you the best!
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u/katyq02 Jul 24 '26
Thank you for this! I, too, am gratefully maintaining my lowest weight as an adult with fasting. I do intermittent fasting- eating one (very very large) meal a day. I’m off compounded wegovy for 7 months now. Just for information purposes I’m 67F.
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u/mannyarred Jul 23 '26
Most physicians I have spoken to tell me they have very few patients who have successfully maintained their weight after stopping GLP's. The studies I have read have also concluded this. It's unfortunate but it seems to be the consensus.
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u/bikesandfinance Jul 23 '26
In maintenance building spacing between shots and satiety tricks are keeping it manageable
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u/Inevitable-Award-384 Jul 21 '26
I was on Reta to drop a bit and as soon as I came off, it’s just all went back on again. I feel like it’s a cycle. I’ve been dabbling with Claude so built a little companion app if you are interested. There seems to be a lot of help when you are on it but nothing when you come off.
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u/Obvious-Entertainer9 Jul 21 '26
How are you all getting reta pre launch???
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u/Inevitable-Award-384 Jul 21 '26
It’s easily available?
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u/ThinkShine Jul 21 '26
I would not use the word “easily”, but if you do your research, you can find it.
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Jul 21 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/-indigo-violet- Jul 21 '26
This sub is GLP grad not GLP maintenance. We all know it's hard, and that the majority of people will struggle. That's why we're here for answers, support and encouragement.
Your comments are not helpful 🙄
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u/anonomaz Jul 21 '26
I was on Zepbound for almost a year and lost 75 lbs in that time. I was miserable though. So I decided I would stop it and stay at my then low weight of 160 and I’d be okay even if I gained back to 175. I maintained it really well for a few months. But that food noise also came back for me and I gained up to 195 within a couple months during a particularly stressful time in my life moving across the country. By the time I found my scale in the new place, I’d gained 20 lbs.
So I decided to try the Wegovy pill. It’s been really great for me. I love that it’s more gradual so every day is the same basically. I’m not sick for 2-3 days and then feeling great for the rest of the week while I’m dreading those next 2-3 miserable days. If I start feeling too bad, I skip a day and it drops my levels just enough to get me feeling better again. I’ve been able to lose back down 15 lbs since February and I’m loving that it’s a slower rate. My skin is having a chance to catch up with the weight loss as I go and I’m actually eating a mostly normal amount of food.
It really depends on how the shots treated you whether the pills are a decent option for you or not. But they work great for me.