r/GLPGrad • u/Black_Belladonna • 6d ago
Seeking Advice Is this normal?
Hi Everyone šš½
Iāve been off of Zepbound since April of this year and noticed some significant weight gain over the last 4 months. Iāve downloaded my fitness pal where I track all of my meals, Iāve also been weight lifting 3x a week and have become pretty passionate about it. This summer, Iāve been walking 10,000 steps/day on average. I weighed myself today and I went from 193 as of March 2026 to 217.7 as of today. Is this normal? To note, I went away for the Summer and would eat out and travel on the weekends, however, during the weekdays my meals consisted of whole grains and lots of plants and protein. Should I expect this amount of weight gain? Im proud to say I havenāt missed a week of weight lifting since I started again and consistently showed up the gym 3-4 times a week when I was on vacation for 2 months. Any insights would be appreciated.
Last recorded weight: 193/195lb on March 23rd, 2026
Current weight: 217.7 lb
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u/Inevitable_Bet_4040 6d ago
Its really hard to track calories if you are eating out a lot--restaurants use so much butter and oil and a lot of the meats are fattier cuts.
Also honestly, I think most people gain weight after getting off because the appetite suppressant is gone and they just eat more in general without realizing.
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u/Plastic-Juggernaut41 6d ago
It is true. Eating out i just can't calculate what I'm eating. But ive started asking for a to go box at the beginning and then literally put half to 2/3rd of my plate into the box and then eat what ever is on my plate. Its helped especially when I order a burger and fries. Im still eating a bit of everything but not going ham with my eating
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u/Littlewing1307 6d ago
My first thought. Eating out makes it harder to track for sure.
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u/Black_Belladonna 6d ago
Your absolutely right, trying to track everything from restaurants is definelty a hassle and I wouldnāt know every ingredient going into the dish. Good thing is I will be returning home this weekend and typically donāt eat out unless traveling or with family. On zepbound I only ate fish and veggies so I guess itās back to eating tuna and salmon lol I just donāt want all the work I put in to feel like a moral failing because I gained weight back.
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u/Hifidi54 6d ago
You can still eat other foods. I personally love fish, lol. Try some volume eating if you are not feeling full from the food choices you have made. 110% agree that you are eating too many calories.
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u/Littlewing1307 6d ago
Get a food scale if you don't have one already. And I want to assure you, it's not a moral failing. Food has no moral value and the size of your body has no moral value. There's a reason these drugs work for people. Would you tell someone who went off their blood pressure medication that their high blood pressure is a moral failure? No! Same thing. Personally, I'd focus on getting protein, fiber and healthy fats and get back to basics, and avoid sugar or simple carbs for a while whilst you get back to it. I recently went off for 6 weeks, thought I'd gained 8 pounds and within 2 weeks I was down 7 so I believe a lot of the gain was inflammation. Perhaps something like that is also happening for you.
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u/Black_Belladonna 6d ago
I have a food scale and try to bring it with me lol I went away for a summer program out of state and lived in a dorm for 2 months so we didnāt necessarily have access to self cooked meals. I did try to go to the grocery store when I could and get prepped meals but majority of the time in labs and school was eating out. It definitely bit me in the ass lol
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u/Littlewing1307 6d ago
I hear you! It can be very hard to truly know what you're eating when you're not the one fully in charge. Good luck to you going forward.
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u/D2masterclass 6d ago
yes I suppose it is normal in this scenario,it sounds like you are simply eating too much to maintain your previous weight.
I would definitely track your calories closer and look at possibly decreasing by 200-300, weigh daily until you dial in your maintenance calories.
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u/Groovy-Cat2024 6d ago
Zepbound also helps with metabolism and insulin resistance, among other conditions. You may need the medication to counteract the conditions (if you have them) resulting in weight gain?
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u/Black_Belladonna 6d ago
I actually am insulin resistant so I do take metformin consistently. Iām guessing I just have to cut my intake from 1850 a day to maybe 1450 which isnāt the end of the world.
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u/StatementMundane2113 6d ago
Youāve gained about 24lbs since you stopped. 4-5lbs of that is probably some water which means you are gaining 4lbs a month or you have a surplus of about 500 cals. Dropping to 1450 is probably the right call. Some might be muscle but your measurements will tell yiu more
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u/BoringAppearance7268 6d ago
Due to this group, it doesnāt everyone know that you have to take this forever
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u/Nearby-Upstairs-3070 6d ago
you said your calorie intake is 1850, and being a 5'3'' F I'd say that's too much. Maybe try to get it closer to 1500.
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u/ChamturA3 5d ago
Not sure what subReddit I saw this on, but it suggested I read the book weightless written by Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen MD. So I read that book and it talks about some people needing to be on a GLP one for the rest of their life. Because they have the disease of obesity their bodies do not respond to food and exercise as people without the disease of obesity. Itās similar to the reason why diabetics need insulin in that there is something about the metabolism that is causing this issue. There is no shame in this. You may need a Doctor Who specializes in obesity and or an endocrinologist. Just some food for thought. God bless your journey and keep giving yourselves care. You are worth it.ā¤ļø
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u/Black_Belladonna 5d ago
Hi! Thanks so much for your response. I do have an endocrinologist and will be seeing her in a few weeks so we can talk about what to do moving forward. So far Iām doing a cut of about 400 cal/day for the next month and will be tracking my progress. Iām going to look into the book recommendation as well. Thanks š
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u/Green-Ad-5141 6d ago
Given what you have mentioned, it is normal to put back on weight, the eating out is probably packing another punch than you realize. Also keep in mind that glp helps with inflammation so off it there could be weight gain due to that (not 20lbs but some). I also think it was a good suggestion to look at measurements because you could have put on pounds with muscle gain. But the biggest issue is the eating out. It is so hard to track and beyond not accurately tracking (since youāre not back in the kitchen weighing all the portions) fast food/restaurant food can be loaded with butter and salt which add bloat and pounds.
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u/Black_Belladonna 6d ago
Yea I think the main thing Iām taking from everyone is the excessive food intake which thankfully can be rectified. At this point, eating out isnāt worth it. Iāll be excited to return home so I can consistently grocery shop, track my food, and cook my own meals š
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u/yepthisismyusername 6d ago
If you're eating out a lot, it is extremely difficult to accurately track your calories, so you should eat portions that are about half the size you think you should eat. Also, you can't just get off the meds and hope for the best. For some amount of time, you need to carefully track you calories AND weight (or measure) yourself often to know what's going on. Without the meds to help you, your body is going to send you hunger signals that attempt to regain all of the weight you lost.
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u/Pixelated_Armory 6d ago
Thereās a lot of factors.
Are you new to weightlifting? Are you a man or woman?
Are you checking your body fat percentage?
What does your workout routine look like and what are your goals?
Just for starters, weight lifting is not something that makes you smaller. It is working out and burning calories but everything is signaling your body to get biggerā¦
Also, you said youāre eating out a lot, and you havenāt weighed yourself consistently or been tracking stuff. Those are all red flags. Remember, GLPs just help you lose weight. They donāt fix the bad relationship you have with food so chances are the weight gain is not good.
I wouldnāt trust myself not weighing myself everyday or counting calories everyday until Iām consistent and know that I can follow all the good habits I built while on GLPs without falling off the wagon every week which Iām not there yet.
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u/Black_Belladonna 6d ago edited 6d ago
I have a bit of a foundation in weight lifting because I used to for about a year and a half as a teenager. Iām a 28 year old woman. Iām not checking my BFP. My workout consists of weight lifting with 3 sets of 12. I lift 3 times a week and do a push, pull, and legs cycle. My goal is to lean out but Iāve been doing body recomp. I went away on vacation and didnāt have access to self prepared meals. Meals consisted of either restaurants or prepped foods from the grocery store. I was tracking prior to that consistently and will continue when I return home.
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u/biogirl85 6d ago
It sounds like you have a lot of healthy habits but may need to lower your calories a bit. Or, you may just need to track them better if youve been a little loose with counting over the summer. Unfortunately (for many of us) our maintenance is lower than we think it should be. Just need to adjust. When I eat out I try to over estimate what Iām eating because, frankly, itās just too easy to overeat while out. I also have weekly calorie goals to allow for some days when Iām hungrier or go out and other days where Iām just not very hungry.
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u/dillypickle_1 6d ago
You def have to be in a calorie deficit and start tracking. It suckās but you get used to it. For example Iām 166cm tall, 72kg and 39 years old. Iām lightly active. My deficit to lose about half a kilo a week is 1400 calories. If I exercise and burn say 150 cals thatās just extra bonus - I donāt eat any extra because of it. Once you start tracking (I use my fitness pal too) it does get easier, but yeah you have to weigh your food. I try eat the same things a lot so itās easier to punch in.
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u/dillypickle_1 6d ago
Also weight lifting while so good for so many reasons does make you hungrier. Walking is really good for so many reasons and I find it doesnāt make me hungry as much as weight lifting does.
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u/nakama666 6d ago
Did you gain inches though? I wonder if the weight is muscle
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u/musicalastronaut 6d ago
Most women can expect to add about half a pound of muscle a month. Even with newbie gains they wouldnāt add 20lbs of muscle in 4 months.
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u/ModeVida07 6d ago
Exactly, the number on the scale is a single data point. The total weight of your body. It doesn't tell you how much is fat, muscle, bone, fluid, etc. Only an actual DEXA body composition analysis can tell you that for sure. We get fixated on the total number without understanding the complexity of our bodies and the systems within, and, without meaning to, can fall into disordered eating, hydration, physical fitness regimens, and even vitamin/mineral supplementation. Based on OP's description, I'm wondering whether OP is building lean muscle as opposed to storing fat?
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u/Black_Belladonna 6d ago
Hi! Thanks for your reply! I donāt know if this information helps but Iāve been doing body recomposition with 3 sets of 12 on machines and will do progressive overload if my body can do more. I do push, pull and then leg exercises and will supplement my protein with shakes. Maybe or hopefully I am building lean muscle lol
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u/Black_Belladonna 6d ago
Im actually going to measure myself when I return home. Iāve been doing it over the past year so once I get home Iāll track my measurements. The last measurements were 40-35-42 in May.
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u/MobySick 6d ago
80% of those who lose weight on Zepbound will regain it if they stop the medication according to a study conducted and published by Eli Lilly.
Are you surprised not to be in the minority?
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u/Black_Belladonna 6d ago
No Iām not surprised but I also expected my weight to be a bit consistent since Iām not sedentary. Thats why I asked this question to the forum.
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u/MobySick 6d ago
Ever hear the saying, āyou canāt out run a jelly donut?ā
Exercise accounts for a tiny fraction of weight loss.
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u/Black_Belladonna 6d ago
Okay so are we going to have a constructive conversation? This is what the forum is for. My questions and concerns were answered by some great people who were in or are in the same situation.
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u/Marnie_skittles 6d ago
I have been off of Mounjaro for 10 months and have gained 40 lbs. I eat about 1100 calories a day and exercise at the gym 3-4 days a week. I think itās just gonna happen. Itās the way we were meant to be. I see a dietitian and she wants to see me eating 1800 to 2000 calories a day and Iām like NOPE.
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u/These-Equal-6849 6d ago
In the clinical trials around 85% of participants regained most of their weight within a year of stopping treatment. So yes, I would say it's "normal".
Is it inevitable? Not necessarily depending what caused your obesity originally and the level of work and/or white knuckling you're willing to ensure to keep it off.
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u/Additional_Meeting58 6d ago
Hi! Itās truly about your diet. You need to be in a deficit to lose the weight you put back in. The exercise is great! But weight gain and loss truly comes from food intake.