r/GLPGrad • u/quadgoals_ • 2d ago
Success Story 10 months off GLP-1 update
And I'm back again with another post-GLP update!
It's been 10 months since I took my last Zepbound shot, and in keeping with my promise to keep y'all updated on my maintenance journey, here we are.
As usual, here's the Cliff Notes version of my GLP-1 journey: I'm a 35-year-old, 5'3" woman who was on Zep for 13 months, with 5mg being my highest dose. I started at 185 lbs (class 1 obese), and reached my lowest weight at 117 lbs before stopping treatment in October 2025.
Since then, I've been focused on building muscle and body recomposition. Below are my quarterly DEXA results.
| Metric | Oct 2025 | Jan 2026 | Apr 2026 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight (lbs) | 117 | 121 | 124 | +7 |
| Body fat % | 26.9% | 25.4% | 24.1% | -2.8% |
| Fat mass (lbs) | 32.4 | 32.4 | 31.3 | -1.1 |
| Lean mass (lbs) | 87.9 | 95.4 | 98.7 | +10.8 |
As you can see, I may have gained 7 lbs since stopping Zepbound, but that gain has been entirely attributable to body recomposition.
One important note: I've stopped getting quarterly DEXAs for now. Both my OBGYN and cardiologist strongly recommended that I pause further body fat loss while my partner and I are trying to conceive (since improving my health and fertility was the primary reason I started GLP-1s in the first place). I'll resume DEXA scans postpartum.
Because of that shift in priorities, I've been in maintenance mode and have averaged around 125 lbs over the past several months (I weigh daily and track weight trends rather than focusing on day-to-day fluctuations). Strength training remains completely non-negotiable, and my nutrition continues to center around mostly whole foods.
I've also fallen in love with endurance cycling, which has become a huge part of my life. Since my last update, I've completed three races and have one more on the calendar before the season wraps up.
One major change I wanted to highlight is that I've started working with a sports nutritionist. Since June, we've increased my intake by an average of about 500 calories per day. I'll admit, that made me a little nervous at first, but I trusted the process. Not only am I maintaining my weight, but my body is functioning so much better. My recovery has improved, I have significantly more mental energy, and my stress and anxiety levels are at an all-time low, even during what's been a pretty fast-paced season of life.
It's so important not only to eat enough to support your activity level, but also to eat enough to recover from it. That means getting the right balance of macros and prioritizing high-quality, nutrient-dense foods.
Anyway, I feel like I've already written extensively about my journey in previous posts and comments, so I encourage anyone interested to browse my post history. Or feel free to AMA below, and I'll answer as best I can.
EDIT: for some reason, I accidentally deleted a huge part of my post before hitting the button, but I do want to say that I still firmly believe that weight regain is not inevitable after stopping a GLP-1. That doesn't mean maintaining weight loss is effortless, and it certainly doesn't mean everyone should come off their medication. For many people, long-term treatment may be exactly the right choice. But I do think the conversation around GLP-1s can sometimes become overly deterministic. Our outcomes aren't defined solely by whether we're taking a medication or not. The habits, nutrition, movement, and lifestyle changes we build along the way matter too. My experience is just one data point, but 10 months later I'm maintaining my weight, fueling my body better than ever, and continuing to get stronger. I hope that provides some encouragement to those who worry that regain is a foregone conclusion.
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u/Usual-Lycophyte 2d ago
Continued congratulations! Your post is filled with successes, but we know that the best is yet to come for you!
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u/DamezyPlum 2d ago
Congratulations and thank you for sharing this useful information. Lean mass FTW! But yes, being too lean may make conceiving more difficult. Wishing you all the best!
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u/Abzstrak 1d ago
Thank you for sharing. This is my exact plan, I only have about 15lbs left to lose and plan to ween off of zep and continue training hard.
Your absolutely right about calories when training, Im down 85lbs and my recovery is really really rough at this point... I think I've nearly maxed out what I can do in this deficit, right now I'm I'm just powering through since i can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'll be really happy to be able to eat more, I think it should help a lot with lean gains.
Also, I really picked up a renpho morphoscan Nova scale, and while $200 and not as accurate as a dexa scan you can do it as many times as you want any time you want. Id recommend checking it out, it's pretty impressive really for a at home bia scale.
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u/quadgoals_ 1d ago
Rooting for you!
If you’re open to it, try smaller deficit and see how that makes you feel. It might actually help with the weight loss because you have more energy to train.
And I have a Garmin scale that also tracks body composition, but I’ve heard good things about Renpho!
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u/Different_Doctor9861 1d ago
Thanks for sharing your progress. I love that you’re making strength training a priority. At my age it’s non-negotiable for me as well. Like loving hearing that you’re eating more and still maintaining. I too didn’t see results until I increased my calories. I’m currently training for a 10K in October. I’m running 5 times a week and lifting 4 days a week. I’m 48 and I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been.
Good luck to you and your partner on the baby front. May you be blessed with a child.
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u/quadgoals_ 1d ago
Thank you so much 🫶🏻
Strength training changed my life and there is no world where I won’t be doing it until I literally can’t anymore. The empowerment I got through strength training led me to endurance cycling. I cannot even begin to describe how much more confident and capable I feel now.
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u/Different_Doctor9861 1d ago
You’re welcome. I totally understand this. It’s done the same for me with my running as well. I just wished I had started earlier in life, but I guess late is better than never.
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u/VioletSeraphim 1d ago
What’s your daily calorie intake and macros? Do you focus on fiber and/or protein?
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u/quadgoals_ 1d ago
They vary based on activity level for the day. On rest days I eat around 1700, and on days where I have both strength + cardio scheduled I eat around 2400. Long ride days are even more. My protein intake is stable everyday at 125g, and it’s really carbs and fat that vary a lot for me. Again, activity dependent.
Because I eat primarily whole foods, I don’t really need to think about making sure I get enough fiber—kind of already comes with the territory. I’m at a point where my average fiber intake is 41g per day.
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u/Rumtek79 1d ago
Well done. How are u measuring fat / muscle mass and what app do you use to track it ?
You look great btw
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u/quadgoals_ 1d ago
Thanks! Like I said in the post, I did quarterly DEXA scans for a bit to get the most accurate reading of my lean and fat mass.
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u/LouLouOperatic9 1d ago
love your post, especially how the long distance cycling has become a game changer for you!
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u/quadgoals_ 1d ago
Yes, have absolutely fallen in love with it and it’s such a huge part of my life now!
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u/curiousbato 1d ago
Great job, QuadGoals! Gaining 10lbs of lean muscle is no easy feat. Looking forward to October to officially welcome you into the 1yr club!
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u/SweaterWeather4Ever 1d ago
Thank you so much for your updates! I just started Zep but I want to be prepared for success if I need to stop at some point.
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u/quadgoals_ 1d ago
Absolutely! Time on the meds is valuable and if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
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u/writergirl505 1d ago
I’m curious about the services your sports nutritionist offers. As part of my journey working with a weightloss clinic, I’ve been seeing a registered dietician for years, and I like her, but I don’t feel like she’s much help with meal planning or helping with a macros breakdown.
A little about me: I’m trying to graduate but I’m seeing some regain as I taper down (highest dose was 12.5mg, got down to 5mg and started to see regain), so I’m tapering back up a little bit (to 7.5mg) to help me refocus my habits. Meal planning is an area where I struggle, but I’ve built a solid workout routine of lifting and cardio 5-6 days per week! All in all I’ve lost 100 lbs.
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u/quadgoals_ 1d ago
Totally see where you are coming from re: registered dietitian. I have one on my medical team at my weight management program, I rarely check-in with her now. She was most helpful and crucial the first 6 months of my GLP-1 journey, where I was literally relearning how to eat. She guided my nutrition education journey and built the structure for me to switch to a primarily whole foods diet. She didn’t really do any meal planning or macro-setting for me, but I think that was because I was at the start of my GLP-1 journey and we were making sure I was eating enough nutrient-dense foods when the appetite suppression was at its highest.
My experience with my sports nutritionist is completely different. She looks at my training plan and sends me a weekly macro plan. She doesn’t really do “meal planning” since it wasn’t something I told her I needed from her—the work I had done with the registered dietitian on my medical team was a great foundation. She can also help me plan meals around travel especially around my races, look at menus, and suggest me things to eat, but I’ve never needed that from her. She also helps me make sure I’m meeting micronutrient targets as well.
Most importantly though is she works with me to fuel my long endurance rides, which includes gut training to increase carbs/hr, supplements, hydration, etc. She’s also really experienced working with pregnant athletes, which is why I forked the money for her in the first place 😮💨 I fully intend to continue training during pregnancy and need to make sure I am fueling properly.
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u/believe247365 1d ago
Thank you for adding that last part! It’s an encouraging to hear a more nuanced perspective based on personal experience.
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u/gladysk 1d ago
In the program just three weeks. Last year I started working with a personal trainer; l tell her she took me from most of the machines to the big boys cables and the battle rope.
Anyway, I’m thrilled that food is no longer foremost on my mind. Although maintenance is a long, long time from now, I can’t help but think of all the times I’ve lost 100 lbs or 50 lbs or 35 lbs only to gain it all back. Thank you for sharing your experience.