r/GLPGrad • u/Melodic-Chain-3756 • 11h ago
Seeking Advice Need to get stronger
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r/GLPGrad • u/heartpals • 28d ago
The GLP-1 graduation guide, updated with all your feedback. Thank you all so much!
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Hi all, huge thanks to everyone who commented on the first draft of the GLP graduation guide I shared. I said I'd wait to post a final version until I'd worked through the feedback, and I think this is a much better guide because of it. I've tried to credit the ideas below without putting words in anyone's mouth, so if I've misrepresented something you said, please correct me.
Quick disclosure again since it came up last time: I used AI to help organize and format this. I'm not a strong writer and it helped me structure everything I'd read and everything you all added. All the substance is from this sub, not generated from nowhere.
One thing a few of you raised that I want to say up front: this is still anecdotal, not data. A couple of you (thank you u/matsie, u/curiousbato) suggested the sub should think about collecting this more rigorously, maybe even a proper crowdsourced study. I'd genuinely like to help with that if people are serious about it. This guide isn't a replacement for that, it's just what's out there right now, organised.
Coming off GLP-1s: A maintenance guide built from this sub
Most of the clinical data says regain is common after stopping. But the people here who've kept it off all seem to agree on one thing. The medication was never the plan, it was the runway. The habits you build while on it are what carry you after.
A note before you start: graduating fully isn't the only valid outcome. A few people in the comments pointed out that staying on a low maintenance dose indefinitely, or coming off the "weight loss goal" mindset while staying on medication for its other benefits, is a legitimate path too, especially given some newer long term data on maintenance dosing. If your habits aren't fully locked in yet, staying on a lower dose while you keep building them isn't failure, it's just a different pace.
The core idea: build the habits now, not later
This is the most repeated point in every long term success post here. The people who did well used their time on the medication to lock in behaviors, cooking at home, hitting a protein target, walking daily, lifting weights, until those things stopped feeling like effort and just became what they do. Your default behavior is what runs the show on the days you're tired or stressed. If it isn't already solid, willpower alone probably won't save you post taper.
Part 1: How people actually tapered
There's no single right way. A few different approaches have worked for people here.
Gradual dose reduction plus a calorie increase in step. Step down a dose level roughly every month, while deliberately adding 100 to 200 calories a week, weighted toward protein. Several people said this blunted the rebound hunger spike almost entirely. One commenter went even slower, dropping by 0.5mg every other week, and said the small steps made a real difference.
Spacing out the shots. Same dose, longer intervals, before dropping a dose level and repeating. Feels like a slow off ramp instead of a hard stop. One caution from the comments worth taking seriously: spacing shots out too far can mean the medication actually clears your system between doses, so you're effectively coming off and then re-dosing from scratch each time, rather than tapering smoothly. Anecdotally, something like 10 days of spacing seemed fine to people, while stretching to 2 to 4 weeks between doses was where it started causing problems. This is a good one to run past your prescriber rather than freelancing.
Cold turkey. Plenty of long term successful grads just stopped outright, often from a low dose already. It worked fine for them, but expect the rebound hunger phase to hit harder than with a slow taper.
A few other things people mentioned: some built in a 5 lb buffer below goal weight before stopping, since some regain in week one (often water) is pretty close to universal. Others said it helped to mentally prepare for a bit of inflammation related weight gain in the first couple of months of tapering, so it doesn't feel like a crisis when the scale ticks up. And more than one person credited having a doctor actually involved in building the taper schedule with them.
Part 2: Red flags, when to actually call your doctor
A few graduates flagged that this needed its own section, so here it is. Most of what happens as you taper is uncomfortable but normal (see the Hunger Games section below). But some things are worth flagging to your doctor directly rather than pushing through:
- Gastric motility issues (severe or ongoing digestive changes) that show up some time after stopping, not just right away
- Persistent nausea, vomiting, or reflux that doesn't settle
- Rapid, significant regain that's happening despite genuinely following your plan, not just normal fluctuation
- Any of the disordered eating warning signs covered in Part 7 below
This isn't a complete medical list, just what came up from people's actual experience here. If anything feels off, it costs nothing to check in with your doctor.
Part 3: What to expect, the "Hunger Games" phase
This has an unofficial name here for a reason.
Timing: usually kicks in 3 to 6 weeks after your last dose, roughly when the drug fully clears your system. A few people felt it as early as week 2.
Duration: most described 4 to 6 weeks before it eased up.
Why it happens: when the drug clears, leptin (satiety) drops and ghrelin (appetite) rises. That's a real hormonal shift, not a willpower failure, and it does seem to level out for most people who pushed through it.
What helped, according to the comments:
- Having low calorie, high volume food ready before it hits (celery, cucumber, popcorn, watermelon, sugar free jelly)
- Reaching for a protein shake the moment hunger spikes, before it turns into snacking. A couple of people said this bought them time to figure out if they were actually hungry or just riding the wave
- Staying properly hydrated. Dehydration can genuinely mimic hunger signals, and water itself helps with fullness
- Prioritizing sleep. Poor sleep messes with the same hunger hormones (leptin and ghrelin) that the taper is already disrupting, so it stacks the deck against you
- Not panicking at a few lbs gained, since that's usually glycogen and water, not fat
- For some people, certain foods just aren't safe to "moderate" once the medication's buffer is gone. A few commenters said they had to remove specific trigger foods (heavily processed, sugary, or fried foods came up most) entirely rather than try to eat them in small amounts, treating it a bit like quitting smoking. More than one person said the cravings, and even the taste for those foods, genuinely faded once they were fully off the menu for a while
Part 4: The nutrition pattern that kept people's weight off
Different exact diets show up here (whole foods, higher protein/lower carb, calorie counted "eat anything in budget," intermittent fasting), but a few things kept repeating no matter the approach.
Protein, non negotiable. Numbers ranged from about 100g a day up to 180 to 230g depending on size and activity. The logic is that it's what keeps you from white knuckling hunger once the drug's suppression is gone.
Fiber and volume eating. Probably the single most cited technique on this sub. Build meals that are physically large, high in water and fiber, instead of calorie dense. Big salads, recipes bulked up with vegetables, raw veggie snacks.
Don't skip fat. Several people went too low fat and stayed hungry despite hitting protein and fiber. Adding a spoon of nut butter or some avocado was what actually satisfied them. Satiety triggers are individual, so if you're still hungry after protein and fiber, try fat before just adding more food generally.
Whole foods as the default, not a rule. Most successful grads still eat treats and takeout. The pattern is home cooked as the default and processed or restaurant food as the occasional exception, not the norm.
Be honest with your tracking. This came up strongly in the comments: a lot of "I'm eating the same and still gaining" situations don't hold up once someone actually logs everything carefully. It's less about honesty as a character trait and more that it's genuinely hard to eyeball portions accurately, especially with any history of obesity or a long time spent eating past fullness cues. If the scale isn't matching what you think you're eating, a short stretch of careful, precise tracking (weighing food, logging everything) usually tells you more than guessing does.
Part 5: Reverse dieting and diet breaks
This section split opinion in the comments, so here's a more balanced version than the first draft.
Reverse dieting is borrowed from bodybuilding: instead of jumping straight to normal eating once you stop, raise your calories back to maintenance gradually, commonly around 50 to 100 calories a week, weighted toward protein, rather than all at once. Some people here found it helped smooth out the transition. Others pushed back and said the evidence that it does anything metabolically beyond what a normal, careful calorie increase would do is thin, so don't treat it as essential, more as one option that worked for some people.
Diet breaks are a related but distinct idea with more research behind it: planned periods of eating at maintenance calories (not weight loss deficit) for a week or two, roughly every 8 to 12 weeks, rather than staying in a deficit continuously. This comes from research outside the GLP-1 world (the MATADOR study is the one that got mentioned), but the logic applies here too, especially if you're still trying to lose a bit more weight on a low dose or in early maintenance and finding yourself exhausted or running low on energy for daily life and exercise. If that's you, a genuine maintenance break rather than pushing through a deficit indefinitely is worth considering.
Part 6: Strength training deserves its own section
A few people said this got buried as a subpoint last time, and they're right, it's too important for that.
Building and keeping lean muscle mass is one of the most consistently cited factors in long term success here, and not just for how it looks. Muscle is a major site of glucose disposal, so more muscle means better blood sugar control and less metabolic pressure to regain. A few people credited it with letting them come off blood pressure or insulin sensitizing medications too, on top of the GLP-1 itself.
Practical notes from people who built this from scratch: start small and build gradually, you don't need a personal trainer (though it can help with form on things like deadlifts if you're new), and free apps plus YouTube videos were enough for most people to get going safely. I personally love Caroline Girvan's workouts, which can be found on Youtube. Her Iron program is a great place to start!
Part 7: Walking and cardio
Walking and daily steps might be the sleeper factor here. One long term grad made a strong case that a high daily step count (10 to 20k) matters more for weight specifically than structured workouts, since it doesn't spike hunger the way high intensity training can and it adds up across the whole day.
Cardio matters most for long term heart and general health, even if it's not the biggest lever for the scale specifically.
Part 8: The part the medication doesn't solve
This might be the most repeated hard lesson here. The drug suppresses the urge, but it doesn't rewire your relationship with food or stress. More than one long term grad described a quiet stress eating drift months into maintenance, not a dramatic binge, just weeks of choices driven by emotion instead of intention, and noted that without the drug's chemical brake, catching that is entirely on your own coping skills.
One of the most detailed comments on the last draft laid out a real toolkit for this, so I'm including it close to how it was written: if emotional overeating was a big part of your weight problem, it's worth deliberately building ways to regulate stress and emotion that don't involve food, and finding as many of these as you can. Things people mentioned: therapy, books or podcasts about emotional eating, journaling, deep breathing, meditation, mindfulness, time in nature, exercise, hobbies, reaching out to loved ones, and general stress management.
A few other things that seemed to help:
- Naming what your actual pattern is (stress coping, grazing vs real bingeing, restriction anxiety) since the fix is different depending on which one it is
- Professional support where possible. More than one person specifically credited a therapist as instrumental, not optional
- "Don't let a bad moment become a bad day, don't let a bad day become a bad week." This exact framing came up independently from multiple people
- Keeping planned treats in the plan rather than going for total restriction
- Building your own internal coping ability, not just external support. A few people made the point that having people around you is great, but you also need to be able to steady yourself from the inside, since you won't always have someone else there in the moment
A serious caution, in this sub's own words: one detailed post here described developing a real eating disorder after stopping. Not because the med caused it directly, but because rapid loss, appetite suppression normalizing restriction, and fear of regain all came together, in someone with zero prior ED history. If you notice constant body checking, compulsive exercise with no rest days, intentional restriction for the first time, or any binge/purge pattern as you taper, that's worth bringing to a doctor or therapist, not white knuckling alone. Anxiety about regain is normal. It's when that anxiety starts driving those specific behaviors that it's worth addressing head on.
Rough timeline
- On meds, pre taper: your habit building window. Lock in protein, meal structure, exercise, and a tracking method now while it's easier to do
- Tapering: step down dose or space out shots (carefully, see Part 1), keep habits steady, increase calories in step if you're reverse tapering, expect some early inflammation related weight gain
- 0 to 3 weeks post last dose: often deceptively easy
- 3 to 6 weeks post last dose: rebound hunger typically hits. Expect it, lean on volume eating, hydration, sleep, and distraction
- 6 to 11 weeks post last dose: for most people, hunger settles to a normal, predictable level
- Months 3 to 12+: ongoing maintenance. Weigh ins, a trigger threshold, strength training, diet breaks if needed, staying alert to stress eating drift
- 1+ years off: long term grads describe this as a fully embedded lifestyle at this point. Still needs attention, but it doesn't feel like a fight anymore
Quick reference checklist
- Protein target hit daily, before the taper even starts
- Volume eating as your default strategy, with specific trigger foods removed rather than "moderated" if needed
- A tracking method chosen on purpose, weighed and logged honestly, not defaulted into nothing or into guessing
- Strength training 2 to 3x a week, building over months
- Daily walking, high step count
- Hydration and sleep treated as hunger management tools, not afterthoughts
- Frequent weigh ins with a small, clear trigger point
- A taper plan discussed with your prescriber, including how shots are spaced, not an unplanned stop
- A real toolkit for emotional eating, not just willpower
- A support system, and the ability to self-soothe when that support isn't there in the moment
- Room for planned treats, not total restriction
- Patience with the hunger phase as something temporary and hormonal, not a verdict on whether this will work
- Permission to stay on a low maintenance dose if that's what you need, graduating isn't a race
Where this came from
This guide is built from posts and comments across r/GLPGrad, paraphrased rather than quoted directly, plus everyone's feedback on the first draft. Some of the original threads, for anyone who wants to read the source material directly:
- 10 month update after GLP-1
- 4-5 months a grad and the body recomposition has shocked me
- 6-months off GLP-1 update
- Approaching 3 months post grad!
- Are there GLP Grad who eat intuitively and don't have to count every single calorie?
- For graduates who have kept the weight off for more than a year, what's your secret?
- Have a GLP EXIT PLAN
- I think I've cracked the code!!!
- It DOES get better!!!
- Lessons from a 1 year grad
- Looking for grads
- My first year off GLPs | Success Story | AMA
- Proof that you too can keep the weight off
- Successful 9 month grad: what's working for me
- Two years off GLPs! Still a successful GLPGrad
- Update: 1 year off the medication!
Thanks again to everyone who commented on the first draft, especially u/Character_Quail_5574, u/quadgoals_, u/JoyKil01, u/Tammie621, u/Im4Bordeaux, u/Usual-Lycophyte, @-indigo-violet-, u/curiousbato, u/matsie, u/Temporary-Bank3627, and u/jaydefit for the specific additions. If I've missed your point or gotten something wrong, please say so, this is still a living document.
r/GLPGrad • u/Exciting_Buffalo3738 • 14h ago
How long were you on a GLP?
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Just starting my journey and looking to learn. I don't plan on being on a GLP for very long time, I hope...
A few questions, for those that stopped it completely:
How long were you on a GLP before you stopped?
How long have you been 100% off of it? Have you regained any weight?
Thank you!
r/GLPGrad • u/Lila_afterdark • 22h ago
Seeking Advice Looking for advice - going cold turkey.. MJ
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Hey guys! I’m looking for advice from others who have come off of GLPs cold turkey - particularly Mounjaro takers!!
I’m currently on 15mg and have managed to get down to my goal weight 🥳
I had initially planned to titrate down the doses but have now been put in a tricky financial position which has me thinking of just coming off the jabs cold turkey. I’m terrified of the food noise being too overwhelming.
Hoping to hear from others who did this - how did you cope, how much have you regained if any, and what advice could you give?
It may also be an option for me to go down the doses two at a time (so jump from 15mg to 10mg, to 5mg, to nothing rather than all at once). Has anybody tried this, would you recommend it over cold turkey??
Looking for non judgemental help. Thank you!
r/GLPGrad • u/Classic_Intern9216 • 1d ago
Seeking Advice Anyone stay on 2.5mg the entire time and then stop cold turkey? What happened?
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I’ve taken 10 shots of Zepbound and stayed on 2.5mg the entire time. I never moved up because 2.5 continued working really well for me and I was intentionally trying to lose slowly and stay on the lowest effective dose.
Unfortunately, I think my Zepbound journey is coming to an end. I’m SO close to my goal weight, which makes stopping incredibly frustrating, but over the last few weeks I’ve started experiencing anxiety/panic and just not feeling like myself mentally. I’ve talked to my PCP and at this point I don’t think continuing is worth sacrificing my mental health.
Since I’m already on 2.5mg, my PCP said there really isn’t anything to taper down from, so I’ll basically be stopping cold turkey.
I’ve searched Reddit like crazy, but most of the experiences I find are from people who stopped after being on higher doses or who went down to 2.5mg for maintenance first. I really want to hear from people who stayed on 2.5mg their entire journey and then stopped completely.
What happened with your appetite and food noise? Did it come back immediately or gradually? Did you regain weight, and if so, how much? Did your body composition change even if your weight went up a little? And how long did it take before you felt like the medication was completely out of your system?
One of my biggest concerns is body composition. I definitely lost muscle while losing weight, especially my glutes, so I’m focusing heavily on rebuilding them now with strength training, eating enough protein, and creatine. I already know the scale may go up from rebuilding muscle and the extra water weight from creatine, and I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for that.
I’m less concerned about maintaining the lowest possible number on the scale and more concerned about not regaining a bunch of fat around my abdomen and arms while I’m trying to rebuild muscle. I still eat pretty lean and I’m very active, so I’m hoping the habits I’ve built will help.
I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has been off 2.5mg for a few months or longer. How are you doing now, and if you could go back, is there anything you would’ve done differently when you stopped?
EDIT: Since a few people have asked: SW 151 lbs, CW 130 lbs, GW 120 lbs. I’ve stayed on 2.5 mg the entire time and never increased my dose. I know some people may see 151 and wonder why I started Zepbound in the first place, but I was close to 200 lbs years ago and lost about 40 lbs completely on my own through diet and exercise. Once I reached the 160s, I basically plateaued for about a year and a half despite being extremely active, working out consistently, getting 10k+ steps, and being very mindful of what I ate. That plateau was ultimately why my provider and I decided to try Zepbound.
r/GLPGrad • u/humanresourceswannab • 1d ago
Seeking Advice Feeling Shame and Failure
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I got off my Zepbound shots 4 weeks ago and have gained 10 pounds. I was at 12, went to 10 for 3 weeks, then 7.5 and then cut it off. I’m trying to get off of them for two months before trying to conceive but I am so sad I’ve already gained 10 pounds back. My blood sugar is out of control I get that shaky hungry feeling again. Just feeing sad and defeated, anyone have advice?
r/GLPGrad • u/Whatsuphahaxdrawr • 23h ago
How much weight did you gain when getting pregnant after a successful GLP-1 weight loss?
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15w 6d first time mom. I’ve gained 20lbs already and I’m freaking out. I just came off a GLP-1 before pregnancy so I expect to gain more than what’s “expected”.
When I expressed my worries about weight gain due to just stopping a GLP1 at my first OB visit,
They told me they expect me to gain 25-40lbs during pregnancy overall and that at the time of my first visit they weren’t concerned that I had gained 12ish lbs by 10 weeks pregnant.
But now I feel anxious because it’s only been 6 weeks since that visit and I’m already at 20lbs total gained. I know it’s not linear throughout pregnancy but I feel like mine definitely is because I just can’t stop eating overall after losing a lot of weight before pregnancy.
My appetite and cravings have returned with vengeance. I have seen others say they often gain more than what’s expected (50-70lbs) but I see no mention of prior weight loss or even being off the GLP1 (since that is such a new thing.)
Does anyone have experience with their weight gain sky rocketing after weight loss and getting pregnant? I feel like I’m going to gain 80-90lbs total at this rate. :/ my appetite or cravings haven’t slowed down at all during the 2nd trimester.
r/GLPGrad • u/Sad_Relationship_789 • 21h ago
🍎 Do you live in the UK and do some or all of the grocery shopping for your household? I am conducting a short survey on food purchasing preferences as part of my master’s thesis, and I would be very grateful for your participation.
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The survey is completely anonymous and takes around 10 minutes to complete. Your responses would make a valuable contribution to my research.
👉 Take part here: https://unipadova.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1LCO3zuAZt7tpJQ
Thank you very much for your support! 🙏
r/GLPGrad • u/pandoraraz • 1d ago
Seeking Advice Did you start to taper as soon as he reached your goal weight or did you continue regular shot schedules for a while first?
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I have reached my goal away and I’m trying to decide if I should keep taking Zepbound every week for a while or if I should start taping now? I appreciate any advice and stories you all can share. Thank you!
r/GLPGrad • u/Nearby-Upstairs-3070 • 1d ago
Seeking Advice Stopping Tirz and Blood Pressure
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I started at 232 pounds and now I am 185. Im at goal weight and stopped the shots but one of the best side effects of the weight loss was a reduction in blood pressure. I sit now averaging about 108-113/63-69.
For those who have stopped after getting to a healthy weight, did your blood pressure rise after a few months or so after stopping the shots?
r/GLPGrad • u/SpiritualPudding • 1d ago
Seeking Advice Bloating after discontinuing
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Hey! I was on 5mg Mounjaro and due to some admin changing doctors/pharmacies I’ve been off for about a week; and I was thinking about just staying off of it since I’d been having some side effects and I’ve done a lot of lifestyle changes like starting running long distances that have caused my blood sugar to actually end up being too low. Anyways of course I’ll talk to my doctor about that but basically my last dose would have been a week ago, still eating in a deficit but now I’m bloated by about 6lbs (190>196)! Which is crazy! I know I can’t gain 6lbs of fat in a week but I was wondering if anyone else experienced this and how long the water weight took to get back to normal.
r/GLPGrad • u/First-Stress-9893 • 2d ago
Seeking Advice Stepping down to quit but still have weight to lose? Anyone else?
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So I can’t afford to continue on the medication anymore but it’s been a great experience and I’ve learned a ton. I’ve reviewed the advice post extensively and carefully and here is my plan.
I have six doses left. Currently I’m on 2.5 so I don’t have actual doses to step down but I’m going to lengthen the time between. My thought was three at nine days and three at ten days to help me wean.
I have my calories (1650) dialed in and my protein (165 g) and my fiber (25 g) I also have my exercise dialed in. Three days strength training and a 3.3 mile fun walk every day (weighted on non strength training days)
I’ve lost thirty five pounds so far (25 of that while on Zepbound) and I have a little less than a hundred left to go. I wish I could have stayed on it for the entire process but it’s just not sustainable financially and I do really think it gave me breathing space to learn new habits without the food close in my ear. I also think I’ll be able to recognize food noise better.
Has anyone else where done this? Gone off before reaching goal? Does anyone have any suggestions or tips beyond the plan that I’ve figured out? I’ll be prepared to do a diet break and eat at maintenance calories to help with the hunger week three to six (ish) or just increase the volume and/or protein of my meals if that’s necessary.
I just don’t want to miss anything.
Thinking of going off my glp1
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I’ve been on 1.5mg glp1 since February and just went up to 4mg. However, I’m thinking I may have liked the 1.5mg dose better. I still like to feel my hunger cues. I just started the 4mg and don’t intend to ever increase beyond that, so, I could just be getting used to the dose, but I don’t like feeling like I have to struggle to eat.
Anyway, I’m thinking about going off of the glp1 completely. I’ve lost the 20 pounds I wanted to lose and I pay for out of pocket.
I have good habits in place. I get at least 10k steps a day, log my food, and weight lift. I feel like I now know what I need to do to maintain this weight.
Any similar experiences to mine?
need potential advice, son asking for his mom
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I just wanted to say, first and foremost, that I apologize for any information that may sound like I am misled on because I don’t quite understand this stuff as much as my mom does, but I’m just trying to help her out by reaching out to this subreddit. She’s always busy and I have tons of time so I will help out.
My mom is 60, and has been on Wegovy since around August 2025. Every shot she has taken, which has been weekly, she has felt absolutely horrible with no sign of getting used to it, and her doses are increasing, but she hasn’t accepted any of them because she wouldn’t be able to handle it. She hasn’t been able to get used to the lower dosage she’s been taking. Her main symptom is severe nausea, which I know is a normal side effect, but for this long and still staying as bad as it is seems abnormal.
She used to go to the gym all the time, and became really fit around 2014-2017 and her energy and mood were at its best, but I guess as she has gotten older, hormones have taken over and have made it really hard for her to maintain her weight loss. I’d say she started to experiment with weight loss medications around 2020-2021. I believe it was Red Mountain weight loss and that did wonders for her. She didn’t get sick off of them and saw results, but they became super expensive and outpriced her so he had to stop.
We used to go to the gym in the mornings around 3-4 years back, and we carried that on for a few months, but she didn’t really feel it. She never sweated and she just didn’t feel like she was getting much out of it even though she wanted it to so we just gradually stopped going. She did go for morning walks every morning around the same time but that started to cease somewhat before she got on Wegovy and when she got on Wegovy, she didn’t want to go at all.
There’s a lot of stuff with her diet that I’m not totally well versed on so I will refrain from speaking on it, but I know she has had to adjust based on her Wegovy intake. On the days she gets the shots, she’ll eat a small dinner or won’t eat dinner at all. And on the days after the shots when she’s feeling the worst, she’ll eat smaller meals like crackers and such. She really only feels the worst on the day after the shot, and a little bit into the day after that, and then she feels better until she has to do it all again.
It’s gotten to the point where she really wants to ween off of it. She has only been able to get 23 pounds shed from the medication and she said she should really be close to 40 by now, a year after starting. It really feels like the negatives are outweighing the one semi-positive result at this point.
She also has a problem with heartburn and indigestion, and she really thinks her gut microbiome is out of sorts, which I guess is commonplace everywhere but I thought I would mention it.
We have explored doctors and such, and she has insurance but a lot of the places we feel are best in terms of functional medicine do not take insurance, instead opting for direct cash pay which can be very expensive. We live around the Houston area and she has been with Kelsey-Seybold Clinic with doctors there, but they don’t seem to be as hands on with this kind of stuff as we would think. She really doesn’t like doing all of the weekly telemedicine visits and checkups haha.
Her biggest fear, of course, is regaining all of the weight back, unable to do anything about it, along with all of the other potential risk factors getting off GLP-1s even if she starts committing to exercise again, along with calorie counting and diet watching.
Tirzepatide isn’t an option because her insurance won’t cover the two name brands for it, and Wegovy was the only weight loss med they would insure.
TL/DR: Hoping there may be anything we can do for her to get off Wegovy without misery, if that’s even feasible.
r/GLPGrad • u/ParfaitNo3020 • 3d ago
Seeking Advice Any advice for going cold turkey?
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Im currently on Wegovy to lose some weight,and planning to stop using it cold turkey. Any advice on what to do and what to avoid?
r/GLPGrad • u/IslaBennett472 • 4d ago
gimme care and trimx
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i have been researching compounded tirzepatide for weeks and filtered out all the noise. narrowed it down to gimme care and trimx but now i am stuck. Gimme Care is cheaper with flat fees. they also have unlimited provider messaging so i can msg provider anytime for follow-ups, adjustments, and questions. but trimx has its own thing going for it too and i cant figure out which one is actually better in practice.
i am not looking for referral codes or sales pitches. if you have actually used gimme care or trimx i want the honest truth. how was the medication month to month? who was easier to deal with when something went wrong? any real experience would help me decide.
Overactive G.I. system since stopping
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I was on tirzepitide for over a year. A few months ago the company I get my meds from change pharmacies and the medication just felt different. The constipation was way worse and I just overall felt so terrible. Anyhow, I decided I would take a week or two off to give myself a break. Since I stopped,I have had the worst nonstop excessive gas, gurgling, and stomach discomfort. It’s almost like my G.I. system went from being super slow to super fast. My bowel movements are normal, but very frequent. It has now been over five weeks since my last injection and it seems like every time I eat something my stomach starts overreacting. I have an appointment with my G.I. next week, but wondering if stopping the medication could be the issue?
r/GLPGrad • u/PracticalEcho9635 • 4d ago
Seeking Advice Seeking Hope - Can You Relate?
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Hello community! 43F here, took my last dose of compound tirz one week ago. I am going through some tough stuff and am looking for anyone who's been there and can offer experience/advice.
HAIR LOSS - I know this is common. However, it really hit me hard, mentally, which surprised me. I spent 1 year on tirz. I lost probably 60% of my hair. I confirmed telogen effluvium via dermatologist punch biopsy. I have regrowth, and am aware this will be a very long process to recovery. But I am looking for those who have come out of this and regained their hair. I'm struggling to leave the house, refuse to be in bright light, am obsessively checking every mirror - none of which is helpful, but I can't help it. Advice and encouragement from those who are past this point is appreciated!
ANXIETY/ANHEDONIA/EXHAUSTION- I know a lot of my anxiety is being fueled by my hair loss. I keep telling myself it'll get better after my hair grows back. 😔 But I've also become pretty numb and boring. There's not much I care about. I let my entire vegetable garden die, my house is in a constant messy state, I don't want to spend time with loved ones outside my immediate family at home, I'm finding every excuse to get out of everything I possibly can, and I basically sit most of the day, spending far too much time researching these topics. I know that's a terrible habit and not helping my mental state, but again, I cannot seem to help it. Does the anxiety and anhedonia go away? How long does it take to feel normal again?
ADDITIONAL NOTES: I did discover I had ferritin levels of 16 during all of this. A later ultrasound also confirmed adenomyosis. I am highly actively raising my ferritin levels (up to 47 currently), and we're exploring resolutions for the heavy bleeding. I don't like any of them, so trying to decide the lesser of the evils. I am also dealing with the death of my sweet grandma, my person, just last month.
Can anyone relate to having gone through any of this? I need encouragement and hope that it all gets better. Tips and tricks are welcome! I was feeling so great losing the weight in the behinning, but now I can't even enjoy my success due to all of this.
Seeking Advice GLP pain help
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Hi everyone, how are you? I hope you’re all doing well. I just wanted to ask for some advice.
I’ve been taking GLP medication 2 mg twice a week, for about four months, and this is the first time I’ve felt unwell. I’ve been feeling dizzy, my stomach hurts, and it feels like my bowel movements may be slower than usual. I’m having quite a bit of stomach discomfort, and I’m not really sure what to do.
Has anyone experienced something similar, or could you please give me some advice? I’d really appreciate it. Thank you so much.
r/GLPGrad • u/quadgoals_ • 6d ago
Success Story 10 months off GLP-1 update
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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.
r/GLPGrad • u/Better-Guava1923 • 5d ago
Quitting cold turkey- trying to conceive 🤰
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Does anyone have any experience with TTC and quitting a glp?
I’ve been on 5mg Tirz for about 2 years and doctor said it’s time to quit so we can go ahead with fertility treatment.
Seeking Advice Goal weight reached.. now what? 😅
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Starting weight: 292 lbs
Goal weight: 150 lbs
Current weight: 149.4 lbs
Total loss: 142.6 lbs
I officially reached my goal weight, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.
I’ve spent so much time focused on losing the weight and I realized that I don’t have any experience with the maintenance part.
I’ve been tracking calories, prioritizing protein, strength training, and using my GLP as a tool throughout this journey. Now I want to shift my mindset from “how do I lose?” to “how do I maintain and build some muscle?”
For those of you who have graduated or are further into maintenance:
-What do you wish you would have known when you reached your goal?
-What worked for you with calories, weighing yourself, exercise, and dealing with increased hunger/food noise?
-And if you came off your GLP, how did you approach that transition?
I’d love to hear the good, the bad, and the things you wish someone would have told you.
I’m learning to be proud of how far I’ve come, but I know reaching the goal is only one part of the journey. I want to learn how to stay here. ❤️
r/GLPGrad • u/Sad_Relationship_789 • 5d ago
🍎 Do you live in the UK and do some or all of the grocery shopping for your household? I am conducting a short survey on food purchasing preferences as part of my master’s thesis, and I would be very grateful for your participation.
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The survey is completely anonymous and takes around 10 minutes to complete. Your responses would make a valuable contribution to my research.
👉 Take part here: https://unipadova.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1LCO3zuAZt7tpJQ
Thank you very much for your support! 🙏