Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound – with semaglutide and tirzepatide medications the question everyone is asking is how to stop a weight loss drug and keep the weight off? Is it possible? What needs to be done? Who will it work for – and who won’t be successful?
The New York Times recently attempted to answer this question in the article You’ve Lost Weight Taking New Obesity Drugs. What Happens if You Stop?
Like other articles and advice in the media and from some practitioners, their experts concluded that someone would not be successful in going off the medication and maintaining weight loss. Thus, the advice would be to stay on the medication… forever.
Do You Need to Stay on a Weight Loss Medication Forever?
Possibly, and there should be no stigma about staying on a medication as a tool. However, based on our patients and other case studies that it is very doable to come off the medication successfully. It just needs to be done right. Consider that if one is successful on the medication – an external, higher amount of a hormone(s) designed to stay active for days not minutes – that it reveals an important dysfunction or delay with their internal system’s production and deployment of the hormone. So to come off of it successfully, to enjoy metabolic health even while on the medication, one needs to repair the hormones – what we call The Switch – to work optimally.
Coming off a weight loss medication should be personalized
In any area of medicine, we should never put a person on a dose and assume that is it for th rest of their life. While they are on the medication, we see how it helps their body function better and also what it enables them to do that they otherwise could not (sleep better, eat better etc.). As their body adjusts, we change their medication to continue to provide benefit and we may also experiment with reducing a dose or eventually removing the medication entirely. With weight loss medications, at minimum, Individuals may not stay on the same dose forever. We already see much success moving to lower doses as well as less frequent use of the medication to support maintenance. For others, the use of the medication may enable them to idenitfy and make the better choices for their body which include repairing their Switch. After a period of time at their goal (or if needed sooner) they could reduce or come off the medication while maintaining their weight loss. This may be forever after the initial use of medication or for a period of time in the event that health or lifestyle changes make it necessary for them to use the medication as a tool again.
Ensuring Your Body Sees Itself as Healthy
So, what’s the solution? It’s not just about taking the shot or a pill; it’s about ensuring your body knows it’s healthy every step of the way. This means actively working on your body’s internal hormone production while you and your body simultaneously get the benefits of the medication.
- Optimize formation of GLP-1 / GIP and other hormones involved in metabolism (like CCK and PYY as well)
- Improve the conditions for signals and deployment of the hormones in a timely manner.
- Sustain food and lifestyle choices that support lasting weight health
By taking these steps, you prepare your body to maintain the progress you’ve made when it’s time to reduce or stop your medication. The goal is to build a lasting relationship with your health rather than committing to medication for life.
Medication as a Tool, Not the Ultimate Solution
While medications like Ozempic can be a tool for optimal weight health and blood sugar, they should not be viewed as the singular solution. Addressing the underlying issues is crucial in supporting your body’s metabolic hormones long term. By focusing on fixing the root cause, such as improving digestive health, nutrition, and lifestyle choices, you can support your body’s natural ability to effectively cycle the natural cadence of these hormones. If you decide to use one of these semaglutide or tirzepatide medications, you will also want to learn how to use it successfully for lasting results.
Have a Plan in Place
The answer to the question, “How to stop a weight loss drug and keep the weight off?” is to initiate a plan ideally with enough time to experiment and observe your body’s responses. This is what we do with each person in our weight health programs and we would be happy to support you as well – let’s discuss. A plan will include about 3 months at your goal or from when you want or need to be off the medication (we know sometimes you don’t have this amount of time so we can support you with less time if needed) where we optimize production and deployment of your hormones, evaluate the impact of some additional tools and then support you when you take the leap to stop the medication. In this time, we will set clear check-ins to ensure that we notice any trend towards regaining weight as soon as possible. This is how we avoid results you may hear about of people gaining all of their weight or more back.
