Keeping the weight off after semaglutide: 4 tips for success

February 20. 2023

Regaining some weight after finishing a diet or a weight loss program is normal. Weight regain can happen due to changes in your metabolism or because you have reached a weight loss plateau. Regaining a few pounds is normal; the real issue arises when patients gain back the total weight they lost – or even more. It is not easy to lose a large amount of body weight, and maintaining your dream weight is not much easier. In fact, only around 20% of dieters who start overweight (a Body Mass Index of at least 27) end up losing significant weight and manage to keep it off in the long run. That is why most obese and overweight people resort to weight management supplements such as semaglutide – Wegovy or Ozempic weight loss. But do not let those facts discourage you; there are multiple ways to lose significant weight and ensure you’re keeping the weight off after semaglutide.

Semaglutide peptide therapy is a relatively new weight loss aider; it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a type 2 diabetes medication in 2017. Back in June 2021, semaglutide was approved under the brand name Wegovy as a weight loss supplement to support chronic weight management. It is manufactured by Novo Nordisk pharmaceutical company. Currently, semaglutide is helping thousands of people around the globe to lose weight efficiently.

Clinical trials showed that the average weight loss with semaglutide (after 68 weeks of the treatment) is 15%. Hardly any other supplement in the market beats the incredible benefits of semaglutide peptide. That is why in this article, our weight loss clinic in Chicago professional team wants to inform you about everything there is to know about what happens once you are off this supplement.

What makes semaglutide so effective for weight management?

This medication was initially developed as a blood pressure medicine for diabetes. Adults with type 2 diabetes take Ozempic (semaglutide) to regulate their blood sugar levels. Soon after its release, Ozempic started to show an unexpected and beneficial side effect: weight loss. After an extensive clinical trial, this drug to control blood sugar levels proved its potential to become a weight loss supplement. In 2021, that supplement was released under the name of Wegovy.

How does semaglutide peptide help people lose between 15% and 20% of their body weight? It does it in two ways. This weight loss medication helps lower blood sugar levels by indicating the pancreas to release more insulting and the liver to decrease its glucagon production. That usually happens after you have a meal, slowing your gastric emptying and making you feel satisfied for longer. You will have little to no cravings after you eat a meal leading to a lower calorie intake. That is one way this medication aids in losing body weight. But as we mentioned, there are two different ways. When taken in high dosages, semaglutide acts on the hunger centers of our brains. Every day, appetite hormones let our brains know when we are full. Semaglutide mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 or GLP-1 which does that task: lets our brains know we are satisfied and reduces our appetite. This appetite suppression effect can also make you uninterested in fatty and unhealthy foods, improving your food preference.

Now you know how things work. But are peptides safe for weight loss? Yes, they are. Actually, the health industry has used peptides for years due to their multiple benefits. This may be the first time you have heard about semaglutide peptides, but what about creatine? Creatine is a peptide many people use to increase energy before a workout, but it also helps with muscle recovery. If you are not a fitness enthusiast, you may have heard about collagen. This peptide does wonders for our skin health. As you can see, peptides are safe to use. Still, we recommend taking any medication under professional guidance.

What happens once you stop taking this medication

Semaglutide treatment is taken via weekly subcutaneous injections. Patients start with a low dosage – for Wegovy, the starting dose is 0.25mg weekly. Slowly and under the advice of a doctor, the dosage is increased until reaching a higher amount – 2.4mg a week with Wegovy. The treatment often takes about 18-20 weeks to get to the higher dose, also known as the maintenance dose. After that period, patients usually start to experience significant visible results. To achieve them, patients combine the treatment with low-calorie diets and at least 150 minutes a week of physical activity.

After a few months on the drug and obtaining the desired results, some people decide to quit the drug but stick to a healthy meal plan and regular exercise. Others prefer to continue taking it. You should know that this weight loss medication is intended for long-term use. Obesity is a chronic disease, so it needs chronic weight management treatment. Sometimes, people lose weight in large quantities while on semaglutide, and they fall into a rebound and gain it back when they quit the drug. Keeping the weight off after semaglutide requires your commitment to leading a healthy lifestyle. And obesity needs a life-long approach to avoid weight regain.

Why does the rebound weight gain occur?

Keeping the weight off after semaglutide is particularly challenging for certain patients, especially those with a chronic disease such as obesity. One of the reasons why rebound weight gain occurs is that some patients leave the treatment earlier. Like any weight loss program, you must commit to completing it fully to see optimal results; premature termination of the semaglutide therapy can be a reason why you experience quick weight regain.

Another motive why patients gain the lost weight back is because they return to their old unhealthy habits. They change their food preferences, start eating highly processed and greasy foods and sugar, and consume too many calories per day. Patients who remove physical activity from their routine also tend to regain some weight. Keeping weight off after semaglutide is manageable, but it requires our commitment to lead a healthier lifestyle. Many diets you can follow after semaglutide therapy will meet your needs and are not too restrictive. Exercise does not necessarily have to be going to the gym; you can find a sport you love and practice it a few days a week.

Weight rebound and obesity

The main reason why some people say that keeping weight off after semaglutide is particularly hard for them, and weight regain occurs, is because obesity is a disease with a high tendency to backslide. Most times, weight regain is attributed to poor motivation from part of the patient to stick to a healthy lifestyle. Not eating right and lack of physical activity will lead you straight back to your original weight if you have obesity. But the truth is, even though the patient does everything in their power to maintain the weight, obesity does not allow them to control the situation. That is why they restored to weight loss supplements in the first place.

Weight regain in obese patients is often driven by potential biological mechanisms that usually stimulate gut hormone (which controls your food intake) and a slow metabolic rate. So do not feel discouraged or trick yourself into thinking you have not done enough. Semaglutide does not cure obesity; it helps to reduce appetite and achieve incredible weight loss. For some patients, long-term treatment could be necessary to avoid weight regain.

4 tips for keeping the weight off after semaglutide therapy

Keeping weight off after semaglutide is attainable if you commit to changing and improving your habits. Here are four tips to avoid weight regain after semaglutide:

Reevaluate your diet

We understand that most people do not want to stay on a low-calorie and highly restrictive diet all their life. But that may not be necessary. Still, it would help if you considered what to eat and what foods to cross from your grocery list. A good rule of thumb is to avoid consuming large amounts of sodium and sugar. Nowadays, there are hundreds of different healthy diets; you need to find the one that best fits your needs. A nutritionist can create the perfect meal plan for you and provide regular guidance to make sure you can stick to that plan and make changes if necessary.

Intermittent fasting

While many people link this method to weight loss, it can also help you dodge a weight gain rebound. Unlike many people think, intermittent fasting is not a diet; it is more like an eating schedule. The schedule cycles between periods for eating followed by a fasting period. When combined with a balanced diet, intermittent fasting can do wonders for weight management. Also, this method allows occasional treats. Long-term diets often end up in failure because of how restrictive they are, which can lead to the patient developing cravings and binge eating. Intermittent fasting for women over 50 is one of the most effective ways to maintain your dream weight.

Move your body

Regular physical activity plays a vital role in weight maintenance. Exercise helps you burn extra calories you consume and also increases your metabolism. Those two things will give you back control of your weight. As mentioned before, if you are not a fan of going to the gym, there are plenty of other options for you. Sports, dance classes (something upbeat that makes you sweat), and running are all great options. You can also stay active throughout the day: use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk or ride a bike instead of using the car, and dance around the house more often.

Limit certain foods intake

We already talked about diets, but there are some foods that you should try to say goodbye to . Greasy and fast food fall into this category. Everyone loves to order fast food on the weekends. If you do not want to cut this type of food from your diet forever, you can try only indulging in these treats once in a while. Do not order takeaway each day of the weekend or every weekend. Alcohol is also not a good friend of weight management; it can lead to a quickly high-calorie intake. Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro and alcohol are not a safe combination. Since you have to reduce alcohol consumption during the semaglutide treatment, you’ll be cutting down some extra empty calories.

Final thoughts

Keeping weight off after semaglutide is attainable if you are willing to give your life a healthy turnaround. This new weight loss supplement will make it incredibly easy for you to reach your goals. After the treatment, it is up to you to continue the good work and maintain the weight you achieved. Following our tips, things will go much more smoothly for you once you are off semaglutide. You can schedule a call with us to learn more about semaglutide therapy and get professional guidance before, during, and after the treatment to guarantee your success.

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.