Keeping Weight Off after Ozempic
Need to Know:
You are likely to experience increased hunger and cravings within one week after stopping Ozempic or another GLP-1 medication.
Planning meals and snacks that prioritize fiber and protein can help you to feel full and satisfied after eating, mimicking the effects of a GLP-1 medication.
Tracking your macros, increasing your activity levels, and getting enough sleep can also help you keep the weight off after stopping Ozempic.
Keeping the weight off after Ozempic can be challenging for people who have achieved their weight loss goals. GLP-1 medications like semaglutide (the generic name for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus) and tirzepatide (the generic name for Mounjaro and Zepbound) are designed to be taken indefinitely. But studies show that most people quit after about two years and weight gain often follows.(1)(2) So how do you maintain your weight loss after stopping your GLP-1? There are several steps you can take to ensure that you maintain your new shape.
How to Maintain Weight Loss After Stopping Ozempic
First, it is important to point out that people take Ozempic, Mounjaro, and other glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) medications for different reasons. If you take one of these prescription drugs to manage obesity, type 2 diabetes, or another medical condition, it is essential that you work with your healthcare provider to decide if and how to reduce your use of these medications. Also, your provider is likely to refer you to a registered dietitian (RD or RDN) or certified diabetes educator (CDE) to help you develop the best meal plan for you.
However, many people take compounded versions of Mounjaro and Ozempic to lose weight without the care or input of a medical professional. If you are one of those people, you might decide to stop taking your GLP-1 for financial reasons, because you have met your weight loss goal, or because you don’t like the side effects. Regardless, you are likely to experience hunger and cravings within a week of stopping the medication.(3) Use these strategies to make sure you don’t gain back the weight.
1. Taper Slowly
Medical experts advise that you reduce your use of GLP-1 medications gradually. There is some limited evidence from the European Congress on Obesity that tapering off your GLP-1 over a period of nine weeks may help to reduce weight gain for at least six months.(4) While more research is needed to fully understand how tapering works, experts generally advise a slow and steady approach to reducing your intake of the medications.
2. Track Your Macros
A calorie-controlled, balanced, healthy diet will provide the nutrition you need to feel energized and focused throughout the day. While there are dozens of bloggers and social media influencers who will tell you to dial back your carbs or cut fat, the bottom line is that you need adequate amounts of each macronutrient to ensure optimal health. A balanced diet that conforms to recommendations provided by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is the smartest approach. You’ll want to ensure that you consume:
10% to 35% of your calories from protein
45% to 65% of your calories from carbohydrates
20% to 35% of your calories from fat
So, how do you ensure that your macronutrient intake meets these guidelines? Track your macros! You can use an app to input the nutritional information that you find on the Nutrition Facts label of most foods. In many cases, you can simply scan the barcode, and the data uploads to the app automatically. Apps like LoseIt and MyFitnessPal will also automatically show a macro breakdown so you can instantly evaluate whether you are meeting your goals.
You can also use a calorie-controlled meal plan specifically tailored for people on GLP-1s:
If you are new to macro tracking, pick up a copy of Macro Diet for Dummies. It’s a great nutritional resource to have on hand, and it will teach you all the tips and tricks you need to know to make macro tracking a snap.
3. Fill Up on Fiber
After going off Ozempic, you’ll want to choose foods that mimic the effects of the GLP-1 medication. Drugs like Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Zepbound reduce “food noise” (preoccupation with food) to reduce cravings. They also slow gastric emptying so you feel full longer after eating and don’t have a strong desire to eat too soon after a meal.
Foods with fiber can provide similar effects. Whole cereal grains in particular (including rice, wheat, maize, oats, rye, barley, millet, and sorghum) have been shown in research studies to help you feel full and satisfied after eating.(5) Other foods with fiber include fruits, vegetables, and legumes. And not only will these foods help provide similar effects as Ozempic, they also provide important micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to help your body thrive.
4. Prioritize Protein
Another macronutrient that helps boost satiety is protein. Not only will protein help fill you up, but getting adequate protein each day will also help you to maintain muscle or build muscle (if you are participating in strength training workouts). Having more muscle helps keep your metabolism healthy and helps activities of daily living (like walking up stairs, carrying groceries, housework, etc) easier to do, so you stay more active.
Study after study has shown the importance of protein in a diet to lose weight or maintain weight.(6) So fill your plate with foods like eggs, chicken, tofu, beans, fish, or lean beef to reap the rewards of this important macronutrient.
5. Plan and Prep Meals in Advance
Taking the guesswork out of food choices will help you ensure that your meals set you up for weight loss success. You can use an app like LoseIt or MyFitnessPal to plan meals for the following day or the following week. Input your food choices to see how many calories you will be consuming and how much of each macro you’ll gain throughout the day. If your numbers are off, you can make adjustments in advance.
You might also want to learn meal prep strategies so that you always have nutritionally balanced, calorie-controlled meals ready to go when you are hungry. Take one day during the week to designate as your food prep day. Once you’ve used your app to plan your meals, then buy your groceries and cook your food in bulk to save time. Use meal prep containers to portion out the correct amount of food for each meal and then store your meals in the fridge or freezer so they are ready to grab when it is time to eat.
If you are new to meal prepping, pick up a copy of Macro Diet for Dummies. You’ll find a step-by-step guide for prepping meals along with recipes and tips for healthy eating.
6. Make Lifestyle Changes
Several lifestyle changes can help you maintain your weight loss after Ozempic. First, engage in physical activity. If you don’t like exercise, that’s okay! But you should still stay active with other activities like walking or dancing. Health guidelines recommend that we engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week. That’s just five 30-minute sessions to boost heart health and help maintain your weight loss. Of course, more activity is better. But start small and gradually increase your time commitment as needed.
Another important lifestyle change may involve getting adequate sleep. Studies have shown that cravings and food intake increase when we are hungry.(7) So set yourself up for success by getting a good night’s rest.
7. Be Patient and Get Support
You might find that connecting with others is helpful during your transition off of a GLP-1. Find a local support group or search out a group online. You may even have friends or family members in the same situation. Sharing successes and challenges with others can be extremely helpful.
Most importantly, be kind to yourself! If you have lost a significant amount of weight, your body has been on quite a journey. Take time to adjust to your life without Ozempic. It is possible (and according to studies, quite likely) that you will see changes on the scale. But you have the power to make nutritional and lifestyle changes to keep weight gain in check. Don’t worry too much if you see daily fluctuations in your weight. Many factors, such as water weight, can contribute to these changes. It doesn’t necessarily mean that your body is gaining fat.
If you do find that weight gain is persistent, reach out to a registered dietitian or to your healthcare provider to see about going back on the medications or making other changes to get back to a body weight that makes you feel good.
Sources:
Abdullah Bin Ahmed I. A Comprehensive Review on Weight Gain following Discontinuation of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Obesity. J Obes. 2024 May 10;2024:8056440. doi:10.1155/2024/8056440
Rodriguez PJ, Zhang V, Gratzl S, et al. Discontinuation and reinitiation of dual-labeled glp-1 receptor agonists among us adults with overweight or obesity. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(1):e2457349. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.57349
Schmidt, Hans M.D. Life After Ozempic The Decision to Stop and What Comes Next. Hackensack Meridian Health. October 24, 2024
European Congress on Obesity. Is coming off semaglutide slowly the key to preventing weight regain?
Alicia Machalias, Jessica J A Ferguson, Trish Guy, Eleanor J Beck, Cereal Fibers and Satiety: A Systematic Review, Nutrition Reviews, 2025;, nuaf083, doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuaf083
Moon J, Koh G. Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2020 Sep 30;29(3):166-173. doi:10.7570/jomes20028
Greer SM, Goldstein AN, Walker MP. The impact of sleep deprivation on food desire in the human brain. Nat Commun. 2013;4:2259. doi: 10.1038/ncomms3259