The most important concern for survey respondents? Maintaining their weight long term on a GLP-1 (noted by 4 in 10 respondents) The second biggest concern? What happens if they stop taking the medication, a concern shared by more than 1 in 3 respondents.
Resistance training and adequate quality protein will help you preserve lean muscle mass and promote fullness at meals, and this applies whether you’re taking a GLP-1 or going off it, says Nneoma Oparaji, MD, a Houston-based physician board-certified in internal medicine, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine.
What’s more, if you are going off the medication, think ahead, says Dr. Oparaji. “The ideal situation before you go off a GLP-1 medication is making a transition plan,” she says. “You don’t want to white-knuckle it. You need a maintenance strategy.” Appetite, cravings, and food noise will return to baseline, and it can be more difficult to ignore the external cues that promote overeating.
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Along with protein intake, Oparaji recommends high-fiber foods to improve satiety and weighing yourself regularly (once per week) to identify weight gain early, so you can shift your habits accordingly. This plan can be more detailed and individualized when you see a professional like a registered dietitian.
Weight regain or the reappearance of food noise is not a moral failure, says Oparaji. “These are expected biological responses. It’s knowing that that could happen so you can be more proactive.”