Achieving your goal weight and reaching a stage where you can maintain your progress without the assistance of medications is a remarkable accomplishment. However, it’s essential to approach this transition thoughtfully and avoid the temptation to stop abruptly.
Gradual Weaning vs. Cold Turkey
There are many medications that require gradual reduction of dosage to avoid rebound symptoms. Tapering your dose down allows your body and mind to adjust best to the changes that will occur when you discontinue medication. Weight loss medications including Zepbound/Mounjaro and Ozempic/Wegovy are no exception. We see that results are best achieved with gradual weaning from the medication either through spacing out injections and/or decreasing dosage over time.
While some medications may be stopped abruptly, it is important to discuss with your healthcare provider before doing so to ensure that there is a structured plan in place to maintain safety and results. Unfortunately, when stopping weight loss medications cold turkey, weight regain is a common issue and this may affect your long-term progress.
Potential Side Effects
Stopping weight loss medications abruptly can lead to several side effects including increased appetite, weight gain, digestive issues, mood swings and fatigue.
Maintaining Progress/Long-Term Strategies
Building a Sustainable Lifestyle: While using medications to aid weight loss, it is crucial to also focus on creating a sustainable lifestyle and build mental toughness. This includes making dietary adjustments and incorporating regular exercise. The combination of a high protein diet and regular strength training/exercise is ideal for maintaining these positive changes in the long term.
Mindful Eating Post-Medication: When the medications are discontinued, it is important to be mindful of the quantity and quality of the foods you consume. As appetite, which was suppressed on the medication, returns, it is essential to recall the mental work you’ve done to make healthier choices. Practicing mindfulness and self-control over your diet will help you stay on track. While it is ok to partake less healthy foods occasionally, the majority of your food intake should be nutrient-dense and high in protein.
Support for Long-Term Success: Ideas for maintaining lifestyle include working with a dietitian, enlisting a strength coach, and regular check-ins with a health care provider to monitor progress and stay on track.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we believe that gradually weaning off weight loss medications is the best approach for maintaining progress. It is always best to discuss your plan with your medical provider and work together to make a strategy tailored to your individual needs, that will give you the most success moving forward. At Premier Weight Loss, we are committed to supporting you in achieving your goals and sustaining your long-term progress.
Related Reading:
“Maintaining Your Weight Loss: Tips For Long-Term success”
“Get Moving, Get Results: Exercise Tips to Complement Your Weight Loss Injections”