How to stop Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro without regaining weight

Who decides when and how to stop?

The decision to stop the medicine is made by the person who prescribes it. They may continue it, reduce the dose or space out doses depending on how you are doing; that plan is not changed during a nutrition appointment. To see how these treatments work together, read the GLP-1 medicines guide.

That is why you will not find instructions here on reducing your dose. What we can work on from now is your eating, training and follow-up, so that stopping treatment feels more manageable when the time comes.

What happens to your appetite when you stop?

Your appetite usually returns, sometimes quite noticeably. These medicines mimic GLP-1, a gut hormone that reduces hunger and prolongs the feeling of fullness. When they are stopped, that effect goes away. It is not a personal failing: it is what you would expect when something that was curbing your hunger is removed.

The rate varies from person to person. A review of 37 studies found average weight regain of 0.4 kilos a month after stopping weight-loss medicines, faster than after losing weight through lifestyle changes alone [1]. With semaglutide and tirzepatide, the figure rises to around 0.8 kilos a month [1].

In a tirzepatide trial, people switched to placebo regained an average of 14% of their weight over the following year [2]. Those who continued the medicine lost a further 5.5% [2]. These are group averages and do not predict what will happen to you.

Which habits are worth building before you stop?

The nutrition plan that accompanies GLP-1 treatment works on these habits from the first appointment. Before stopping, it is helpful to have a portion of protein at every main meal and to do strength training several times a week. It also helps to have regular mealtimes that do not rely on your appetite to prompt you to eat.

A joint recommendation from four scientific societies lists adequate protein and strength training among its priorities during treatment [3]. Exercise also matters afterwards. In a liraglutide trial, people who had done supervised exercise regained less weight in the year after treatment ended than those who had taken the medicine alone [4].

You can find out more about working out how much protein you need and getting started with training in protein and muscle during GLP-1 treatment. To put together each meal without relying on your appetite, the plate method can help: half vegetables, a quarter protein and a quarter carbohydrate.

How follow-up is organised after stopping

After your final dose, we agree a nutrition follow-up plan tailored to how your appetite, eating and health are changing.

Follow-up allows us to adjust your meals and training if your appetite or weight changes.

Which measure do we track beyond the scales?

In a sub-study of tirzepatide, around three-quarters of the weight lost was fat and one-quarter was lean mass [5]. This is an average result, not an individual target: in appointments, we aim to preserve muscle while your health improves.

After you stop the medicine, we continue to keep an eye on your strength and activity. Preserving muscle helps you maintain strength and mobility while your weight settles.

Has your weight gone up for a few days, or is it becoming a trend?

It is normal for your weight to fluctuate from one day to the next because of fluid retention, digestion or your hormonal cycle. These fluctuations are part of how the scales normally work and do not mean that you are regaining weight. What matters is the trend over several weeks.

That is why we review the trend with you, to distinguish a short-term fluctuation from a sustained change. If you see your weight continuing to rise for two or three weeks in a row, bring your appointment forward rather than waiting for your scheduled review.

What mistakes do we see in appointments?

The question we hear most often in appointments when discussing stopping the medicine is whether all the weight will come back. Two responses are often behind this concern, and it is worth avoiding them. The first is to stop strength training as soon as you feel hungrier, as if it is no longer worthwhile. Eating more is to be expected when the medicine is stopped, and strength training is what helps most at this stage.

The second is to react to the first increase in weight by severely cutting back on food or skipping dinner. This often leads to more hunger the next day and snacking, and makes it harder to keep up the routines that were already working.

If, as your appetite returns, you feel that you are eating out of control, or that food is causing you distress or guilt, mention it at your appointment. We work on this together with the psychology team, and the sooner it is addressed, the better it can be managed.

How to organise the week when you reduce or stop the medicine

Set three main meals at roughly regular times, even if your appetite takes a while to adjust. Prepare a portion of protein for two or three days, such as pulses, roast chicken or boiled eggs, because hunger may come on suddenly. Also check your shopping list so you have the planned food at home and do not have to improvise.

If you want to plan complete menus for those days, see what to eat with a GLP-1 and a weekly menu. And if you want to understand why weight regain can happen, the guide to weight regain after Ozempic and Wegovy explains it in detail.

Plan how to stop the medicine while you are still taking it.