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How I’m Maintaining After My GLP-1 | Semaglutide and Tirzepatide Weight Loss

Maintaining After GLP-1

I have been off my GLP-1 weight loss medication compound tirzepatide for three months now, and I have been successfully maintaining my weight loss. I was absolutely terrified to get off my medication for fear that I would gain all the weight back, but I didn’t gain it back and I think there are several reasons why. Some of those reasons include major lifestyle changes, metabolic and hormonal healing within my body, and a successful slow wean off of the meds. I am not a healthcare provider, but I do believe I had a successful short-term therapy on a GLP-1, and here is how I did it. 

I used the telehealth JoinFridays for my GLP-1 weight loss therapy. Click to learn more and use code “MADISON” at checkout for a discount. 

Lifestyle Changes

From the beginning of my medical weight loss with a GLP-1, I was hoping for this to be a short-term therapy. I knew the research out there didn’t support this as a short-term therapy. The current research shows most gain much of the weight back when getting off the medication, but there are some holes in this research. The people in the studies I was looking at were either diabetic or had chronic obesity (likely metabolic disease), and that really wasn’t my story. 

My story is that I had two difficult somewhat close-together pregnancies and developed some poor habits with food and fitness. When I finally got around to putting some effort back into improving my health, I found it clinically overweight, with my metabolism refusing to budge. I also have heart disease, which made me even more eager to get to a healthier weight. So, I decided to try GLP-1 therapy for weight loss. 

I immediately noticed a huge difference when I started the medication and steadily lost weight. I knew I wanted to use this medication as a tool and not a crutch, so I focused on changing my lifestyle into something that I felt I could likely maintain once off the medicine. I started intermittent fasting at least 14-16 hours a day, eating a high-protein diet with lots of veggies, and strength training 2-3 times a week. 

Metabolic and Hormonal Healing

By making all of these lifestyle changes, I feel I was able to heal my metabolism. I was giving it the food it needed to thrive. I wasn’t just doing cardio anymore, and I instead was doing regular strength training, which was improving my metabolism. 

Before starting my GLP-1 therapy, I had a major hormonal imbalance. I was having very long, inconsistent periods and my doctor believed I had PCOS. During my GLP-1 therapy, I got off the pill and got an IUD. The birth control change combined with the healthier habits certainly improved my hormonal health as well. 

Weaning Off

I stayed on the lowest dose of compound tirzepatide for my first 4 months on the medication. During that time, I lost 30 lbs and reached my goal weight. I didn’t want to get off the medicine cold turkey, so I then dropped to half of that dose and took that weekly for the following month. Much to my surprise, I still lost a couple of pounds that month. In my sixth and final month, I took the half dose every other week and mostly stayed the same weight. That’s when I felt confident enough to try to get off. I was on such an incredibly low dose and maintaining, so maintaining off the meds was worth a shot, right?

Closing

I am continuing my healthy habits and am pleased with my decision to both do GLP-1 weight loss therapy and then get off of it. My GLP-1 helped me at a time when my body was very unhealthy and headed in a bad direction. It helped me totally change my habits and improve my health. I can maintain off of it, but others may not, and that’s ok too. Different bodies need different things and I have some other prescription medications that I fully plan to be on for the long term. This one though I seem to do ok without now.