"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

Life after Ozempic: What comes next

August 7, 2024 – You have achieved your weight reduction goals after taking an anti-obesity complement. drugand also you're excited for a brand new chapter. So what's next?

You have several options available to you, from stopping the medication abruptly to tapering it off step by step to finding a maintenance dose.

First, you would stop taking the medications altogether. In fact, you’ll be able to stop taking these medications abruptly without experiencing any major uncomfortable side effects (except Qsymia in the very best dose),According to Ethan Lazarus, MD, an obesity specialist and owner of Center for Clinical Nutrition in Greenwood Village, CO.

This option is related to serious warnings. In addition to promoting Weight lossAnti-obesity medications equivalent to Wegovy or Ozempic might help with Weight maintenanceStopping the medication will likely cause your appetite to extend sharply again, which normally results in weight gain.

“During weight loss, the body undergoes a process of metabolic adaptation, characterized by a Slowing down of metabolism and an increased feeling of hunger,” said Lazarus. Anti-obesity drugs help the body overcome this metabolic change. “Stopping the drugs causes appetite to return to an abnormally increased level due to weight loss and metabolic adaptation, and this is the trigger for weight regain.”

Katie Kabala took a different approach. After losing 95 pounds in 18 months, Contrave – which she describes as “the best thing that ever happened in her life” – she kept the identical dosage she used for weight control. Kabala, 40, says this decision was attributable to Contrave’s ability to quiet their desire This meant she no longer had to constantly think about food, which had led to previous struggles with obesity. The drug, which is in a different class than the popular GLP-1s that now dominate the market, also helped her stick to the 1,200-calorie-per-day diet she followed during her weight loss journey.

Despite the widespread stigma surrounding weight loss drugs or medical interventions to combat obesity, such as bariatric surgeryKabala says she refuses to feel guilt.

“I just think it's so vital to inform everyone that you simply deserve help,” said Kabala, who works in the zoning and planning department in South Carolina. “With Contrave, I feel prefer it really set the stage for me to give you the chance to go on a food plan.”

Some people are nervous about taking a weight loss drug long-term. Another approach would be to switch to a lower maintenance dose, said Jonathan Kaplan, MD, owner of Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery in San Francisco. For example, as an alternative of taking the medication once per week, you would try giving the shot every 10 days or every two weeks, which could also prevent money.

You also needs to note the next: You should stop taking the medication when you experience serious complications – equivalent to Pancreatitis – or there was a medical change that might greatly make it easier to maintain your weight reduction, equivalent to bariatric surgerysaid Lazarus.

If you significantly reduce the dose of a weight reduction medication and concentrate on lifestyle changes – equivalent to sufficient sleepfollow a healthy food plan plan and a workout routine with a concentrate on Strength training – might help significantly in stopping weight gain, he said.