What Happens After GLP-1? How to Keep the Weight Off and Your Confidence High

If you’ve been following this mindset series, you’ll know by now we’ve covered the psychology of weight loss as well as what to do when you think you have hit a plateau. In this 3rd part, we are moving on to the “after” phase: you’ve finished or are near finishing your course of a GLP-1 medication, and you’re asking: what now? How do I keep that weight off, hold on to the new version of me, and feel confident rather than anxious?

Coming off GLP-1 medication can feel a bit like taking the stabilisers off a bike. You’ve been supported, maybe even flying along, but now you’re wondering, “What happens if I wobble?”  It’s completely normal to feel anxious about this stage. Many patients tell me they worry about regaining weight, losing control around food, or falling back into old habits.

Firstly, let’s be honest: taking a GLP-1 receptor agonist is no magic wand that fixes everything forever. While the jump start can be incredible (studies show reductions of 10-15% or more body weight during treatment), the transition off medication (or lowering dose) is a critical window. But here’s the truth: life after GLP-1 can be just as successful, if not more so, because this is where you truly learn to trust yourself again. The medication has been a tool, but it was never the whole story. Now it’s about putting in place the habits, the structures and the mindset that will keep you thriving long term. Without a plan, many people drift back to old habits, old weight, and old feelings, and inevitably regain the weight.

If you have been following our programme or the articles published here, you will see that we are trying to break down the weight-gain cycle by educating readers. We aim to empower you to make significant, long-term lifestyle changes, regardless of whether you are on weight-loss medication. So: this article is less about “should I take it” and more about “how do I hold on to what I’ve gained”.

Why the body fights to bring you back

Appetite often does increase after coming off medication, and the voice of old habits can get louder.  You may notice “food noise” creeping back in; thoughts about snacks, cravings, the desire to eat for comfort. This does not mean you’ve failed. It means your body is readjusting.

Think of your body as a vigilant housekeeper. You lost weight. Great job. But the body is still busy trying to keep you where you were, because that was its “normal”. Hormones like Ghrelin (hunger signal) rise, and Leptin (satiety/fullness signal) drops. This means hunger can become louder, and fullness less effective. If we ignore that, we hand the reins back to our default programming. But if we work with that biology, we can reinforce the new normal.

You may find this transition overwhelming, but it is also an opportunity: a chance to relearn what true hunger and fullness feel like. Remember, if you have been following our course and our informative blogs, we are all about making the right decisions for health and weight, so hopefully, you are already empowered with knowledge on the right foods to eat, including foods that naturally curb your appetite.

The days of winging it and expecting “the new me” to stick simply because I have more willpower are behind us. Here are some key behavioural anchors:

•  Is it hunger? The key is to tune back into your own hunger signals. Many of us eat for reasons other than hunger, stress, boredom, or habit. Without GLP-1 dampening those signals, you need to practice checking in with yourself. Try this simple exercise: before you eat, pause and ask, “Am I physically hungry, or am I tired, stressed, or just wanting comfort?”  If it’s true hunger, eat. If it’s something else, experiment with a non-food solution, such as a walk, a glass of water, or find something to distract you. If you have the ‘hangry, feed me now’ moments, grab something suitable – high protein, high fibre and wait. You can also ensure you have good snacks available to avoid reaching for high-sugar, processed foods that can be our downfall.

•  Protein becomes your best friend. If you read my protein series, you’ll remember what happens when you eat more and better-quality protein. Research shows high‐protein diets suppress ghrelin, increase satiety hormones, and help protect lean muscle. Make sure each main meal includes a quality protein source and aim for at least 1g -2g per kg bodyweight if you’re moderately active. Ideally, eat at least 30g within 60-90 minutes of waking.

•  Add fibre and colour – vegetables, berries, beans and pulses keep you fuller, support gut health, and balance hormones.

•  Carbs aren’t the enemy but choose smartly. You know I’m not about demonising carbs. But post-GLP-1 you’ll benefit from lower glycaemic, higher fibre carbs so insulin and hunger signals behave nicely. Again, check out our hormone series if you have not read this already.

•  Move because you can, not as punishment. Weight maintenance needs more than “burning” calories. Resistance training, body-weight work, and activities you enjoy protect muscle mass, support metabolic health, and help balance hormones like cortisol.

•  Sleep and stress management matter. When cortisol stays high or sleep is poor, appetite rises, insulin sensitivity drops, hormones mis-behave. That’s exactly the terrain we must guard.

•  Adopt the mindset of “habit over heroics”. The secret is in the day-to-day, not the occasional mega effort. The tiny things repeated win.

You’re familiar with them, but let’s recap:

•  Insulin: It drives fat storage when in excess and stalls fat release if sensitivity is poor. Better meals (lower carbs, higher protein, higher fibre), movement and body composition (muscle) help it behave.

•  Ghrelin: The hunger hormone. When your body senses a deficit, ghrelin spikes. Higher protein, adequate energy and good sleep blunt this mess. Ghrelin is also stimulated by higher insulin, so the more ‘sugary/carby’ foods you eat, the more you will crave.

•  Leptin: Your fullness signal. When weight drops, leptin drops too, so your brain thinks you’re starving, even if you’re not. We need to improve leptin effectiveness via body composition and anti-inflammatory habits. As we discovered in our hormone series, this signal can become blunted, meaning your brain thinks you have no fat in storage, so triggers ghrelin to give us more appetite. This leptin resistance increases the more weight you carry, but just like all other hormones, can become dysregulated the more insulin is spiked.

•  Cortisol: The stress hormone. When lifestyle is chaotic, cortisol stays raised, blood sugar goes up, insulin resistance increases, fat storage kicks in. Keep stressors in check. Really work hard to regulate your cortisol – good sleep, daylight in the morning (or use Lumie lamp in winter months), work on relaxation and calming breathing techniques.

When you combine these with the lifestyle anchors above, you’re building a safety net.

One foot forward: five practical moves

1.  Plan your main meals around 30–40 g protein minimum. (Yes, this is that series again.) If your appetite is lower post-GLP-1, you’ll need to make every bite count: eggs, fish, chicken, tofu, pulses.

2.  Move with purpose: Exercise is often underestimated in weight maintenance. Not because it burns huge amounts of calories (it doesn’t), but because it protects your metabolism. Muscle tissue is metabolically active, meaning it burns energy even at rest. Strength training, resistance bands, bodyweight exercises – these all help maintain muscle. Pair that with daily movement like walking, stretching or cycling, and you have a recipe for energy balance, stronger bones, and a better mood. The aim here is not punishment or “burning off” food but finding joy in moving your body. Patients often tell me they discover exercise they never thought they’d like – from dance classes to Pilates to simply walking with a good podcast.

3.  Batch-prep snacks: Having chopped veggie sticks, boiled egg halves, yoghurt and berries in the fridge means you’re less likely to fall back into “grab and cave”.

4.  Sleep hygiene: Set a bedtime alarm (yes, a reminder!). Ditch screens at least 1 hour before; keep the bedroom dark and cool; avoid large late meals. Poor sleep = hormone chaos.

5.  Monthly check-in with yourself: How are your clothes fitting? How is your mood? How’s your energy? Are your hunger cues back to normal or still shouting? Use these as self-monitor prompts.

What about the mindset side? Because yes, there’s a side.

Coming off medication like a GLP-1 can stir up emotions: “Am I going to gain it back?” “What if this is all just temporary?” “What if I have to rely on a drug forever?” These are valid thoughts. Let’s reframe them.

•  Celebrate your wins. You lost weight. You have new behaviours. You’re different now. That matters. Enjoy the new you and your new habits.

•  Shift identity: you are not someone on medication, waiting to go back. You are a person with habits, systems and a future – embrace health and dietary education. Knowledge is power.

•  Find your “why” again. The purpose you had when you started the GLP-1 journey (health, vitality, confidence?), keep that front and centre. It powers the everyday tiny decisions.

•  Understand food noise. This is always tricky as food noise can be a real burden, but you are different now. You acknowledge food noise for what it is, and you have the tools to turn down the volume. When you hear the noise, you know the foods you can go to. Plan your meals and fill your store cupboard and fridge full of healthy choices.

•  Accountability – having someone to check in with, whether a professional, a friend or a support group, makes all the difference. I also really advocate the use of a food diary, ideally online or with an app, where you can easily enter the food and drink you are eating. This, in itself, gives us great accountability and an awareness of where we may, unintentionally, be going wrong.

Pitfalls to watch (so you don’t fall into them)

•  Assuming once weight is lost, you don’t need structure. Nope. That’s when the slip happens.

•  Using the GLP-1 as the only weight tool. The drug helped with appetite/hunger. It did not build habits by itself. The habits are what last.

•  Withdrawing from movement because you now feel “thin enough”. That’s the opposite of what sustains it.

•  Returning to high-sugar, low-satiety foods to “treat myself”. That will send insulin, hunger, leptin, and ghrelin back into chaos.

•  Forgetting that leaning on the community, coach, and support network helps more than you think.

Knowledge is power.

I cannot emphasise enough the importance and strength of knowledge. Understanding why we gain weight and how to avoid it helps keep us focused. If you find you are losing your way, revisit those posts. Re-evaluate your meals accordingly. Talk to your clinician or nutritionist about fine-tuning for your body.

In my clinic, I often see two kinds of people coming off GLP-1s:

•  Those who assume “drug done, I’m good” and drift back.

•  Those who say “Okay, this is my launchpad — what systems do I need now?”

Spoiler alert: the latter group does better. Because they know the treatment was the accelerator, not the autopilot.

Remember, you’ve taken big steps. You’ve changed your body. Now let’s change the system behind it. This phase is about trust. Trusting your body, trusting your habits, and trusting yourself. And remember: one slip is not failure. It’s just a step on the journey. Keep going, keep learning, and celebrate every victory, big or small. Your stabilisers may be off, but you’re not wobbling alone – you’ve got this.