How To Maintain Weight Loss After Mounjaro

GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists like Mounjaro lower appetite and slow digestion. When you stop, that effect fades, and natural hunger cues return. Unless you have made changes to your lifestyle it’s very easy to slip back into your old habits unless something else has changed to keep you on track.

Here’s what typically happens:

• Hunger hormones such as ghrelin increase
• Satiety hormones such as GLP-1 and leptin decrease (hormones that tell your body you’re already full)
• Food cues feel more tempting than when you were taking Mounjaro

In the STEP-1 extension study¹, people who stopped semaglutide (a similar GLP-1 medicine to Mounjaro) regained around two-thirds of their lost weight within a year without any support.

Many people are surprised by the emotional side of this phase. Common experiences include:

• Fear of weight regain
• Frustration as appetite and cravings return
• Grief for the “easier” period on medication
• Shame when old habits resurface

These are normal. Your body is readjusting. Aftercare coaching offers reassurance, guidance, and practical tools to rebuild confidence.

Mounjaro works in the brain’s reward centres as well as the gut. It reduces the pleasure response linked to food, which helps curb cravings.

When you stop taking it:

• Dopamine and reward pathways become active again
• Cravings for sugar, carbs, and snacks can feel stronger
• Emotional eating triggers may resurface

If you’re wondering when weight regain risk peaks after Mounjaro – it’s often not immediately. It usually happens silently in months three to six. Here’s the pattern most people experience:

• Month 1: confidence is high
• Month 3: small indulgences creep in
• Month 6: old routines begin to resurface

Maintaining weight loss after Mounjaro isn’t just about food. You’ll also experience societal challenges. Without medication, you face:

• Office snacks and social meals
• Holidays and celebrations
• Family habits and cultural norms

NICE’s 2025 update² says:

“Offer at least one year of structured follow-up and support to reduce weight regain and weight cycling after treatment.”

This means:

• Ongoing monitoring
• Tailored care plans
• Behaviour change coaching

If you’re learning how to maintain weight loss after Mounjaro, structured follow-up is now the evidence-based standard of care.

Most private programmes still end when the injections stop, leaving patients on their own just when they need the most support.

Medicspot’s weight loss programme was built differently. From day one, it combines:

• Clinical prescribing and monitoring
• 1:1 accountability coaching
• Behaviour change education
• Peer community support
• 12 months free aftercare

This approach directly aligns with NICE’s new aftercare recommendations, helping patients sustain their success, not just achieve it.

If you’ve stopped Mounjaro and your appetite has returned, don’t panic – and don’t give up. This is normal and to be expected, it’s how we manage it from here that will help you maintain your long term health goal.

Maintaining weight loss after Mounjaro requires the same intention and structure that helped you lose it, but with new skills for a new phase.

If you’ve finished Mounjaro or are nearing the end, Medicspot’s aftercare programme can help you keep your results, protect your health, and feel confident for life.

¹ Wilding, J.P.H. et al. Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (2022). Last accessed October 2025. [URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35441470/]

² National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). People need support to keep weight off after treatment ends. News article (2025). Last accessed October 2025. [URL: https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/people-need-support-to-keep-weight-off-after-treatment-ends]

Rubino, D. et al. Effect of continued weekly subcutaneous semaglutide vs placebo on weight loss maintenance: The STEP 4 randomized clinical trial. JAMA (2021). Last accessed October 2025. [URL: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2777886]

Aronne, L.J. et al. Continued treatment with tirzepatide for maintenance of weight reduction in adults with obesity: The SURMOUNT-4 randomized clinical trial. JAMA (2024). Last accessed October 2025. [URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38078870/]

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Overweight and obesity management (NG246). Guideline (2025). Last accessed October 2025. [URL: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng246]

This article is for general information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. Medic Spot Limited has used all reasonable care in compiling the information but makes no warranty as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. In the event of an emergency, please call 999 for immediate assistance.

There is no guarantee of a specific weight loss medication being prescribed. Clinicians will review your online questionnaire and will recommend the most appropriate weight loss treatments for you based on your answers. In some cases the clinicians may contact you for additional information. See our Terms of Service for more information.