How to maintain your weight after completing weight loss medications

Weight loss medications help adjust the hormones that make a person feel hungry, causing them to feel full faster after eating small portions. However, once a person stops taking these medications, there is a likelihood of regaining weight that was lost. Isabel Valdez, physician assistant and associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, explains how to maintain weight loss healthily after completing these medications.

“Once you stop the medications, you stop adjusting the hormones. You’re going to feel hungry sooner than you were before,” Valdez said. “The amount of the food you eat will go up.”  

Maintaining weight loss is all about making changes that are easy to sustain. Valdez suggests strategies that mimic the medication:  

• Controlling your portions; aim for smaller portion sizes.
• Tracking your numbers. You can use apps to help you track your calories, servings and weight.
• Eating less sugar and fewer calorie-rich meals.  
• Being mindful of the number of times you are snacking throughout the day.  

She also recommends staying hydrated by drinking lots of water, limiting alcohol and exercising about 150 minutes a week to help burn calories. Sleep is essential to treating many diseases and helping with weight loss.

“These medications are more than obesity medications that help patients lose weight. They can be used to treat sleep apnea, prevent complications from kidney disease and prevent heart disease,” Valdez said.  

These medications are not for someone who has or has a family history of multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN syndrome), medullary thyroid cancer or a personal history of pancreatitis. You should only get them from a licensed medical doctor or advanced practice provider who can help you reach your goals.