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 steadily to finding a maintenance dose.
First, you may stop taking the medications altogether. In fact, you possibly can stop taking these medications abruptly without experiencing any major unwanted 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 resembling Wegovy or Ozempic might help with Weight maintenanceStopping the medication will likely cause your appetite to extend sharply again, which often 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 because of 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 essential 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 have the opportunity to go on a eating regimen.”
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 a substitute of taking the medication once every week, you may try giving the shot every 10 days or every two weeks, which could also prevent money.
You must also note the next: You should stop taking the medication in the event you experience serious complications – resembling Pancreatitis – or there was a medical change that would greatly enable you maintain your weight reduction, resembling bariatric surgerysaid Lazarus.
If you significantly reduce the dose of a weight reduction medication and give attention to lifestyle changes – resembling sufficient sleepfollow a healthy eating regimen plan and a workout routine with a give attention to Strength training – might help significantly in stopping weight gain, he said.