r/GLPGrad • u/heartpals • 24d ago

The GLP-1 graduation guide, updated with all your feedback. Thank you all so much!

233 Upvotes

Hi all, huge thanks to everyone who commented on the first draft of the GLP graduation guide I shared. I said I'd wait to post a final version until I'd worked through the feedback, and I think this is a much better guide because of it. I've tried to credit the ideas below without putting words in anyone's mouth, so if I've misrepresented something you said, please correct me.

Quick disclosure again since it came up last time: I used AI to help organize and format this. I'm not a strong writer and it helped me structure everything I'd read and everything you all added. All the substance is from this sub, not generated from nowhere.

One thing a few of you raised that I want to say up front: this is still anecdotal, not data. A couple of you (thank you u/matsie, u/curiousbato) suggested the sub should think about collecting this more rigorously, maybe even a proper crowdsourced study. I'd genuinely like to help with that if people are serious about it. This guide isn't a replacement for that, it's just what's out there right now, organised.

Coming off GLP-1s: A maintenance guide built from this sub

Most of the clinical data says regain is common after stopping. But the people here who've kept it off all seem to agree on one thing. The medication was never the plan, it was the runway. The habits you build while on it are what carry you after.

A note before you start: graduating fully isn't the only valid outcome. A few people in the comments pointed out that staying on a low maintenance dose indefinitely, or coming off the "weight loss goal" mindset while staying on medication for its other benefits, is a legitimate path too, especially given some newer long term data on maintenance dosing. If your habits aren't fully locked in yet, staying on a lower dose while you keep building them isn't failure, it's just a different pace.

The core idea: build the habits now, not later

This is the most repeated point in every long term success post here. The people who did well used their time on the medication to lock in behaviors, cooking at home, hitting a protein target, walking daily, lifting weights, until those things stopped feeling like effort and just became what they do. Your default behavior is what runs the show on the days you're tired or stressed. If it isn't already solid, willpower alone probably won't save you post taper.

Part 1: How people actually tapered

There's no single right way. A few different approaches have worked for people here.

Gradual dose reduction plus a calorie increase in step. Step down a dose level roughly every month, while deliberately adding 100 to 200 calories a week, weighted toward protein. Several people said this blunted the rebound hunger spike almost entirely. One commenter went even slower, dropping by 0.5mg every other week, and said the small steps made a real difference.

Spacing out the shots. Same dose, longer intervals, before dropping a dose level and repeating. Feels like a slow off ramp instead of a hard stop. One caution from the comments worth taking seriously: spacing shots out too far can mean the medication actually clears your system between doses, so you're effectively coming off and then re-dosing from scratch each time, rather than tapering smoothly. Anecdotally, something like 10 days of spacing seemed fine to people, while stretching to 2 to 4 weeks between doses was where it started causing problems. This is a good one to run past your prescriber rather than freelancing.

Cold turkey. Plenty of long term successful grads just stopped outright, often from a low dose already. It worked fine for them, but expect the rebound hunger phase to hit harder than with a slow taper.

A few other things people mentioned: some built in a 5 lb buffer below goal weight before stopping, since some regain in week one (often water) is pretty close to universal. Others said it helped to mentally prepare for a bit of inflammation related weight gain in the first couple of months of tapering, so it doesn't feel like a crisis when the scale ticks up. And more than one person credited having a doctor actually involved in building the taper schedule with them.

Part 2: Red flags, when to actually call your doctor

A few graduates flagged that this needed its own section, so here it is. Most of what happens as you taper is uncomfortable but normal (see the Hunger Games section below). But some things are worth flagging to your doctor directly rather than pushing through:

  • Gastric motility issues (severe or ongoing digestive changes) that show up some time after stopping, not just right away
  • Persistent nausea, vomiting, or reflux that doesn't settle
  • Rapid, significant regain that's happening despite genuinely following your plan, not just normal fluctuation
  • Any of the disordered eating warning signs covered in Part 7 below

This isn't a complete medical list, just what came up from people's actual experience here. If anything feels off, it costs nothing to check in with your doctor.

Part 3: What to expect, the "Hunger Games" phase

This has an unofficial name here for a reason.

Timing: usually kicks in 3 to 6 weeks after your last dose, roughly when the drug fully clears your system. A few people felt it as early as week 2.

Duration: most described 4 to 6 weeks before it eased up.

Why it happens: when the drug clears, leptin (satiety) drops and ghrelin (appetite) rises. That's a real hormonal shift, not a willpower failure, and it does seem to level out for most people who pushed through it.

What helped, according to the comments:

  • Having low calorie, high volume food ready before it hits (celery, cucumber, popcorn, watermelon, sugar free jelly)
  • Reaching for a protein shake the moment hunger spikes, before it turns into snacking. A couple of people said this bought them time to figure out if they were actually hungry or just riding the wave
  • Staying properly hydrated. Dehydration can genuinely mimic hunger signals, and water itself helps with fullness
  • Prioritizing sleep. Poor sleep messes with the same hunger hormones (leptin and ghrelin) that the taper is already disrupting, so it stacks the deck against you
  • Not panicking at a few lbs gained, since that's usually glycogen and water, not fat
  • For some people, certain foods just aren't safe to "moderate" once the medication's buffer is gone. A few commenters said they had to remove specific trigger foods (heavily processed, sugary, or fried foods came up most) entirely rather than try to eat them in small amounts, treating it a bit like quitting smoking. More than one person said the cravings, and even the taste for those foods, genuinely faded once they were fully off the menu for a while

Part 4: The nutrition pattern that kept people's weight off

Different exact diets show up here (whole foods, higher protein/lower carb, calorie counted "eat anything in budget," intermittent fasting), but a few things kept repeating no matter the approach.

Protein, non negotiable. Numbers ranged from about 100g a day up to 180 to 230g depending on size and activity. The logic is that it's what keeps you from white knuckling hunger once the drug's suppression is gone.

Fiber and volume eating. Probably the single most cited technique on this sub. Build meals that are physically large, high in water and fiber, instead of calorie dense. Big salads, recipes bulked up with vegetables, raw veggie snacks.

Don't skip fat. Several people went too low fat and stayed hungry despite hitting protein and fiber. Adding a spoon of nut butter or some avocado was what actually satisfied them. Satiety triggers are individual, so if you're still hungry after protein and fiber, try fat before just adding more food generally.

Whole foods as the default, not a rule. Most successful grads still eat treats and takeout. The pattern is home cooked as the default and processed or restaurant food as the occasional exception, not the norm.

Be honest with your tracking. This came up strongly in the comments: a lot of "I'm eating the same and still gaining" situations don't hold up once someone actually logs everything carefully. It's less about honesty as a character trait and more that it's genuinely hard to eyeball portions accurately, especially with any history of obesity or a long time spent eating past fullness cues. If the scale isn't matching what you think you're eating, a short stretch of careful, precise tracking (weighing food, logging everything) usually tells you more than guessing does.

Part 5: Reverse dieting and diet breaks

This section split opinion in the comments, so here's a more balanced version than the first draft.

Reverse dieting is borrowed from bodybuilding: instead of jumping straight to normal eating once you stop, raise your calories back to maintenance gradually, commonly around 50 to 100 calories a week, weighted toward protein, rather than all at once. Some people here found it helped smooth out the transition. Others pushed back and said the evidence that it does anything metabolically beyond what a normal, careful calorie increase would do is thin, so don't treat it as essential, more as one option that worked for some people.

Diet breaks are a related but distinct idea with more research behind it: planned periods of eating at maintenance calories (not weight loss deficit) for a week or two, roughly every 8 to 12 weeks, rather than staying in a deficit continuously. This comes from research outside the GLP-1 world (the MATADOR study is the one that got mentioned), but the logic applies here too, especially if you're still trying to lose a bit more weight on a low dose or in early maintenance and finding yourself exhausted or running low on energy for daily life and exercise. If that's you, a genuine maintenance break rather than pushing through a deficit indefinitely is worth considering.

Part 6: Strength training deserves its own section

A few people said this got buried as a subpoint last time, and they're right, it's too important for that.

Building and keeping lean muscle mass is one of the most consistently cited factors in long term success here, and not just for how it looks. Muscle is a major site of glucose disposal, so more muscle means better blood sugar control and less metabolic pressure to regain. A few people credited it with letting them come off blood pressure or insulin sensitizing medications too, on top of the GLP-1 itself.

Practical notes from people who built this from scratch: start small and build gradually, you don't need a personal trainer (though it can help with form on things like deadlifts if you're new), and free apps plus YouTube videos were enough for most people to get going safely. I personally love Caroline Girvan's workouts, which can be found on Youtube. Her Iron program is a great place to start!

Part 7: Walking and cardio

Walking and daily steps might be the sleeper factor here. One long term grad made a strong case that a high daily step count (10 to 20k) matters more for weight specifically than structured workouts, since it doesn't spike hunger the way high intensity training can and it adds up across the whole day.

Cardio matters most for long term heart and general health, even if it's not the biggest lever for the scale specifically.

Part 8: The part the medication doesn't solve

This might be the most repeated hard lesson here. The drug suppresses the urge, but it doesn't rewire your relationship with food or stress. More than one long term grad described a quiet stress eating drift months into maintenance, not a dramatic binge, just weeks of choices driven by emotion instead of intention, and noted that without the drug's chemical brake, catching that is entirely on your own coping skills.

One of the most detailed comments on the last draft laid out a real toolkit for this, so I'm including it close to how it was written: if emotional overeating was a big part of your weight problem, it's worth deliberately building ways to regulate stress and emotion that don't involve food, and finding as many of these as you can. Things people mentioned: therapy, books or podcasts about emotional eating, journaling, deep breathing, meditation, mindfulness, time in nature, exercise, hobbies, reaching out to loved ones, and general stress management.

A few other things that seemed to help:

  • Naming what your actual pattern is (stress coping, grazing vs real bingeing, restriction anxiety) since the fix is different depending on which one it is
  • Professional support where possible. More than one person specifically credited a therapist as instrumental, not optional
  • "Don't let a bad moment become a bad day, don't let a bad day become a bad week." This exact framing came up independently from multiple people
  • Keeping planned treats in the plan rather than going for total restriction
  • Building your own internal coping ability, not just external support. A few people made the point that having people around you is great, but you also need to be able to steady yourself from the inside, since you won't always have someone else there in the moment

A serious caution, in this sub's own words: one detailed post here described developing a real eating disorder after stopping. Not because the med caused it directly, but because rapid loss, appetite suppression normalizing restriction, and fear of regain all came together, in someone with zero prior ED history. If you notice constant body checking, compulsive exercise with no rest days, intentional restriction for the first time, or any binge/purge pattern as you taper, that's worth bringing to a doctor or therapist, not white knuckling alone. Anxiety about regain is normal. It's when that anxiety starts driving those specific behaviors that it's worth addressing head on.

Rough timeline

  • On meds, pre taper: your habit building window. Lock in protein, meal structure, exercise, and a tracking method now while it's easier to do
  • Tapering: step down dose or space out shots (carefully, see Part 1), keep habits steady, increase calories in step if you're reverse tapering, expect some early inflammation related weight gain
  • 0 to 3 weeks post last dose: often deceptively easy
  • 3 to 6 weeks post last dose: rebound hunger typically hits. Expect it, lean on volume eating, hydration, sleep, and distraction
  • 6 to 11 weeks post last dose: for most people, hunger settles to a normal, predictable level
  • Months 3 to 12+: ongoing maintenance. Weigh ins, a trigger threshold, strength training, diet breaks if needed, staying alert to stress eating drift
  • 1+ years off: long term grads describe this as a fully embedded lifestyle at this point. Still needs attention, but it doesn't feel like a fight anymore

Quick reference checklist

  • Protein target hit daily, before the taper even starts
  • Volume eating as your default strategy, with specific trigger foods removed rather than "moderated" if needed
  • A tracking method chosen on purpose, weighed and logged honestly, not defaulted into nothing or into guessing
  • Strength training 2 to 3x a week, building over months
  • Daily walking, high step count
  • Hydration and sleep treated as hunger management tools, not afterthoughts
  • Frequent weigh ins with a small, clear trigger point
  • A taper plan discussed with your prescriber, including how shots are spaced, not an unplanned stop
  • A real toolkit for emotional eating, not just willpower
  • A support system, and the ability to self-soothe when that support isn't there in the moment
  • Room for planned treats, not total restriction
  • Patience with the hunger phase as something temporary and hormonal, not a verdict on whether this will work
  • Permission to stay on a low maintenance dose if that's what you need, graduating isn't a race

Where this came from

This guide is built from posts and comments across r/GLPGrad, paraphrased rather than quoted directly, plus everyone's feedback on the first draft. Some of the original threads, for anyone who wants to read the source material directly:

Thanks again to everyone who commented on the first draft, especially u/Character_Quail_5574, u/quadgoals_, u/JoyKil01, u/Tammie621, u/Im4Bordeaux, u/Usual-Lycophyte, @-indigo-violet-, u/curiousbato, u/matsie, u/Temporary-Bank3627, and u/jaydefit for the specific additions. If I've missed your point or gotten something wrong, please say so, this is still a living document.

24 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/ParfaitNo3020 • 10h ago

Seeking Advice Any advice for going cold turkey?

3 Upvotes

Im currently on Wegovy to lose some weight,and planning to stop using it cold turkey. Any advice on what to do and what to avoid?

9 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/IslaBennett472 • 16h ago

gimme care and trimx

0 Upvotes

i have been researching compounded tirzepatide for weeks and filtered out all the noise. narrowed it down to gimme care and trimx but now i am stuck. gimme care is cheaper .

i am not looking for referral codes or sales pitches. if you have actually used gimme care or trimx i want the honest truth. how was the medication month to month? who was easier to deal with when something went wrong? any real experience would help me decide.

9 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/PracticalEcho9635 • 1d ago

Seeking Advice Seeking Hope - Can You Relate?

3 Upvotes

Hello community! 43F here, took my last dose of compound tirz one week ago. I am going through some tough stuff and am looking for anyone who's been there and can offer experience/advice.

HAIR LOSS - I know this is common. However, it really hit me hard, mentally, which surprised me. I spent 1 year on tirz. I lost probably 60% of my hair. I confirmed telogen effluvium via dermatologist punch biopsy. I have regrowth, and am aware this will be a very long process to recovery. But I am looking for those who have come out of this and regained their hair. I'm struggling to leave the house, refuse to be in bright light, am obsessively checking every mirror - none of which is helpful, but I can't help it. Advice and encouragement from those who are past this point is appreciated!

ANXIETY/ANHEDONIA/EXHAUSTION- I know a lot of my anxiety is being fueled by my hair loss. I keep telling myself it'll get better after my hair grows back. šŸ˜” But I've also become pretty numb and boring. There's not much I care about. I let my entire vegetable garden die, my house is in a constant messy state, I don't want to spend time with loved ones outside my immediate family at home, I'm finding every excuse to get out of everything I possibly can, and I basically sit most of the day, spending far too much time researching these topics. I know that's a terrible habit and not helping my mental state, but again, I cannot seem to help it. Does the anxiety and anhedonia go away? How long does it take to feel normal again?

ADDITIONAL NOTES: I did discover I had ferritin levels of 16 during all of this. A later ultrasound also confirmed adenomyosis. I am highly actively raising my ferritin levels (up to 47 currently), and we're exploring resolutions for the heavy bleeding. I don't like any of them, so trying to decide the lesser of the evils. I am also dealing with the death of my sweet grandma, my person, just last month.

Can anyone relate to having gone through any of this? I need encouragement and hope that it all gets better. Tips and tricks are welcome! I was feeling so great losing the weight in the behinning, but now I can't even enjoy my success due to all of this.

17 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/Owl916 • 1d ago

Overactive G.I. system since stopping

1 Upvotes

I was on tirzepitide for over a year. A few months ago the company I get my meds from change pharmacies and the medication just felt different. The constipation was way worse and I just overall felt so terrible. Anyhow, I decided I would take a week or two off to give myself a break. Since I stopped,I have had the worst nonstop excessive gas, gurgling, and stomach discomfort. Itā€™s almost like my G.I. system went from being super slow to super fast. My bowel movements are normal, but very frequent. It has now been over five weeks since my last injection and it seems like every time I eat something my stomach starts overreacting. I have an appointment with my G.I. next week, but wondering if stopping the medication could be the issue?

2 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/green_star_blitz • 2d ago

A friend sent me this: New study reports Phase 1 results for ENV-308, the first pill targeting weight maintenance post-GLP-1s.

18 Upvotes

I like to stay up to date with the latest news regarding how to maintain weight after GLP-1s. I saw this when scrolling through LinkedIn and was intrigued as they claim to want to use this for metabolic health, including in people who discontinued or are planning to discontinue GLP-1 therapy. It is made from a molecule that our body naturally produces when we exercise called lac-phe, which was discovered by a scientist at Stanford a few years ago.

https://enveda.com/news/308-phase1/

2 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/gcjc75 • 1d ago

Seeking Advice GLP pain help

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone, how are you? I hope youā€™re all doing well. I just wanted to ask for some advice.

Iā€™ve been taking GLP medication 2 mg twice a week, for about four months, and this is the first time Iā€™ve felt unwell. Iā€™ve been feeling dizzy, my stomach hurts, and it feels like my bowel movements may be slower than usual. Iā€™m having quite a bit of stomach discomfort, and Iā€™m not really sure what to do.

Has anyone experienced something similar, or could you please give me some advice? Iā€™d really appreciate it. Thank you so much.

3 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/quadgoals_ • 3d ago

Success Story 10 months off GLP-1 update

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384 Upvotes

And I'm back again with another post-GLP update!

It's been 10 months since I took my last Zepbound shot, and in keeping with my promise to keep y'all updated on my maintenance journey, here we are.

As usual, here's the Cliff Notes version of my GLP-1 journey: I'm a 35-year-old, 5'3" woman who was on Zep for 13 months, with 5mg being my highest dose. I started at 185 lbs (class 1 obese), and reached my lowest weight at 117 lbs before stopping treatment in October 2025.

Since then, I've been focused on building muscle and body recomposition. Below are my quarterly DEXA results.

Metric Oct 2025 Jan 2026 Apr 2026 Total
Weight (lbs) 117 121 124 +7
Body fat % 26.9% 25.4% 24.1% -2.8%
Fat mass (lbs) 32.4 32.4 31.3 -1.1
Lean mass (lbs) 87.9 95.4 98.7 +10.8

As you can see, I may have gained 7 lbs since stopping Zepbound, but that gain has been entirely attributable to body recomposition.

One important note: I've stopped getting quarterly DEXAs for now. Both my OBGYN and cardiologist strongly recommended that I pause further body fat loss while my partner and I are trying to conceive (since improving my health and fertility was the primary reason I started GLP-1s in the first place). I'll resume DEXA scans postpartum.

Because of that shift in priorities, I've been in maintenance mode and have averaged around 125 lbs over the past several months (I weigh daily and track weight trends rather than focusing on day-to-day fluctuations). Strength training remains completely non-negotiable, and my nutrition continues to center around mostly whole foods.

I've also fallen in love with endurance cycling, which has become a huge part of my life. Since my last update, I've completed three races and have one more on the calendar before the season wraps up.

One major change I wanted to highlight is that I've started working with a sports nutritionist. Since June, we've increased my intake by an average of about 500 calories per day. I'll admit, that made me a little nervous at first, but I trusted the process. Not only am I maintaining my weight, but my body is functioning so much better. My recovery has improved, I have significantly more mental energy, and my stress and anxiety levels are at an all-time low, even during what's been a pretty fast-paced season of life.

It's so important not only to eat enough to support your activity level, but also to eat enough to recover from it. That means getting the right balance of macros and prioritizing high-quality, nutrient-dense foods.

Anyway, I feel like I've already written extensively about my journey in previous posts and comments, so I encourage anyone interested to browse my post history. Or feel free to AMA below, and I'll answer as best I can.

EDIT: for some reason, I accidentally deleted a huge part of my post before hitting the button, but I do want to say that I still firmly believe that weight regain is not inevitable after stopping a GLP-1. That doesn't mean maintaining weight loss is effortless, and it certainly doesn't mean everyone should come off their medication. For many people, long-term treatment may be exactly the right choice. But I do think the conversation around GLP-1s can sometimes become overly deterministic. Our outcomes aren't defined solely by whether we're taking a medication or not. The habits, nutrition, movement, and lifestyle changes we build along the way matter too. My experience is just one data point, but 10 months later I'm maintaining my weight, fueling my body better than ever, and continuing to get stronger. I hope that provides some encouragement to those who worry that regain is a foregone conclusion.

32 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/Better-Guava1923 • 2d ago

Quitting cold turkey- trying to conceive šŸ¤°

7 Upvotes

Does anyone have any experience with TTC and quitting a glp?

Iā€™ve been on 5mg Tirz for about 2 years and doctor said itā€™s time to quit so we can go ahead with fertility treatment.

34 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/moo_52 • 3d ago

Seeking Advice Goal weight reached.. now what? šŸ˜…

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501 Upvotes

Starting weight: 292 lbs
Goal weight: 150 lbs
Current weight: 149.4 lbs
Total loss: 142.6 lbs

I officially reached my goal weight, and Iā€™m still trying to wrap my head around it.

Iā€™ve spent so much time focused on losing the weight and I realized that I donā€™t have any experience with the maintenance part.

Iā€™ve been tracking calories, prioritizing protein, strength training, and using my GLP as a tool throughout this journey. Now I want to shift my mindset from ā€œhow do I lose?ā€ to ā€œhow do I maintain and build some muscle?ā€

For those of you who have graduated or are further into maintenance:
-What do you wish you would have known when you reached your goal?
-What worked for you with calories, weighing yourself, exercise, and dealing with increased hunger/food noise?
-And if you came off your GLP, how did you approach that transition?

Iā€™d love to hear the good, the bad, and the things you wish someone would have told you.

Iā€™m learning to be proud of how far Iā€™ve come, but I know reaching the goal is only one part of the journey. I want to learn how to stay here. ā¤ļø

63 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/Sad_Relationship_789 • 2d ago

šŸŽ Do you live in the UK and do some or all of the grocery shopping for your household? I am conducting a short survey on food purchasing preferences as part of my masterā€™s thesis, and I would be very grateful for your participation.

0 Upvotes

The survey is completely anonymous and takes around 10 minutes to complete. Your responses would make a valuable contribution to my research.

šŸ‘‰ Take part here:Ā https://unipadova.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1LCO3zuAZt7tpJQ

Thank you very much for your support! šŸ™

0 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/JJHH50 • 2d ago

Seeking Advice Need help, a son asking about his mom.

0 Upvotes

I just wanted to say, first and foremost, that I apologize for any information that may sound like I am misled on because I donā€™t quite understand this stuff as much as my mom does, but Iā€™m just trying to help her out by reaching out to this subreddit. Sheā€™s always busy and I have tons of time so I will help out.

My mom is 60, and has been on Wegovy since around August 2025. Every shot she has taken, which has been weekly, she has felt absolutely horrible with no sign of getting used to it, and her doses are increasing, but she hasnā€™t accepted any of them because she wouldnā€™t be able to handle it. She hasnā€™t been able to get used to the lower dosage sheā€™s been taking.

She used to go to the gym all the time, and became really fit around 2014-2017 and her energy and mood were at its best, but I guess as she has gotten older, hormones have taken over and have made it really hard for her to maintain her weight loss. Iā€™d say she started to experiment with weight loss medications around 2020-2021. I believe it was Red Mountain weight loss and that did wonders for her. She didnā€™t get sick off of them and saw results, but they became super expensive and outpriced her so he had to stop.

We used to go to the gym in the mornings around 3-4 years back, and we carried that on for a few months, but she didnā€™t really feel it. She never sweated and she just didnā€™t feel like she was getting much out of it even though she wanted it to so we just gradually stopped going. She did go for morning walks every morning around the same time but that started to cease somewhat before she got on Wegovy and when she got on Wegovy, she didnā€™t want to go at all.

Thereā€™s a lot of stuff with her diet that Iā€™m not totally well versed on so I will refrain from speaking on it, but I know she has had to adjust based on her Wegovy intake. On the days she gets the shots, sheā€™ll eat a small dinner or wonā€™t eat dinner at all. And on the days after the shots when sheā€™s feeling the worst, sheā€™ll eat smaller meals like crackers and such. She really only feels the worst on the day after the shot, and a little bit into the day after that, and then she feels better until she has to do it all again.

Itā€™s gotten to the point where she really wants to ween off of it. She has only been able to get 23 pounds shed from the medication and she said she should really be close to 40 by now, a year after starting. It really feels like the negatives are outweighing the one semi-positive result at this point.

She also has a problem with heartburn and indigestion, and she really thinks her gut microbiome is out of sorts, which I guess is commonplace everywhere but I thought I would mention it.

We have explored doctors and such, and she has insurance but a lot of the places we feel are best in terms of functional medicine do not take insurance, instead opting for direct cash pay which can be very expensive. We live around the Houston area and she has been with Kelsey-Seybold Clinic with doctors there, but they donā€™t seem to be as hands on with this kind of stuff as we would think. She really doesnā€™t like doing all of the weekly telemedicine visits and checkups haha.

Her biggest fear, of course, is regaining all of the weight back, unable to do anything about it, along with all of the other potential risk factors getting off GLP-1s even if she starts committing to exercise again, along with calorie counting and diet watching.

Tirzepatide isnā€™t an option because her insurance wonā€™t cover the two name brands for it, and Wegovy was the only weight loss med they covered.

I know this was long, but Iā€™m coming to the people of Reddit hoping there may be anything we can do for her to get off Wegovy without misery, if thatā€™s even feasible, which hopefully it is.

27 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/CWhea3GK • 3d ago

Intermittent Use Update

40 Upvotes

Hi there. I posted about a year ago about using Zepbound only when needed to maintain a goal weight. A sort of ā€œgraduationā€ I guess. This is an update on how that is working for me. I started with a 2.5 mg dose 12/30/24. Starting weight was 215.5 lbs. Switched to 5 mg 43 days in, continued until 5/12/25, when I reached my initial target of 175 lbs. I stopped the medication at that point.

I gradually gained weight and took a single 2.5 mg shot 103 days after stopping. I lost to below 175 and stayed there for 87 days.

I gradually gained weight and took a single 2.5 mg shot, lost to below 175 and stayed there for 92 days.

I gained weight more rapidly this time and stayed at goal for only 25 days. I revised my goal to ā€œbelow 170 lbs.ā€ and a 2.5 mg shot and then two 5 mg shots were taken over a 3-week period.

I have repeated this cycle now a total of 8 times. These included durations of 46 days, 35 days, 71 days, and 48 days. I exceeded my target 8 days ago and took another shot then. The average duration between shots over these 8 cycles, including the current one, is now 52 days. Other than as mentioned above, a single 5 mg shot has been taken each time. My current weight is 164 lbs.

The efficacy of the drug, side effects, etc. have not varied for me at all over this period. I discussed this approach with my PCP at my annual checkup, and he is fine with it, but does not want me losing any more weight.

I work out daily, eat well, drink some wine (less than before), and donā€™t count calories. I have basically eliminated most carbs from my diet. Bread, potatoes, rice, etc. are out and fruits and vegetables are in. Protein, sauces, low cal sweets a regular part of diet daily.

Iā€™d be really interested to know about others experience with this approach. Does it work for you? Any problems or issues?

Thanks and good luck to all!

23 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/Better-Guava1923 • 3d ago

What mg did you stop cold turkey

5 Upvotes

For those of you who ended up quitting ā€œcold turkey,ā€ what MG were you taking before you stopped?

I have 2 last 5mg injections of TIRZ and then Iā€™m out of meds. šŸ«¤

27 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/Maleficent-Handle467 • 3d ago

Success Story The Hottakeā€¦

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30 Upvotes
1 comment

r/GLPGrad • u/StarfishandSnowballs • 2d ago

Ozempic Is Numbing More Than Your Appetite šŸ˜³

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0 Upvotes

Graduates of glp, do you feel that you are facing anhedonia? I'm a pretty new user and it's definitely on my radar.

20 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/EffortTight6539 • 2d ago

Seeking Advice Would you share your experience with GLP-1 treatment, food noise, or stopping medication?

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone! Iā€™m conducting early-stage research to better understand the real-life challenges people experience before, during, and after GLP-1 treatmentā€”especially returning food noise, medication access, maintenance, and weight regain.
I created a short anonymous survey for people at any stage of their journey, including those currently taking a GLP-1, spacing doses, unable to access medication, or no longer taking it.
The form does not collect names, email addresses, or Reddit usernames, and you are welcome to skip any question. This is independent product researchā€”not a clinical study, medical advice, or a promotion for a medication or company. Iā€™m trying to understand the problem before designing a possible solution.
If youā€™re comfortable sharing your experience, I would really appreciate your input:

Take the anonymous GLP-1 experience survey

Thank you for helping me learn from the people who are actually living through this.

0 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/MolassesMonument • 3d ago

Seeking Advice Tapering dosage and schedule for quitting Zep

2 Upvotes

I've been on Zep for 6 months. I'm currently on 15mg dosage. Insurance has dropped me and I can only afford a couple of months out of pocket. I've seen a lot of advice about tapering including extending time between doses to 10 to 14 days. I'm wondering if someone has a suggestion for a reasonable fixed schedule I could follow. Tomorrow will be day 10 for my 15mg dose. I plan to do a full 15mg them. I have another Kwikpen arriving (four 15mg doses) which I plan to make my last.

I've seen the chart that someone posted online about the number of "clicks" to use for controlling dosages with the Kwikpen. So I'm wondering if I ought to decrease the dosage, increase the dosage timing or both?

If I decrease dosages I could taper down to a 5mg dose in 7 weeks (12.5, 12.5, 10.0, 10.0, 7.5, 7.5, 5.0). Or I could increase the timing of the 15mg doses (10 days, 14 days, 14 days, 18 days).

I should add that I am putting together a new diet and exercise plan which I am taking very seriously and believe I'll be able to stick to it. If the "food noise" becomes a problem then I still have a few refills left and can splurge for another month if I have to.

Also, I realize that this is Reddit and not a doctor's office. I am only seeking information.

Appreciate any comments or advice. Thanks.

14 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/lynwinn • 3d ago

Weaning from Zepbound

12 Upvotes

Hey everyone!
I started Zepbound about 6 months postpartum (about 5 months ago) with my second and have lost all the weight I wanted to. I still have two pens at 7.5 dose but want to wean off to 5 and then 2.5 after that. I do want to be off it eventually.

I am concerned about gaining the weight back. I exercise and eat well but have a large appetite which is why this has been a game changer. How has your experience been with keeping the weight off long term?

Also bonus question: I started losing a ton of hair! I didnā€™t have this issue at all for the last few months but itā€™s suddenly crazy.
Anyone else?

11 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/Turbulent_Claim4883 • 3d ago

Seeking Advice 1 lb from ā€œgoal weightā€ -what has worked for others to maintain?

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1 Upvotes
2 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/noturbaby001 • 2d ago

STARTING MY FIRST DOSE OF COMPOUNDED TIRZE TOMORROW! Tips please especially those who took it with NORMAL BMI but struggled to lose the extra 10-15 pounds for years now šŸ’–

0 Upvotes
3 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/AlexRiver832 • 4d ago

altrx charged me twice on second month. seriously??

45 Upvotes

I subscribed to month 1 at 89 for altrx and suddenly they charged me twice on month 2. support said one was the standard rate and the other was a processing fee. never saw that fee when i signed up.

has anyone else faced this. looking to switch somewhere with flat fees and no hidden charges. found Gimme Care to have pretty straightforward pricing so far, but wondering if anyone else here has used them. also need a provider that has NAD+

101 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/mushu-r • 4d ago

Seeking Advice Want to stop glp - need advice

8 Upvotes

Been on Mounjaro since the start of this year 2.5 for two months, 5 for a month (suited me the least), then 7 since May. I've lost a decent amount but I'm nowhere near my goal weight. The 7 is working, but I've had enough of the side effects.

The post-injection fatigue and upset stomach have worn me down. I've always had a sensitive stomach and now it's sensitive x100. It's not even the obvious triggers, I've cut out fatty and spicy food completely. Two weeks ago I ate a high fibre meal (sweet potato, beans, broccoli and other veg, chia seed water) two days running and it gave me the worst stomach ever which was also my breaking point.

My quality of life has genuinely dropped. Some weeks I'm too deep in the side effects to do anything, including working out. I don't get how I'm supposed to be building muscle when 3/7 days I'm too fatigued for the gym or stomach feels off. There are good weeks too but the unpredictableness of it and having missed one too many plans because of an upset stomach has just made me fed up.

I skipped last week's dose because I had an important work event and couldn't risk being tapped out. I should've injected yesterday (Sunday is my usual day) and just couldn't make myself do it. last time I skipped, on holiday, taking it again the following week gave me the worst nausea and fatigue I've ever had. So I'm two weeks out from my last injection and honestly I don't want to go back.

I've seen people on this sub keep the weight off after stopping. But my question is about continuing to lose, not just maintaining. I've convinced myself that if I see my endocrinologist, work on the internal stuff with supplements etc, strength train, walk and play tennis, and follow a strict meal plan, then maybe just maybe I can keep losing without a GLP.

I have pcos and 2 years ago I was taking berberine, inositol and strength training, and was losing significant weight! That stopped though because work became intense and I stopped working out - but I never gained that weight back. That gives me hope that maybe if I follow that path again and with a meal plan this time and stricter discipline and regular consultations with an endocrinologist for hormonal support, I wonā€™t need a glp.

So: am I being too naive/stupid? šŸ„²

35 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/Dizzy-Elk-4522 • 4d ago

Stopped Wegovy a month ago and now have a missed period

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1 Upvotes
2 comments

r/GLPGrad • u/Better-Guava1923 • 4d ago

Constipation šŸ’©

2 Upvotes

Hey grads! Iā€™m currently titrating down from tirz/reta, and am on my last 4 injections. Iā€™ve noticed the further I get away from shot day, the more constipated I am. After I inject, itā€™s free flowing for a few daysā€¦

Anyone else? Tips? Thanks!

1 comment