Staying on a GLP-1 After Losing Weight: How Do You Decide What Comes Next?

In this episode of Life During and After GLP-1, I’m joined by Jennifer to talk about her personal experience with GLP-1 medication, from the decision to start through weight loss, side effects, rebuilding muscle, and eventually reaching the question of what comes next.

Jennifer shares how her fitness routine changed during COVID, how weight regain eventually led her to begin researching weight loss medications, and what happened when the cost and availability of name-brand medication created another obstacle.

We talk about her experience using compounded medication, how quickly she noticed changes in how much she could eat, and some of the tradeoffs she experienced along the way. While she didn’t deal with many of the commonly discussed gastrointestinal side effects, she did notice changes in the foods she could comfortably eat, along with hair loss and significant muscle loss.

That loss of strength eventually became a turning point.

Jennifer shares what happened when she returned to strength-focused group workouts, how much stronger she feels now, and why rebuilding muscle became an important part of her life after losing more than 50 pounds.

We also get into something that may become one of the biggest questions for people as GLP-1 use continues to evolve.

What happens once you have lost the weight and feel good where you are?

Jennifer is now navigating the balance between staying on a maintenance dose and wondering whether she eventually wants to stop taking the medication. We talk about the fear of weight regain, her continued relationship with the scale, rebuilding strength, food noise, and the mental side of deciding what maintenance should actually look like.

Most importantly, this is Jennifer’s experience. GLP-1 journeys can look very different from person to person, and her advice for anyone considering medication is simple. Do your research, understand where your medication is coming from, and work with qualified healthcare professionals who can appropriately oversee your care.

If you have comments, questions, or your own thoughts about this episode, you can always email me at Daryl@YourLevelFitness.com.