Are reta and other weight loss drugs meant to be long term use? Whats it like coming off them?

[bockscar]

So im a bit older and got on reta to jump start my weight loss with plans for a 3-6 month cycle before stopping use and just maintaining a lower daily calorie intake than I was eating before I got on the reta. I understand it's going to be hard, but I think it's doable. BUT I dont know what it's like after getting off reta. Is it a lot tougher than I am expecting? Food noise was never too bad....except for weekends. Weekends ruin me and the reta has really helped with that.

Also, are reta and the rest of these weight loss drugs meant to be used long term...or potentially even for life? I cant imagine the answer is yes to the permanent one...but im wondering if maybe 1-3 or even 5 years on is how doctors prescribe these drugs?

 

[lessthanhalf]

The relevant questions are how overweight are you ?, and have you lost weight before and put it back on?

If you have significant obesity, and especially obesity with health consequences, like diabetes, pre diabetes, high blood pressure, high lipids, heart disease, even osteoarthritis, there are very good arguments to just stay on it long term, for the health benefits in the long term both from the drug itself and it weight loss effects.

The sad reality is most people who lose weight by any method, will put the weight back on if you stop doing whatever caused you to lose the weight, glp drugs included, GLP drugs are so far the best method of keeping weight off long term that has ever existed, except bariatric surgery.

Trying to stick to a calorie restricted diet to maintain weight loss is difficult, weight loss makes you hungrier, and weight loss makes you use less calories just to exist, and you need to maintain a less than average calorie intake to maintain the weight loss, which is hard. GLP drugs make this less hard, especially over the longer term.

I think in 5 or 10 years , once they are cheaper and preferably tablets rather than injections, Doctors are going to be wanting half their patients on them, and on them long term, like blood pressure pills or statins to prevent long term health problems caused by obesity with the bonus effect of making you lose weight.

 

[Gr33dyOctopus]

The relevant questions are how overweight are you ?, and have you lost weight before and put it back on?

If you have significant obesity, and especially obesity with health consequences, like diabetes, pre diabetes, high blood pressure, high lipids, heart disease, even osteoarthritis, there are very good arguments to just stay on it long term, for the health benefits in the long term both from the drug itself and it weight loss effects.

The sad reality is most people who lose weight by any method, will put the weight back on if you stop doing whatever caused you to lose the weight, glp drugs included, GLP drugs are so far the best method of keeping weight off long term that has ever existed, except bariatric surgery.

Trying to stick to a calorie restricted diet to maintain weight loss is difficult, weight loss makes you hungrier, and weight loss makes you use less calories just to exist, and you need to maintain a less than average calorie intake to maintain the weight loss, which is hard. GLP drugs make this less hard, especially over the longer term.

I think in 5 or 10 years , once they are cheaper and preferably tablets rather than injections, Doctors are going to be wanting half their patients on them, and on them long term, like blood pressure pills or statins to prevent long term health problems caused by obesity with the bonus effect of making you lose weight.

Real talk.

 

[Zelmar702]

Weight Maintenance after GLP-1 RA Withdrawal Exposes Critical Research Gaps

Experts share methods and questions for sustainable weight management with GLP-1 receptor agonists.

www.medcentral.com

 

[domin8brix]

So everything I've read indicates that you really are not supposed to just stop taking them, you're just supposed to titrate down to a much lower maintenance dose. These things alter your metabolism, in addition to the food noise and appetite suppression. Going off of them will basically yank that control away, and when you gain weight back, it will make restarting the meds significantly less effective, you'll need much more to get back to where you were.

 

[bockscar]

The relevant questions are how overweight are you ?, and have you lost weight before and put it back on?

If you have significant obesity, and especially obesity with health consequences, like diabetes, pre diabetes, high blood pressure, high lipids, heart disease, even osteoarthritis, there are very good arguments to just stay on it long term, for the health benefits in the long term both from the drug itself and it weight loss effects.

The sad reality is most people who lose weight by any method, will put the weight back on if you stop doing whatever caused you to lose the weight, glp drugs included, GLP drugs are so far the best method of keeping weight off long term that has ever existed, except bariatric surgery.

Trying to stick to a calorie restricted diet to maintain weight loss is difficult, weight loss makes you hungrier, and weight loss makes you use less calories just to exist, and you need to maintain a less than average calorie intake to maintain the weight loss, which is hard. GLP drugs make this less hard, especially over the longer term.

I think in 5 or 10 years , once they are cheaper and preferably tablets rather than injections, Doctors are going to be wanting half their patients on them, and on them long term, like blood pressure pills or statins to prevent long term health problems caused by obesity with the bonus effect of making you lose weight.

I started at 260 at 5'7''. i was 238 this morning.

What im hoping/planning is to get to 180-200 and just using discipline to maintain, then when/if i get a little undisciplined run another 3ish month cycle to get on track. I finally caved and decided to run the reta/try peptides because im getting older and i feel like im at an age crossroads where I have to get healthy or else the bad stuff will start happening and i might be FORCED to, i.e. diabetes likely due to genetics and potentially also heart issues due to being fat.

I worry about long term side effects and dont want what Im doing to help my older years, end up harming me worse. I know i can just rawdog it with no peptides...but its hard to stay disciplined, especially with my new job...so the reta is really a game changer, even at the small doses im taking. Do you think that "maintenance cycle" idea makes this more acheivable about not being on these for life?

 

[bockscar]

Weight Maintenance after GLP-1 RA Withdrawal Exposes Critical Research Gaps

Experts share methods and questions for sustainable weight management with GLP-1 receptor agonists.

www.medcentral.com

hell yea! GREAT read and answers a lot! Looks like titrating down to zero is gonna be an absolute and i hadnt planned for this....so thank you for posting!!!

 

[bockscar]

So everything I've read indicates that you really are not supposed to just stop taking them, you're just supposed to titrate down to a much lower maintenance dose. These things alter your metabolism, in addition to the food noise and appetite suppression. Going off of them will basically yank that control away, and when you gain weight back, it will make restarting the meds significantly less effective, you'll need much more to get back to where you were.

Do you by any chance have any citations you could point me to about the whole "titrate down to a much lower maintenance dose" because i havent read about that....and i actually worry about that with reta. ive had a day or 2 where i felt like i ate what i burnt for the day...and i still lost weight, so I can definitely see that whole "alter your metabolism" think making sense and being the deal with these drugs. I definitely need to study on these aspects more if they are the case

 

[indolent]

They're a medical workaround to an unsolved health problem. Like eyeglasses for myopia. Drive safely.

 

[bockscar]

They're a medical workaround to an unsolved health problem. Like eyeglasses for myopia. Drive safely.

did i do something wrong?

 

[Smiter]

Do you by any chance have any citations you could point me to about the whole "titrate down to a much lower maintenance dose" because i havent read about that....and i actually worry about that with reta. ive had a day or 2 where i felt like i ate what i burnt for the day...and i still lost weight, so I can definitely see that whole "alter your metabolism" think making sense and being the deal with these drugs. I definitely need to study on these aspects more if they are the case

This is @lessthanhalf 's area of expertise, and when someone named @domin8brix talks about control, I would listen. Frankly, I hate the idea of being on a drug forever, but if you look at it strategically, a low maintenance dose is far better than losing all the hard-earned gains due to a hormonal maladaptation. And mind you, obesity is a worsening maladaptation where, every regain makes the problem worse.

Tactically, it makes prudent sense to do two things. Recomp your body using GLP's to get myokines to counter the leptin and insulin resistance, while using maintenance doses until the 'final solution' arrives. Comorbidities are an accursed thing.

 

[domin8brix]

Do you by any chance have any citations you could point me to about the whole "titrate down to a much lower maintenance dose" because i havent read about that....and i actually worry about that with reta. ive had a day or 2 where i felt like i ate what i burnt for the day...and i still lost weight, so I can definitely see that whole "alter your metabolism" think making sense and being the deal with these drugs. I definitely need to study on these aspects more if they are the case

Stopping GLP-1 drugs can quickly erase cardiovascular benefits | WashU Medicine

Even brief interruption of GLP-1 treatment tied to change in risk of heart attack, stroke and death, WashU Medicine researchers find.

medicine.washu.edu

https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/stopping-and-restarting-glp1s-may-make-it-less-effective

GLP-1 Series: What Happens When You Quit?

Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1) like Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Mounjaro®, and Zepbound® have become household names in the conversation around weight loss.

www.legacycommunityhealth.org

Weaning off a GLP-1? Tips for the transition - Harvard Health

Stopping a GLP-1 weight-loss drug can bring challenges. Learn what to expect and how lifestyle habits can help maintain your results....

www.health.harvard.edu

What Happens When Patients Stop Taking GLP-1 Drugs? New Cleveland Clinic Study Reveals Real World Insights

Analysis of nearly 8,000 adults found 45% keep the weight off after one year

newsroom.clevelandclinic.org

How to maintain weight loss from a GLP-1

www.vcuhealth.org

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2812936

Mapping the effectiveness and risks of GLP-1 receptor agonists - Nature Medicine

An atlas of the associations between the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and 175 health outcomes reports the effectiveness and risks of GLP-1RAs compared with other antihyperglycemic medications, such as sulfonylureas, DPP4 inhibitors and SGLT2 inhibitors.

www.nature.com

Continued Treatment With Tirzepatide for Maintenance of Weight Reduction in Adults With Obesity: The SURMOUNT-4 Randomized Clinical Trial - PubMed

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04660643.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/journal-scans/2025/12/09/16/51/surmount-4

What Happens When You Stop GLP-1?

What happens when you stop taking GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy? Learn what happens to your body and why stopping medication can lead to weight regain.

www.centerforweightlosssurgery.com

 

[Smiter]

did i do something wrong?

No, my fellow Sloth was making an analogy of GLP's being comparable to eyeglasses for shortsightedness. You use it to maintain your freedom from the clutches of obesity until the real bullet arrives to take it out.

 

[indolent]

did i do something wrong?

Not at all

 

[BNLFL]

So im a bit older and got on reta to jump start my weight loss with plans for a 3-6 month cycle before stopping use and just maintaining a lower daily calorie intake than I was eating before I got on the reta. I understand it's going to be hard, but I think it's doable. BUT I dont know what it's like after getting off reta. Is it a lot tougher than I am expecting? Food noise was never too bad....except for weekends. Weekends ruin me and the reta has really helped with that.

Also, are reta and the rest of these weight loss drugs meant to be used long term...or potentially even for life? I cant imagine the answer is yes to the permanent one...but im wondering if maybe 1-3 or even 5 years on is how doctors prescribe these drugs?

How old? I'm likely older, and have been on Reta since the first of the year and plan to never stop until I have to. My supply will back that up.

 

[Habibibi]

Do you by any chance have any citations you could point me to about the whole "titrate down to a much lower maintenance dose" because i havent read about that....and i actually worry about that with reta. ive had a day or 2 where i felt like i ate what i burnt for the day...and i still lost weight, so I can definitely see that whole "alter your metabolism" think making sense and being the deal with these drugs. I definitely need to study on these aspects more if they are the case

As long as you know that there's a great chance you will regain some of the weight at a lower dose.

 

[Habibibi]

So im a bit older and got on reta to jump start my weight loss with plans for a 3-6 month cycle before stopping use and just maintaining a lower daily calorie intake than I was eating before I got on the reta. I understand it's going to be hard, but I think it's doable. BUT I dont know what it's like after getting off reta. Is it a lot tougher than I am expecting? Food noise was never too bad....except for weekends. Weekends ruin me and the reta has really helped with that.

Also, are reta and the rest of these weight loss drugs meant to be used long term...or potentially even for life? I cant imagine the answer is yes to the permanent one...but im wondering if maybe 1-3 or even 5 years on is how doctors prescribe these drugs?

All the GLP1 trials show weigth regain after discontinuation for the vast majority of people.

 

[bockscar]

This is @lessthanhalf 's area of expertise, and when someone named @domin8brix talks about control, I would listen. Frankly, I hate the idea of being on a drug forever, but if you look at it strategically, a low maintenance dose is far better than losing all the hard-earned gains due to a hormonal maladaptation. And mind you, obesity is a worsening maladaptation where, every regain makes the problem worse.

Tactically, it makes prudent sense to do two things. Recomp your body using GLP's to get myokines to counter the leptin and insulin resistance, while using maintenance doses until the 'final solution' arrives. Comorbidities are an accursed thing.

Its sad that asking for citations to read is taken negatively. Trust but verify isnt a bad thing and i didnt come in here to tell other people they dont know what theyre talking about, its the literal opposite. I came in here to reduce my learning curve.

 

[bockscar]

Stopping GLP-1 drugs can quickly erase cardiovascular benefits | WashU Medicine

Even brief interruption of GLP-1 treatment tied to change in risk of heart attack, stroke and death, WashU Medicine researchers find.

medicine.washu.edu

https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/stopping-and-restarting-glp1s-may-make-it-less-effective

GLP-1 Series: What Happens When You Quit?

Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1) like Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Mounjaro®, and Zepbound® have become household names in the conversation around weight loss.

www.legacycommunityhealth.org

Weaning off a GLP-1? Tips for the transition - Harvard Health

Stopping a GLP-1 weight-loss drug can bring challenges. Learn what to expect and how lifestyle habits can help maintain your results....

www.health.harvard.edu

What Happens When Patients Stop Taking GLP-1 Drugs? New Cleveland Clinic Study Reveals Real World Insights

Analysis of nearly 8,000 adults found 45% keep the weight off after one year

newsroom.clevelandclinic.org

How to maintain weight loss from a GLP-1

www.vcuhealth.org

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2812936

Mapping the effectiveness and risks of GLP-1 receptor agonists - Nature Medicine

An atlas of the associations between the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and 175 health outcomes reports the effectiveness and risks of GLP-1RAs compared with other antihyperglycemic medications, such as sulfonylureas, DPP4 inhibitors and SGLT2 inhibitors.

www.nature.com

Continued Treatment With Tirzepatide for Maintenance of Weight Reduction in Adults With Obesity: The SURMOUNT-4 Randomized Clinical Trial - PubMed

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04660643.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/journal-scans/2025/12/09/16/51/surmount-4

What Happens When You Stop GLP-1?

What happens when you stop taking GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy? Learn what happens to your body and why stopping medication can lead to weight regain.

www.centerforweightlosssurgery.com

helllll yea! Thank you and gonna read those when i get off in a few and apologies if you took any offense to my request. im just here trying to learn and I think to really get a decent understanding you should absorb material and not just parrot what folks who know more than you say. Im just like that with everything, so my apologies if it came off the wrong way which I didnt even think of until i read that reply that eluded to it

 

[joseblo]

Its sad that asking for citations to read is taken negatively. Trust but verify isnt a bad thing and i didnt come in here to tell other people they dont know what theyre talking about, its the literal opposite. I came in here to reduce my learning curve.

I'm on Tirz maintenance which is about half what I pinned during weight loss. I don't expect to come off of it, because I expect the food noise would return, and even if I can "power through it", I don't want to. I haven't had to adjust my dose significantly to maintain weight for the last year. I doubt yo-yoing is a good idea in any case.

The reports I've read of keeping off weight loss on GLP1s (not really Reta), are that you want to give your body time to acclimatize to the new weight. That's about a year, and even then without huge lifestyle changes it's very difficult to keep it off. I have no doubt that my A1C, insulin insensitivity, and carb rebound cravings would come back in no time. Unless there's some breakthrough it's probably lifetime for me. Note that for diabetics GLP1s have been lifetime as well (so far ~15-20yrs).