Keeping weight off after Mounjaro: Tips for long-term success

You look in the mirror and you can't quite believe your eyes. It's finally happened — all the time and effort you've put into yourself and your health has paid off. You feel a deep sense of pride as you notice your clothes fitting comfortably, your energy levels soaring and the compliments flowing in.

But, at the same time, there's something else — a sense of fear lingering in the background. You've worked so hard for this, and you feel apprehensive about it being taken away from you.

This worry is likely more prevalent if you've used a weight loss drug like Mounjaro in your transformation journey and have decided to stop taking it. And, it's not a completely unfounded fear, as research shows many patients gain back some weight within a year [1].

Thankfully, despite what you may have heard, it is possible to maintain your new healthy weight for life — even after you finish taking the medication. Read on to learn how to avoid gaining the weight back after stopping Mounjaro, while still enjoying your life.

How do you transition off of Mounjaro?

There are several reasons you might decide to stop taking Mounjaro, even if it's working well for you. Maybe you've hit your goal weight and don't feel like you need it anymore. Or, perhaps you've been experiencing side effects like nausea and want to give your body a break.

In any case, it's important to have a strategy when it comes to stopping Mounjaro. Ideally, you don't want to stop taking it cold turkey, especially if you're already on the highest dose. Instead, it's best to work with a medical professional (such as your Juniper team) on a tapering schedule.

This will see you slowly lower your dose every few weeks (the opposite of what you did when you first started taking it) until you reach zero. This gradual approach will help reduce the risk of rebound symptoms, including weight regain [2].

It's also important to note that you can't use Mounjaro interchangeably with other weight loss medications like Wegovy. If you're switching medications, you'll also need to follow a tapering schedule — dialing back your medication, then starting from scratch with the new one, gradually working your way up.

This is especially crucial when it comes to Mounjaro, as it has a different active ingredient (tirzepatide) from some other weight loss medications that use semaglutide.

How much weight do people gain back after stopping Mounjaro?

There's no rule to say you absolutely will experience weight gain after stopping Mounjaro — and it certainly won't be immediate! In fact, research shows the medication can stay in your system for up to 30 days after your final dose [3]. So, you may find your appetite remains blunted for quite some time afterwards.

However, it must be acknowledged that without a solid game plan, weight regain is common after stopping Mounjaro. Clinical studies show that many people gain about two-thirds of the weight they lost after Mounjaro within a year [4].

Plus, research published in JAMA found that participants who discontinued the medication regained about 6% of lost weight over a year, while those who stayed on the medication maintained or continued losing weight [5]. This is similar to what has been seen with other weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy.

Interestingly, some people also find that they gain back weight in different areas from where they originally stored it.

So, if you're someone who typically stores weight in your legs and buttocks, you might find you instead store it on your stomach or arms this time around. This is due to a combination of hormonal and metabolic health factors, as well as changes in body composition related to muscle loss or gain.

Why do people regain weight after stopping weight loss medication?

There are several reasons people go back to their original weight (and in some cases, a higher weight) after stopping Mounjaro. The first is that they simply go back to eating more.

Mounjaro helps you lose weight by mimicking 2 natural hormones in the gut, GIP and GLP-1. These play an important role in weight management by sending signals to the brain that you are full and satisfied [6]. As a result, people taking Mounjaro typically feel fuller on smaller portions of food. They also tend to experience fewer cravings and general 'food noise'.

When you stop taking Mounjaro, this behavioural mechanism stops after a while. In the best-case scenario, you'll have retrained your tastebuds and reset your body's set weight, so you no longer find yourself reaching for the same unhealthy foods or eating the same-sized portions as you once did.

In this scenario, you'll likely find you're able to maintain your results. But, if you do go back to the same eating behaviours as before, your weight likely will eventually creep back up.

Where some people also go wrong is not adjusting to their new body size. Say you started taking Mounjaro at a weight of 90 kilograms, and now weigh 70 kilograms. Initially, your basal metabolic rate (the amount your body burns at rest, without any additional exercise) may have been 1700 calories, but it is now closer to 1400 calories.

If you return to eating the number of calories before going on Mounjaro, chances are you will experience weight regain.

Another reason people regain weight after Mounjaro is a loss of muscle mass. When some people experience rapid weight loss (whether or not it's due to weight loss medication), they can also lose lean muscle in the process. The more muscle you have, the faster and more efficient your metabolism will be [7].

So, if you've lost significant muscle and aren't moving your body much, you're more likely to gain weight after stopping Mounjaro. This is why we have a strong focus on protein intake and muscle sparing in Juniper's Weight Reset Programme.

Finally, there's the blood sugar regulating effect of Mounjaro. For people who have diabetes, PCOS or insulin resistance, one of the reasons that weight loss injections work so well is that they improve their insulin sensitivity [8].

This means that their body becomes more effective at using the food they consume for fuel, rather than being stored as fat. Without this blood sugar control, some people find it harder to keep the weight off.

How to keep weight off after Mounjaro?

Now, here's the good news. At the end of the day, it wasn't Mounjaro that lost the weight, it was you. The medication just made it a little easier to stick to the lifestyle changes you committed to making.

This means that with the right approach, you can maintain weight loss — even after you stop taking the medication.

Continue your healthy lifestyle

Chances are, you picked up some helpful behaviours while taking Mounjaro. It could be swapping your nightly dessert with a herbal tea, or only ordering half-size portions at the pub. Or, maybe it's just sticking to regular exercise. While you might find your old appetite comes back eventually, that doesn't mean the old habits have to.

Eventually, these healthier habits will become ingrained and a part of you, if they're not already. Once you fully embody the identity of someone who stops eating when they're full or cooks dinner even when they're tired, your brain will stand no chance against the cravings.

Seek accountability and support

Similarly, if you found a great weight loss support system while taking Mounjaro, there's no reason that needs to stop now. Research shows that our patients lose more weight on Juniper's programme compared to taking Mounjaro alone [10].

This speaks to the power of health coaching and community in not only achieving initial weight loss, but actually keeping it off long-term. So, rally your cheer squad and make sure they help keep you on track.

Fill up, the natural way

As mentioned, one of the ways Mounjaro helps with weight loss is by keeping you full for longer. This means you can reverse engineer this effect by loading up your plates with whole foods that leave you satiated.

Non-starchy vegetables (like broccoli and leafy greens) and lean protein are examples of high-volume foods that keep you full for longer. Drinking plenty of water(before meals, and in general) and eating slowly and mindfully (read: not in front of the TV) can go a long way, too.

Track trends

There's an expression that goes "What gets measured, gets managed", and this applies to weight maintenance. You certainly don't need to weigh yourself every day, like you might have in the thick of your weight loss journey.

But, many people find that if they stop keeping track of their weight entirely, it does become easy to adopt an 'out of sight, out of mind' approach.

Consider adopting a practice of weighing or measuring yourself weekly or twice a month, at least until your weight stabilises. This can help ensure you remain on the right track, without being obsessive.

Keep your options open

There's no rule to say that taking Mounjaro has to be completely all or nothing.

Of course, you don't want to continually go on and off the medication, as that can be a lot of stress on your body. But, if you find a little help with weight maintenance later down the track (whether it's after having a baby or entering menopause), there's no reason you can't go back on it later as long as you fit the criteria. Understanding that it's just 'not now', not 'never' can help take the pressure off.

It can also help to know there are other options available to you. Some people choose to 'microdose' a very low maintenance dose, so they can still get some of the benefits long term without experiencing symptoms. Plus, there are non-prescription weight loss medications available like Alli (also known as Orlistat), which can help you maintain the results of Mounjaro.

Whether you're just starting your weight loss journey or have hit your goal and are now thinking about the future, you don't have to face these decisions alone. To learn more about how Juniper can set you up for lifelong success, take the short questionnaire here.