I'm a Weight Loss NP and This One Habit Helps Patients Maintain Results After Stopping Ozempic

Losing weight can feel like a full-time job to many individuals. It's a journey filled with hard work, dedication, and consistency. Achieving success after a long, hard road is well-deserved, and the life changes it brings are exciting. But before you pop the champagne, it's important to know that maintaining your new weight can be just as challenging.

Having a game plan to avoid putting any weight back on is essential. This is why we spoke with Katie Sorensen, Nurse Practitioner, Weight Loss NP, LLC. Sorensen recommends four habits that help patients maintain their results after stopping Ozempic, so listen up and take notes.

It's crucial for patients to adopt healthy, sustainable eating and living patterns so they can soak up long-term benefits of weight loss while decreasing the risk of chronic issues.

"Using the assistance Ozempic gives them during their active weight loss journey to lay down sustainable long term habits they will continue when off the medication is essential for keeping weight off once stopping a GLP-1, like Ozempic," Sorensen tells us. "That said, GLP-1 meds are approved for long-term weight maintenance and while some people are able to stop their GLP-1 med without regaining significant amounts of weight, some people will need long-term support of the medication to maintain their healthy weight."

According to Sorensen, a lighter body torches fewer calories at rest compared to a heavier body.

"Even if your weight loss was necessary and healthy, your 'metabolism' will decrease with weight loss," Sorensen says. "This is part of the reason weight can be difficult to keep off. To mitigate this, increasing your muscle mass by doing resistance exercise is the healthiest and most straightforward way to keep your resting metabolic rate higher after weight loss."

Maintaining the healthy eating patterns you did when taking GLP-1 meds is key to keeping excess pounds at bay. In addition, continue to be mindful of portion sizes and snacking habits.

"I suggest writing down a lifestyle outline to help you accurately reflect on these things and stick to them when you come off a GLP-1," Sorensen tells us. "I feel strongly these healthy lifestyle habits should be put in place while on a GLP-1, to then just be continued when a person comes off it, instead of a person feeling like they need an overhaul when they come off their med."

Building and maintaining muscle mass is essential to ensure your metabolism stays in high gear, while helping you avoid rebound weight gain.

"Muscle is a metabolic machine that burns through our blood sugar, even at rest. Having a steady blood sugar is another key for maintaining a healthy weight," Sorensen explains.

Performing regular resistance training is the name of the game, whether utilizing just your body weight or working with free weights/machines.

​​If you're curious about what else GLP-1s can do, check out 5 Surprising Health Benefits of GLP-1 Drugs That Have Nothing to Do With Weight Loss.