01/10/2026
Rebound weight gain after stopping GLP-1s is very common and it has nothing to do with willpower.
When you come off the medication, hunger hormones (like ghrelin) rebound quickly, gastric emptying speeds back up, and appetite returns to baseline.
But after weight loss, your resting metabolic rate stays lower for a while (adaptive thermogenesis). That means you’re burning fewer calories at rest even though you feel hungrier—a biologically tough combination that makes rapid regain likely.
Your strongest protection:
• Muscle mass, which keeps metabolic rate higher
• High protein intake to preserve lean tissue and support satiety
• Stable blood sugar patterns, which reduce hunger spikes
• A gradual taper, which helps ease the shift in appetite signals
Medications can start the process, but nutrition, movement, and muscle drive long-term outcomes far more than the drug itself.