After losing weight with Semaglutide medications, how do you keep the weight off once the medication is stopped? Learn about 8 tips to help maintain your weight goals.
Semaglutide can be a helpful medication for some people to help them lose weight. This is the active ingredient inside of the brand medications Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus.
But, what do you do when you’ve used Semaglutide, reached your weight loss goals and you’re ready to stop? How do you help maintain your weight loss goals once you aren’t using Semaglutide any longer?
Below, we will cover the 8 best tips to help keep the weight off after using Semaglutide.
Semaglutide can help people feel fuller faster, reduce their appetite, and have fewer cravings. This is how it makes it easier for people to lose weight – these tough signals aren’t really there, so you don’t have to resist them.
But, once you are off the medication, your appetite and cravings are likely to return. It might help to think back to when you were on the medication, and to the portion sizes and approximate diet style you were eating then. Hopefully, these have become a bit of a habit for you, and may make it easier to identify when portion sizes are enough, or when you should probably resist that urge to have ice cream at 2am.
Even though you won’t have medicinal help to reduce your appetite. There are ways to feel fuller faster just by your foods choices.
Foods that are high in protein and/or fiber can help satisfy you faster that foods without these.
Think plenty of vegetables, and lean proteins. For a nutrition and satiation powerhouse, consider opting for plant-based proteins, which come packed with protein and fiber together (animal proteins have no fiber). Beans, tempeh, lentils, nuts, seeds, and quinoa are all great options here.
Foods that are processed from their original form or that are high in sugar can throw a wrench in your weight management efforts. These foods tend to be filled with sugar, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats. These can spike your blood sugar and pack on the pounds.
Try to steer away from white breads, pastries, crackers, cakes, candies, sugary drinks, and other highly processed items.
Often, when people lose weight, they lose some lean muscle and may dampen their metabolism in the process. Keeping you lean muscle high is important for overall health and longevity, as well as keeping your metabolism high.
To help maintain good muscle mass, you will need to employ strength training, and consume plenty of protein (see the fiber + protein plant-based suggestions above).
Getting enough sleep helps you feel good, energized, and ready for the day. But, did you know that not getting enough sleep can actually increase your risk of weight gain?
Poor sleep or not getting enough hours per night can increase your cortisol (stress hormone) levels and ramp up your carbohydrate cravings. This can lead to fat gain, especially around the midsection.
Consider a healthy sleep schedule a part of your weight maintenance routine, because it really is.
Drinking plenty of water each day can help enhance your digestion and energy levels, and help you feel your best. Also, making sure you are properly hydrated can help the process of having regular bowel movements. This is key for helping to avoid bloating, indigestion, sluggishness, and weight gain. Plenty of fiber helps out here, too.
Aim for at least 8 X 8oz cups of water a day, although some people may need more or want to drink more than this.
Trying to maintain your Semaglutide weight loss may be difficult once the appetite reduction from the medication wears off. To help maintain, employ your fitness and healthcare team to help keep you on track.
You might find that joining a running club, or employing a trainer can help you stick to a workout schedule and up your lean muscle mass. Nutritionists and therapists can also work with you to plan out a healthy way of eating, or help you work through emotional eating or craving issues.
The bottom line here, is that Semaglutide can be a great way to start you out on a sustainable weight loss journey. You may have lost weight, starting an exercise routine, and identified where you were giving into cravings or emotional eating.
But, now that the training wheels are off, try your best to still maintain those habits you formed to lose the weight in the first place. It may be a little more difficult in the beginning without the help from Semaglutide, but with practice, patience, and habit forming, you can cement these habits as part of your everyday life.
The key here is to realize that no diet or temporary way of eating can set you up for long-term health. So, don’t employ a temporary diet or workout plan, instead install sustainable lifestyle changes that you will follow from now on.
Here at Strut Health, we offer compounded Semaglutide prescriptions online in oral or injection forms.
To get started, simply complete an online questionnaire-based doctor’s consultation, and checkout. Your information will be reviewed by U.S. doctors to make sure the medication is a good fit for you, then your prescription order will be put together at a U.S. compounding pharmacy. Your medication will then be shipped to your front door with our free shipping.