Weight loss jabs: What happens when you stop taking them

Effectiveness and Weight Regain

• Several commenters note that post-GLP‑1 weight regain (60–80% over a few years) resembles outcomes from most diets.
• Others argue these drugs are still a major advance because they produce more weight loss with far better adherence than dieting alone.
• Multiple anecdotes: substantial losses on Ozempic/Wegovy/Mounjaro, followed by fairly quick regain when stopping, or a slow creep (0.5–1 kg/month). Some manage on/off “cycles” to balance weight and muscle gain.

Side Effects and Body Composition

• Concerns raised about “Ozempic face” (gaunt, unhealthy look), with the counterpoint that it’s mostly rapid weight loss plus muscle loss, not the molecule per se.
• Reports that GLP‑1 use can cause significant muscle loss, potentially including cardiac muscle, which worries some commenters.
• Side effects are seen by some as under-discussed; others argue overall mortality benefits likely outweigh risks for those with obesity.

Hunger, Willpower, and Physiology

• Strong debate over whether obesity is mainly a willpower issue or a physiological/hunger disorder.
• One camp emphasizes discipline, habit change, and tolerance of discomfort; others argue hunger intensity, metabolism, and brain chemistry differ widely and make “just eat less” unrealistic for many.
• GLP‑1s are described as transforming hunger and satiety signals, sometimes for the first time in decades.
• Comparisons are made to addiction: easier to quit alcohol entirely than to practice permanent moderation with food.

Environment, Food Culture, and Stigma

• Several comments highlight an “obesogenic” environment: hyper-palatable, cheap junk food, large portions, constant cues to eat, and addictive snack design.
• There is frustration with moralizing about weight and the idea that obesity reflects laziness rather than a chronic condition.
• Others push back, warning against dismissing lifestyle change as mere “moralizing.”

Long-Term Use vs “Cure”

• Some see lifelong GLP‑1 therapy as no different from chronic blood pressure or cholesterol medication and therefore acceptable.
• Critics argue these drugs don’t fix underlying drivers (environment, mental health, physiology) and primarily suppress symptoms; effectiveness is questioned if stopping almost guarantees regain.

Alternative and Adjunct Approaches

• Mentioned strategies: low‑glycemic, high‑protein diets; intermittent fasting; quitting caffeine; strict whole-food diets; heavy exercise and calorie counting. Success is highly variable.
• Discussion of emerging duodenal resurfacing (Revita) and fasting-induced mucosal changes as potential ways to “reset” weight regulation, though long-term effects are noted as unclear.

Language and Media Framing

• Brief side thread on the term “jab” as standard British English vs grating media buzzword, reflecting annoyance with how weight-loss injections are covered in the press.