[Health Column] Maunzaro Yo-Yo: What Should You Do to Maintain Your Weight After Stopping the Medication?

 

hello, Jeon Seung-yeop, Director of Jamsil FM Clinic and Specialist in Family Medicine no see.

 

"I didn't crave snacks while taking Maunzaro, but now that I've stopped, I want to eat them again." "I succeeded in losing weight, but how should I maintain it now?" These are comments frequently heard in the clinic after patients lose weight using Maunzaro.

 

In the early stages of weight loss, you are most curious about how much weight you will lose, but as you get closer to your goal, how long you will use the medication and how to maintain your weight after stopping it become more important. Maunzaro Yo-Yo To reduce it, it is recommended to prepare a lifestyle to maintain while using the medication. This involves utilizing the time when your appetite is reduced to organize your meals and learning in advance how to respond to changes that may occur after discontinuation.

 

💡 The content covered in this article
· Reasons why appetite increases again after stopping medication
· Research results showing how much weight is regained after discontinuation
· Good eating habits and exercises to change while reducing food intake
· How to deal with weight starting to rise again

 

 

🩺 What causes you to get hungry again after stopping the medication?

While using Maunza, you may feel full with small amounts, and the frequency of seeking snacks or late-night meals may decrease. At this time, even when seeing foods you used to enjoy, you may not feel a strong urge to eat them, making it feel as though controlling your diet will not be difficult in the future.

 

However, after the interruption Hunger and interest in food may increase again. After weight loss, the amount of energy your body requires changes, so continuous management is necessary to maintain your reduced weight. Understanding these changes in advance can help you avoid panicking or blaming yourself when your appetite returns.

 

In managing the yo-yo effect with Maunzaro, it is much more practical to prepare what to eat when you are hungry and how to respond when you crave snacks, rather than aiming for the goal of "never wanting to eat again."

 

🩺 How much weight do I gain back after stopping?

Tirzepatide's SURMOUNT-4 study In this study, an average of 20.9% of body weight was lost during the first 36 weeks. The group that subsequently stopped the medication and switched to a placebo showed a weight greater than at the time of discontinuation during the following 52 weeks. Average 14.0% increase On the other hand, the group that continued treatment lost an additional 5.5% on average during the same period.

 

A key point to note from these results is the importance of continuing treatment and management even after weight loss. During consultations, a maintenance plan is established by examining how appetite and food intake have stabilized after reaching the target weight, as well as how health indicators such as blood sugar and blood pressure have changed.

 

Try weighing yourself at home under similar conditions and recording your trends. If you look at changes and eating patterns over several weeks rather than just reacting to the daily number, it becomes easier to recognize when management is needed.

 

 

🩺 What should I change while my food intake has decreased?

If you try to change all your eating habits from the start, it is difficult to sustain. After asking about your usual meals in detail, Start with one or two things that significantly affect weight I would like to inform you that I should change it.

 

If you drink alcohol frequently, reduce the frequency and amount; if you drink sugary beverages every day, switch to water or unsweetened drinks. If you habitually eat snacks or bread after meals, first examine whether you do so because you are hungry or due to fatigue or habit. Recognizing your recurring patterns in this way makes it easier to manage even after stopping the medication.

 

You should also examine the habit of skipping meals and replacing them with snacks. Even if your weight drops while using medication due to reduced overall intake, maintaining it can become difficult if the amount of snacks replacing meals increases again. It is advisable to learn how to structure meals that can be maintained in your daily life starting from the weight loss stage.

 

🩺 Can eating well help with maintenance?

For those who typically have insufficient protein intake, supplementing the composition of their meals is an important task. If you reduce your meals out of fear of weight gain and only eat small amounts of fruit or snacks, it will be difficult to ensure sufficient nutrition, and your satisfaction with meals may decrease.

 

Protein foods such as eggs, fish, tofu, and lean meat It is recommended to include this in your meals and consume vegetables along with an appropriate amount of carbohydrates. Rather than continuing to skip meals even when you are less hungry, it is necessary to practice eating regularly by finding a portion that suits you.

 

Continue walking and strength training to fit your lifestyle. Rather than starting by drastically increasing your exercise time, it is better to create a repeatable plan, such as walking to and from work or setting aside time for strength training that you can practice during the week.

 

 

🩺 What should I do if my weight starts to go up again?

When managing yo-yo with Maunza, along with weight gain Changed life It is helpful to look into this. Check if you are eating dinner late as overtime increases, if you are frequently reaching for snacks due to lack of sleep, or if weekend drinking has become more frequent again.

 

At Jamsil FM Clinic, we examine not only diet and exercise but also sleep, stress, and work patterns. If you overeat after work because you couldn't eat properly during the day, we first look for ways to ensure you eat well during the day rather than skipping dinner. If late-night snacking becomes a recurring pattern on tiring days, we adjust your lifestyle to include rest and sleep.

 

If appetite and weight gain persist, a treatment plan can be revised through a medical consultation. Depending on your health condition and response to previous treatments, continuing or resuming medication is also an option. Some individuals require medication even after reaching their target weight.

 

💡 Things to prepare in advance while using medication
· Start by changing one or two habits that have a significant impact on your weight (drinking alcohol, sugary drinks, snacking after meals)
· Do not skip meals and structure your meals with protein, vegetables, and appropriate carbohydrates
· Create a repeatable exercise plan, such as walking to and from work or doing strength training during the week
· Weigh yourself under similar conditions and record the trend over several weeks

 

 

🩺 Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. I've been thinking about food a lot since I stopped taking the medication. Has my willpower weakened?
These are changes that may occur as the effects of the medication wear off. Try recording the times when food thoughts increase and the actual amount consumed. This helps identify the situations where management becomes difficult.

 

Q2. Do you stop immediately once you reach your target weight?
Along with weight loss goals, a maintenance plan is established by examining appetite, eating patterns, and comorbidities. Even after weight loss is complete, it may be necessary to continue treatment to maintain stability.

 

Q3. If I gain weight again, can I receive counseling for re-medication?
Yes. If your appetite increases or weight gain persists, you may seek counseling. We will review previous effects, discomfort, and duration of discontinuation to determine whether to resume use and what the starting dose will be.

 

You need to prepare for your life after weight loss to maintain it for a long time.

While using Maunzaro, it would be good to reflect on "how much less you ate" as well as "what kind of meals you ate." The process of taking care of your meals, controlling repetitive snacking and drinking, and creating a lifestyle that can be maintained even on busy days forms the basis of maintenance.

 

If your appetite or weight changes after stopping, you can adjust your plan accordingly. Based on your weight loss experience, find the management that suits you best. At Jamsil FM Clinic, we will also look after your diet, lifestyle, and treatment direction following your weight loss.

 

 

Director Jeon Seung-yeop of Jamsil FM Clinic

Family Medicine Specialist at Asan Medical Center
Obesity specialist certified by the Korean Society of Obesity
Secretary General of the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity
Current Chief Director of Jamsil FM Clinic

 

The medical content of this column was written based on the following materials.
· Aronne LJ, et al. Continued Treatment With Tirzepatide for Maintenance of Weight Reduction in Adults With Obesity: The SURMOUNT-4 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2024;331(1):38–48.
· National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Prescription Medications to Treat Overweight & Obesity.
· NIDDK, How to Incorporate Weight-loss Medications in Diabetes Care.
· NIDDK, Eating & Physical Activity to Lose or Maintain Weight.
※ This column provides general health information, and treatment methods and dosages may vary depending on individual health conditions.