Semaglutide Helped Me Reach My Goal Weight: Can I Stop My Weekly Injections?

You can stop injecting semaglutide after reaching your desired weight. But before making that decision, it’s essential to be prepared to prevent weight regain.

Our weight loss experts at Premiere Medical Center in Toluca Lake, California, offer support and guidance throughout your treatment and after you stop semaglutide injections, helping you to maintain your goal weight for the long run.

How semaglutide works

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, a hormone that’s also naturally produced by your body.

Whether GLP-1 comes from your body or a synthetic medication, it:

• Increases the release of insulin (to lower blood sugar)
• Suppresses glucagon secretion (glucagon raises blood sugar)
• Slows stomach emptying (food leaves the stomach more slowly so you feel full)
• Regulates appetite (works in the brain to make you feel full longer)
• Reduces food cravings

These changes enhance weight loss, but you must combine semaglutide with a healthy, calorie-controlled diet and exercise to reach and maintain your weight loss goal.

Can you stop weekly injections?

You can stop weekly semaglutide injections at any time, including after reaching your desired weight. However, when you stop, you lose the biochemical changes it causes.

You feel hungry more often, and cravings return (if you had them before semaglutide). And there’s a good chance you regain weight.

You can overcome the following downsides if you prepare before stopping your treatment:

Downside 1: Weight regain

Stopping semaglutide doesn’t automatically mean the weight returns, but it’s a problem many people face. Some regain two-thirds of the weight they lost within one year.

How can you prevent weight regain? Establish healthy lifestyle habits before stopping your injections.

It’s much easier to change your lifestyle while semaglutide reduces hunger, food cravings, and persistent thoughts about food and eating.

If you’re not consistently following a healthy diet and getting regular exercise, you may want to stay on the medication long enough to make the changes that help keep the pounds off. 

Phasing out semaglutide

If you’re ready to stop semaglutide injections, we may recommend slowly tapering the dose. Though research is ongoing, studies suggest that gradually reducing the dose instead of suddenly stopping may lower the risk of weight regain.

Downside 2: Insulin changes

In your body, the pancreas only releases insulin after you eat carbohydrates, Or it keeps releasing the hormone when blood sugar levels stay high due to insulin resistance.

Taking semaglutide boosts insulin secretion without needing to eat and without regard to insulin resistance.

After weekly injections stop, the body returns to its usual way of working. If you had insulin resistance before starting semaglutide, the condition likely returns when you stop. 

Insulin resistance causes high blood sugar. Then, your body stores the excess sugar as fat, significantly contributing to weight gain.

Preparing to deal with insulin resistance before stopping semaglutide can help you avoid weight regain. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that diet, exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight are the best ways to treat insulin resistance.

Have questions about semaglutide?

As specialists in semaglutide and weight loss, our Premiere Medical Center team can guide you in making decisions about semaglutide. Call the office or book a weight loss appointment online today.