GLP-1 mistake can make you gain weight 4 times faster than stopping diet, exercise

Too good to be true?

While blockbuster GLP-1 drugs continue to reach new heights in popularity, they’re not without potential downsides, like bizarre side effects such as “Ozempic feet.”

And while they boast impressive blood sugar and weight loss results — average weight lost is nearly 10% over a year — making one mistake could result in the pounds coming right back on, new research finds.

The miracle meds have been linked to a host of health benefits, even possibly aiding the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s.

Despite outstanding outcomes and promising new developments, the possibility of regaining weight is very real — and could even occur four times faster than when stopping exercise and healthy eating.

The research, published in the BMJ, highlighted 37 studies of individuals who had stopped using the medications semaglutide — the scientific name for Ozempic and Wegovy — and tirzepatide (Zepbound and Mounjaro).

The study authors found that participants lost nearly 15 kilograms, or just over 33 pounds, while on the drugs.

However, by making the mistake of stopping their med, they regained almost all the weight they’d initially lost, around 22 pounds, within a year. Researchers predicted they’d be back at their starting weight within 18 months.

Their blood pressure and cholesterol levels also returned to original levels after nearly a year and a half off the medication.

Meanwhile, those who only went through weight loss plans that included diet and exercise — and no drugs — lost significantly less weight, but took longer to regain it.

While previous research has shown that stopping GLP-1s can lead to weight gain, this latest study suggests that greater weight loss tends to result in faster weight regain, especially when these blockbuster drugs are involved.

And with data showing that around half of patients stop using them within a year, many people may be in for a shock the next time they step on the scale.

There could be a plethora of reasons why people stop using the meds, even if they see real results, from brutal nausea and vomiting to a high price tag without the help of insurance.

Researchers say that while a useful tool in weight loss, medications are only part of the journey, and those who learn to exercise regularly and eat healthily often continue to do so, even while regaining weight.

“This new data makes it clear they are a starting point, not a cure,” Garron Dodd — a metabolic neuroscience researcher at the University of Melbourne, who was not involved in the study — said in a statement. “Sustainable treatment will likely require combination approaches, longer-term strategies.”