Maintenance · 2 min
When hunger comes back
Hunger and food noise can return, in maintenance or after stopping. That's physiology, not weakness, and it's worth a plan made in advance.
In one sentence
When hunger comes back, it's physiology, not weakness, and it's easier to face with a plan made in advance.
Many people describe less 'food noise', the constant thinking about food, on these medicines. In interviews and online posts, the fear of it coming back shows up again and again.
When the medicine stops, hunger and weight tend to come back. In trials where some people were switched to placebo, they regained 6.9% of their body weight with semaglutide (STEP 4) and 14.0% with tirzepatide (SURMOUNT-4), while those who continued kept losing.
A 2026 analysis of 37 studies estimated that about two thirds of the weight lost came back within a year of stopping semaglutide or tirzepatide, and that blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol returned to where they started in about a year.
The Brazilian obesity guideline places these medicines in long-term care for keeping weight off, with regular reviews. Whether and when anything changes is a conversation with your doctor.
This week: answer 'Did hunger come back?' in the check-in when it shows up. Regular meals with protein and your strength sessions are the base, and the pattern goes into your report.
To take to your appointment
- What's our plan if hunger comes back strongly?
- How long do you expect me to stay on this medicine?
Free, no account and nothing to install.