“I stopped after six months.” Here’s what the evidence says happens next.
Two-thirds of weight regained within a year, according to the trials. But real-world data tells a more complicated — and more encouraging — story.
Five patients. Five different journeys. One year of honest updates.
We’re tracking five South African patients on GLP-1 therapy — with their permission and their unfiltered words — over the next twelve months.
Will you need to take GLP-1s forever? What the evidence says about stopping
The honest answer involves the biology of obesity, the STEP 1 extension data, and an important distinction between “needing to” and “choosing to.”
The plateau — why weight loss stalls and what you should (and should not) do
Weight loss plateaus on semaglutide typically occur around week 60 in trials. In real practice, many patients experience them much earlier. The mechanism is not what most people assume.
Month 6 update: Thabo’s story — when the plateau became the turning point
Thabo started semaglutide for weight management alongside type 2 diabetes. He hit a six-week plateau in month 3. Here is what happened when he and his doctor decided to understand it — not push through it.
“I chose to stop after eight months” — Lerato’s decision and what followed
Not everyone who stops GLP-1 therapy does so because of cost or side effects. Lerato stopped because she felt ready. She shares what the following six months actually looked like.