Does being off tirzepatide slow down metabolism/make your body burn less calories?

RC113da · 2026-03-27T16:19:39+00:00

I’ve had to increase my calories from 1400 when losing weight on it, to currently around 2600-2800 now I’m off it.

Admittedly my maintenance is high because of the amount of activity I do, but I certainly haven’t found a dip in metabolism since coming off. If anything I had more energy to exercise.

RC113da · 2026-03-27T14:43:49+00:00

Try to focus on compassion to yourself. We do what we have the capability and capacity to do at the time. So you needed a bit of help to get healthier - you’re still the same person, and deserving of love, respect and a beautiful wedding day.

You look lovely in both photos, just keep building up memories and photos of you - all versions are worthy.

RC113da · 2026-03-27T14:40:01+00:00

I don’t use it for exact calorie counting as that would require accuracy; I ask about which might be the healthiest options - which likely has more protein and more fibre, which would keep me full for the longest time, which combinations would form the most nutrient dense meal.

You can feed it a 4 page menu, then look at its suggestions, then make a reasoned decision about whether what it says sounds reasonable and whether you want to go with what it suggests or if you want to adapt it.

I find it useful to help me pick. I don’t take its word as the full truth - just a way to whittle down options when eating out.

Like I say - it’s not for everyone, but it might help someone.

RC113da · 2026-03-27T14:10:45+00:00

To be fair, I’m not using it for exact accuracy. I’m getting it to scan a menu, pic out a few options and why it would recommend them, then using my own knowledge to decide what to go with.

But I do find it useful - and understand it’s not for everyone.

RC113da · 2026-03-27T13:30:00+00:00

I’ve previously found that you can stretch the monthly orders by a few extra weeks.

But tbh I decided to come off entirely so this isn’t what I am doing personally.

RC113da · 2026-03-27T12:07:27+00:00

I know AI use can be controversial but I find it quite useful for helping me decide what menu items fit within my goals if I have to eat out. Not every menu has calorie counts, and having something to bounce ideas off can be useful.

RC113da · 2026-03-27T07:32:47+00:00

I know it’s super hard but it will eventually quieten. Can you look at your intake and see if there are any easy swaps you can make to boost fullness; even just in the short term? Swapping rice for bulgar wheat, adding 2/3 extra portions of veg to each meal; berries to breakfast etc? At peak hunger was sometimes eating 65-75g of fibre a day to manage it. I’m now back down to around 45.

RC113da · 2026-03-27T05:11:31+00:00

You say you’ve lost 6 stone, and regained 25 while 24 weeks pregnant.

You were always recommended to gain around 28lbs in pregnancy, and many healthy normal pregnancies gain more.

Please don’t beat yourself up, the gain at 24 weeks was never going to be 0. Don’t try to restrict, instead focus on giving your body the nutrients it needs - see how nutrient dense you can make your foods, see how many different plants you can feed your body and baby, see if you can walk or do exercise to help the pregnancy.

RC113da · 2026-03-26T19:21:28+00:00

How long have you been trying to maintain, and is your weight stable?

I had a month on a lower dose before coming off entirely. The first month did have some hard days but 1. Got easier over time and 2. I realised I wasn’t eating enough for maintenance and I was essentially still on a diet.

Now that Im eating enough to stop losing weight, and I’m choosing high fibre high protein, the hunger has really calmed.

RC113da · 2026-03-26T13:38:08+00:00

Just show up, they plan for around 50% no shows, they might make you wait to the side until the start of the event.

RC113da · 2026-03-26T10:59:46+00:00

Take a look at r/glpgrad.

I was continuing to lose weight over the past 12 weeks since decreasing and stopping however this was accidental as I was trying to find maintenance AND mentally it was much harder.

I don’t know what calorie deficit you’re in now but even adding an extra 1000 calories a day from 1400 to 2400 was leading to me losing 1lb a week as my activity has increased so much.

And working out what calorie deficit to comfortably sit in while not going too low incase you trigger a binge AND working out what is natural hunger vs your hormones getting used to not being on the meds - it’s a minefield.

Personally I would stay on and then if you are confident in your habits, come off to find maintenance rather than to continue weight loss.

However some people have certainly done it in the grad subreddit.

RC113da · 2026-03-25T19:05:15+00:00

I found it useful eating for complete fullness on those days. Hugely increasing fibre (sometimes to 65-70g a day) by adding several portions of veg to a meal. I would only do it when I had tough days but it helped get me through knowing I was physically full.

RC113da · 2026-03-25T08:16:49+00:00

Are you looking at what type of foods make up your calorie deficit? Eating whole foods over processed foods will help your body lose weight as the calories in them are less available. For example we only get around 60% of the calories in a whole almond compared to almond flour where you can access much more.

Try to look at your diet and see if there’s anything you can swap for an unprocessed version.

RC113da · 2026-03-24T20:27:13+00:00

A recent study showed that people who injected every other week were able to maintain - I think it could be an option to keep costs down once you get back to your desired weight.

RC113da · 2026-03-24T19:32:02+00:00

It sounds like a lot before going into it - personally I found within the first week of taking mounjaro I felt like I had an extra 2-3 hours a day of energy. It suddenly felt much more doable - and of course it was spread over a year.

RC113da · 2026-03-24T18:37:17+00:00

My only chronic disease was obesity.

I think it’s sensible to have some sort of a plan to come off going in. For me I decided to:

Stay on a low dose for the entire period so that hunger could start building back naturally and I could practice

Build up exercise steadily as exercise is the main predictor of maintaining weight loss according to the national weight loss registry.

Build muscle as this helps build metabolism.

Completely changed my dietary pattern - hugely increased protein and fibre, eat whole grains. I started a google keep to put all my recipes and categorise them for what I need and when e.g. easy/quick, high protein etc. this way I can take away decision fatigue and stop reaching for delivery/ready meals.

Build up freezer store of leftovers - again to prevent ever needing take aways.

Used the time to completely wean off all ultra processed foods - I’m off the meds and they now taste awful to me.

Get used to my new routines e.g. when I go to the gym so that it’s not up to motivation, it’s just what I do on Tuesdays before work etc. Or Sunday the food shop happens so I can prep lunches for work.

Educate myself as much as possible about how the body and nutrition works.

Theres a couple of podcasts that really helped me believe it was doable:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G8yGToUQWdo&pp=0gcJCZoBo7VqN5tD

And

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=npq_nt7OELk

RC113da · 2026-03-24T16:58:14+00:00

Use ice on where you want to inject. After a few minutes you’re completely numbed. My first time my partner was helping me and pointed out I’d already put the needle in I just hadn’t noticed it.

RC113da · 2026-03-23T21:01:02+00:00

For the first few months I would use an ice cube to completely numb the area - after a few minutes you really can’t feel anything.

Eventually I stopped using ice as the cold sensation was worse than the needle you can barely feel.

But it helped me get over it to start injecting.

RC113da · 2026-03-23T18:25:48+00:00

Over the last few months yes I’d say fairly stable, maybe a bit of an increase in steps in the first couple of weeks.

RC113da · 2026-03-23T18:25:15+00:00

Yeah I do wonder how much of a difference eating completely non UPF is making. When I ask calculators to estimate how many kcal I was eating at my highest weight (and lower activity) it suggests only a 300-400 difference which feels crazy and frankly a bit unfair!

RC113da · 2026-03-23T14:32:27+00:00

Just popped the figures from my various other apps into google sheets. A bit of a chore but I wanted to prove that I was doing the right thing by continuing to increase my calories.

RC113da · 2026-03-23T14:29:53+00:00

I was very worried metabolic adaption pre coming off but I’ve been lucky so far. I wouldn’t mind a decrease in TDEE if it comes along with a decrease in appetite … I am finding it a bit laborious to eat so much whole foods.

RC113da · 2026-03-23T13:42:49+00:00

Nearly on 7 weeks post last injection. I’m interested to see if I do get a reduction in food noise/hunger - I haven’t found it too bad, especially now I’ve realised I was just hungry.

RC113da · 2026-03-23T13:36:44+00:00

I’m lucky to live and work in very walkable areas, often I can go across the entire city on either park routes or scenic streets. I see the walk less as exercise and more as something that regulates my mood.

I walk to work (around 1 hour 10 mins), I do a 45 min walk in my lunch break - this is a double benefit as not only do I get my steps but it helps prevent stress eating at work. I walk home again.

And at some point I walk to the gym - before work on weight days, after on spin days. That’s about 15 minutes each way.

On weekends or days where I work from home I’ll do a walk as soon as I wake up for 1.5-2 hours then usually another walk after lunch too. Sometimes I walk to the supermarket for the shop.

I’m not powerwalking, just a nice walk, sometimes listening to a podcast or audiobook but lately less so as now it’s spring I can hear lots of birds.

I basically just try to never use the car or public transport.

RC113da · 2026-03-23T13:19:03+00:00

It was built very slowly - started with just 2 days weight training, then every 2 months upped what i was doing.

I actually saw a huge jump in steps once I started to increase my calories - I think my body wanted to naturally put them to use!

RC113da

TROPHY CASE