Guidelines for discontinuing semaglutide: How to avoid rebound

June 17, 2025

💉 In recent years, semaglutide has become a popular choice for many diabetic patients and people who want to lose weight due to its excellent blood sugar lowering and weight loss effects. But when semaglutide needs to be discontinued, how can we avoid the headache of weight rebound? Today, we will bring you a super practical discontinuation guide.

1. Why does drug withdrawal rebound occur?

Semaglutide delays gastric emptying and reduces appetite by simulating the effects of human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), thereby reducing calorie intake. After long-term use, the body gets used to this "low appetite" state. Once the drug is suddenly stopped, the gastrointestinal emptying speed increases and appetite quickly recovers. If it is not controlled, it is easy to consume too many calories, resulting in weight rebound.

2. Stop medication scientifically and gradually

1. Gradually reduce the dosage

Avoid stopping the medication suddenly. It is generally recommended to halve the dosage for 2-4 weeks and observe the body's reactions, such as changes in appetite and blood sugar fluctuations. If the body adapts well, you can continue to reduce the dosage until you stop the medication completely. 📉

2. Lengthen the interval between medications

While gradually reducing the dosage, you can also try to extend the medication interval, such as from once a week to once every 10 days, and then to once every two weeks, to give the body enough time to adapt to the state without drug intervention. ⏳

3. Multi-pronged approach to effectively prevent rebound

1. Diet control

Control calorie intake : During the medication withdrawal period, strictly control daily calorie intake and avoid high-calorie, high-fat, and high-sugar foods. Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and other foods rich in dietary fiber to increase satiety. 🥦🍎

Eat regularly : Eat regularly and in fixed amounts to avoid overeating. Eat until you are 70% to 80% full at each meal to prevent your stomach from expanding too much due to a sudden increase in food intake. 🕒

2. Sports assistance

Aerobic exercise : Perform at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as brisk walking, running, swimming, etc., to accelerate fat burning. 🏃♀️🏊♂️

Strength training : Perform appropriate strength training, such as lifting dumbbells, doing push-ups, etc., to increase muscle mass, increase basal metabolic rate, and allow the body to consume more calories even when resting💪

3. Maintain good living habits

Sufficient sleep : Ensuring 7-8 hours of high-quality sleep every day helps regulate hormone levels in the body, control appetite, and reduce the risk of rebound 😴

Relieve stress : Long-term high stress can lead to hormone imbalance and cause overeating. Relieve stress through meditation, yoga, listening to music, etc., and keep a happy mood🧘♀️