What Happens When You Stop Weight Loss Injections? A Look at the STEP-1 Study
- alison489
- Jun 21
- 3 min read
If you've been hearing about "weight loss jabs" like Wegovy or Ozempic, you're not alone. These medications—known medically as GLP-1 receptor agonists—have made headlines for helping people lose significant amounts of weight. But a question many people are now asking is: What happens when you stop taking them?
The only credible weight loss injection study is a major study published in 2022, called the STEP-1 trial, set out to answer exactly that.
What Is the STEP-1 Study?
The STEP-1 study was a large clinical trial that tested a high dose of semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy) on people living with obesity or overweight. None of the participants had diabetes.
Researchers gave one group semaglutide once a week for 68 weeks (about 16 months) and another group a placebo (a dummy injection). All participants also received support with healthy lifestyle changes like eating more balanced meals and increasing physical activity.
The goal? To find out how much weight people could lose—and just as importantly, whether they could keep it off.
What Were the Results?
The results were impressive—at least at first.
People who took semaglutide lost an average of 17.3% of their body weight after 68 weeks.
In comparison, the placebo group lost only 2.4%.
For someone weighing 100 kg, that’s a weight loss of over 17 kg—a major reduction that can lead to improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol, and overall health.
But what happened after people stopped taking the medication?
What Happened After They Stopped?
A follow-up study looked at the same group of people one year later, after they had stopped taking semaglutide.
The weight started to come back—fast.
On average, participants regained two-thirds of the weight they had lost.
That means they put back on around 11.6% of their body weight in just one year after stopping.
So, someone who lost 17 kg might have gained back around 11–12 kg in that time.
Why Does the Weight Come Back?
This happens because semaglutide works by mimicking a natural hormone (GLP-1) that helps regulate appetite and fullness. While on the medication, people often feel less hungry, get full faster, and naturally eat less without effort.
But when the medication stops, so does that effect. Hunger and cravings return to previous levels—sometimes even more intensely than before—and without those signals being regulated, people often find it hard to maintain the same eating patterns.
It’s not about willpower. It’s about biology.
What Does This Mean for People Considering These Medications?
If you're thinking about using weight loss injections like Wegovy, it's important to understand that they may need to be taken long-term—potentially for life—if the goal is to maintain the weight loss.
The STEP-1 study showed that semaglutide can be an effective tool for weight loss, but it’s not a cure. Once it’s stopped, the body tends to return to its original weight range, often referred to as its "set point."
Why Are Weight Loss Injection Studies Important
It’s crucial to follow the science when choosing a solution to a medical problem (yes, overeating is a medical problem) because evidence-based treatments are grounded in rigorous research, not guesswork or hype. Relying on science helps ensure the approach is both effective and safe—protecting health and avoiding unnecessary harm.
Final Thoughts
The STEP-1 study gives us a clear picture: weight loss from medication is real—but so is weight regain if the medication is stopped.
For anyone struggling with weight or considering treatment, this study is a helpful reminder that weight is not just about choice or effort. It's shaped by powerful biological systems. That’s why many experts are now saying that sustainable change needs to come from a mix of medical support, psychological understanding, and body-based eating approaches like intuitive eating—not just short-term fixes.
