Life After Weight-Loss Medication

Murdoch Books
Jun 17
5 min read

Learn about Life After Weight-Loss Medication, an accessible and reassuring book by internationally renowned dietitian Dr Linia Patel.

Book cover Life After Weight-Loss Medication by Dr. Linia Patel, with a salad bowl and text about nourishing body and meal plans.

Life After Weight-Loss Medication is a groundbreaking book for everyone facing the 'what now?' moment after using weight-loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Saxenda. With this book, you'll discover manageable ways to support your metabolism and help you feel strong and in control well into the future.

Start reading below.

Eating is such a natural, organic part of life. We all do it. Theoretically, it is simple and instinctive, yet in practice it is deeply complex and profoundly personal. We eat to satisfy our physical hunger. But we also eat for a hundred other reasons: to celebrate, to connect, to soothe, to feel better, to feel something. And because of that, our relationship with food, our weight and our body image often becomes tangled. Layer on top of that our individual genetic makeup, unrealistic expectations of the toxic diet culture, societal stigmas, the obesogenic food environment we live in, the complexity of our hormonal transitions, the pressures of midlife and everything else that adulting throws at you and it’s no wonder that so many of us feel like we’re constantly fighting a war with our own bodies. It’s a battlefield full of rules, guilt and frustration. We’re surrounded by endless advice on how to lose weight, yet we live in an environment that makes it incredibly difficult to do so – and even harder to maintain. Weight is a sensitive, multifaceted topic that goes far beyond just food or what you eat. For a long time, there was no miracle solution. But recently, it seems, one may have arrived. Enter Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1) medications semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), liraglutide (Saxenda) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro). GLP-1 medications are a game changer. There’s no denying that. In fact, GLP-1 medications are the most effective pharmaceutical weight-loss tools we’ve ever had. Compared to traditional lifestyle interventions, these drugs offer exponentially greater outcomes. The gold standard in obesity treatment is bariatric surgery. It is effective but invasive, costly and of course not without risk. Now, for the first time, we have medications that are approaching that level of effectiveness without the surgery.

Within my own clinical practice in recent years, more and more people are choosing to use GLP-1 medications to support weight loss. My clients tell me they feel relieved to have finally found something that works – often after years of battling diets that don’t deliver, bodies that feel like they’re working against them and an exhausting cycle of self-blame. My clients are not alone. Weight isn’t just a personal struggle – it’s a public health crisis. In the US, more than 40 per cent of adults are living with obesity. In the UK, that number is nearly one in three. The ripple effects are vast: increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, joint issues and, of course, the emotional toll of years spent in bodies that feel at odds with our identity, especially in a world entrenched with stigmas. It’s therefore no surprise that when people realised the appetite-suppressing power of GLP-1 medications, they took off. One in eight Americans is now thought to have used a GLP-1 drug. In the UK, new National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) criteria for Wegovy estimates that 9.5 per cent of the adult population are eligible. This equates to 4.2 million people – though the majority are still paying privately.

Dr Linia Patel PhD. RD sits cross-legged on a gray couch, wearing a bright orange shirt and jeans, smiling softly. — Dr Linia Patel PhD. RD

The weight-loss medications space is fast-moving, and we’re still learning. But (and it is a big but) what we do know is there is no such thing as a magical jab. These drugs are a powerful tool, yes. But they’re only one piece of the puzzle. Without the right nutrition, lifestyle changes and long-term support, the results can fade – quickly, and sometimes with unintended consequences. The research is already showing this. Take the Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with Obesity (STEP) 1 trial, for example. It was a landmark international study that tested the GLP-1 medication semaglutide in people living with obesity (without diabetes). Participants in this study lost an average of 17.3kg (38lb) over 68 weeks on the drug. But within a year of stopping, most had regained nearly two thirds of that weight. And, worse still, much of that regained weight was fat, not muscle. What’s more, new evidence points to the likelihood of full regain within a year and a half for those taking semaglutide and tirzeptide. For the people I work with, this can mean a real risk to health. In my clinical practice, I witness daily just how effective GLP-1 medications can be. They’re proving to be transformative – especially during menopause, when it can feel like everything is working against you: hormones, stress, disrupted sleep, a slowing metabolism. But increasingly, I’m hearing the same thing from the people I work with. While these medications address one major challenge – weight – other aspects of wellbeing begin to unravel. Without considering the full picture of health, these drugs can come with extra baggage. One theme that comes up again and again is fear.

Fear of not being able to enjoy food with loved ones like before.

Fear of still struggling with body image despite the weight loss.

Fear of what happens next.

Fear of a lifetime of medication.

Fear of not being able to afford the medications for a lifetime.

Fear of stopping.

Fear of going backwards.

Fear that they will never feel in control without the weight-loss medications.

Fear of feeling strangely muted.

Fear of having lost the joy for anything in life.

While most current content focuses on how to get started with GLP-1s or celebrates the initial relief of ‘quieting the food noise’, there is very little to support people through life after the medication: when hunger creeps back, when metabolism feels sluggish and when fear of weight regain meets real physiological shifts.

That’s exactly why I decided to write this book. As a women’s health dietitian with a background in public health and performance nutrition, I see the gaps – both in the conversation and in the care. While GLP-1 medications can kickstart weight loss in a powerful way, it’s your nutrition, movement and mindset that determine whether the results are sustainable. Medications can shift the scale – but a holistic lifestyle approach shapes whether those early wins become well-balanced, lasting change. If you’ve chosen to use weight-loss injections as part of your journey, let this be a moment in which you can pause and lean into some reflection on how you can leverage their impact with a truly holistic approach. One that includes balanced nutrition, mindful movement, behavioural support and stress management – and that helps build the resilience and self-regulation needed for lifelong wellbeing.

This book is your guide for the ‘what now?’ moment that comes after weight loss, and especially weight loss that involved the use of medication. It’s for anyone feeling anxious about weight regain, unsure how to reconnect with their appetite, overwhelmed with where to begin after the use of weight-loss medications and for those seeking an alternative solution beyond medications to manage their weight. It’s for those who want more than just a number on the scale – those who want to feel strong and energised, and to create the habits that will help keep the weight off for life.