I’m officially one month into Mounjaro maintenance after weight loss of 30lbs over five months, and this is where I feel like the real work begins.
Losing the weight with Mounjaro was, in some ways, the easier part. The challenge now is keeping it off.
My plan is to share these maintenance updates each month because I know this is the part so many people worry about. What happens when you reduce your dose? Does the hunger come back? Can you eat more without gaining weight? And, ultimately, can you actually maintain the weight loss long term?
So far, month one has been a bit of a mixed bag, but overall, I’m feeling really positive but I want to share all of my progress, the up’s and the downs.
Has My Weight Stayed the Same?
The biggest positive is that I’ve done exactly what I wanted to do: my weight has stayed the same.
I’ve also taken my measurements and they’re more or less unchanged. Interestingly, I’ve actually lost a couple more centimetres from my legs despite my weight remaining stable, but that is likely as I have been adding more running to my workout program.
I do still have some belly fat that I’d like to lose, but I’m not making that my focus right now.
My priority is finding a rhythm where I can maintain my weight, eat enough food, sustain good energy levels and support my training.
I’m currently training for HYROX and my training load is increasing, so I don’t want to be trying to push myself through hard workouts while continuing to restrict my calories.
Right now, maintenance really does mean maintenance.
My Mounjaro Maintenance Dose
The highest Mounjaro dose I used during my weight loss was 5mg.
When I reached my goal weight, I knew I didn’t want to suddenly stop. I’ve always wanted to titrate down slowly and give both my body and my brain time to adjust.
I’ve now been working my way back down towards 2.5mg once per week.
I’m taking affordability into consideration too. I had a 5mg pen remaining, so I’ve been using that while gradually reducing my dose, and just taking 1/2 a dose each week.
But the big difference I’ve noticed as I’ve reduced it?
The food noise has definitely started to come back.
I’m eating more, I’m finishing more of my meals and I’ve caught myself wandering towards the snack drawer looking for something sweet again.
These are old habits that I haven’t really had to think about while taking Mounjaro.
And this is where I think maintenance gets interesting.
The Hunger and Food Noise Are Coming Back
Whether you’ve lost weight with Mounjaro or you’ve done it without medication, if you go straight back to eating exactly as you did before, there’s a good chance you’ll regain some of the weight.
That’s why I don’t believe these medications can just be used as an appetite suppressant without addressing anything else.
Yes, eating less because you’re less hungry can help you lose weight.
But that alone isn’t necessarily going to help you keep it off.
At some point we have to look at the foods we’re eating, our movement, our training and the habits and behaviours that contributed to the weight gain in the first place.
I’ve already had moments where the hunger or food noise has returned and I’ve simply given in to it.
But I’ve also had moments where I’ve caught myself.
That’s something I’m going to have to continue working on.
One of the things I think people love about Mounjaro is that it takes away so much of the decision-making around food. You’re not constantly thinking about what you’re going to eat next or trying to resist hunger while staying in a calorie deficit.
As that effect starts to reduce, some of those decisions become yours again.
That’s exactly why I wanted to titrate down slowly rather than suddenly stopping.
What I’m Eating During Mounjaro Maintenance
Nutrition is probably where I’m noticing the biggest difference.
I’m still focusing on three proper meals per day, with plenty of protein at each meal.
The difference is that I’m now generally finishing them.
When I was taking 5mg, I’d quite often leave some food on my plate. Now I’m eating the whole meal and those seemingly insignificant extra calories can quickly add up.
I recently did a What I Eat In A Day and was actually surprised that what felt like a really good, nutritious day was approaching 2,000 calories.
It shows how small the gap can be between weight loss, maintenance and weight gain.
Finishing an extra 50–100 calories at each meal could easily add another 300 calories to your day.
Add a couple of snacks and suddenly you’ve moved from the calorie intake that was helping you lose weight to maintenance – or potentially beyond it.
That doesn’t mean we need to obsessively track everything.
I certainly don’t want to track calories every day.
But I do think tracking can be a useful tool occasionally to understand roughly what your maintenance calories look like.
For me, I’m concentrating on three solid meals, plenty of protein and limiting unnecessary snacking.
I also want to get out of the food rut I’ve fallen into. I tend to make the same meals over and over again, so I’m looking for some new recipes and staple meals that I enjoy, are nutritious and make maintaining my weight easier.
I’m Eating More Because I’m Training More
Another really important piece of this is that my training has increased.
I’m adding more cardio alongside my strength training for HYROX, which means sustaining my energy levels has become a priority.
I’m weighing myself every couple of days at the moment, simply as a way of checking that what I’m doing is working.
So far, my weight has remained stable.
I’ve also massively reduced my alcohol compared with what I would have drunk previously.
I love having a drink at the weekend, but I’ve been drinking much less and using this period as an opportunity to really lock in with my business, training and health.
I used my time on a GLP-1 as a window to make progress.
I’ve worked damn hard to get here.
I don’t want to throw that away.
The work doesn’t suddenly stop because I’ve reached my goal weight.
PCOS, Blood Sugar and Something I’m Watching Closely
One thing that has concerned me slightly this month is something I’ve noticed around my blood sugar.
Before starting Mounjaro, one of my biggest challenges was PCOS and insulin resistance.
If I didn’t eat the right foods or went too long without eating, I’d sometimes get that horrible feeling where I felt shaky and needed to eat something immediately.
While taking Mounjaro, that feeling pretty much disappeared.
Recently, I’ve experienced it a couple of times again.
And I’m not going to lie, it scared me slightly.
I’d hoped that losing body fat, particularly abdominal fat, might have improved some of those issues naturally.
The fact that I’m beginning to notice those sensations again is something I’m paying attention to and it means I’m going to be looking more closely at my nutrition as I continue through maintenance.
I’m still on 2.5mg and I’m not rushing the process of reducing further.
I’ve occasionally taken my next dose slightly earlier than the full week when I’ve noticed those feelings returning because I’m trying to pay attention to how my body is responding and take this process slowly.
This is my personal experience rather than a recommendation for how anyone else should adjust their medication. Any changes to your dose should be discussed with your healthcare provider.
My Strength Is Finally Coming Back
Probably my favourite part of maintenance so far is what’s happening with my training.
I strength trained throughout my entire Mounjaro journey.
At the beginning of the year, I was following an advanced training programme and simply couldn’t complete it. Being in a calorie deficit while losing weight meant I didn’t have the energy.
Now I’m doing it again and the difference is huge.
My strength has come back to around where it was before I started losing weight – except now I’m lighter and leaner.
My muscles are starting to pop.
I feel more athletic.
I’m moving better.
And I just feel really good about my fitness right now.
I think maintaining my muscle throughout this process is one of the biggest reasons maintenance is currently going so well.
Even when I’ve had days where I’ve eaten more or haven’t been perfect, my weight is remaining relatively stable.
I’ve got more energy and I’m feeling stronger.
I still don’t love running and it can occasionally wipe me out, but overall my energy levels are feeling pretty on point.
Maintaining Muscle Could Be One of the Biggest Pieces of the Puzzle
This is why I’ve talked so much throughout my Mounjaro journey about strength training and preserving muscle.
If you dramatically reduce your calories, lose weight and lose a significant amount of muscle alongside it, maintenance could become much more challenging.
But even if you haven’t exercised throughout your weight loss journey, you can start now.
Maintenance can be your opportunity to build strength, improve your fitness and introduce the habits you perhaps weren’t ready to tackle while you were actively losing weight.
For some people, that may also mean remaining on a maintenance dose for longer while they work on those habits with the support of their healthcare provider.
I genuinely think we need to look at this phase as an opportunity.
Use it to work on your nutrition.
Start strength training.
Move more.
Build the habits you want to take forward with you.
Because those are the things that are going to matter long term.
Mounjaro Maintenance Month 1: Where I’m At
Overall, I’m feeling really positive.
It’s only month one and I know we’ve got a long way to go. Realistically, I’d want to be looking at something like the two-year mark before I could confidently say I’ve successfully maintained my weight loss long term.
But so far:
- My weight is stable.
- I’m eating more.
- My hunger and some food noise have returned.
- I’m maintaining on a lower dose.
- My strength is returning.
- My energy is good.
- I’m sleeping better.
- My digestion is better.
- My fitness feels better than it has in a long time.
And I’m able to eat more without feeling like I have to be absolutely perfect.
There are still things I want to work on. I’d like to continue improving my body composition, particularly around my belly, without necessarily losing more weight.
But that’s something I can work towards slowly. I have also been taking the IM8 Supplement (full review on that coming soon) but I really feel that has supported my energy levels and why I have been feeling so good the last couple of months.
For now, month one has been about proving to myself that I can maintain.
And so far, I have.
I’ll continue sharing these updates as I navigate maintenance, reduce my dose and work out what maintaining my Mounjaro weight loss looks like for me long term.
If you’re currently using a GLP-1 or approaching maintenance yourself, I’ve also created a GLP-1 guide covering how to approach your journey with the long-term goal of keeping the weight off.
CLICK HERE for my doing it the right way guide, and be sure to join the mailing list on this page so that you don’t miss out on the best tools and all updates.
And if you’re looking for medical support with GLP-1 treatment and maintenance then check out SheMeds as they do a specific maintenance dose program and they also include blood and hormonal panelling to support your journey. Click the box below and use code COLS to get 20% off.
Affiliate Disclaimer
Some links in this post are affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission if you purchase or sign up through one of my links, at no additional cost to you.
Medical Disclaimer
This article shares my personal experience and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and should not replace advice from your doctor or another qualified healthcare professional. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a prescription medication. Decisions about starting, stopping or changing your dose should always be made with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
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