Reaching your weight loss goal is a significant milestone, but what comes next?
This guide explores the maintenance doses for weight loss injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro. It covers finding the right dose, whether the highest dose is always necessary, and what happens if your dose needs to change.
You’ll also learn about stopping these injections, managing long-term weight loss, and working with your prescriber to maintain your progress.
Three key takeaways
Maintenance dosing helps to support long-term weight loss after reaching your goal, and the right dose varies from person-to-person.
The highest dose isn’t always necessary, with prescribers being able to adjust your treatment based on weight changes, appetite control, and side effects.
Stopping treatment requires planning, as some people can maintain their weight without medication while others may need ongoing support to prevent weight regain.
What is maintenance dosing for weight loss injections?
A maintenance dose is the dose you settle on once you've reached your goal weight, rather than continuing to move up or down each month.
Instead of driving further weight loss, it's there to help you maintain the progress you've already made, with as few side effects as possible.
The Wegovy maintenance dose after you've reached your goal weight can vary, and it depends on the dose you were using for ongoing weight loss, how you've continued to respond to this dose, and your current weight.
This could range from 1.7mg, 2.4mg, or 7.2mg, once a week.
But reaching or maintaining on these higher doses isn't essential for everyone. If you’re doing well on a lower dose, like 1mg, your prescriber might be happy for you to stay where you are.
Mounjaro maintenance dosing
The recommended maintenance doses for Mounjaro will depend on your individual response to treatment. And again, the maintenance dose isn't always the highest dose. They could range from 5mg, 10mg, and 15mg, or even lower.
Your prescriber will decide the best dose based on how much your appetite is suppressed, how severe your Mounjaro side effects are, and your current weight.
But reaching the higher doses isn’t essential for everyone. It’s important to work together to find the right balance for you and your lifestyle.
Saxenda maintenance dosing
Saxenda works a little differently because it's a daily injection rather than a weekly one. You start at 0.6mg once a day and increase by 0.6mg each week until you reach the highest dose of 3mg.
If 3mg doesn't suit you for maintenance, your prescriber may keep you at a lower dose you tolerate better, or review whether Saxenda is still the right option. As with the weekly injections, the aim is always the lowest effective dose.
Finding the right maintenance dose for you
Finding the dose that keeps your weight steady takes a bit of trial and error, but your prescriber will work through it with you.
Is the maintenance dose always the highest dose?
No, you don’t always need the highest dose for maintenance. Your prescriber will look at how much your appetite’s being suppressed, how well you’re tolerating the medication, and your current weight before deciding on the right maintenance dose for you.
Can you still lose weight on the maintenance dose?
Some people continue to lose weight on the Wegovy and Mounjaro maintenance doses, but how much you’ll lose depends on your body’s response to the medication.
The primary goal of the maintenance dose is to stabilise your weight after you reach your target, but some people may notice additional weight loss if their calorie intake and activity levels support it.
Your prescriber will monitor your progress and adjust your treatment plan if needed to ensure the maintenance dose works effectively for you.
What if the highest dose doesn't work for me?
If the highest dose of your weight loss injection isn’t working, it’s time to reassess. Are you still eating healthily? Even small, mindless snacks can add up and disrupt your calorie deficit.
Try swapping snacks for healthier options like fruit or yoghurt, and consider keeping a food diary to stay on track.
Don’t forget about exercise—being active is just as important now as it was when you started your journey. If you’ve reviewed your habits and still aren’t seeing progress, speak to your prescriber about why the dose might not be effective.
How to know when you’ve reached your maintenance dose
Your maintenance dose will be determined once you've successfully lost weight and can maintain it with the lowest effective dose for you.
You'll know you're at the right maintenance dose if:
Your weight has settled at or close to your goal for a few weeks running, rather than continuing to drop.
Your appetite and any food noise feel manageable at your current dose, without needing another increase.
Side effects have settled down, or were never a problem at this dose in the first place.
Your prescriber has reviewed your progress and confirmed there's no clinical reason to go any higher.
Your prescriber will guide you through this process, monitor your progress, and let you know when you've reached an effective maintenance dose, hit your goal weight, or are on track to achieve it.
Can my maintenance dose change?
Yes, your maintenance dose can change over time. Your prescriber may adjust your dose based on how much your appetite is suppressed, significant changes in your weight, or any side effects you experience.
If your weight fluctuates significantly or you’re not tolerating the dose well, your prescriber might increase or decrease it to find the right balance.
It’s important to remember that small fluctuations in weight are normal during your maintenance phase of treatment.
Switching to weight loss tablets for maintenance
Any decision to stop an injection, start a tablet, or change your dose, should always be discussed with a prescribing pharmacist or healthcare professional first.
There are a few reasons why you might consider stopping treatment, like side effects, cost, or simply reaching your goal weight. Whatever the reason, talk to your prescriber first.
Some people stop successfully once they've hit their target, while others need to carry on to keep their weight steady long term.
It's certainly possible to maintain your weight loss without weight loss injections, especially if you keep up habits like healthy eating and regular exercise. That said, some people find that staying on the medication helps to prevent weight regain, because it suppresses appetite and keeps you feeling fuller for longer.
Either way, don't suddenly stop a prescribed medication without discussing it with your healthcare provider beforehand.
What happens if you stop using weight loss injections too soon
Stopping weight loss injections before your new habits have properly settled makes it much harder to hold on to your results.
Appetite and food noise tend to come back once the medication leaves your system, and if your eating and activity routines aren't yet second nature, the weight can creep back on.
There are two things to keep in mind:
Weight regain. In the STEP 1 trial extension, 327 people who'd lost an average of 17.3% of their body weight over 68 weeks on semaglutide 2.4mg regained around two-thirds of it within a year of stopping, leaving a net loss of about 5.6%. Improvements in blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol largely reversed alongside the weight.
Side effects if you restart. If you come off treatment, you may need to reduce your dose depending on the length of your gap in treatment. The longer the gap, the greater the chance of significant side effects when restarting, like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Always discuss how best to restart your weight loss medication with your prescriber.
Working closely with your prescriber is the best way to judge when the time is right to stop, and to put a maintenance plan in place before you do.
When to seek urgent help
Never stop or change your dose without speaking to your prescriber first. Get medical help straight away if you have:
Severe stomach pain that spreads to your back alongside vomiting. This could be pancreatitis.
Severe or lasting vomiting or diarrhoea, which can cause dehydration and affect your kidneys.
Signs of low blood sugar like shaking, sweating, or weakness, particularly if you also take insulin or a sulfonylurea.
Swelling of the face, lips, or throat. These are signs of a severe allergic reaction.
“Stopping weight loss injections should always be a joint clinical decision between you and your prescriber, not just a matter of not ordering your next pen.
“Speak to your prescriber before you come off treatment so you can plan it properly, lower your dose if that's appropriate, and agree how your weight will be monitored afterwards.
“Never stop suddenly because of side effects without telling us first, as there's usually something we can do to help.
“Have your healthy habits firmly in place before you stop, keep weighing yourself regularly, and get in touch if your weight or appetite starts to come back.”
Whether you're staying on a maintenance dose or you've decided to come off medication altogether, there's a lot within your control when it comes to staying at a weight you're happy with.
Remember: the habits that got you there are the ones that'll keep you there.
How to support weight loss maintenance
Medication is only one part of the picture. What really keeps the weight off in the long run are the habits sitting alongside it, and the more of them you can build into your everyday life, the easier maintenance gets.
Starting weight loss injections again after stopping
Yes, you can go back on weight loss injections if you need to, depending on your weight and gap off treatment. If you regain weight or find it harder to maintain, your prescriber can recommend restarting treatment to get you back on track.
You may be able to return to the dose you were on before, but it depends on how long it's been since your last injection:
Wegovy: if you've missed doses for more than five weeks, tell your prescriber. You may need to reduce your dose to build your tolerance back up.
Mounjaro: if you've missed doses for more than three weeks, speak to your prescriber before your next injection.
Going straight back to a high dose after a long gap makes severe side effects more likely. Every case is different, so always check with your prescriber about the right dose for you before restarting.
How Chemist4U can help you find your maintenance dose
Maintenance dosing is an important part of using weight loss injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro. After reaching your weight loss goal, your prescriber will help you find the right dose to maintain your progress with minimal side effects.
Remember, the highest dose isn’t always necessary, and your maintenance dose can change over time based on your response to the medication.
It’s essential to work closely with your healthcare provider to ensure your treatment plan supports your long-term weight management goals.
Frequently asked questions about weight loss injection maintenance dosing
Is there an ideal GLP-1 maintenance dose after weight loss?
There's no single ideal dose. The right one for you is simply the lowest dose that keeps your weight steady without making you feel unwell.
Can you still lose weight on a maintenance dose?
Some people do, particularly if their eating and activity levels support it. The main job of a maintenance dose is to hold your weight steady. Your prescriber will be able to help adjust your dose if necessary to help keep your weight healthy and steady.
Do I need to keep using weight loss injections forever?
Not necessarily. Some people may need to continue using GLP-1 injections to maintain their weight loss, while others may be able to stop after reaching their goal.
It depends on how your body responds and whether you can maintain your weight with diet and exercise alone.
Can I maintain weight loss without using weight loss injections?
Yes, it’s possible to maintain weight loss without Wegovy or Mounjaro injections, especially if you continue healthy habits like eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.
However, some people find that continuing the medication helps to prevent weight regain by suppressing their appetite and helping them feel fuller for longer.
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