Do You Want to Stop Weight Loss Drugs but Don’t Know How?

If you’ve been taking weight loss medication such as Mounjaro or Wegovy, you may already know how life-changing they can feel. For many people, the constant “food noise” - the endless cycle of thinking about eating, worrying about what you’ve eaten, planning your next meal - finally quietens down. Hunger feels manageable, weight begins to shift, and with it comes hope.

But what happens when you want to stop?

For some, the idea of coming off these medications brings fear. Fear of the weight coming back, fear of food noise returning louder than ever, and perhaps most painfully, fear of being seen as a “failure” in front of others if the weight creeps up again.

Why It Feels So Hard

It’s important to know: none of these feelings mean you’re weak. These drugs work directly on the brain and the gut. They change hunger, satiety, and even the way food thoughts show up in your mind. So of course, stopping can feel daunting - because you’re not just giving up a medication, you’re facing the return of old patterns you’ve fought hard against.

The inner critic might say things like:

• “If I can’t keep it off, everyone will know I’ve failed.”

• “I’ll never cope with the food noise coming back.”

• “I need the drug to stay in control.”

Shifting the Story

When you stop weight loss medication, the challenge isn’t only physical and hormonal (your body is literally trying to do everything in its power to regain the weight - after all, it believes you have been through famine), it’s also emotional. The brain is wired with what psychologists call a negativity bias - it notices danger and risk before it notices safety and possibility. That bias can fuel fears of failure.

But what if stopping didn’t have to mean “failing”? What if it could mean a chance to rebuild a different kind of relationship with food - one not dependent on medication, one rooted in self-compassion, balance, and trust in yourself?

Food Noise and Self-Compassion

Yes, food noise may return. That doesn’t mean you’ve lost all progress. It means you need new tools to respond to it. Therapy can help you:

• Recognise the critic’s voice without obeying it.

• Develop coping strategies for moments of food noise.

• Explore the deeper feelings underneath - fear, loneliness, perfectionism, or grief.

• Build self-esteem that isn’t tied only to your weight or appearance.

When you learn to meet food noise with curiosity and self-compassion, it begins to lose its power. Instead of a relentless shout, it becomes a quieter voice that you can live alongside without letting it rule you.

You Are Not a Failure

Coming off medication doesn’t erase your achievements. It doesn’t undo your strength or your journey so far. And if your weight changes - that’s not proof of failure, it’s proof that you’re human. Your value has never depended on the number on a scale.

What matters is learning how to support yourself, how to manage the critic, and how to nurture your relationship with food in ways that feel kinder and more sustainable.

Finding Support

If you’re thinking about stopping weight loss medication and you’re scared about what comes next, you don’t have to do it alone. The therapy I offer is a safe, non-judgemental space to explore those fears, to understand the emotional pull of shame, and to begin building confidence in your own ability to cope.

I work with people who are navigating eating disorders, disordered eating, and life after weight loss drugs. Together, we explore both the practical and emotional sides of food, body image, and self-worth. My approach is integrative, trauma-informed, and compassionate -because I know how complex these struggles can feel.

You are not a failure for needing support. You are showing courage by choosing to care for yourself.