Kenneth Glad
As the use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs grows, attention is shifting to a new question: what happens when patients stop taking them? For one British columnist, the answer has been unexpectedly positive, though experts say her experience may not be typical.
Much of the debate around drugs such as Mounjaro has centred on rapid weight loss. Less discussed is the long-term picture once treatment ends.
In a Daily Mail column, Claudia Connell describes what happened after she stopped using the medication in 2025. Within a year of coming off the injections, she says she not only maintained her weight loss but reduced it further, moving from a size 12 to a size 8.
Her account stands out because medical guidance often warns of rebound weight gain. Research published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism found that participants regained around two-thirds of their lost weight within a year of stopping semaglutide.
Connell’s experience, while notable, reflects a single case rather than a general outcome.
Building sustainable habits
Instead of relying on medication, she credits a shift in everyday behaviour. Meals were streamlined to twice daily, with an emphasis on foods that promote fullness, particularly protein.
Highly processed snacks were removed from her home, and alcohol became an occasional indulgence rather than a routine habit. These adjustments, she suggests, helped stabilise her appetite over time.
In her column, she describes how the persistent urge to eat between meals, sometimes referred to as “food noise,” had eased.
There were exceptions. During the 2025 holiday period, she gained a small amount of weight but returned to her usual eating pattern and reversed the gain without major difficulty.
More than weight
The changes extended beyond the scale. She reports improvements in blood pressure and reduced strain on her joints, alongside a noticeable boost in confidence.
Social interactions also felt different. In her column, she wrote: “People are nicer when you’re slim,” reflecting on how she now perceives everyday encounters.
Not everyone has been supportive, though. She notes criticism from those who see pharmaceutical weight loss as an unfair shortcut, as well as concerns from friends about becoming too thin.
Connell also points to a shift in mindset, referencing “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,” a phrase often attributed to model Kate Moss, to illustrate how her thinking about food and indulgence has evolved since losing weight.
While she says she does not expect to return to her previous weight, she admits keeping a dose of the medication at home offers reassurance.
Her story highlights a more nuanced reality emerging around GLP-1 drugs: For some, success may depend less on the treatment itself and more on what comes after it.
Sources: Daily Mail; Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism
