Do You Have to Stay on GLP-1s Forever?

Guests: Ana Reisdorf, MS, RD & Melissa Mitri, MS, RD

Can you stop taking GLP-1 medications and maintain your weight loss? What happens when hunger and food noise return? And is staying on treatment long-term really necessary?

In this special episode from our FNCE 2026 coverage, Mike and Zach sit down with registered dietitians Ana Reisdorf and Melissa Mitri to explore one of the most common questions in obesity medicine: Do you have to stay on GLP-1 medications forever?

Ana shares her own experiences stopping and restarting GLP-1 treatment, including how those experiences challenged her professional assumptions about weight management. Melissa offers insights from her work with patients navigating long-term treatment, medication interruptions, and sustainable nutrition habits.

Together, they discuss what current research tells us about discontinuation, where evidence for tapering and maintenance dosing remains limited, and why weight reoccurrence should never be treated as a personal failure.

Topics include:

• What research tells us about stopping GLP-1 medications

• The science and uncertainty surrounding tapering and maintenance doses

• Hunger, food noise, and appetite after discontinuation

• Why healthy habits don't necessarily replace chronic disease treatment

• Nutrition, protein, physical activity, and muscle health

• The psychological transition from active weight loss to maintenance

• Weight reoccurrence, medication restarts, and removing shame

• Making individualized treatment decisions with your healthcare team

The central takeaway: Long-term obesity treatment is not about proving you can manage without medication. It's about finding the tools and care that support your health over time.

Website: https://weightandmeasurepod.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WeightandMeasurePodcast

More science. Less stigma.

This podcast is for educational purposes and does not replace individualized medical advice.