What happens to your mental health when you stop weight loss jabs?

Around 1.6 million UK adults used weight loss jabs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro in the past year alone. But far fewer people are talking about what can happen when the jabs stop.

Why stopping can feel harder than starting

When you come off a GLP-1 weight loss medication, hunger returns – often quickly. A major review published in The BMJ in January 2026 found that people stopping these drugs regained weight around four times faster than those who lost weight through diet and exercise alone.

But the physical change is only part of the story. For many people, the emotional impact is just as significant.

The mental health effects of coming off weight loss jabs

Research published in the journal Nutrients in 2025 found that GLP-1 medications don’t just suppress appetite. They also influence reward processing, mood and body image. When the medication stops, those effects stop too.

For someone who’s tied their confidence to their changing body, watching the weight return can feel like failure. It often isn’t, but without support, the internal narrative can become very harsh very quickly.

Common experiences after stopping the jabs include anxiety about weight regain, low mood, a loss of identity or self-worth, and a complicated relationship with food and hunger.

The eating disorder risk nobody’s talking about

The link between weight loss jabs and eating disorders is getting more attention in the UK. 

An ITV News investigation found that 78% of the eating disorder clinics they contacted had treated patients with anorexia or bulimia who had obtained weight loss medications online. 

Research published in BMC Medicine in 2026, using data from across Great Britain, found that use of these medications was higher among people with a history of eating disorders. 

The sudden return of appetite and hunger after stopping can be destabilising, and can trigger or worsen disordered patterns around food, particularly for anyone who was already in a complicated place with eating before they started.

In August 2025, NICE updated its guidance to recommend a full year of structured support for people transitioning off GLP-1 medication. The fact that this recommendation now exists tells you something: the psychological side of stopping has been underestimated.

What’s really going on when the weight comes back

From a therapeutic perspective, one of the most important things we can explore is what the weight gain means to you – not just physically, but emotionally.

For many people, the experience of losing weight on these medications brings a shift in how they feel about themselves. Maybe you feel more confident, more in control, or more accepted. 

When weight returns, those feelings can reverse quickly, and the internal narrative can become very harsh. “I’ve failed.” “I can’t even keep this up.” “What’s the point.”

That kind of thinking is understandable. It’s also worth looking at it carefully, because it often reveals deeper beliefs about worth, control and identity that existed long before the medication was involved.

The biology matters too. The body genuinely fights back against weight loss, increasing hunger hormones and reducing metabolism. 

Understanding that can take some of the sting out of what can otherwise feel like a very personal defeat. 

But in therapy, we’d go further than just reassurance. We’d explore what these experiences are bringing up, and what they might be telling you about your relationship with yourself.

Signs it’s worth talking to someone

If any of the following feel familiar, therapy could help:

• Your thoughts about food or your body feel all-consuming
• You’re restricting, compensating, or eating in secret
• You feel like your worth is tied to your weight
• You’re struggling with the identity shift that comes with body changes
• You’re experiencing low mood or anxiety since stopping your medication

You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from talking to a therapist. In fact, you don’t have to be struggling at all. Sometimes therapy is most useful when things feel uncertain rather than unbearable.

We’re here when you’re ready

At Now You’re Talking, our therapists offer a confidential, non-judgmental space to work through body image, self-esteem and your relationship with food. There’s no waiting list, you choose your own therapist, and you can start with a free 15-minute connection call.

Because your weight is not your worth. And you deserve support that treats you that way.

If you’re concerned about your relationship with food, please speak with your GP or contact Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity.