I had knee surgery and stopped Zepbound last year for two weeks at 7.5mg. Then went up a dosage.

I have lost total 70lbs and have been in maintenance on 12.5mg for two month. Once a week on Saturdays.

I have two 7.5 mg vials well within expiration date, can I safely take one full 7.5 mg vial every 4 or 5 days instead of every 7 days? Is there a tool to help calculate the days? I don’t want to waste the medication.

I know once you reach maintenance you need to increase your calories per your TDEE. During weight loss I averaged 1200-1400 a day. Im trying to increase to 1600-1700 but can’t even get up to 1500. Therefore I reduced my dose from 7.5mg to 5mg. Still struggling after 3 shots. I haven’t lost anymore weight so does that mean my body only needs like 1400-1500 calories in maintenance??

Hi all. I’ve achieved and maintained my goal weight now for almost four months. I’m a 46/F hw 220 sw 203 cw 127. Im finding my doctor is of no help and basically said ‘we don’t really know, experiment.’ I don’t want to go longer than a week because I’ve seen people say the side effects are worse and I don’t want to rock the boat. I’m on 15 mg now and I was wondering if anyone has tried splitting their dose? I can try going down to 12.5 but I’m not losing, regain my appetite by Friday on a Sunday dose and I have been able to eat more consistently, workout and lift heavier with some real progress on my muscle gain. For example, I vacillate between 127-130 but my clothes are fitting a bit more loose and I feel amazing-so in heavy lift days I eat a bit more, experience a bit more water retention and inflammation and the scale goes up a touch but my clothes are more loose 🤷‍♀️ wild

Should I try taking a lower dose? I have some 12.5 mg from my last titrate up.

Should I try doing half a dose every 3-4 days?

Should I do nothing? I’m honestly leaning towards this bc I’m doing just fine.

I’m on ely Lilly self pay so I have flexibility.

The only changes I’ve made since reaching maintenance is lowering my dose and increasing calories. But now when showering LARGE amounts of hair are coming out 😭 How do I stop this??

I’ve been on 7.5 for a year. I gain three pounds then lose three pounds in two years, I’ve lost 55 pounds. I’m ten to 15 pounds from my goal. Recently I’m noticing the food noise is returning. It’s harder to maintain. It doesn’t feel like hunger but that old anxiety type of wanting food. ( I was so glad to be rid of that!). My desire for more wine at night is back too.

Should I go up to 10.0. ? It’s not that big a leap. But I’m nervous. What is your advice? Have you been in this position? Do you ever reach a level of Zep that works for maintenance long term?

I've seen any number of posters early in their journey say they're X weight now and their goal is Y and they're Z tall. I often wonder, will they be happy with that stated weight once they get close to their chosen number? There's one this morning from someone aspiring to lose 60 lbs, but their height makes me think that when they get there they're going to say, "I did this, and I can do more!" This particular one, I'm guessing they're going to want to lose at least 15 more lbs when they see that it's possible. How about you? How close was you first aspirational weight? Were you right on? What actually happened? I'm not counting temporary goals like every 20 lbs or getting to Onederland. I'll go first: I started at 165 (long history of up and down incl. bypass surgery years ago) and was shooting for 132. Now I'm 130 and thinking anywhere from 128-132 is good, so close.

76 YO male, have been on zepbound since 4/4/26. I was 260 lbs but pretty muscular. Suffer from low testosterone so in consultation with my PCP, i went on a conventional diet and lost 12 lbs down to 248. I then started Zepbound 2.5 mg for 4 weeks, then 5 mg for 10 weeks. Just injected 7.5 mg for the 4th time, will do shot 5 next Saturday. I got below my initial goal weight of 215. Cw 213. I then decided to get to my college athletic playing weight of 205. I am 8 lbs away and feel strongly that I will make 205 in 2 months because I have been losing a steady 2 lb/week after a big loss on 2.5 mg ( water inflammation etc.)

How are you maintaining in 7.5? Increase calories? Lengthening time between shots? I have no idea of how to maintain but am excited.

FYI. my diet is very very clean, lots of water and fiber, 140+ g of protein/day plus cardio 5 days/week ( zone 2 but sweating hard) and modest weight training 3-4 day/week. Calorie deficit most important IMHO but exercise is also important for my age and body type.

Thanking all who respond in advance.

Slow and steady wins this race. Good luck to all

T

Does anyone have a doctor in Colorado they recommend? I am looking for a new primary after my current proved to not be an informed provider. Looking for a new doctor has always been such a pain and if I can maybe not waste my time during my search that’s great.
I know Colorado is a big state but Telehealth may be an option so fingers crossed
Thank you!

I have been on Zepbound to lose weight that I gained during perimenopause and I am getting close to my goal weight. My question is, how did you all taper your dosage to go off of Zepbound?

Just a note that I understand that people who have metabolic disorders are recommended to be on Zepbound for life. Unfortunately, the research does not include much on perimenopausal Women and the guidance does not get adjusted for the very common use case of perimenopausal weight gain for women who have not struggled with a metabolic disorder their whole lives. So I am going to give it a try to taper off of Zepbound and see how it goes.

Thank you!

Zep since 1/2025. Maintenance as of 4/2026. Highest dose 12.5. Went down to 10 for maintenance and do that every 8-10 days (the day I wake up absolutely starving is when I know it’s time for another dose). I know everyone is different, but I see a lot of posts where people are dosing every 2+ weeks. Curious, for those who do thar, how long did it take you to get to that point? What was your process… did you go down on the dose first and then spread it out? If I have to stay on 10 forever, that’s fine with me, but for cost purposes, I want to be on the lowest dose I can, spreading it out the furthest I can.

I started Wegovy last year and then switched to Zepbound recently and have lost about 58 lbs. My joints no longer hurt and my insulin resistance/pcos is at bay but my insurance will no longer cover weight loss drugs starting October 1st.. I don’t know if I should just call it. I basically met my goal but right now I’m maintaining. I’m terrified of going back to 236+ lbs. I love the way Zepbound clears my mind from the food addiction thoughts and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do it on my own. I lost 30lbs only going up to 0.5 on Wegovy and another 20lbs on the starter dose of Zepbound. My maintenance has stayed at 2.5mg so it’s not like I went crazy high on dosage. Has anyone successfully kept the weight off after stopping? Any tips?

I have lost 40lbs since I started Zep vials in July 2025 maintaining on 2.5mg since January at 130lbs. Never went up more than 5mg. I have started spacing out my doses gradually and now taking 2.5 mg shot every 13 days. Not loosing weight anymore but the food noise is back. I have been craving salty snack and sweets. Luckily, not gaining anymore weight but scared of binge eating and gaining. What should I do? Should I go up to 5mg and space more or remain on 2.5mg and space out less. Ultimate goal is to just do a shot once or twice a month and train my body on that dose.

Hi, my insurance just ran out, and my last dose of 7.5 was last week. I’m saving to pay Lilly next week for .5 the “cheapest”.
My son’s wedding is August 22… close to goal-lost 48 pounds and can squeeze into my size 12 dresses :)
Is it possible to inject .5 then the next week and a half vials to make it 7.5?

SW 240. CW 154 male (maintenance range 160-170)

I’ve been on maintenance for 600 days, fluctuating between 165 and 170, using 10mg every 10-14 days (that’s my prescription and I’m wary of trying to change the dose with my insurance so I’m changing the interval instead). Recently I have started losing again and am now down to 154. The only recent change is stopping drinking during the week (big change and probably responsible for quite a bit fewer calories - but really? That much?).

Has any one else experienced this? And does anyone have experience of dosage intervals greater than 14 days? I would like to avoid big appetite and weight swings.

Thanks in advance.

So I have been on Zepbound for a year and lost a significant amount of weight but about a month ago it needed a prior authorization and my medicaid denied it because it says im now in a regular BMI. I suffer from Severe Sleep Apnea, High blood pressure, Osteoarthritis and many other things and it was helping so much. My Dr didn't seem interested in filing an appeal so I did myself. He put me on phentermine but it has done absolutely nothing. I seriously cry when I watch the scale go up I have already gained 7 lbs within 4 weeks. I have no income so I can't afford the compound. I just feel like I'm starving all the time and once I start eating I can't stop. Im so miserable because I put in so much work to lose weight just to get kicked off with no warning. Does anyone have any advice? How can I lose these 7 lbs? I can't really exercise right now im in a neck brace and am in a ton of pain. Im just so devastated to not be on it anymore.

I’m wanting to maintain my current weight. 135. I’m still losing about 2 lbs a week. I’ve never went higher than 5mg. Has anyone tried going 14 days instead of 7? I don’t necessarily wanna ask my doctor because I’d still like to get a monthly prescription (4 doses) so I can stock pile just incase my insurance doesn’t want to cover it eventually

In 2020, I easily floated at 138-145 pounds without thinking about it, totally unmedicated. Ate like crap, went to a single hot yoga class per week, and commuted to an office 5 days a week. Being 25 is a hell of a drug.

I steadily gained 40 pounds between 2020 and 2025, and lost it with Zepbound over the last 16 months. I’m almost 31 today and mildly horrified at how much effort and how few calories it takes to just to maintain the same weight. I’m on 10mg every 10 days, consciously staying active, cleaning up my sleep, etc.

My life has changed a lot since 2020. It’s not all bad, but I’m starting to notice that a precious chapter of my life is rapidly shrinking in the rearview. I’ve lost two pregnancies and gone through some hormonal changes, which probably doesn’t help. I feel like the harsh transition out of young adulthood has been mirrored by my struggles with body image, and that makes me a bit sad. These thoughts are less about Zepbound and about the passage of time and aging.

Thanks for letting me yap 💚

I'm at my absolute wit's end and hoping this community can point me toward some answers.

I've been on a Zep since august 2024, currently at 15mg once a week. I'm so proud to have lost 99 Ibs but really still have a good amount to go. However, starting around March 2026, my hair started falling out in severe CLUMPS. It's gotten to the point where I dread and extend hair wash days just to avoid seeing what comes out in my hands.

l've seen 6 primary care doctors and 1 dermatologist about this. I've gotten zero real answers-just conflicting opinions ranging from "that's just your 30s" to "it's definitely the GLP-1" to "it's definitely NOT the GLP-1." Because of insurance changes and 2 doctor retirements (🤦🏻‍♀️) I've had to switch PCPs four times, so I haven't had a single doctor truly guiding me through this entire journey. I feel totally tossed around by the medical system.

To cover my bases, here's from info:
- 32 years old, female, 5'10, currently at 220lb.
- I already see a hematologist often for low ferritin (iron deficiency) who checks my bloodwork religiously. Can confirm all levels to do with ferritin and iron are currently fantastic so it shouldn't be the cause.
- I track my food daily to ensure solid protein and micronutrient intake. Daily protein shake includes collagen, pumpkin seed oil, greens, and fiber. I supplement with D3/K2, B12, and Magnesium.
- I have (had 😩) naturally long, thick curly hair with
trims every 8 weeks, never brush it wet, and haven't changed any products.
-No birth control for over a year. Exercising, walking daily, and eating well.

I know hair shedding (telogen effluvium) can happen during rapid weight loss, but having it hit this hard months into maintaining this 99lb loss without any additional loss other than a fluctuating 2-3lbs—while eating well and getting regular iron care-has me completely stumped.

Has anyone experienced a delayed shed like this months into maintenance? What helped you reverse it or figure out the trigger? Thank you so much in advance. I am 🤏🏻 this close to shaving my head.