GLP-1 therapy has exploded in popularity recently, but with that popularity comes a tidal wave of misinformation. You’ve probably heard it all — claims that it forces you to starve, that it wrecks your metabolism, that the second you stop taking it, all the weight piles back on. And of course, there’s the classic fear-mongering take about how it’s “too new” to be safe, despite the fact that GLP-1 medications have been around for nearly a decade.
Most of these claims comes from people who don’t understand how GLP-1 therapy actually works, or who feel like using GLP-1 agonists to lose weight is somehow “cheating” and that you should just white-knuckle it to a slimmer you through sheer willpower alone.
Let’s cut through the noise and break down the five biggest myths about GLP-1 therapy, and what’s really going on.
Myth #1: GLP-1 therapy makes you starve yourself
The truth: GLP-1 therapy doesn’t make you starve — it just turns down the food noise so you can eat like a normal person.
This might be the most common myth of them all, and it’s not hard to see why. If you’ve never been on GLP-1 therapy, you hear people say things like, “I just forget to eat” or “I have to remind myself to eat” and assume that means the medication is forcing some kind of unnatural starvation mode. But that’s not what’s happening at all.
Here’s the reality: for a lot of people, food takes up way too much mental space. For them it’s not just about eating when they’re hungry — it’s about thinking about food constantly, fighting cravings, planning the next meal before they’ve even finished the one in front of them. Some people don’t even realize just how much of their brainpower is devoted to food until GLP-1 therapy turns down the volume. When it does, it’s not that they don’t want to eat — it’s that instead, they finally have the ability to not think about food all the time.
GLP-1 therapy works by regulating hunger signals in your brain, making those hunger signals function the way they’re supposed to and smoothing out the communication between body and brain. That means when you actually need food, you’ll feel hunger — and when you don’t, you won’t. But what it doesn’t do is leave you feeling ravenous, weak, or deprived like crash diets or extreme calorie restriction do. Instead of fighting an uphill battle against constant hunger, GLP-1 therapy helps you reach a place where eating feels normal again — maybe even for the first time in your life.
And yes, some people on GLP-1 therapy do find that their appetite is significantly reduced at first. That’s usually because they’re going from years (or decades) of dysregulated hunger signals (and overeating) to suddenly experiencing what it’s like to only eat when their body actually needs food. It can feel unfamiliar — but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. It means it’s working.
The bottom line? GLP-1 therapy doesn’t leave you literally starving and just unable to feel it, as some people have tried to claim. It just helps you stop eating like your hunger dial is stuck on maximum at all times.
Myth #2: You’ll gain back all the weight as soon as you stop GLP-1 therapy
The truth: Weight regain after going off GLP-1 therapy is possible, but it’s not automatic. It all comes down to what happens after you stop taking it.
This is one of those half-truths that gets twisted into a fear tactic. Do some people regain weight after stopping GLP-1 therapy? Sure. But that’s not because the medication “ruined” their metabolism or “made” them dependent on it — it’s because obesity is driven by long-term eating patterns and behaviors. If someone doesn’t use GLP-1 therapy as a tool to develop better habits, then stopping it means going right back to the way they ate before — which is what led to the weight gain in the first place.
The key to long-term success isn’t just losing weight; instead, it’s learning how to keep it off. GLP-1 therapy helps level the playing field by reducing hunger and cravings, but what happens next is up to the individual. People who take the time to build new habits, rethink their relationship with food, and find sustainable ways to eat well are the ones most likely to maintain their weight loss after stopping the medication.
On the other hand, if someone treats GLP-1 therapy like a temporary fix — without making any lasting changes — regaining the weight is a real possibility. That’s not unique to GLP-1 therapy; it’s true of any weight loss approach. If you go back to doing exactly what made you gain weight in the first place, then yes, you’re probably going to regain it.
So no, stopping GLP-1 therapy doesn’t automatically mean you’ll gain back every pound you lost. But like with any approach to weight loss, what you do next matters. The real question isn’t “Will I regain the weight?” — it’s “What am I doing to maintain my results?”
Myth #3: GLP-1 therapy permanently changes your brain in a bad way
The truth: Yes, GLP-1 therapy affects your brain, but not in a harmful or permanent way. Instead, it helps restore balance to hunger and reward signals that have been out of sync.
There’s something about the phrase “changes your brain” that automatically makes people panic. It sounds scary, like something permanent is happening and you’re never going to be the same again. But that’s not how GLP-1 therapy works. The reality is that these medications aren’t forcing unnatural changes—they’re simply helping your brain function the way it was meant to in the first place.
Here’s how it works: your brain has something called GLP-1 receptors. The GLP-1 hormone sticks to these receptors, and by doing so helps regulate hunger, cravings, and impulse control. This is why people on GLP-1 therapy often report not just eating less, but also thinking about food less often. So instead of food dominating every waking thought, they finally experience mental quiet — a sense of relief from the constant tug-of-war with cravings. What’s really happening here is that GLP-1 therapy is restoring balance to hunger and reward signals that may have been out of sync for years, allowing these people to regain a sense of control over their eating habits.
But does that mean it permanently rewires your brain? No. The effects of GLP-1 therapy are only present while the medication is active in your system. Once you stop taking it, the impact on hunger and cravings fades over time. That’s why forming lasting habits while using GLP-1 therapy is so important — because while the medication gives you a major advantage in breaking old patterns, it’s ultimately up to you to sustain the changes long-term.
And here’s where things get interesting: some studies suggest GLP-1 therapy may actually help with compulsive behaviors beyond food, like smoking, drinking, or even other forms of addiction. It seems to rebalance the brain’s reward system, making it easier to break free from unhealthy cycles.
So no, GLP-1 therapy isn’t “rewiring” your brain in some unnatural or harmful way. It’s helping reset the patterns that keep people stuck in cycles of overeating and cravings. Instead of working against your body’s hunger cues, it helps you work with them — something that, for many people, has felt impossible for years.
Myth #4: GLP-1 therapy destroys your metabolism
The truth: There’s no evidence that GLP-1 therapy damages your metabolism. If anything, it helps regulate it and improve your overall metabolic health.
This myth likely comes from a misunderstanding of how metabolism actually works. People hear that weight loss “slows” metabolism and assume that means GLP-1 therapy must be wrecking their body’s ability to burn calories. But that’s not how it works.
Metabolism is simply wht we call the process of converting the food we eat into energy our bodies can use. Metabolism depends on a variety of factors, like how big or small you are, how much muscle you have, etc. A 200-pound person is going to need more calories than a 150-pound person, and a person whose 150 pounds is primarily muscle can burn more calories than a person of the same weight who carries a lot of fat.
Your metabolism adjusts based on your body size and needs, so when you lose weight — no matter how you do it — your body requires fewer calories to function. That’s just basic biology, and it happens whether you lose weight through diet, exercise, bariatric surgery, or GLP-1 therapy. The medication itself isn’t breaking anything. In fact, GLP-1 therapy actually improves metabolic function. It reduces insulin resistance, stabilizes blood sugar, and helps your body process energy more efficiently. Many people on GLP-1 meds see improvements in conditions like type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome — clear signs that their metabolism is working better, not worse.
The real key to keeping your metabolism healthy during and after weight loss is muscle mass. If you lose weight too fast or don’t eat enough protein, you can lose muscle — which does slow metabolism. That’s why experts recommend incorporating strength training and getting enough protein while on GLP-1 therapy.
The bottom line? GLP-1 therapy isn’t destroying your metabolism — it’s helping your body function the way it should. The real threat to your metabolism isn’t these medications — it’s untreated obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
Myth #5: GLP-1 therapy is just a short-term fix
The truth: GLP-1 therapy isn’t a “quick fix” — it’s a tool. And like any tool, it works best when used properly.
A lot of people dismiss GLP-1 therapy as nothing more than a temporary band-aid. They assume it’s like every other diet trend — something that might work for a little while but ultimately fails in the long run. But that assumption ignores one crucial fact: GLP-1 therapy isn’t just about weight loss. It’s about changing the way your body regulates hunger, cravings, and metabolism so that long-term success is actually possible.
For people who struggle with obesity or food-related compulsions, the issue isn’t just overeating — it’s a dysregulated system that keeps them stuck in an endless cycle of hunger and cravings. GLP-1 therapy helps correct that imbalance, making it easier to develop better eating habits. And those habits are what determine whether weight loss lasts, not whether someone stays on medication forever.
Yes, some people will need to stay on GLP-1 therapy long-term — just like some people stay on blood pressure or cholesterol medication indefinitely. Others, though, may be able to transition off once they’ve built sustainable habits and reached a stable, healthy weight. It’s not a one-size-fits-all situation, and that’s exactly why it works.
The bottom line? GLP-1 therapy isn’t a shortcut, and it isn’t a crutch. It’s a tool that gives people a real shot at lasting weight loss — and for many, that’s something they’ve never had before.
The bottom line on GLP-1 therapy myths
There’s a lot of misinformation floating around about GLP-1 therapy, but when you dig into the facts, most of the fearmongering falls apart. These medications aren’t forcing starvation, wrecking your metabolism, or permanently rewiring your brain in some dangerous way. They’re simply helping correct the imbalances that keep people stuck in cycles of hunger, cravings, and weight gain.
Like any medical treatment, GLP-1 therapy isn’t magic. It’s not a cure-all, and it’s not a free pass to eat whatever you want without consequences. But for many people, it’s the first real solution that actually works—not because it tricks your body, but because it helps your body function the way it was meant to.
If you’re considering GLP-1 therapy, don’t let the myths scare you off. Do your research, talk to a doctor, and make sure you’re getting your information from people who actually understand how these medications work. Because when used correctly, GLP-1 therapy isn’t just a tool for weight loss—it’s a tool for freedom from the struggle that so many people have been fighting their entire lives. Learn more about Claya’s weight loss treatment programs for medically supervised weight loss.
