# After stopping GLP-1 drugs: a 39-person pilot trial tests meals and an app against regain

> News-Medical reports a pilot randomized trial in which delivered meals or a behavioral app was associated with less early weight regain after stopping GLP-1 drugs. Weight was an exploratory outcome in 39 adults.

AthleticsMD Clinical Desk · 2026-10-12 · https://blog.athleticsmd.org/after-stopping-glp-1-drugs-a-39-person-pilot-trial-tests-meals-and-an-app-agains

On October 11, 2026, News-Medical reported on a pilot randomized controlled trial, published in Obesity Science & Practice, that tested two forms of support for adults who had recently stopped glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs). These drugs were first approved for type 2 diabetes and later for obesity management [1]. Over four months, participants given home-delivered meals or a digital behavioral app regained less weight in model estimates than those on usual care, although weight change was an exploratory outcome rather than the trial's primary question [1].

## How the trial was run

The trial ran remotely from March 2024 to August 2025 and recruited through obesity clinics in Texas and the StudyFinder platform [1]. Eligible adults were 18 or older, had lost more than 10% of body weight on a GLP-1RA and had stopped it less than 30 days earlier [1]. Exclusions covered substance use disorder or major psychiatric illness that could impair participation, and dietary restrictions or medical conditions that would prevent eating the study meals or losing weight [1].

Participants were randomized to one of three four-month arms [1]:

- Medically tailored meals (MTMs): 10 prepared meals per week delivered home, lower in sodium, saturated fat and calories than conventional prepared meals, with lower or comparable sugar [1].
- A subscription to Noom, a behavioral weight-management app, with instructions to use it at least 15 minutes daily [1].
- Usual care, left to the treating provider with no study intervention [1].

Meals, delivery and subscriptions were free [1]. The primary outcomes were adherence and satisfaction, measured by questionnaire; weight came from home Bluetooth scales, with monthly weigh-ins requested [1].

## What it found

Of 39 participants, 13 received meals, 12 the app and 14 usual care; 34 completed a final weigh-in, with four controls lost to follow-up and one app participant discontinuing [1]. The mean age was 49.9 years, mean body mass index (BMI, weight relative to height) 31.4 kg/m², and mean prior weight loss on medication 18.1%; most participants were female (82%), White (58%), employed (71%) and college-educated (69%) [1].

Adherence, satisfaction, diet quality and perceived health did not differ significantly between the intervention and control arms, and no adverse events were reported [1]. The meal group ate eight meals per week on average, and the app group used the app 2.8 days per week [1].

In the exploratory weight analysis, model estimates showed controls gaining about 11% of body weight versus about 3.6% in the intervention arms, relative to study-baseline weight [1]. Prior medication-associated loss was uneven, averaging about 21% in controls, 18% in the app group and 16% in the meal group, but the difference in regain remained significant after adjustment for prior loss and baseline weight [1]. As the report put it, "both intervention groups still gained weight" [1].

## Why it matters

The report lists cost, insurance limits, adverse effects and personal preference as reasons people stop these drugs, and cites earlier studies showing rapid regain within three to four months of abrupt discontinuation, with most patients regaining at least half their lost weight within a year [1]. This trial targets that early window, and the authors conclude only that structured support shortly after stopping may reduce early regain [1]. Anyone weighing whether to stop a GLP-1RA should talk with a clinician [F].

## What to watch next

The investigators call for larger, more diverse trials with longer follow-up, and for work on how the interventions act [1]. The report notes that this particular study cannot establish whether either approach yields lasting weight maintenance or improves cardiometabolic health [1].

## Limitations

The authors cite the small sample, short follow-up, variable usual care, missing weight measurements and self-reported adherence, and note that the nonsignificant questionnaire results may reflect limited statistical power [1]. The report gives one pooled regain estimate for the two intervention arms, so it does not support comparing meals with the app [1]. This piece draws on News-Medical's summary rather than the full paper [1].

## References

1. news-medical.net. Stopping GLP-1 drugs often brings weight back. A small trial suggests ways to slow it. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20261011/Stopping-GLP-1-drugs-often-brings-weight-back-A-small-trial-suggests-ways-to-slow-it.aspx