Glossary

The off-ramp, defined

29 GLP-1 and weight-maintenance terms in plain English. Every definition links to the guides and tools where the concept matters.

Appetite suppression
The reduction in hunger and food intake produced by GLP-1 medications, which fades when they are stopped.
Bioavailability
The share of a drug that reaches the bloodstream; lower for oral GLP-1s than injections.
Chronic disease model of obesity
The framing of obesity as a long-term, relapsing medical condition rather than a willpower problem.
Energy expenditure
The calories the body burns, including resting metabolism, activity, and the thermic effect of food.
Food noise
The persistent, intrusive thoughts about food that GLP-1 medications quiet, and that tend to return after stopping.
GIP receptor
The receptor for glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide; the second target of dual agonists like tirzepatide.
GLP-1 receptor agonist
A class of medication that mimics the gut hormone GLP-1 to reduce appetite, slow gastric emptying, and regulate blood sugar.
Habit stacking
Attaching a new behavior to a routine you already do daily, so an existing cue triggers it instead of willpower.
Lean body mass (fat-free mass)
Everything in the body that is not fat, chiefly muscle; protecting it preserves metabolism.
Leptin
A satiety hormone released by fat tissue; it falls as you lose fat, weakening fullness signals.
Liraglutide
An earlier, shorter-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist taken daily, sold for weight management as Saxenda.
Maintenance dose
A lower, ongoing dose some people stay on long-term after reaching their goal, decided with a clinician.
Metabolic adaptation
The drop in resting metabolic rate after weight loss, beyond what mass loss alone predicts.
Microdosing
Using ultra-low, sub-approved GLP-1 doses; not a recommended practice and not evidence-based.
NEAT
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis: the calories burned through everyday movement, not formal workouts.
Off-label use
Prescribing a drug for a use the FDA has not formally approved, a common and legal practice.
Orexigenic signals
Hunger-promoting signals, chiefly ghrelin, that rise after stopping a GLP-1.
Protein leverage
The idea that the body keeps eating until a protein target is met, so adequate protein curbs overeating.
Rebound weight gain
The weight regained after stopping a GLP-1, driven by physiology, not personal failure.
Resistance training
Strength exercise (weights, bands, bodyweight) that preserves muscle and protects metabolism during weight loss.
Resting metabolic rate (RMR)
The calories your body burns at rest; muscle is its main driver, which is why preserving muscle matters.
Satiety signaling
The body's fullness signals (leptin, PYY, GLP-1) that tell the brain to stop eating.
Semaglutide
The GLP-1 receptor agonist sold as Ozempic and Rybelsus (diabetes) and Wegovy (weight management).
Set point
The weight range the body defends through appetite and energy-expenditure adjustments.
STEP trial
The clinical trial program that established semaglutide for weight management.
SURMOUNT trial
The clinical trial program that established tirzepatide for weight management.
Tirzepatide
A dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist sold as Mounjaro (diabetes) and Zepbound (weight management).
Titration
The gradual stepping up of a dose over weeks to limit side effects, set by a prescriber.
Weight plateau
A stall in weight change as the body adapts; expected, and not a sign the plan has failed.