Oprah Winfrey says she stopped GLP-1 drugs, regained about 20 pounds and restarted
Winfrey's account puts a specific number on weight regain after stopping a GLP-1 drug, though she has not named the medication or said what dose she took.
Oprah Winfrey said she stopped taking a GLP-1 medication about six months after starting it, regained roughly 20 pounds over the next 12 months, and then went back on the drug. She described the medication as "going to be a lifetime thing" [1].
Winfrey gave the account in an interview with People. She said she quit about six months in to see whether she could hold on to the weight loss on her own [1]. Over the following year she regained about 20 pounds, then restarted treatment [1]. Fox News listed Winfrey in a roundup of celebrities who publicly discussed their weight loss in 2025, a group that also includes Amy Schumer [2].
What has and has not been disclosed
The interview did not name the specific medication Winfrey used, and that detail has not been reported [1]. GLP-1 medications in this class include semaglutide, sold as Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, and tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound. Her dose, the exact length of each period on and off treatment, and whether she stopped under medical supervision have not been disclosed [1].
The 20-pound figure is her own description of what happened, not a measurement from a clinical trial [1].
Why it matters for patients
Talk about stopping GLP-1 drugs is common, but specific numbers attached to a public figure's experience are not. Winfrey's account gives one: about six months on the drug, roughly 12 months off, about 20 pounds regained, then a restart [1].
That sequence does not settle what is typical. One person's experience cannot show how much weight most people regain after stopping, how quickly it comes back, or whether the pattern differs by drug, dose, or how long someone took it. None of those questions are answered in this account [1].
Her framing also points to an idea patients hear often: that these drugs may be long-term rather than temporary. Winfrey called them "going to be a lifetime thing" for her [1]. Whether that applies to any individual is a clinical question, and it is one that depends on the person's health history and goals. Nothing in the interview addresses cost, insurance coverage, or how she handled side effects [1].
What the account does show is that stopping is something people try, that regain can follow, and that restarting is possible. Those are decisions usually made with a prescriber, and the interview does not describe the medical advice she received at any point [1].
Patients who are weighing a pause in treatment may find the specifics useful mainly as a reminder that the question of what happens after stopping is an open one. Reports on weight regain are not the same as evidence about health outcomes, and no outcome data appears in this account [1]. How often people regain, and how much, varies, and this interview does not answer either question [1].
What happens next
No further details about Winfrey's treatment have been reported, and no additional interview or statement on the subject has been announced [1]. Whether she has stayed on the medication since restarting has not been disclosed [1].
Sources
Semaglutides.org provides information only, not medical advice. Talk to a licensed provider about your own care before making changes. Some telehealth links are affiliate links and are labeled where they appear.