Losing weight is hard. But for many people, keeping it off is even harder.

GLP-1 medications have changed the conversation around weight management by helping people feel fuller for longer and reducing hunger. But what happens after the weight comes off?

That's where gut health becomes part of the picture.

While healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle habits remain essential, researchers are increasingly exploring another piece of the puzzle: the gut microbiome, the community of microbes that live in your digestive system.

One area attracting growing attention is Akkermansia, a beneficial gut bacterium linked to healthy metabolism. New research suggests it may help support some of the body's natural systems involved in appetite, blood sugar and weight management.

If you're taking a GLP-1 medication, considering one, or thinking about what comes next, here's what you need to know…

At a Glance: Key Concepts Discussed In This Article: 

First Things First: What Is GLP-1?

GLP-1 is a hormone made in the gut that helps control hunger and fullness. It helps regulate appetite by sending signals between the gut and the brain, including areas that control hunger and fullness.¹

GLP-1 medications work by activating these same pathways. They help many people reduce food intake, manage cravings and lose weight more effectively.

It's one of the reasons these medications have had such a significant impact on weight management.

But weight loss is only one part of the journey.

Why Keeping Weight Off Can Be Difficult

Your body is designed to resist weight loss.

Researchers often describe this as a weight set point.² It's the idea that your body prefers to stay within a certain weight range and may try to return there after weight loss.

As a result, hunger can increase and cravings may become stronger, making it easier to regain weight.²

Research also suggests that inflammation, disrupted appetite signals and poor metabolic balance can make long-term weight maintenance more difficult.³˒⁴

Metabolism is the process your body uses to turn food into energy and manage that energy efficiently.

That's why keeping weight off isn't just about eating less. It's also about supporting the body's natural hunger and energy signals.

The Foundations Still Matter

If you've struggled with your weight for years, this is the good news: you don't have to do everything perfectly to start supporting your metabolism.

Whether you're taking a GLP-1 medication, thinking about one, or simply trying to maintain weight loss, the same foundations matter.

Protein is one of the best places to start. When appetite is reduced, it can be harder to eat enough to maintain muscle. Protein helps provide the building blocks your body needs to preserve muscle mass while supporting fullness and healthy appetite signals.⁵˒⁶ 

If you're looking for a quality protein, Metagenics Biopure Collagen Protein makes meeting your daily target effortless. With easily digestible collagen peptides that blend seamlessly into any hot, cold, sweet, or savory dish without altering the flavor of your favorite foods, it's a great way to support your protein intake!

Exercise matters too. It helps preserve muscle, helps your body use energy efficiently and may improve the body's natural appetite-regulating signals, including GLP-1.⁷

Together, protein and exercise help support the metabolism we need not just to lose weight, but to keep it off.

But there's another piece of the puzzle that's often overlooked: the gut microbiome.

GLP-1, Insulin and the Gut: why Akkermansia Matters

The discovery of Akkermansia muciniphila has given researchers a new way to think about how the body manages weight and energy.⁸˒⁹

For years, weight management was often viewed through the lens of eating less and moving more. While those foundations still matter, researchers now know the body relies on many signals that affect hunger, energy use and fat storage.¹⁰

People with higher levels of Akkermansia often have healthier gut health and better metabolic health markers.⁸˒⁹ Researchers are interested in how it may help support appetite, blood sugar control and long-term weight management.¹⁰

One of the most important of these signals is insulin.

Why Insulin Matters for Long-Term Weight Management

While GLP-1 helps regulate hunger and fullness, another important piece of the picture is insulin. Insulin helps move sugar from the bloodstream into cells to be used for energy. Changes in insulin function are often among the earliest signs that metabolism may be under strain.¹⁰

Sometimes the body stops responding properly to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. When this happens, the body has to make more insulin to keep blood sugar under control.

Over time, higher insulin levels can make it harder for the body to manage energy efficiently and may contribute to increased fat storage and weight regain. ¹⁰

Researchers often find lower levels of Akkermansia in people with insulin resistance and other signs of poor metabolic health. Akkermansia helps support a healthy gut lining, which may play an important role in appetite, blood sugar control and metabolic health.⁸˒⁹,¹¹

Akkermansia and Insulin: What We Know

Emerging research suggests Akkermansia may help support some of the body's natural systems involved in blood sugar control, hunger and GLP-1.¹⁰

In a clinical study, people with low Akkermansia levels who took pasteurised Akkermansia muciniphila became better at managing blood sugar with less insulin, meaning their bodies were able to manage blood sugar with less insulin. Researchers also saw a stronger GLP-1 response after a glucose test, suggesting improvements in some of the body's natural hunger and energy signals.¹⁰

These findings help explain why researchers are increasingly interested in Akkermansia as part of the broader conversation around metabolic health. Rather than replacing healthy lifestyle habits, Akkermansia may help support some of the underlying biological systems involved in insulin function and long-term weight maintenance. ^8,9,14-17

The Missing Conversation: What Happens After GLP-1?

For many people, the biggest challenge isn't losing weight. It's keeping it off.

When weight is lost, the body's natural drive to regain it doesn't disappear. Hunger can return, appetite signals can change and the body may begin pushing back towards its previous weight range.²

This is why keeping the body healthy after weight loss matters.

Researchers are increasingly exploring whether supporting the gut microbiome may help support weight maintenance after weight loss, particularly in people with lower levels of Akkermansia.⁸⁻¹⁰

What Does the Research On Akkermansia Show?

One clinical trial found that people taking pasteurised Akkermansia muciniphila became better at managing blood sugar with less insulin.¹²

In practical terms, their bodies needed about one-third less insulin to manage blood sugar effectively.¹² This suggests their bodies were managing blood sugar more efficiently, an important sign of healthy metabolic function.

But perhaps the most exciting research relates to weight maintenance.

In a clinical trial involving people who first completed a very low-calorie diet and lost significant weight, participants were then followed during the maintenance phase.¹³

Those who took 30 billion pasteurised Akkermansia muciniphila (MucT®) daily for 24 weeks regained up to 58% less weight compared with controls. ¹³

This equated to approximately 2 kg less rebound weight gain.¹³

Interestingly, people who started with the lowest Akkermansia levels experienced the greatest benefit.¹³

These findings suggest that supporting the gut microbiome after weight loss may be one way to help support long-term weight maintenance.

The Bottom Line

GLP-1 medications can be powerful tools for weight loss, but maintaining weight loss is often the bigger challenge.

Protein intake, regular exercise, quality sleep and overall healthy lifestyle habits remain essential for supporting long-term results.⁵˒⁶˒⁷

At the same time, research into Akkermansia and GLP-1 is opening new conversations about the role of the microbiome in metabolic health.

Studies suggest that pasteurised Akkermansia muciniphila may help support insulin sensitivity, gut barrier health and healthy weight maintenance after weight loss.^12,14,15

While research is still evolving, it offers an exciting new way of thinking about long-term weight management and supporting a healthier metabolism.

Talk to Your Practitioner

GLP-1 medications are prescription medicines and should always be used under the guidance of a healthcare professional. If you're considering adding a supplement to your routine, speak with your practitioner about what may be appropriate for your individual needs.

References:

1. Kim KS, Park JS, Hwang E, et al. GLP-1 increases preingestive satiation via hypothalamic circuits in mice and humans. Science. 2024;385(6710):438-446. doi:10.1126/science.adj2537.

2. Schwartz MW, Seeley RJ, Zeltser LM, Drewnowski A, Ravussin E, Redman LM, et al. Obesity pathogenesis: an Endocrine Society Scientific Statement. Endocr Rev. 2017 Aug 1;38(4):267-296. doi: 10.1210/er.2017-00111.

3. Valdearcos M, Douglass JD, Robblee MM, Dorfman MD, Stifler DR, Bennett ML, et al. Microglial inflammatory signaling orchestrates the hypothalamic immune response to dietary excess and mediates obesity susceptibility. Cell Metab. 2017 Jul 5;26(1):185-197.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2017.05.015.

4. Thaler JP, Yi CX, Schur EA, Guyenet SJ, Hwang BH, Dietrich MO, et al. Obesity is associated with hypothalamic injury in rodents and humans. J Clin Invest. 2012 Jan;122(1):153-62. doi: 10.1172/JCI59660.

5. Weigle DS, Breen PA, Matthys CC, Callahan HS, Meeuws KE, Burden VR, et al. A high-protein diet induces sustained reductions in appetite, ad libitum caloric intake, and body weight despite compensatory changes in diurnal plasma leptin and ghrelin concentrations. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jul;82(1):41-8. doi: 10.1093/ajcn.82.1.41.

6. Martens EA, Lemmens SG, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. Protein leverage affects energy intake of high-protein diets in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Jan;97(1):86-93. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.046540.

7. Martins C, Kulseng B, King NA, Holst JJ, Blundell JE. The effects of exercise-induced weight loss on appetite-related peptides and motivation to eat. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Apr;95(4):1609-16. doi: 10.1210/jc.2009-2082. 

8. Cani PD, de Vos WM. Next-generation beneficial microbes: the case of Akkermansia muciniphila. Front Microbiol. 2017;8:1765. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.01765.

9. Shaheen N, Khursheed W, Gurung B, Wang S. Akkermansia muciniphila: a key player in gut microbiota-based disease modulation. Microbiol Res. 2025;301:128317. doi:10.1016/j.micres.2025.128317.

10. Suenaert P, Segers A, Rymenans L, et al. Effect of pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila MucT on insulin sensitivity, body composition, and GLP-1 production in subjects with metabolic syndrome: impact of low baseline gut Akkermansia levels. Gut Microbes. 2026;18(1):2690689. doi:10.1080/19490976.2026.2690689

11. Zeng Z, Chen M, Liu Y, et al. Role of Akkermansia muciniphila in insulin resistance. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2025;40(1):19-32. doi:10.1111/jgh.16747

12. Depommier C, Everard A, Druart C, et al. Supplementation with Akkermansia muciniphila in overweight and obese human volunteers: a proof-of-concept exploratory study. Nat Med. 2019;25(7):1096-1103. doi:10.1038/s41591-019-0495-2.

13.Mount S, Canfora EE, Jocken JW, et al. Pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila MucT for weight loss maintenance in people with overweight and obesity: a controlled randomized trial. Nat Med. Published online 2026. doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04394-7.

14.Li Z, Samui S, Liu J, et al. Gut microbiome and metabolic health: mechanisms and precision interventions. Gut Microbes. 2026;18(1):2644677. doi:10.1080/19490976.2026.2644677

15. Coppola S, Avagliano C, Calignano A, Berni Canani R. The Protective Role of Butyrate against Obesity and Obesity-Related Diseases. Molecules. 2021;26(3):682. Published 2021 Jan 28. doi:10.3390/molecules26030682