Americans on GLP-1s plan to spend big on Black Friday clothes

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Americans on GLP-1s plan to spend big on Black Friday clothes

Black Friday is shaping up to be a major spending moment for Americans on GLP-1 medications, who are now entering the holiday sales season with changing bodies and wardrobes that no longer fit.

A 2025 survey from weight-loss telehealth company Sunlight.com shows GLP-1 users plan to spend $350 on clothes this Black Friday, more than double the $150 nonusers expect to spend. For many, the spending is motivated by necessity, with 62% saying most or all of their clothes are too big and nearly 1 in 5 (17%) expecting to spend $500 or more to replace their ill-fitting items. Among people who’ve lost 50 pounds or more, the number of high-spenders jumps to about 40%, indicating that many are likely to use the holiday savings day to significantly revamp their wardrobes.

But even with deep discounts and renewed excitement around the year-end shopping season, doctors say it’s important to know where you are in your weight-loss timeline before replacing everything you own. GLP-1 progress isn’t linear, and body changes can happen fast in the early months.

To help shoppers avoid wasting money (and make the most of the season’s biggest deals), Dr. Angela Tran, who is double-board-certified in obesity medicine and internal medicine, offers insights to help GLP-1 users gain an understanding of when most people start noticing size changes, how long weight typically stabilizes, and whether GLP-1 users should tailor, toss, or restock their clothing items during the end-of-year sales rush.

How fast GLP-1 results start to show up in your clothes

For many patients, the desire to revamp their wardrobe starts when their bodies begin changing faster than they’re used to.

When taking GLP-1 medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide, Dr. Tran says patients can often lose 15 to 25 pounds over three to four months. Of course, the speed at which a patient loses weight depends on factors such as dosage, their baseline weight at the start of their treatment, and how well they stick to their routine. However, the class of drugs mimics the natural GLP-1 hormone by helping the body release insulin after eating and signaling the brain to feel full, thereby reducing the desire to eat. Results differ for everybody, but they can be significant. Some see weight loss by month two, especially when they pair medication with a more structured eating and exercise routine.

Generally speaking, patients who combine GLP-1 use with intentional lifestyle changes—such as better sleep, more regular healthy meals, and daily physical activity—tend to see more consistent progress and earlier size changes, which can mean outgrowing clothes more quickly.

Why maintenance matters more than a single ‘goal weight’

One of the most common questions Dr. Tran hears is whether patients need to stay on GLP-1 medication forever to maintain their results.

She says she views weight-loss journeys in three phases:

• Phase 1 - Active weight loss: The period when the scale is moving, clothes are getting looser, and patients are often most motivated.
• Phase 2 - Maintenance: Weight stabilizes, and the focus shifts from losing to keeping the weight off—this is where most people underestimate the work.
• Phase 3 - Long-term habit building: Patients establish sustainable routines around food, movement, sleep, and stress that allow them to maintain progress with less intensive effort.

“Being able to maintain an individual's goal weight without the dependence of GLP-1s will always be about making sure you have the proper diet and exercise plan and have made solid, healthy lifestyle changes,” Dr. Tran notes.

She says that losing weight on GLP-1s can feel easier because early results create momentum. However, without addressing root causes such as hormone imbalances, muscle loss, aging, sleep disturbances, stress, or irregular eating, many people struggle once the initial motivation wears off.

As a result, Dr. Tran estimates that roughly three-quarters of her GLP-1 patients face the possibility of regaining weight over time, especially if they taper off the medication without support from a qualified physician. She emphasizes that the drugs are best used as a powerful tool—“like training wheels on a bicycle”—rather than a stand-alone fix.

When your weight is likely to stabilize—and you can settle into a long-term clothing size

After a patient reaches their goal weight, the ease with which they are able to maintain that size depends heavily on how they use the medication and what’s happening in the background.

Dr. Tran says patients who already had solid habits before starting—such as women in their 40s and 50s who were exercising regularly but couldn’t overcome insulin resistance or hormonal shifts—may find that once the underlying metabolic issue is treated with GLP-1s, their bodies stabilize more predictably.

For others, long-term stability requires a more holistic approach: pairing the medication with nutrition counseling, strength training or guided exercise, sleep and stress management, and regular follow-ups with a medical weight-loss expert. That support can help patients gradually move to a maintenance dose and, over time, potentially taper off while continuing to hold their results.

Practically speaking, that means your clothing size could fluctuate from the time you start a GLP-1 through the time you reach and are able to maintain your goal weight, which is an important reality to keep in mind before replacing your entire wardrobe at once.

Toss, tailor, or wait? How to handle your old wardrobe

Once patients reach their goal weight, however, many wonder what to do with the clothes they’ve downsized out of. Should they keep them “just in case,” have them tailored, or clear them out?

Dr. Tran is clear on one point: Don’t keep clothes that no longer fit out of fear. “I absolutely recommend that patients who have successfully lost weight clean out their entire closet,” she says.

Her experience is that long-term maintenance hinges partly on a person’s ability to align their new body image with their sense of self-concept, and keeping a closet full of “just in case” clothes could reinforce doubt instead of confidence.

“Those who see themselves at their current weight will have a much easier time maintaining, versus those who are in constant fear of gaining the weight back,” she says.

The one exception is for tailoring: Dr. Tran suggests it’s worth having high-quality, special items taken in when they can be given new use, such as a designer blazer or formal dress.

And when you’re ready to toss, donating pieces that no longer fit can provide a mental reset while helping others who need clothing.

When to buy new clothes—and how much at once

From both a medical and psychological standpoint, Dr. Tran recommends a phased approach to new clothes:

During active weight loss

Buy a small number of items that fit well now, even if you’re not yet at your final size. This might include:

• A couple of well-fitting workout outfits so you feel comfortable being active
• One or two workplace outfits that reflect your current body and help you show up confidently in your daily life

As you approach a stable weight

Once your size has remained relatively steady for a bit, it’s a better time to invest in higher-ticket staples like jeans, jackets, or suits. This is often where Black Friday can be especially useful, if the timing lines up.

After reaching and holding your goal

This is the moment to think more broadly about your style and rebuild your wardrobe around who you are now, not who you were when you started treatment.

“This is part of the transformation to embrace beyond the scale so that they can feel more confident about themselves, feel more comfortable in their own skin, and gives them an opportunity to explore new clothes that they never would have considered before at their original weight,” Dr. Tran says.

The numbers behind the Black Friday wardrobe reset

Of the 1,500 respondents in Sunlight.com's GLP-1 Black Friday survey, 356 reported current or recent use of GLP-1 medications.

Among these users, 67% reported enjoying shopping more since starting the medication, and 39% plan to spend more this Black Friday than they have in previous years as they seek clothes that fit their evolving look. Many also said they’re willing to invest in higher-quality pieces, with 60% willing to pay more for brand-name items.

Interestingly, shoppers across all groups stated that brand values and representation are playing a larger role in where they choose to spend, and 76% said they value seeing body diversity in advertising.

Other Black Friday buys that support long-term health

Clothing isn’t the only category GLP-1 users should consider when planning Black Friday purchases. Dr. Tran views the sales season as an ideal time to invest in tools that support healthy muscle mass and lifestyle routines in addition to weight loss.

She recommends prioritizing long-term maintenance and strength-building tools, including free weights, resistance bands, and simple home gym equipment. You could also consider upgrading wearables like the Apple Watch, Garmin, or Whoop to track movement, sleep, and recovery.

Lastly, fitness or coaching app subscriptions can help users stay consistent, while advanced digital scales that measure body fat, muscle mass, and water weight provide a more complete picture of health than a standard scale.

Supplements, she adds, should be considered only in consultation with a doctor or weight-loss specialist, since needs vary widely.

For GLP-1 patients, these purchases can be just as valuable as new clothes in sustaining progress. The right tools can support the shift from “I’m losing weight” to “this is how I live now,” which, in Dr. Tran’s view, is where real long-term change happens.

Is Black Friday a bad time to shop—or the best time?

With spending among GLP-1 users set to surge, a natural question is whether they should hold back on big purchases until their weight fully stabilizes.

For Dr. Tran, Black Friday is less of a red flag and more of an opportunity if you shop intentionally.

“This is the time to change,” she says. She views the upcoming “best sale of the year” promos as a chance for GLP-1 users—who are often entering the holidays already ahead of what might otherwise be a New Year’s resolution goal—to:

• Replace pieces that are clearly too large
• Buy more clothes that fit and feel good right now
• Replace or upgrade your at-home workout gear, including subscriptions, gadgets, and equipment
• Start the new year already feeling aligned with your body instead of waiting to feel “ready” months later

For GLP-1 users, the key is to avoid treating Black Friday as the moment for an entire lifetime wardrobe. Instead, use the discounts to upgrade the items you currently reach for most—jeans, workwear, activewear—while leaving room for future shifts as your body and style continue to evolve.

This story was produced by Sunlight.com and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.