How Quickly Do You Lose Weight on Semaglutide on Average?
Even if you don’t keep up with the weight-loss industry, you’ve likely heard of Ozempic. A favorite among diet influencers and big-name celebrities alike, this trendy medication has been called “the worst-kept secret in Hollywood.”
Though it may look like any other passing fad, semaglutide may have staying power because it works! Most people will experience more weight loss on this drug than they would with a placebo. (Note that both Ozempic and Wegovy, which are different doses of the same drug, also go by their generic name, semaglutide.)
How quickly do you lose weight when you take semaglutide? Results vary, but the average patient can expect to start moving toward a healthier weight within weeks. Let’s take a look at how fast you can expect results, what influences that timeline, and how you can enhance your weight loss.
How Quickly Do You Lose Weight on Semaglutide?
Most patients will begin to see results within 4-12 weeks of starting their semaglutide regimen.
According to one 2022 study, patients receiving a 2.4mg dose of semaglutide lost a mean of 6% of their weight by week 12. For someone with a starting weight of 200 pounds, this is a weight loss of 12 pounds.
By week 28, patients lost 12% of their weight, or 24 pounds for someone with a starting weight of 200 pounds.
Keep in mind that the results and timeline will vary. Factors like your health, metabolism, and body makeup play a role. Your dosage and the presence of any underlying medical conditions will also affect your outcome.
How Fast Does Semaglutide Start Working?
One of the key benefits of Ozempic is that it starts working right away, behind the scenes!
Semaglutide mimics a specific hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). This hormone tells the body to produce insulin, which lowers blood sugar. This is why one of the key semaglutide uses is helping patients with diabetes.
For weight loss, semaglutide also influences our appetite, as it sends signals about fullness to our brains. When semaglutide interacts with the GLP-1 receptors in your brain, it makes the brain think you’re full. This appetite suppression can help you eat less throughout the day.
Even better, semaglutide also slows the rate at which food passes through the digestive system. This also adds to feelings of fullness, as your stomach holds the food you’ve eaten for a longer period.
Another way semaglutide can help is by influencing how the body uses fat. Taking Ozempic or Wegovy encourages the body to break down its fat stores more effectively. This reduces excess body fat and improves overall body composition.
Within the first week or two of taking semaglutide, you should start to notice that you get full faster and feel full for longer.
How Much Total Weight Can You Lose on Semaglutide?
We’ve established that the semaglutide effects start fast, but what can you expect in terms of results?
Participants in a recent two-year study each lost an average of 35 pounds, or almost 15% of their total body weight. Again, these results varied: some patients lost up to 20% of their total weight, while others lost less than 5%. Compare this to the patients in the placebo group, who lost only 2.5% with diet and exercise alone.
The study also found that as long as the once-weekly semaglutide therapy continued, patients had minimal weight regain by week 104 of the study.
In other words, losing weight with semaglutide can be a great way to not only reach a healthy weight, but keep unwanted pounds off.
How Can You Improve Your Results?
For the most part, the results you get from semaglutide are out of your control. You can’t change your body composition, alter the side effects, or make your body adjust to the new medication any faster.
However, there are a few things you can do to ensure that you get the results you want.
Diet and Exercise
Just like you would on any other weight-loss regimen, you need to follow a healthy lifestyle on semaglutide. In fact, when the FDA approved semaglutide for weight loss, it approved it as a weight-loss tool alongside diet and exercise.
While taking your injections, try to follow a healthy diet. Get plenty of fiber-rich vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fats. Aim to avoid processed foods that are high in sugar, sodium, and other additives, and steer clear of alcohol as well.
Because it helps you feel fuller for longer, semaglutide can help you achieve a caloric deficit. This is important for weight loss.
However, you should still make sure you’re eating no fewer than 1,200 calories per day, even if you don’t have an appetite. Drastic calorie reductions can cause nutritional deficiencies, wreak havoc on your metabolism, and affect your health.
Regular exercise is a must on semaglutide as well. Your workouts can compound semaglutide’s fat-burning effects, helping you build muscle. In fact, doctors warn that failing to exercise on semaglutide could put you at risk of losing muscle and fat!
Though many people do an ongoing “maintenance phase” with semaglutide, which allows them to maintain their target weight, exercise can also help if you choose to stop taking semaglutide in the future. Being in the habit of exercising makes it easy to keep the weight off when the medicine is out of your system.
Dosage
Most people start semaglutide on a low dosage, often 0.25mg weekly for the first month. This lower dosage helps your body get used to the medicine, and it minimizes the risk of side effects.
You should ask your healthcare professional about increasing the dosage after this introductory period. Many people find success with higher dosages, though the ideal dosage will vary from patient to patient.
Get More From Your Semaglutide Therapy
Now that you know how to lose weight on semaglutide, it’s time to start your therapy! While there’s no way to know in advance how fast you will see results, many patients start seeing noticeable changes within a few weeks to months of their first treatment. Alongside a nutritious diet and regular exercise, you’ll find it much easier to reach and maintain a healthy weight with semaglutide.
Our team at Anti-Aging Northwest would love to assist you on your weight-loss journey. We’re proud to help patients throughout Seattle, Portland, Spokane, and Bellingham safely reach their health goals. To learn more, schedule a consultation online or call 509-474-0597.