Semaglutide (brand names Ozempic, Wegovy) is an injectable prescription medication approved for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight. It belongs to a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists.
Semaglutide works by acting on receptors in the brain to increase feelings of fullness and reduce hunger. It also slows digestion in the stomach allowing you to feel full longer after eating. These combined actions help patients eat less food and lose significant weight over time.
Studies have shown that people taking semaglutide lost on average 12-15% of their body weight over 68 weeks when combined with diet and exercise. For someone weighing 200 lbs, that could mean losing up to 30 lbs!
The key benefits of using semaglutide for weight loss include:
If you struggle with overweight or obesity despite diet and lifestyle efforts, semaglutide may help you finally lose the excess weight. Keep reading to learn more about how it works and whether it might be right for you.
Semaglutide is approved by the FDA for chronic weight management in adult patients with:
It should be used along with improving diet and increasing physical activity for best weight loss outcomes.
Semaglutide is generally well-tolerated, making it a good option for those who cannot tolerate or have not experienced enough weight loss with other medications.
Semaglutide is not recommended if you:
Talk to your doctor about whether prescription semaglutide is appropriate for your individual health profile.
Semaglutide helps manage weight through the following key mechanisms:
Semaglutide activates receptors in the brain that control food intake, sending signals of fullness and satisfaction. This results in reduced appetite and calorie intake, leading to weight loss over time.
Most people naturally eat less food when taking semaglutide without consciously feeling deprived. You feel satisfied with smaller meal portions.
In addition to acting on fullness receptors, semaglutide also slows the emptying of the stomach, keeping food in your system longer. This enhances and extends that feeling of being gratifyingly full after eating.
Together, these effects allow your body and brain to adjust to comfort with less food intake, resulting in eating behavior changes, calorie deficit, and gradual weight loss.
Semaglutide helps regulate blood sugar levels by stimulating natural insulin production after meals and reducing the amount of glucose released into the bloodstream by the liver.
This not only assists directly with weight loss but also contributes to significant improvements seen in blood sugar control and diabetes management.
So in summary, semaglutide facilitates weight loss through increasing feelings of fullness, slowing food exiting the stomach, and regulating tricky blood sugar fluctuations.
Semaglutide for weight loss or diabetes is taken as a simple weekly subcutaneous injection (under the skin). It comes conveniently packaged by your specialty pharmacy in a pre-filled pen injector requiring no needle handling or assembly.
The injection process is very quick and straightforward. Your doctor or a nurse will demonstrate proper injection technique. Most patients easily learn to self-administer at home, allowing flexible once weekly dosing.
When starting semaglutide, it is typical to begin at a low 0.25 mg dose for 4 weeks, allowing your body to adjust and reduce common transient side effects like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
This helps ensure you tolerate semaglutide before gradually increasing the dose over 16-20 weeks up to:
Thereafter, semaglutide is taken once weekly on an ongoing basis to sustain outcomes as long as it remains safe and effective for you.
| Semaglutide Titration Schedule |
|---|
| Weeks 1-4 | 0.25 mg once weekly |
| Weeks 5-12 | 0.5 mg once weekly |
| Weeks 13-onwards | 1.0 - 2.4 mg once weekly |
Precisely following your doctor's prescribed dose titration schedule facilitates safety, tolerability, and weight loss success with semaglutide.
In large clinical trials of over 2000 overweight or obese adults, semaglutide doses up to 2.4 mg injected once-weekly over 68 weeks resulted in:
✔️ Average weight loss of 14.9% of starting body weight
✔️ Over 1/3rd of people losing ≥20% body weight
✔️ Significant improvements in related health parameters like waist circumference, BMI, blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar
For example, someone 215 lbs (98 kg) at 5' 8" (173 cm) with a BMI of 32:
While results vary from person to person, semaglutide frequently yields this level of life-changing, health-transforming weight reductions when combined with healthy lifestyles.
(See real-world stories of success below illustrating inspiring outcomes achievable with semaglutide)
The Revival Clinic Weight Management Program provides robust support, education, and monitoring with semaglutide to promote your weight loss success, including:
We recognize reaching and sustaining your weight goals requires much more than just medication. Our exceptional patient care focuses on understanding root causes and empowering you with the knowledge, resources, and community needed to transform your health.
As with most medications, semaglutide may cause certain side effects, especially when first starting therapy. However, they are usually mild-moderate and often diminish with time.
Common transient side effects can include:
Rare, serious risks associated with GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide include:
Inform your doctor immediately if you experience any unusual side effects while using semaglutide so they can provide appropriate recommendations and adjustments.
With responsible prescribing, proper dosing, careful monitoring, and self-awareness, semaglutide offers an excellent risk-benefit profile, delivering substantial health progress. Still have questions or concerns? Do not hesitate to schedule a consultation with one of our physicians to discuss if semaglutide is the right medical weight loss treatment for your unique needs and priorities.
Hear directly from patients who have achieved incredible weight loss, health gains, and personal growth on semaglutide therapy. Their journeys beautifully illustrate the possibilities of what your future could hold.
"I struggled with obesity for most of my adult life despite exercise and every diet imaginable - low fat, low carb, intermittent fasting. Within 6 months of starting semaglutide and working with Revival Clinic, I lost over 90 lbs and went from a size 22 to a size 8, which restored my confidence and quality of life. For the first time in forever, I have hope of keeping the weight off and actually enjoying shopping for new clothes! My only regret is not starting this medicine sooner."
"As someone with a family history of type 2 diabetes struggling with stubborn pre-diabetic blood sugar levels for years, no matter my efforts to 'eat right and exercise', I worried I would eventually require insulin or oral meds, which frightened me. Against this backdrop, I was ecstatic on semaglutide lifestyle changes to bring my A1c, triglycerides, and blood pressure into normal range and eliminate my pre-diabetes risk all while losing 25 lbs to boot! I credit semaglutide for helping me dodge the diabetes bullet and take back control of my health when I felt powerless before, which gives me great pride."
Still unconvinced if semaglutide is worth exploring for your weight and health frustrations? Schedule a free eVisit with one of our caring doctors to review your history, create a customized plan, and answer any other questions standing in your way of looking and feeling your best!
While semaglutide makes losing weight easier through curbing appetite and regulating blood sugar, optimizing nutrition and physical activity accelerates results. Our clinical team provides personalized guidance so you can create healthy habits that seamlessly fit your preferences and environment.
However, some helpful general tips include:
- Eat consciously - With appetite decrease, it is essential to still consume adequate nutrition for health - Reduce carb & fat intake - Focus meals on lean protein & high-fiber carbs to promote satiety - Stay hydrated - Drink water or zero-calorie beverages instead of juice and soda - Listen to your body - Adjust eating patterns to match semaglutide-induced fullness - Address mindless eating triggers - Boredom, stress, screens, social, etc.
- Eat breakfast daily - Allows you to start the day balanced & energized - Fill 1/2 plate non-starchy veggies - Maximize nutrients & fiber, minimize calories - Weigh out carb portions - Measure starchy carbs like grains, bread to control overeating - Pick healthy fats & lean proteins - Nuts, seeds, avocado, salmon, chicken, etc. - Eat slowly & mindfully - Allows time for fullness signals to arise, prompting you to stop
- Aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate activity weekly - Brisk walking, swimming, cycling, etc. - Incorporate strength training 2-3 times/week too - Squats, lunges, planks - tones & builds metabolism-boosting muscle - Sit less! Break up sedentary time with movement - march in place, stretch, take the stairs
Developing sustainable healthy habits accelerates semaglutide success, getting you fit and feeling energized. Our team supports customizing an integrated nutrition and fitness approach uniquely suited for you!
Obesity and being overweight often negatively impact mental health and self-esteem, which may conversely also make achieving sustained weight loss more difficult.
As such, it is vital when using medications like semaglutide for chronic disease management to simultaneously prioritize factors like:
Focusing on mental health promotes overall wellness, vital for personal and weight loss success.
Our clinical team recognizes sustained behavior change requires addressing mind, body, and spirit. We offer compassionate support, community referrals, or therapy resources if helpful augmenting your medication regime.
We stand uniquely positioned to help patients struggling with excess weight leverage innovative medicines like semaglutide to sustainably transform their health and lives with exceptional outcomes through:
- Easy telemedicine consults from home/work, minimizing disruption - Hassle-free medication delivery direct to your door
- Custom treatment plans aligned to your health profile and goals - Ongoing fine-tuning based on your evolving needs
- Caring obesity medicine experts guide your journey with empathy - Nutritionist counselors assist in creating realistic healthy lifestyles - Motivational tracking tools promote accountability and troubleshooting
- Shared experiences with others on the same path, instilling hope - Celebrating wins (big and small) fuels momentum, replacing shame
We would be honored to co-author your weight loss success story. Schedule a consultation to get started today!
Semaglutide is a game-changing medication that can help individuals struggling with obesity or overweight achieve significant and sustainable weight loss when combined with a healthy lifestyle. The Revival Clinic provides comprehensive support, personalized treatment plans, and a compassionate approach to help patients achieve their weight loss goals and improve their overall health and well-being. By addressing not only the physical but also the mental and emotional aspects of weight management, Revival Clinic offers a holistic solution that increases the chances of long-term success. If you're ready to take control of your weight and transform your life, schedule a consultation with Revival Clinic today.
