How Long Does it Take to Lose Weight on Wegovy?

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How Long Does it Take to Lose Weight on Wegovy?

13 / Mar

Losing weight can be both challenging and rewarding. However, Wegovy assists your weight loss journey by helping you lose more weight than is possible with diet and exercise alone.

If you have recently started taking Wegovy or are planning to, you must be wondering how soon you’ll start seeing its results. Please keep reading to learn about Wegovy’s effectiveness and how much weight you can lose with this medication. 

What is Wegovy?

Wegovy is a prescription medication approved for weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol. It’s an injectable medicine that works by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake.

How Does Wegovy Work for Weight Loss?

Wegovy is a weight loss injection that mimics the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) to regulate appetite and food intake. It effectively suppresses hunger by activating GLP-1 receptors in the brain, leading to increased feelings of fullness and satisfaction from meals.

Another way Wegovy aids in weight loss is by slowing down the rate at which the stomach empties food into the intestine. This mechanism contributes to prolonged feelings of fullness after meals, further reducing the urge to snack or overeat.

Semaglutide also affects the way the body regulates blood sugar levels. It promotes the release of insulin, a hormone that lowers blood sugar levels, and decreases the release of glucagon, a hormone that raises blood sugar levels. By improving blood sugar control, Wegovy can help manage cravings and reduce the tendency to reach for sugary or high-carbohydrate foods.

How Long Does it Take to Start Seeing Results with Wegovy?

According to clinical trials, you will start losing weight after the first week of Wegovy. 

People using Semaglutide typically shed about 5% of their body weight within a month, and around 8% after two months.

For example, if your weight is 232 lbs, you can expect to lose up to 35 lbs (about 15% of your body weight) after 68 weeks (about 15 months) using Wegovy.

Wegovy makes you feel less hungry, so you naturally eat fewer calories. This kicks in almost right away. However, during the first month of using Wegovy, you might feel the appetite-suppressing effect wear off after about 4-5 days following your injection.

It usually takes 4 to 5 weeks for Wegovy to build up to a stable level in your body. When we say “steady state,” we mean the drug’s levels stay the same instead of going up and down.

When Should I Increase My Wegovy Dosage?

The decision to increase the dosage of Wegovy should be made in consultation with your healthcare provider based on several factors:

Weight Loss Progress: If you’re not experiencing significant weight loss despite adhering to lifestyle modifications and the current dosage of Wegovy, your healthcare provider may consider increasing the dosage to help enhance weight loss.

Tolerance and Side Effects: Monitoring any adverse effects or tolerability issues associated with the current dosage is essential. If you’re tolerating the medication well and not experiencing severe side effects, increasing the dosage may be an option.

Response to Treatment: It is crucial to assess your response to the current dosage. If you’re not achieving the desired weight loss goals with the current dosage, your healthcare provider may recommend adjusting the dosage to optimize treatment outcomes.

Medical History: Your medical history, including any comorbidities or concurrent medications, should be considered. Certain medical conditions or medications may influence the decision to adjust the dosage of Wegovy.

Adherence to Treatment Plan: It’s important to ensure adherence to the recommended treatment plan, including dietary and lifestyle modifications, alongside medication therapy. Increasing the dosage may be considered if adherence is adequate but weight loss remains suboptimal.

When you begin taking Wegovy, starting with a small dose and gradually increasing it can help ease any stomach issues and make it easier for your body to adjust to the medication.The starting wegovy dosage is 0.25 mg once a week and you should take it for at least a month. 

After 1 month, you can increase the Wegovy dose up to 0.5mg, following the schedule.

Wegovy Monthly Dosage

How Fast Can I Lose 20 Pounds on Semaglutide?

By taking Semaglutide for 4-5 months, you can lose up to 20 pounds. The rate of weight loss depends on various factors, including your metabolism and overall health picture. Again, weight loss treatments such as Wegovy work best when combined with a reduced-calorie diet and increased exercise. 

Do You Lose Weight Faster on Ozempic or Wegovy?

Both Ozempic and Wegovy have the same main ingredient called Semaglutide. However, Ozempic is licensed to treat type 2 diabetes and Wegovy is approved for chronic weight management. 

There haven’t been any direct comparisons between Ozempic and Wegovy in medical researches to see which injection helps people lose weight faster.

However, clinical trials suggests that Wegovy can lead to more weight loss than Ozempic. One of the reasons is the Wegovy maintenance dose 2.4 mg once weekly, which is higher than the maximum dosage of Ozempic, which is 2 mg per week.

How The Care Pharmacy Helps You Lose Weight?

Starting your weight loss journey can be overwhelming, but it’s a lot easier and more enjoyable with the right kind of support and advice. At our weight management clinic, we’re all about helping you find your way through this journey, step by step. Book an online consultation  and our team of experts will get back to you in no time. 

FAQs

  1. Is Wegovy right for me?

Wegovy is right for you if you are struggling with obesity and your BMI is 30 or above, or overweight as indicated by a BMI of at least 27 along with weight-related medical problems like high blood pressure or high cholesterol. However, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits versus risks of long-term treatment with Wegovy.

  1. How long should I use Wegovy for weight loss?

Wegovy is currently approved for use for up to 2 years. Many people experience significant long-term benefits when it’s combined with healthy lifestyle habits. 

  1. Will I regain weight if I stop using Wegovy?

Research conducted in clinical settings revealed that 28% of the weight lost was maintained even after two years following treatment. The sustainability of the weight loss also depends on your diet and lifestyle after stopping Wegovy. 

  1. Should I switch from Ozempic to Wegovy for maximum weight loss?

If you are taking Ozempic for weight loss only than you should switch to Wegovy because it is licensed to treat chronic weight management. 

  1. Should I take Wegovy before or after a meal?

There’s no clinically demonstrated time to inject Wegovy. You don’t need to schedule Wegovy around meals. But remember to take it on the same day each week. 

 

References:

https://www.wegovy.com/content/dam/obesity/wegovy/images/pdf/Wegovy_Patient_Brochure_Digital_REL_01.pdf 

https://www.novomedlink.com/obesity/products/treatments/wegovy/efficacy-safety/clinical-trial-1-results.html 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8717485/ 

https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ee06186f-2aa3-4990-a760-757579d8f77b 

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183 

Written by:
  • Uzma Aslam
Medically reviewed by:
  • Mohammed Ismail Lakhi
Verified by:
  • Pharmacy Mentor

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