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Based on data from randomised controlled trials, you can expect to lose up to 5% of your weight in a month on semaglutide (Wegovy). After two months on semaglutide, you could lose up to 8%.
Interestingly, this initial weight loss is no different to other weight loss treatments or the impact of diet interventions on weight loss. The real effect of semaglutide is seen beyond three months.
Semaglutide is a long-acting medication that’s started at a lower dose to reduce the number and severity of side effects as it’s built up to a higher maintenance dose.
Semaglutide can take 4-5 weeks to reach a level in the body we call a steady state. A steady state is when the drug’s levels in the body remain consistent rather than spiking and falling.
You can currently purchase semaglutide as part of Second Nature’s Wegovy weight-loss programme.
How much weight can I lose with semaglutide?
Research has shown that semaglutide 2.4 mg can lead to a weight loss of around 16% of your body weight, or 16-17kg, after 68 weeks.
Most of this weight loss occurs in the first 32 weeks (9 months) and plateaus, as the body adapts to the medication and patients find a sustainable way of eating.
Can I take semaglutide if I’m not diabetic?
Semaglutide is approved for weight loss in the UK under the brand name Wegovy.
Semaglutide in the form of Ozempic is no longer available for weight loss and is only available for patients living with type 2 diabetes.
What does semaglutide do to your body?
Semaglutide works by mimicking a hormone called GLP-1 to communicate directly with the brain’s appetite control centre, the hypothalamus, to lower food-seeking behaviours and hunger.
These lower hunger levels (or lower appetite) will mean you eat fewer calories and lose weight over time.
If you’re interested to learn more, we have a guide about GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Ideally, we’d lose weight without needing medications through changes in our diet and lifestyle.
However, some individuals who’ve been trying to lose weight for a very long time, jumping from one diet or programme to another, may need extra support to keep weight off in the long term.
Semaglutide is approved for individuals who need to lose weight because excess body fat is negatively impacting their health and quality of life.
Semaglutide shouldn’t be used for people who just want to lose weight for a holiday or an upcoming event like a wedding.
Do you gain weight after stopping semaglutide?
Weight regain is significant after you stop taking semaglutide. The greater the initial weight loss, the more significant the weight regained.
However, those who lose more weight initially maintain more significant weight loss compared to baseline than those who lose less before the medication is withdrawn.
In this post-analysis of 327 participants, the average weight loss after 68 weeks was 17.3% with semaglutide and 2% with placebo.
After 52 weeks of follow-up, after the medication was withdrawn, the average weight loss was 5.6% with semaglutide and 0.1% with placebo.
A weight regain of 11.6% in the semaglutide group and 1.9% in the placebo.
However, weight regain isn’t inevitable. Long-term sustainable weight loss can be achieved, but you need the proper support.
Semaglutide isn’t a magic pill
Weight-loss injections are designed as additional tools for weight management interventions and shouldn’t be considered lifelong medications.
Instead, they should be used to help you kickstart your weight loss and healthy journey while you commit to living a healthier lifestyle.
Consider the use of antidepressants for people living with depression. They’re not designed to cure the condition. Instead, they’re designed to allow room for therapy to treat the condition’s underlying cause.
Semaglutide and other weight loss injections, like Mounjaro, are similar. They can allow you to make lifestyle changes to support long-term weight loss maintenance.
Semaglutide can help silence food-related thoughts and also give you a boost of confidence with more immediate weight-loss results.
This helps to buy you the time and headspace to understand why your body may have struggled to lose weight previously, and to build new long-term healthy habits.
The core focus of our medication programmes is to calm down the feeling of food noise, lower your cravings, and allow you to build healthier habits to keep the weight off for good.
The ultimate goal is to make losing weight feel second nature.
Second Nature’s medication-supported programmes
Second Nature has two medication-supported programmes: a Wegovy weight-loss programme and a Mounjaro weight-loss programme.
If you’ve made the decision to try Wegovy or Mounjaro (assuming you’re eligible), why should you choose Second Nature over other medication providers?
For peace of mind.
Second Nature has worked with the NHS for over 6 years providing weight-loss programmes across the UK.
Whilst our Wegovy and Mounjaro weight-loss programmes are private and not currently used by the NHS, we’ve built the programmes with a focus on scientific evidence, patient safety, and data security.
We hope that our 6+ years of working with the NHS and building a track record of effective weight-loss results will give you peace of mind to give us a try.
