Not Losing Weight on Ozempic? Here’s Why.
Losing weight and keeping it off can be a real struggle for so many people. Popular diets and the latest fitness trends just don’t seem to work out or provide lasting results.
Medications like Ozempic are used more and more alongside healthy eating habits and increased exercise to help people lose weight. In recent news articles and social media, the results from Ozempic regarding weight loss seem almost too good to be true.
If you’re wondering why you haven’t lost weight on Ozempic and aren’t seeing the progress you were hoping for, keep reading to discover possible causes.
Why Am I Not Losing Weight on Ozempic (Semaglutide)?
Semaglutide may not work for everyone as there can be a lot of variability in how patients using the medication respond. Obesity is a complex condition: what works for one person may not work for another.
Here are a few reasons why Ozempic may not be working for you:
- Diet and Exercise: Both are considered extremely important in creating a healthy calorie deficit that leads to weight loss. You may be eating the wrong food or too much food. Cardiovascular training and resistance training are essential in creating a calorie deficit, and adding the right types of exercise may help you lose more weight.
- Genetics: Some people have hormonal imbalances that may slow their weight loss. Insulin secretion, glucagon, and gastric emptying could all be affected by your unique hormonal balance.
- Dosage: Finding the right dosage of medication that’s right for you can be a long and tedious process. Your doctor will provide the lowest dose and slowly increase it based on your response. This is important to minimize unpleasant side effects and find the best dose that works for you.
- Patience: Ozempic isn’t a cure, and it’s not necessarily a quick fix. Changes may take place gradually, especially as you find the most effective dose.
It can be frustrating not seeing positive results from a medication that has held so much promise. If you’re struggling to lose weight on Ozempic or a medication like it and are wondering what the next steps are, consult with a specialist from ALO Bariatrics today.
What is Ozempic or Semaglutide?
Ozempic is the brand name product for the medication semaglutide. Ozempic was approved in 2017 to help treat high blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. It wasn’t until around 2020 that Ozempic started to gain popularity as a potential weight-loss solution. Weight loss was seen in patients who were prescribed Ozempic as a side effect since blood sugar control was the primary goal.
When doctors prescribe a medication for a purpose other than what the FDA has approved it for, it is called “off-label” use. Medications used off-label have not been verified to be safe and effective for the condition they are being prescribed for.
How Does Ozempic Help You Lose Weight
Ozempic is in a class of medications called GLP-1 agonists or glucagon. GLP-1 is a naturally occurring hormone that helps stimulate insulin secretion, suppress glucagon, and delay gastric emptying. Ozempic enables you to lose weight by reducing your appetite, making you feel fuller longer, and altering reward pathways associated with food. Overall, you’ll eat fewer calories when you’re on a medication like Ozempic, leading to weight loss. Over the past several years, medications like Ozempic have become a popular option for weight loss, leading to more competition in the market.
Here are some of the GLP-1 agonists that are used for weight loss:
- Wegovy (semaglutide) – Available as a weekly injection
- Saxenda (liraglutide) – Available as a daily injection
- *Ozempic (semaglutide) – Available as a weekly injection
- *Mounjarno (Tirzepatide) – Available as a weekly injection
More GLP-1 agonists are approved for weight loss every year, all with slightly different effectiveness. Long-term results are still mixed, as people who stop taking the medication often end up gaining weight back.
*These medications are often prescribed for weight loss, although not FDA-approved for this purpose.
How Soon Does Ozempic Work?
Ozempic can start working right away to change certain hormones in your body. Unfortunately, you likely won’t see any weight loss for at least four weeks after beginning treatment. If your dose needs to be adjusted due to side effects, it may take even longer to see the results. The majority of patients who start semaglutide for weight loss see results in four to eight weeks.
If you’re on Ozempic or a medication like it and aren’t seeing results, you may need to have your dosage increased. It’s also possible that medications like Ozempic don’t work for you, and you need to explore a more permanent weight-loss solution.
How Much Weight Can You Lose on Ozempic?
Weight-loss results vary from patient to patient, but in one study, patients lost a total body weight loss of 5.9% at three months and 10.9% at six months. Weight-loss medications should only be used in combination with a healthy diet and increased exercise and under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
Unfortunately, when a patient stops taking their weight-loss medication, they are likely to have weight gain. Giving yourself a daily or weekly injection isn’t a realistic possibility for many looking for permanent weight-loss solutions.
Ozempic for Weight Loss: Side Effects
Side effects are one of the main reasons people stop taking Ozempic. The extent of side effects is usually dose specific, meaning the higher the dose, the more risk of experiencing unpleasant side effects.
The most reported side effects are:
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
Some of these side effects may get better or go away over time, so it’s important to talk to your doctor about what you are experiencing. Many of the weight-loss medications are administered subcutaneously (under the skin). Besides the side effects, there may be some patients who prefer not to give themselves a daily or weekly injection.
Talk to your doctor if you experience unpleasant side effects from your weight-loss medication.
Is Ozempic Safe For Weight Loss?
Ozempic as a treatment for weight problems is relatively new, so we’re still learning about the safety of the medication in this patient population. Ozempic may be a short-term tool to help some people lose weight, but the long-term safety of the medication has not been well established.
There have been cases of more serious adverse reactions to weight-loss medications like Ozempic. These include pancreatitis, kidney failure, gallbladder problems, and even gastroparesis (paralysis of the gastrointestinal tract). It’s important to have a healthcare provider check your progress when you start a new weight-loss medication.
Post-Ozempic Weight Gain
There are a large number of patients who reach their goal weight, stop taking their medication, and then gain all the weight back. In the worst-case scenarios, people may become heavier than they were. This can be extremely frustrating for patients who lose out on the progress they’ve made in combating their weight.
If you’ve tried weight-loss medications and ended up falling short of your goal or gaining weight back, it may be time to take a different approach. Bariatric surgery through minimally invasive techniques can result in significant weight loss that lasts a lifetime.
Explore Long-Lasting Weight Loss With ALO Bariatrics
There is only one proven, safe, and effective treatment for the long-term success of losing significant amounts of weight and keeping it off: bariatric surgery. Board-certified surgeons at ALO Bariatrics have helped patients lose weight through innovative, effective surgical procedures for decades.
Patients from across the world travel to one of our three destinations in Mexico to get the highest quality of care from ALO Bariatrics at an affordable price. Our bundled pricing includes lodging, hospital costs, and travel arrangements. A personal driver will be provided to get you to and from your destinations during your stay.
If you’re ready to take the next step in achieving long-lasting weight loss, speak with a board-certified surgeon from ALO Bariatrics today.
Dr. Alejandro Lopez, the owner and lead bariatric surgeon at ALO Bariatrics, is a Fellow at the American College of Surgeons and is accredited with the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. He is also a certified bariatric surgeon by the Mexican College of Surgery for Obesity and Metabolic Diseases. He is one of two surgeons in Tijuana and one out of five to ten in all of Mexico who is able to provide robotic surgery.