How Much Weight Can You Lose in a Month with Ozempic?

How Much Weight Can You Lose in a Month with Ozempic?

Ozempic is a medication that is used to treat type 2 diabetes. It works by reducing the amount of glucose produced by the liver and increasing the insulin sensitivity of the body. However, it has also been found to promote weight loss in some people. So, how much weight can you expect to lose in a month with Ozempic?

1. Understanding Ozempic and Weight Loss

While Ozempic is not specifically marketed as a weight loss drug, it has been shown to cause weight loss in some people. The drug is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) which works by increasing insulin secretion and reducing appetite. As a result, many people experience weight loss while taking Ozempic.

2. How Much Weight Can You Expect to Lose?

The amount of weight you can expect to lose in a month with Ozempic can vary from person to person. Clinical trials have shown that people taking Ozempic can lose an average of 2-3% of their body weight in a month. However, some people may lose more or less weight depending on factors such as their starting weight, diet, and exercise habits.

3. Tips for Successful Weight Loss with Ozempic

If you are taking Ozempic for weight loss, here are some tips to help you maximize your results:

• Follow your doctor's instructions: Make sure you are taking Ozempic as prescribed by your doctor.
• Maintain a healthy diet: Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help you lose weight and improve your overall health.
• Exercise regularly: Regular exercise can help you burn more calories and lose weight.
• Be patient: Weight loss with Ozempic may take time, so be patient and stick with it.

4. Potential Side Effects of Ozempic

Like all medications, Ozempic can cause side effects. Common side effects include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Fatigue

If you experience any of these side effects, talk to your doctor.

5. Who Should Not Take Ozempic?

Ozempic may not be appropriate for everyone, including:

• People with a history of thyroid cancer
• People with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)
• People with severe gastrointestinal disease
• People with a history of pancreatitis

If you are unsure if Ozempic is right for you, consult with a healthcare professional before starting.

What are other weight loss medications?

There are some other weight loss medications available that provide an option to treat people living with obesity prior to the extreme option of bariatric surgery.

All of these should be appropriately considered for your individual circumstances and prescribed by a qualified healthcare professional.

Rybelsus

Rybelsus is a tablet form of semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic, that needs to be taken daily, rather than a weekly injection.

It is not currently licensed for the treatment of weight loss in the UK. Whilst it has been shown to be effective for weight loss, trials showed that it was around 30-40% less effective for weight loss than Ozempic [8].

Wegovy

Wegovy is a higher-dose injection of semaglutide and has been shown to be more effective for weight loss than Ozempic in trials, due to the higher dosage [1].

It has already been approved as safe and effective for weight loss by medicines regulators in the USA, UK and EU. It was launched in the USA in 2021 but is not currently available in the UK at the time of writing (February 2023).

Metformin

Metformin is a drug that has been used to treat diabetes for many years and helps your body produce and use insulin more effectively.

It has been shown to have some positive effects on body weight in some clinical trials, however, the results and side effects can be very variable and unpredictable.

This means metformin is unlikely to be a good choice for a safe and effective weight loss treatment.

Trulicity

Trulicity contains dulaglutide and is injected weekly, like Ozempic. It works in a very similar way to Ozempic and has broadly similar results for weight loss in some drug trials, though there's less data available for weight loss than there is for Ozempic.

It's currently licensed in the UK for the treatment of diabetes, but not for weight loss.

Saxenda

Saxenda contains liraglutide, which works in the same way as semaglutide but requires an injection every day because the drug is much shorter-acting.

Saxenda is licensed for weight loss in the UK, but clinical trial results for weight loss show that Saxenda is slightly less effective than Ozempic [4].

Orlistat

Orlistat is a drug that blocks certain enzymes in your gut which normally work to break down fats from the food you eat and enable this to enter your bloodstream.

Blocking these enzymes means you absorb fewer calories from the fats you eat, and this results in weight loss.

Orlistat is significantly less effective than Ozempic and people often have some annoying digestive system side-effects — including severe to mild digestion discomfort issues, which can result in patients stopping treatment before getting significant weight loss results.

Other diabetes medications that may cause weight loss

Some other diabetes medicines, such as those that increase the amount of sugar removed from your body by your kidneys in urine (e.g. canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin) have been shown to cause small reductions in body weight.

However, the weight loss results are too small to consider this particularly effective.

Before taking Ozempic

Before you use Ozempic, always read the leaflet from the manufacturer that comes inside the pack before you take your first dose, which you'll receive as part of the Juniper Weight Reset Programme.

Our programme combines medication with personalised health coaching and lifestyle changes to help you lose weight and keep it off in the long term. The leaflet comes with full instructions and pictures on how to use the pen properly, how to store and dispose of your pens and what side effects to look out for.

If you need some more help or reassurance with using Ozempic for the first time, our support team is also here to help guide you. And, always consult a specialised Ozempic weight loss prescriber, such as our Juniper team, before using Ozempic.

We will ask you for the right information to assess whether Ozempic is safe and likely to be effective for you as an individual.

Ozempic for diabetes

Ozempic was approved and launched in 2019 for the treatment of diabetes for some patients where other medicines did not control their blood sugar well enough [6].

This followed many years of laboratory tests and human clinical trials to prove it's safe and effective.

Ozempic works to treat diabetes by increasing insulin secretion to control blood sugar levels, with the added benefit of weight loss — which also helps many patients with diabetes control their blood sugar better.

6. Conclusion

Ozempic can be an effective way to lose weight in some people with type 2 diabetes. While the amount of weight you can expect to lose in a month with Ozempic varies from person to person, following a healthy diet and exercise routine can help you maximize your weight loss results. However, it is important to talk to your doctor before starting any new medication or weight loss program.

7. FAQs

1. Can Ozempic be used for weight loss without having diabetes?
2. How long does it take to see weight loss results with Ozempic?
3. Is Ozempic safe for long-term use?
4. What should I do if I experience side effects while taking Ozempic?
5. How does Ozempic compare to other weight loss medications?