Can Ozempic® (semaglutide) help you lose weight if you don’t have diabetes?
Ozempic® is the brand name of semaglutide, a medication to help persons with type 2 diabetes improve their blood glucose (sugar) levels. People with diabetes who took Ozempic® also lost weight.
In this article, we’ll talk about what you need to know about Ozempic® (semaglutide) for weight loss, whether or not you have diabetes.
How does Ozempic® work for weight loss?
In our bodies, this medication helps with weight loss by reducing appetite and increasing satiety. Feeling less hungry and feeling full after eating smaller portions eventually leads to weight loss.
Was Ozempic® approved for weight loss?
Yes. In June 2021, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved semaglutide for the treatment of overweight with at least one weight-related condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol and obesity. It is recommended that a low-calorie diet and physical activity is used with the medication. Overweight is defined as body mass index of 27kg/m2 or greater and has one weight-related problem mentioned above or a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater.
How can I calculate my Body Mass Index?
To calculate your BMI, you need your height and weight. Use the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Calculator.
Does this medication have any other names?
Semaglutide for weight loss was branded under Wegovy.™
Ozempic® and Wegovy™ are the brand names for semaglutide and are the same medication. The dosages are different because Ozempic® is prescribed for persons for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy™ is prescribed for weight loss.
How often do I need to take Ozempic®/Wegovy™?
Once a week
How do I take Ozempic®/Wegovy?
Semaglutide is an injectable medication. You will inject this medication under your skin in the stomach, thigh, or upper arm.
Semaglutide is administered in an injection once a week. It is prescribed by your doctor.
What dose do I need to take?
The dose of this medication will vary based on the purpose of taking this medication, to manage your diabetes or to lose weight. Your doctor will indicate the right dose and timeline for you. The dose and timelines stated below are suggested by the manufacturers of Ozempic® and Wegovy™
If you have diabetes and you take Ozempic®, the doses are
- 25 mg once-weekly for first 4 weeks
- 5 mg once-weekly for at least 4 weeks
- 1 mg once-weekly for at least 4 weeks if your doctor feels you need to manage your blood glucose
- 2 mg once-weekly if your doctor feels it is necessary for better blood glucose management.
If you take Wegovy™ for weight loss
- Month 1
- 25mg each week, (weeks 1-4)
- Month 2
- .5mg each week,(weeks 5-8)
- Month 3
- 1mg each week, (weeks 9-12)
- Month 4
- 7 mg each week, (weeks 13-16)
- Month 5
- 4mg, each week (full dose) (weeks 17 and onward)
How much weight can I lose with Ozempic®?
The amount of weight you can lose is based on the dose you take and varies by individual. What you eat also matters. I like to say that medications are like flying a plane. You want to have two wings. One wing is the medication that lowers cholesterol, blood pressure, or blood glucose. The other wing is food and physical activity. You need to have two wings to fly the plane safely.
The medication is not intended to be used in place of healthy eating, but rather, alongside it. Your doctor prescribed Ozempic® to lower your blood glucose.
Another benefit of this medication is that it reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death in persons with heart disease. The primary goal for persons with diabetes is to manage their blood glucose. However, while taking different doses of Ozempic®, people have lost weight.
In one large study, adults with type 2 diabetes who took 1mg of Ozempic® lost an average of 12 pounds.
In a 40-week study, individuals with type 2 diabetes who weighed 213 lbs at the beginning of the study, people who took 0.5mg lost 9.3 lbs while people who took 1mg lost 12.8 lbs.
How much weight can I lose with Wegovy™?
Wegovy™ (semaglutide) is a medication intended for weight loss. The full dose is 2.4mg per week, while Ozempic could range from 0.5mg to 2.0mg per week.
After 68 weeks most adults lost about 15% of their body weight. The average starting weight was 232 lbs and the weight loss was 35 lbs. The dose
What are the side effects of Ozempic®/Wegovy™ for weight loss?
The most common side effects of semaglutide are gastrointestinal, such as
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Stomach pain
- Constipation
Who should not take these medications?
- Personal or family history of medullary or thyroid carcinoma
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2
- Pancreatitis
- Gallbladder problems
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels)
- Kidney problems
- Change in vision (persons with type 2 diabetes)
- Increase in heart rate
- Depression or thoughts of suicide
Are there any foods I need to avoid with Ozempic®/Wegovy™ ?
Eat appropriate portions of nutrition dense foods. Avoid eating if you are no longer hungry to avoid nausea. Check in with your feelings of hunger and fullness to start and stop eating. This takes practice.
Are you eating because it is “time to eat” not because you are hungry? Do you continue eating because there is still food on your plate even though you are no longer feeling hungry? Pay attention to the next time you eat. Savor your food. Eat slowly and check when you feel satisfied. Stop eating. You can always go back for more if you feel hungry a few hours later. Learn the difference between feeling satisfied and feeling full.
Select nutrient-dense foods, such as
- Vegetables: Include vegetables of every kind and every color
- Fruits: Include fruits of every kind, shape, and color
- Grains: Include whole grains such as corn, amaranth, quinoa, rice, wheat, oats, barley.
- Legumes: all types of beans
- Fats and oils: olive, vegetable oils
- Nuts and seeds: peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pecans, etc.
- If you choose to include animal foods in your diet, choose lean cuts and low-fat dairy
- Eggs
- Low-fat dairy products like milk, yogurt.
- Lean animal products like chicken, beef, turkey.
Limit and/or avoid
- Excessive use of alcohol
- Sweetened beverages
- Saturated fats such as (animal skin, butter, meats with excess fats, cheese, palm oil, coconut oil) may increase your risk of developing heart disease
- Trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) – check ingredients on food labels–may increase your risk of developing heart disease
- Excess foods with added sugars – Added sugars come in many forms. It can be confusing because food manufacturers can use over 50 different names on the ingredient list, such as molasses, maple syrup, corn syrup, turbinado sugar, beet sugar, raw sugar, coconut sugar, etc.
The Bottom Line
Ozempic® is the brand name for semaglutide, a prescription medication for persons with type 2 diabetes that can also help you lose weight and lower your risk of heart disease, stroke and even death. In June 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved semaglutide under the brand name Wegovy™ for weight loss for persons without diabetes with overweight and a risk factor like high blood pressure, or high cholesterol and/or obesity.
The average person lost approximately 15% of the initial body weight after months of treatment. Whether you take Ozempic® or Wegovy™ you should have a healthy eating plan that works for you.
Medication is one tool to help you manage diabetes and to help you stay healthy. Another tool is working with a diabetes expert to show how to work with these tools. One common complaint I hear is about not knowing which foods spike blood glucose the most. Food becomes the source of anxiety. Many people don’t know how to put these foods together and don’t know which foods they can or can’t eat now that they have diabetes.
If you want to learn about how food fits and how to make adjustments to keep your blood glucose in range, check out my program On the Plate! Eating to Keep your Blood Glucose in Check
Do you want to learn more about diabetes? Check out these articles!
When to take Metformin, Before or After Meals?
Fast Acting Insulin: Your Complete Guide
Can Persons with Diabetes Eat Watermelon?
Love Corn? Is Corn Good for Diabetes?
Is Beetroot Good for Diabetes?
Calculating Net Carbs What’s the difference between Carbs, Total Carbs, and Net Carbs?
