18th December 2023
Why Am I Not Losing Weight on Semaglutide?
Dr. Jill Barat, PharmDSemaglutide medications like Wegovy and Ozempic are all the rage right now. These are being touted as an easy (but not cheap) way to have the extra pounds melt off fast.
However, with all this hype, some people may be surprised to find that they are not immediately, effortlessly, losing weight when using Semaglutide medication.
There may be some reasons why Semaglutide doesn’t work for you fast (or at all). Below, we will outline some of the most common hang-ups and issues that prevent people from getting the results they expect from Semaglutide.
1. You haven’t increased to the maintenance dosages yet
For both Ozempic and Wegovy, a dose increase measure is built into the dosing schedule to help reduce side effects by starting at a lower dosage and increasing to higher maintenance dosages over time.
If you are still in the first couple months of treatment, you are likely still in the initial, lower-dose stages of treatment. This could mean that your body isn’t fully feeling the effects of the treatment yet, and you may not see progress at this point. So, patience is key here.
Ramping up to the stronger maintenance dosages too fast could cause side effects that cause you to abandon treatment all together, so this is a necessary part of the process.
2. Your diet and exercise routines haven’t changed
While Semaglutide medications have been shown to be a great addition to a weight loss plan, it is not the whole picture. Even in the clinical trials showing benefits with Semaglutide medications, patients were counseled on healthy diet changes and encouraged to include regular exercise in their routines along with using these medications. So, it is not a stand-alone treatment.
Your progress may be stalled because your diet, calorie intake, and physical activity levels have not been changed from before starting the treatment. While this medication may help curb your appetite, it will still take conscious efforts to make healthy choices and hit a calorie deficit through diet and exercise to make the scale go down.
3. You are accidentally missing your dose
Missing a dose of your weekly Ozempic or Wegovy injection can significantly hinder your progress.
Since this is already only a once-weekly medication already, missing one dose means that you may go a full 2 weeks without an injection. This may cause you to not feel the satiating effects of the medication, and slip back into old habits.
4. It hasn’t been long enough yet
Keep in mind that many of the studies showing weight loss with Semaglutide medication went on for up to a year and four months. So, this may not be a very quick process for some.
While some people may see progress within weeks of starting Semaglutide treatments, it is not abnormal for it to take months to see visible results.
5. You are constipated
Constipation can be a side effect of using Semaglutide. And, being backed up can be a very real reason why you are not seeing the weight loss as fast as expected.
Try to stay regular by drinking plenty of water, and bulking up your meals with lots of fiber. Most vegetables are low in calories while being packed with nutrition, vitamins, minerals, and fiber – so they should be the backbone to any weight loss diet.
6. You are stressed out or not sleeping well
High levels of stress or poor sleep can crank up cortisol levels and put a stop to your weight loss efforts in a few different ways.
When your body is stressed out, you may crave more high-fat, high-calorie foods for comfort. Cortisol can also increase your appetite and decrease your metabolism – two things that you do not want when weight loss is the goal.
7. You are dealing with side effects preventing you from increasing your dose
It is no secret that Semaglutide medications may come along with unwanted side effects. More often than not, people may experience gastrointestinal issues including; nausea, vomiting, heartburn, indigestion, constipation, and diarrhea.
If these side effects are too severe, they may be hindering you and your doctor from increasing your dosage to the higher maintenance strengths.
PeptideVite from Zen Nutrients may help support your Semaglutide journey*
PeptideVite is a pharmacist and physician-formulated supplement to help provide digestion and metabolism support.*
By including vitamins, minerals, and herb extracts like B-vitamins, Chromium, Lecithin, Ginger extract, Peppermint, and Probiotics, PeptideVite may make your digestion more efficient and comfortable.*
This supplement can be added as a daily addition to your Semaglutide medication regimen to hopefully make the journey a little smoother.*
Learn more about PeptideVite from Zen Nutrients today.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.