You'll likely notice some changes in appetite and reductions in food cravings within the first week.
Once you begin using Ozempic, some people can find it takes several weeks to see any weight loss, yet others may see some weight loss within a week or 2. While it can be difficult, try to remain patient — change looks different for everyone.
Ozempic works, in part, by blocking the brain's hunger signals, suppressing appetite; it also causes the stomach to empty more slowly, leading people to feel full for longer. When people are on a drug like Ozempic, doctors need to monitor them closely with regular check-ins, Dr. Kraftson said.
Ozempic is a long-acting medication, and it may take up to eight weeks for you to fully feel its effects. Health providers prescribe Ozempic at a lower starting dose, such as 0.25 mg. The lower starting dose may make it easier for your body to adjust to using Ozempic, which can help reduce side effects.
It is important to have your blood sugar levels checked regularly. This is the only way to know if Ozempic is working properly for you. Your doctor will recommend how frequently you should do this.
A 2022 study found that most individuals gain weight back a year after stopping the medication.
The Relationship Between Diet and Weight Loss on Ozempic
While Ozempic can help control your appetite and blood sugar levels, it's not a magic pill that will automatically make the weight fall off. Eating a balanced diet low in calories, fat, and sugar is essential when using Ozempic for weight loss.
On average, a user can lose about 3 to 5% of their body weight after using Ozempic for a month regularly. This equates to about 4 to 6 pounds on average. Using a higher potency of the drug may result in more weight loss, but it isn't recommended that you start taking it right away.
Nausea and Vomiting
This can occur particularly during the first few weeks of starting the medication as your body adjusts to the medication.
Ozempic isn't approved for weight loss. But because of how it works, some people taking Ozempic lose weight as a side effect. If you don't have diabetes, taking Ozempic for weight loss is considered an off-label use. Wegovy, a higher-dose version of Ozempic, is approved to help people manage their weight.
Ozempic can cause nausea and vomiting if taken after eating foods high in fat or sugar. It is recommended that you take Ozempic before meals, rather than after, to minimise any potential side effects from eating high-fat or high-sugar foods.
Based on the results of our weight management program, our patients have lost an average of 7.7 pounds in only 4 weeks on the lowest, introductory dose of semaglutide!
You Will Regain Weight
Because people stop feeling full and their food cravings return when they stop Ozempic, weight gain is likely, Kushner says.
You may need a higher dosage of Ozempic
The same holds true for Ozempic's weight loss results. People taking higher doses of Ozempic tend to lose more weight. In the landmark study we cited above, people lost 7% of their body weight, on average, within a year and a half of taking 1mg of semaglutide.
It's used to lower blood glucose (sugar) levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes. The starting dose of Ozempic is 0.25 mg injected once weekly for 4 weeks. Then, your dose is moved up to 0.5 mg once weekly.
(No member of the Kardashian family has publically said they use Ozempic.) Ozempic is the brand name for the medication semaglutide, which treats diabetes by balancing out hormones like insulin.
A dose of 0.5 to 1 mg per week (double the maximum approved diabetes dose) seems to provide the maximum weight loss benefits for many people using Ozempic off-label. At 1 mg weekly, an average weight loss of 3% (6-8 pounds) over 6 months may be achieved with lifestyle changes.
The most common side effects of Ozempic, according to the drug's website, are nausea, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, told CBS News that the drugs "are a well-established class of medicines, which have demonstrated long-term safety in clinical trials.
You can assist Ozempic by lowering your overall calorie intake, moving your body where possible and limiting your alcohol consumption.
Ozempic is a type 2 diabetes medication which is prescribed to manage blood glucose levels. It is not a medication for people who do not have diabetes or are at risk of type 2 diabetes.
You should inject Ozempic once a week — on the same day of the week, every week. It doesn't make a big difference whether you take it in the morning or at night. It's possible to change the day of the week you inject Ozempic. The general rule is to avoid injecting it with less than 2 days in between shots.