Ozempic is a simple, once a week, injection that is a source of the weight loss drug semaglutide and aids in losing weight. The drug was originally created to aid those suffering from diabetes manage and reduce blood sugar levels. However, clinical studies have proven that Ozempic is also a secure and efficient treatment for obese patients to aid weight loss.
How does Ozempic operate?
Ozempic mimics a hormone that is naturally produced in your body known as GLP-1. The hormone is released by your digestive system as a response to the consumption of food. It influences both the digestive system and the brain to control how full you feel after eating. It slows down the digestion of food to other parts of the digestive tract.
GLP-1 also regulates insulin secretion in response to eating meals to ensure that your blood sugar is better kept in check (even lowering blood sugar levels) and reduces your appetite by alerting your brain that you’ve had the food.
Ozempic acts just like this natural hormone and makes you feel fuller and longer while reducing the need for food, and improving the way that your body manages blood sugar levels as well as the retention of fat. This may help patients shed weight.
How do you make use of Ozempic to aid in weight loss
Start at the most minimal dosage, 0.25mg, and then gradually increase it over the course of 8 weeks until you reach the 1mg dose. This will help your body adapt to the medication in the initial few weeks and reduces the severity of common side effectslike nausea. Ozempic is an injection that is pre-filled and looks like a pen, along with needles that are single-use. It takes just 2 minutes to use and comes with full instructions.
Simply insert a needle on your Ozempic pen. Select the dose, and then place your pen tightly against the skin of your upper thigh, tummy or upper arm as you hold down the button for injector. Finally, pop the used needle into the secure sharps container. That’s it!
Can Ozempic be used for weight loss?
Sure, Ozempic is a great way to help people lose weight even although it was initially designed for the treatment of diabetes.
Ozempic isn’t registered with the UK medicines regulator to treat weight loss in particular, but clinical studies in many patients have proven Ozempic to be safe to lose weight. We know it’s the most efficient drug for people who are overweight to shed pounds in the UK right now.
The medication in Ozempic semaglutide, a drug that’s already accepted for weight loss treatments for the UK, USA and European Union The new versions of the product aren’t yet available for use in the UK at the moment (that’s the reason we’re currently using Ozempic as our medication for weight loss).
We use Ozempic “off-label” this means that we’re using it to aid in weight loss, even being licensed for diabetes. This is because there’s an numerous clinical proofs that Ozempic is secure and effective in weight loss, too.
Who can benefit from Ozempic to lose weight?
The general rule is that Ozempic is appropriate for people who are considered to be clinically obese or overweight with a weight-related health problem.
Ozempic is a great option for losing weight as part a Weight Reset Program if you’re between 18 and 75 and:
You have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher (clinically obese) or
You have a body mass index of 27 or higher (significantly overweight) and you also have an illness frequently caused, or made worse, by excess body weight.
Who isn’t a good candidate for Ozempic’s weight loss?
The majority of people can use Ozempic safely for weight loss, but there are some medicines and medical conditions that could make it ineffective for you due to the increased risk of harm to your health. Some of the reasons you should not use Ozempic to lose weight (or we may need to offer you specific recommendations) are:
an allergy to any ingredient;
diabetics and taking insulin, or other medications;
kidney problems;
certain digestive system problems;
history of an eating disorder;
pregnant, nursing,, or trying to get a child.
Ozempics for diabetes
Ozempic was approved and launched in 2019 for the treatment of some people suffering from diabetes who’d failed to regulate their blood sugar enough. It was the result of years of laboratory tests as well as human clinical trials to prove it’s efficient and safe. Ozempic treats the condition by increasing the amount of insulin released to regulate blood sugar levels. There is also the additional benefit of weight loss and helping many patients with diabetes control their blood sugar levels more effectively.
Does Ozempic work for weight loss?
Ozempic has proven to be effective for weight loss. Ozempic was studied in six key trials (called SUSTAIN 1hich involved 7,215 patients. 4,107 patients were treated with Ozempic and the others were in an untreated group that had no active drug , or sometimes taking another diabetes treatment. Treatment with Ozempic demonstrated meaningful weight loss for up to two years compared to a placebo or other diabetes treatment. Results were similar across race, gender, age and ethnicities.
In these clinical trials, after the first year, up to 63 percent of patients had lost 5 percent to 10% or more from their weight. Additionally, up to 27% of patients lost 10% or more of their body weight.
In one study which was carried out over two years Ozempic 1mg along with lifestyle changes (such as diet modifications and exercise) was compared with those who had only lifestyle interventions – patients reduced their weight by an average 4.9kg with Ozempic , while losing only 0.5kg when they did not take the drug.
For more information on the Ozempic coupon options, get in touch with our experts.
The STEP-1 study [reference 7] examined higher doses of semaglutide (up to 2.4mg Ozempic can contain up one milligram in UK at the moment). More than 85percent of those taking semaglutide lost 5percent from their weight. nearly 70% achieved a 10 percent weight loss, 50 percent achieved a 15percent weight reduction, and less than a third of them achieved an average weight loss of 20.
How can Ozempic aid in losing weight?
Ozempic assists you in losing weight by working with your brain and digestive system to make you feel fuller longer after meals, decrease your cravings for food, and regulate the way your body processes the sugar it consumes and store fat.
Ozempic is a pharmaceutical drug. Although it’s helpful in helping you start your weight loss journey, lifestyle modifications and healthy lifestyle modifications are essential to keep the weight off when you stop taking the medication.
How much weight will I lose by using Ozempic?
About a third of people who utilize Ozempic to aid in weight loss will lose 10% and more in bodyweight. Most people should expect to lose at 5 percent of their starting body weight using Ozempic in weight loss.
We know that individuals lose weight differently, but those who experience the greatest weight loss are those who have healthcare professionals backing them – making the lifestyle changes necessary for sustainable change easier. This includes addressing diet, exercise and using behavioral sciences to modify your eating habits.
Other health benefits associated with Ozempic
Due to the way Ozempic works to assist your body to regulate its sugar, food, and metabolism of fat, some other health benefits were found in drug trials
Ozempic decreases blood sugar levels by 3 ways
Helps the pancreas release more insulin when your blood sugar is high
Ozempic transmits signals to your pancreas that make it more responsive in your glucose levels. This means that if you consume a meal and the blood sugar level rises as a result the pancreas responds rapidly and produces more insulin to lower and raise blood sugar levels to their optimal levels.
Ozempic isn’t known to cause blood sugar levels to drop because it only triggers insulin when blood sugar levels rise. Tests have proven this to cause the majority of patients’ overall blood sugar control to be greatly improved , which could reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes or complications from the disease later in life.
Helps prevent you from having your liver store excessive sugar and fat
If your blood sugar remains elevated for longer than is necessary, it causes your liver to convert it into glycogen and store this form of sugar in your muscles and liver. The glycogen can be released when your blood sugar drops to a low level or as a result of vigorous exercise.
However, it can cause the liver to accumulate the extra energy as fat. Ozempic, in conjunction with modifications to your lifestyle such as increased training, can help to increase blood sugar levels, which prevents this from occurring.
Food slows down and leaves your stomach
Ozempic signals your stomach , causing it to empty into the other parts of your digestive system at a slower rate. That means that, as your digestion converts your food into sugars, it fuels the cells within your body more efficiently and gradually. You get a slow and smooth increase in your blood sugar, instead of huge peaks and troughs.
In the end, this helps improve blood glucose control and likely also reduces the chances of developing diabetes, as well as the health risks associated with problems with your organs.
Ozempic lowers the risk of heart attacks
Ozempic has shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular events specifically in those at higher risk with kind 2 diabetes. The SUSTAIN-6 trial [link or footnote to 6 below] specifically focused on the impact of Ozempic on major cardiovascular events such as strokes and heart attacks. In patients with Type 2 diabetes, who already were at a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, the treatment of patients with Ozempic resulted in the mortality rates and the risk of non-fatal events significantly lower for patients receiving the drug than those taking placebo.
Ozempic options for weight loss
There are other medications for weight loss which offer a way to treat those suffering from overweight before pursuing the drastic possibility to undergo bariatric surgeries. All of them must be evaluated for your personal circumstances and then prescribed by a trained healthcare expert.
Rybelsus
Rybelsus is a tablet-based form from semaglutide (the ingredient in Ozempic) which must be taken daily, rather than a weekly injection. It’s not yet licensed for treatment of overweight in UK. Whilst it has been shown to be effective for weight loss, trials [Reference 8 below] demonstrated that it was around 30-40 percent less effective for weight loss than Ozempic.
Wegovy
Wegovy is a higher-dose injection of semaglutide (the identical active ingredient used in Ozempic) and has been shown as more successful in losing weight than Ozempic during trials, due to the higher dosage [reference 7Reference 7. It has already been approved by the FDA as safe and reliable in weight loss by the medicines regulators across the USA, UK and EU. It was first introduced in the USA in 2021. It is not available in the UK at the time of writing.
Metformin
Metformin is a drug which is used for treating diabetes over a number of years and helps your body produce and utilize insulin more efficiently. It’s been demonstrated to have beneficial effects for weight loss and body mass in some studies, however, the results and the side effects can be very variable and unpredictable. This means that metformin is not the best choice for safe and effective treatment for weight loss.
Trulicity
Trulicity contains dulaglutide , and is administered weekly, just like Ozempic. It works in a very like Ozempic in that it produces similar results in weight loss in certain clinical trials, although there’s less evidence available for weight loss than there is for Ozempic. It’s currently licensed in the UK for the treatment of diabetes, but not to treat weight loss.
Saxenda
Saxenda is a source of liraglutide that is the same that semaglutide (the ingredient in Ozempic) however it is required to inject every day because the drug has a shorter duration of action. Saxenda is licensed to treat weight loss in the UK however, studies conducted in weight loss indicate that Saxenda is a little less efficient than Ozempic.
Orlistat
Orlistat is a drug which blocks certain enzymes in your digestive tract that normally work for breaking down fat from the food you consume and allow them to be absorbed into your bloodstream. The blockage of these enzymes will mean that you eat less calories from fats that you eat, and this will result in weight loss.
Orlistat is significantly less effective than Ozempic and patients often experience some annoying digestive system side-effects (include mild to moderate digestion discomfort issues) which can result in patients stopping treatment before they see results in weight loss.
Other medications for diabetes that can cause weight loss
Certain other diabetes-related medications, such as ones that boost the amount of sugar removed from your body via the kidneys through urine (e.g. canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin) have been proven to result in modest reductions in weight. However, the weight loss results aren’t significant enough to be considered this particular effective.
Can Ozempic cause excessive weight loss?
Not usually. Weight loss that is extreme is usually not healthy.
Due to the fact that Ozempic acts to mimic a hormone in your body called GLP-1 (rather than older drugs which concentrate on suppressing appetite) extreme or inappropriate weight loss hasn’t occurred in clinical trials. Ozempic helps you lose weight in a more steady pace.
What is the dose of Ozempic that will help you lose weight?
The Ozempic dosage to lose weight starts at 0.25mg and then gradually increases up to 1mg in a span of weeks. This ensures your body has the time to adjust gradually to its effects. This minimizes the risk and severity of adverse effects once you begin treatment.
Ozempic starting dose
Treatment for obesity starts at 0.25mg each week. It is recommended to stay on that lower dose for 4 weeks during the initial phase of treatment while your body adapts to the drug.
Ozempic maintenance dose
Once you’ve started on the Ozempic low dose, you’ll increase to 0.5mg for a further four weeks. Then you will move into the 1mg daily maintenance dose for the remainder of your treatment plan , in the event that everything goes according to the plan. It is possible to increase the dose above 1mg if you healthcare professional team and the prescriber for your medical condition think the dosage appropriate for you.
Before taking Ozempic
Before using Ozempic it’s important to always go through the information leaflet provided by the manufacturer that comes inside the packaging prior to you take your first dose. Be aware that since we use Ozempic “off-label” and not on the label, the leaflet discusses a lot of how to use it to treat patients with diabetes, and that’s acceptable since the method you actually take Ozempic injections is exactly the same.
The leaflet contains full instructions and pictures that show how to use your pen correctly in order to properly store and dispose of your pens, and what side-effects to look out for.