How Long Does it Take to See Results from Semaglutide

Semaglutide has been a game-changer in the field of medical weight loss. When used as directed and when combined with regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle, patients taking semaglutide can achieve remarkable results, some losing as much as 16% of their total body weight.

But, when asking how long does it take to see results on semaglutide treatment, patients must understand that it takes time to achieve results on this drug.

This class of drugs – GLP-1 agonists – are designed for a long-term treatment plan. In the approval trials, total weight loss occurred over the course of more than a year, with the most effective weight loss occurring after being on this weight loss treatment for at least six months.

Since semaglutide has been approved, patients in the real world have been experiencing similar results to those of the clinical trials. However, it is important to realize that everyone’s struggle with obesity is different, and only your healthcare provider can give you a clear picture of how long it may take for semaglutide to work for you.

How Effective is Semaglutide as a Weight Loss Medication?

This medication belongs to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists. GLP-1 is a hormone produced by your body that is kind of a natural appetite suppressant that tells you when you are hungry and when your stomach feels full. This class of drug mimics these effects so that you eat less because your stomach feels fuller longer. The medication also impacts blood sugar levels and insulin production.

Semaglutide was approved for long-term weight management in 2021. It was the first drug of its type to receive such approval for weight loss. Since its approval, it has been a breakthrough with patients achieving remarkable results – particularly when they control their food intake and eat a healthy diet.

For most patients semaglutide is a safe and effective treatment for weight loss, whose benefits outweigh any risks or side effects. The most common side effects of this drug and drugs in its class are gastrointestinal impacts such as diarrhea, constipation, gas, nausea, vomiting, and bloating. However, most patients get over these side effects in time.

Obesity can cause many health issues, so taking weekly semaglutide injections has added benefits. Doctors and researchers have long known that there is a link between obesity and other serious health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Lowering total body mass has been proven to help minimize the risks of these and other obesity-related conditions. Therefore, a weight loss program including this drug could reduce the risk of these conditions.

In addition, since semaglutide started out as a medication to control type 2 diabetes, it can lead to a decrease in blood sugar. It also has a direct positive impact on both high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Semaglutide can help control blood glucose levels and lower blood sugar.

Furthermore, an exciting clinical trial has just been completed, which found evidence of a definite link between semaglutide and a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease. This very new research found that semaglutide can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 20% in adults with heart disease and obesity, and it can now be prescribed for patients at risk for heart attack and stroke, even if they are not obese.

How Long Does it Take for Semaglutide to Work?

GLP-1 agonists are meant to be taken for the long term. The initial clinical trials, where people lost as much as 16% of their total body weight, lasted for 68 weeks. You need to be patient. It could take time till you see noticeable weight loss – but you will shed pounds and reduce your total body mass.

You can expect to lose up to 5% of your weight after about one month on this drug. After two months on semaglutide, you could lose up to 8%. The most significant weight loss, where patients can get up into those double digits, takes about nine months.

Let’s take a more detailed look at the week-by-week and month-by-month results you can expect when taking this medication.

When Do You See Results from Semaglutide – Month-by-Month

Weeks One and Two

Within your first two weeks on semaglutide you probably will not notice any significant weight loss, but you will start to feel its effects in terms of feeling less hungry between meals and feeling fuller longer. You could expect modest weight loss of 3 to 5 total in the first two weeks.

Weeks Three and Four

As you enter your third and fourth week, completing your first month on semaglutide you can expect to start losing 2 to 3 pounds per of week, so by week four, there is a good chance you will have already lost 8 to 10 pounds or 5-10% of your initial body weight.

Semaglutide Results Month-by-Month

As mentioned earlier, clinical trials have shown that people taking weekly injections of this medication can expect to see an unprecedented decline in body weight over the course of a year to a year and a half. Most of that occurs the longer you are on the drug, and weight loss really accelerates in the second month and beyond.

Months 2 to 3

Weight loss typically continues to increase in the second and third months, with an average loss of around 10-15% of body weight per month.

Months 4 to 6

This is when most patients taking this drug reach the maximum or close to the maximum weight loss of the 16% experienced in the clinical trials.

Months 7-12

After month six, weight loss begins to taper off but will continue at a somewhat more gradual pace, with an average of 1-2% of body weight lost per month, for a total estimated weight loss of 10-20% over the course of a year.

Here is another way to understand when and what kind of results you can see on semaglutide.

Of course, your results may vary, but you can expect similar week-to-week and month-by-month results on semaglutide if you take it as directed by your healthcare professional.

You will likely be asked to come in for monthly check-ins so your prescribe can make any adjustments to the dose if necessary.

How to Get the Best Results From Semaglutide

Those who have achieved healthy weight loss and the best results on semaglutide are patients who combined their weight loss medication with caloric reduction and increased physical activity.

Maybe you could lose a few pounds on this drug if you take it weekly and do absolutely nothing else. But if you want to maximize your results and achieve lasting weight loss, you must also make adjustments to your diet and physical activity. One of the largest trials studying semaglutide found that the drug was most effective in participants who dropped their caloric intake by at least 500 calories daily and increased their physical activity to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (like walking) per week.

Here are some other tips on how to get the best results while taking semaglutide.

Another way to ensure success on semaglutide is to practice mindful eating. Mindful eating is a way to focus on your food, so you eat less and eat slower. To eat mindfully relish eating bite, be aware of your foods tastes and textures, avoid distractions like the TV or phone while eating and learn to recognize when you are full and only eat to that point.

Here are some other ways to get the best results from semaglutide

• Only take your prescribed dosage and use as directed
• Stay hydrated
• Reduce your consumption of alcohol
• Get a good night’s sleep
• Have your hormone levels checked
• Keep a journal
• Follow all the other active lifestyle and weight loss advice given by your healthcare provider.

Now that you know a lot more about how long it takes to see results on semaglutide, why not contact us to see if you can join the many who are living a healthier life through medical weight loss.

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