In June 2021, the FDA granted approval for semaglutide (Wegovy) for weight reduction in adults when paired with a balanced diet and regular physical activity.
Before its approval, semaglutide gained attention when its manufacturer (Novo Nordisk) announced that participants in clinical trials had lost between 15% and 18% of their initial body weight.
Since then, it has also been sanctioned for weight loss in adolescents aged 12 and above. Moreover semaglutide now provides proven cardiovascular advantages as well.
So, is semaglutide the right choice for weight loss? While it may be more effective than some other weight-loss drugs, there are various factors to take into account before you make a decision. Let’s take a look at what these are, along with several semaglutide weight loss before and after photos and testimonials to help you decide.
What is Semaglutide?
Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist. It first received approval in 2017 under the brand name Ozempic, a once-weekly injection for adults managing Type 2 diabetes. A few years later, the FDA approved Rybelsus, a once-a-day pill form of semaglutide.
People who are taking semaglutide for Type 2 diabetes often experience weight loss as an additional benefit. Due to this, the manufacturer researched the medication specifically for weight reduction, and found that it is more effective in weight loss with a higher dose. This led to the approval of Wegovy in 2021.
More recently, semaglutide (under the brand name Wegovy) has been approved for cardiovascular benefits in adults with heart disease who are either overweight or obese. For those with heart disease, this drug can assist in lowering the risk of severe cardiovascular issues and it’s currently the only weight-loss medication approved for this particular use.
How Does Semaglutide Aid in Weight Loss?
Semaglutide acts by mimicking GLP-1, an incretin hormone that plays a crucial role in appetite regulation and digestion. It’s believed to aid weight loss in several ways, including:
- Slowing the movement of food from your stomach (delayed gastric emptying)
- Influencing areas of the brain that control hunger and satiety
- Reducing cravings for certain types of food, like sweets and salty snacks
Some of the effects of semaglutide, such as delayed gastric emptying, might diminish over time. Other effects, like appetite suppression, only persist as long as you continue using the medication.
If you’re curious to know how effective semaglutide is for people trying to lose weight, here are some stories of semaglutide weight loss before and after treatment.
Real Semaglutide Weight Loss Before and After Experiences
A Reddit user known as chubbysnail_74 shared her experience with semaglutide and its impact on her weight loss journey. After many years of struggling to lose weight, she managed to drop from 255 pounds to 171 pounds in under eight months, thanks to semaglutide.
While she doesn’t consider semaglutide a miracle drug, she emphasized that it has been nothing short of life-changing for her. For anyone who has battled with overeating, binge eating, and the negative emotions tied to being overweight—such as low self-esteem, social anxiety, and a lack of intimacy—she understands how demoralizing and defeating it can be. Despite trying everything from calorie counting to healthier eating habits, nothing ever seemed to work because she couldn’t maintain it.
That all changed with semaglutide. The medication has significantly reduced the “food noise,” leaving her less hungry and more motivated. She now has the focus to work on self-development, go to the gym, and resist the urge to cope with stress by eating junk food. She mentioned how great it feels to finally have a normal relationship with food.
What Worked for Her
Fat Loss Plan
She followed a fat loss plan based on a concept called linear periodization, which allowed her to scale the intensity of physical activity while gradually increasing the dosage of semaglutide.
Appetite Suppression
She took advantage of the appetite-suppressing effects of semaglutide to change her gut bacteria. Previously addicted to sugar in all forms, she adopted a carnivore-like diet paired with homemade fermented foods to combat her cravings.
Custom Dosage Schedule
She worked with a licensed semaglutide direct-to-consumer supplier, specifically Weightcare, to create a custom dosage schedule that fit her needs. This involved close collaboration with their doctors.
Lifestyle Changes
She made several small but significant lifestyle adjustments:
- Transitioned from a work-from-home routine to working in a social setting like a co-working office.
- Joined an accountability group with weekly in-person meetings.
- Began cognitive behavioral therapy.
She emphasized that fat loss is a multifaceted journey that requires lifestyle and behavioral changes. It’s essential to address underlying factors—whether metabolic, psychological, or otherwise—to achieve long-term weight loss success. She cautions against viewing semaglutide as a silver bullet, especially without paying attention to nutrition and exercise, which she believes is a mistake.
While she has seen the benefits of semaglutide firsthand, she advised others to use it responsibly and with careful planning.
Another Reddit user, known as Jacqued_and_Tan, shared her experience with Wegovy (semaglutide), a medication she’s been on for the past year. Standing at 5’1″, she managed to lose 100 pounds during this period. She points out that many people don’t fully grasp the impact of carrying an extra 20-40 pounds on someone with a petite frame. She explained how the last 30 pounds she shed felt as if it was closer to 60, and she advised that so as long as you’re prepared to handle the possible side effects, the medication is worth considering.
Zealousideal_Good621 began his journey with semaglutide after receiving a recommendation from his doctor. He had struggled with being overweight his entire life and although he had some success in the past, like dropping from 270 pounds to 232 pounds through Weight Watchers back in 2012, the weight slowly crept back up over time.
Last September, he spoke with his doctor about getting cortisone shots for an arthritic ankle, however his doctor, who also happens to be one of his best friends, suggested that losing some weight might alleviate the strain on his joints and potentially eliminate the need for the shots. So, he decided to give semaglutide a try.
On September 1st of last year, he weighed in at 265 pounds. Now he has dropped down to 205 pounds. His goal is to reach 199 pounds, which was his weight when he left the military at 18, the fittest and best shape of his life at 201 pounds. He shares how transformative the medication has been for him—he’s gone from a 42-inch waist to a 34-inch waist and overall, he’s never felt better.
Frequently Asked Questions About Semaglutide Before and After
What is Semaglutide and How Does It Work?
Semaglutide is a type of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist that helps in lowering blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. It does this by boosting insulin production, slowing down the digestive process, and reducing glucose production in the liver. Also it has been shown to curb appetite.
What are the Advantages of Long-Term Semaglutide Use?
Prolonged use of semaglutide has been connected to better blood sugar control, a reduction in cardiovascular risk factors, improved beta-cell function, and a general improvement in the quality of life for those taking it. Research also indicates that semaglutide is effective in promoting sustained weight loss, along with lowered cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Are There Any Adverse Effects of Using Semaglutide?
Side effects are uncommon but they do occur, including nausea and vomiting. It also has the potential to cause inflammation or elevated blood pressure, especially if you are predisposed to these conditions.
How Does the Body Change When Using Semaglutide for Weight Loss?
Responses can vary from one person to another but many report an increase in energy levels shortly after beginning their treatment, due to improved blood sugar regulation in conjunction with a nutritious diet. It’s also common to experience a reduction in hunger within a few weeks depending on the effectiveness of the dosage.
Semaglutide vs. Tirzepatide: Which is More Effective?
Semaglutide and tirzepatide are both medications designed to assist with long-term weight management. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved certain versions of these drugs for eligible individuals.
However, ongoing research is still being conducted to further understand these medications, including how they stack up against each other. A recent study aimed to compare the effectiveness of semaglutide and tirzepatide, both of which are used to manage type 2 diabetes. The objective was to determine which injectable medication leads to greater weight loss.
This study was a propensity-matched cohort analysis involving individuals who were either obese or overweight and had recently begun using tirzepatide or semaglutide.
The researchers gathered data through electronic health records and linked third-party sources. They examined the changes in body weight that participants experienced at 3, 6 and 12 months.
In total, the study included 18,386 participants. Of this group, 52% had type 2 diabetes, and the average age of participants was 52. The average follow-up period was 165 days, and slightly more than half of the participants discontinued each medication. The researchers also monitored gastrointestinal adverse events among participants and discovered that the risk was similar for both medications.
Overall, the findings showed that tirzepatide was more effective in promoting weight loss. Approximately 82% of participants on tirzepatide achieved a weight loss of 5% or more. In contrast, only 66.5% of those on semaglutide reached this level of weight loss.
What Happens When You Stop Taking Semaglutide?
It’s well established that GLP-1 medications are effective for weight loss. However, with their steep costs—Wegovy, for example, is priced at $1,350 per month—and side effects such as nausea, heartburn and stomach pain, it’s important to consider what happens when people stop using these drugs.
Several studies have explored this issue, and the findings are consistent: the weight tends to come back quickly. In one study, about 800 participants were given weekly semaglutide injections along with dietary changes, a prescribed exercise routine, and psychological support, resulting in a nearly 11% reduction in their initial weight over four months. Yet, when a third of these individuals were later switched to a placebo injection for an additional year, they regained 7% of the lost weight.
According to Dr. Alex Miras, a clinical professor of medicine at Ulster University, only a small fraction—up to 10%—manage to maintain all the weight they lost.
Miras notes that weight regain often happens faster than the original weight loss. “Most of the regained weight typically occurs within the first three to six months,” he explains.
The leading theory behind the rapid weight regain after stopping medication is that the brain’s appetite-regulating areas remain disrupted, causing increased hunger and overeating. GLP-1 drugs only temporarily mask this issue, and once their effects wear off, cravings quickly resurface.
The potential health impacts of this weight regain are a significant concern for health professionals. In one study, participants who were switched to placebo injections not only began to regain fat but also saw their waist circumference return to its previous size. resistance, and fatty liver disease.
Miras points out that regaining weight after medication or dieting may alter body composition in a way that could be more detrimental to long-term health than simply maintaining the initial weight.
However, there is no direct evidence to suggest that body composition will worsen after discontinuing weight-loss drugs compared to before starting them.
Director of the Washington Centre for Weight Management and Research, Domenica Rubino notes that while some individuals might regain weight after stopping semaglutide, they may still retain some metabolic benefits gained while on the drug, such as improved blood sugar control. This improved control can last for some time (up to three years according to one study), potentially due to various factors like increased physical activity and better sleep each of which can positively affect metabolic health.
Despite these benefits, it seems many individuals with obesity may need to stay on medication indefinitely to prevent weight regain.
Why People with Obesity Struggle to Access Ozempic and Mounjaro
A study found that from 2015 to 2020, 51.1% of U.S. adults met the FDA criteria for semaglutide. Among these, Black adults had the highest eligibility at 56.6%, followed by Hispanic adults at 55.0%.
However, the study also noted that compared to white individuals, a larger proportion of Black and Hispanic people were uninsured, lacked a regular healthcare provider, had lower family incomes, and had less education.
Another analysis revealed that between 2021 and 2022, 65% of those prescribed Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Rybelsus were non-Hispanic white, while 14% were Hispanic or Latino. For context, 59% of the U.S. population is white, and around 19% identify as Hispanic or Latino.
Currently, the out-of-pocket costs in the U.S. for a one-month supply of these medications are:
Ozempic: $936
Wegovy: $1,349
Mounjaro: $1,023
Rybelsus: $936
If the high costs of semaglutide and tirzepatide drugs are preventing you from getting the treatment you need for obesity, consider opting for compounded drugs. Telemedicine platforms like Brightmeds work with licensed US pharmacies that are able to provided compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide at a more affordable cost compared to their brand name counterparts.