A Breakthrough: Wegovy and Long-Term Weight Management

With over a billion people worldwide suffering from obesity, hundreds of weight loss drugs have hit the global market. However, none have gained as much popularity and demand as Wegovy.

This breakthrough drug, when paired with exercise and a healthy diet, can help you lose a considerable amount of weight in a matter of weeks.

However, Wegovy isn’t for everyone, and you need to follow a specific dosing regimen for the best results.

Let’s take a look at how Wegovy can help you with long-term weight management and everything else you need to know before taking it.

Wegovy is a new weight loss drug containing the active ingredient semaglutide.

It’s manufactured by the global pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and was approved by the FDA (US Federal Food and Drug Administration) for chronic weight management in adults back in 2021.

Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, is part of a class of medications called GLP-1  (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonists.

These drugs work by binding to GLP-1 receptors in your body, which regulate your blood sugar , sense of satiety, and how fast your digestive system handles food.

When Wegovy stimulates your GLP-1 receptors, it slows down your gastric emptying rate , which makes the stomach push food into your intestines later than it usually does. When the food stays in your stomach longer, you don’t feel like eating as often.

Wegovy also stimulates GLP-1 receptors in the brain, which reduces hunger signaling and promotes a feeling of fullness.

Another thing Wegovy does as a GLP-1 agonist is lower your blood glucose levels. It does this by stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin, which helps get rid of excess blood sugar.

Wegovy slows down the liver’s production and release of glucose into the bloodstream. It also keeps your body from producing too much glucagon , which is a hormone that normally increases your blood sugar levels.

Wegovy’s powerful weight loss effects are thanks to its ability to:

• Suppress appetite by promoting satiety and fullness

• Reduce insulin resistance , which is a major contributor to obesity and weight gain

• Help you reach the ideal blood sugar levels for weight loss

Not only does Wegovy help you shed those extra pounds, but it also significantly reduces your waist circumference .

Wegovy is famous for being a powerful weight loss medication, but it has numerous other benefits.

Since Wegovy can lower your blood sugar level, it offers better glycemic control for people with diabetes. It can improve your HbA1c levels , which indicates how well you’ve had your blood sugar under control for the past three months.

Studies also show that people taking Wegovy experience improvements in their blood pressure, lipid profile, and risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Wegovy is indicated for adults who are overweight or obese. However, whether or not you should take Wegovy depends on your body mass index (BMI) rather than your body weight. You can find out your BMI using a BMI calculator .

According to your BMI, you can take Wegovy if:

• Your BMI is above 30

• Your BMI is at least 27, but you suffer from a medical condition like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease

Despite being relatively safe, Wegovy isn't for everyone. Certain people shouldn’t take Wegovy, such as those who:

• Have a personal or family history of thyroid cancer, such as medullary thyroid carcinoma

• Have a personal or family history of an endocrine condition called MEN 2 (multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2)

• Are allergic to semaglutide or any of Wegovy’s ingredients

• Are pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next two months

While Wegovy is contraindicated during pregnancy, there’s not enough data on its safety in breastfeeding and whether it passes into breast milk.

Consult your doctor first if you’re breastfeeding and want to start Wegovy. They’ll likely recommend other weight loss medications that were better studied for use while lactating.

You should also speak to your doctor if you have a history of pancreatitis . The effects of Wegovy on patients with pancreatitis haven’t been fully studied. However, since Wegovy stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin, it may cause further inflammation in susceptible cases.

Tons of studies have been made on Wegovy’s efficiency when it comes to weight loss. One of the most famous studies was a randomized clinical trial  that ran for 68 weeks and involved nearly two thousand participants.

The participants were classified as either obese or overweight with a weight-related health problem.

Half the patients took Wegovy, while the other half took a placebo. However, both groups were put on a healthy diet plan with a calorie deficit. They also exercised regularly to keep an increased level of physical activity.

At the end of the 68 weeks, the participants taking Wegovy lost an average of 35 lbs, which was about 15% of the average participant’s body weight.

On the other hand, the group taking the placebo did manage to lose weight, but only 6 lbs which was about 2.5% of their average body weight.

Since both groups followed similar diet and exercise plans, the main difference between them was the Wegovy treatment.

One thing worth mentioning is that the people who took Wegovy lost weight at different rates.

For example:

• 48% of those taking Wegovy lost 15% or more of their body weight compared to just 5% of those taking placebo

• 66% of those on Wegovy lost 10% or more of their body weight, while only 12% of the placebo group did

• 83% of those taking Wegovy lost 5% or more of their body weight compared to just 31% of the placebo group

Wegovy is injected subcutaneously (under the skin) once a week. You can inject into the abdomen, upper arm, or thigh, but make sure to inject it into the skin layer and not the muscle tissue.

Ideally, you should take Wegovy on the same day and as close to the same time as possible each week. You can take it with or without food since its absorption isn’t affected by stomach content.

Your healthcare provider will likely start you on a low dose of Wegovy. They’ll then increase the dose gradually every month until you reach the maximum maintenance dose of 2.4mg.

Here’s an example of a typical Wegovy dosing regimen:

• Weeks 1 to 4 : 0.25 mg weekly

• Weeks 5 to 8: 0.5 mg weekly

• Weeks 9 to 12: 1 mg weekly

• Weeks 13 to 16: 1.7 mg weekly

• From week 17 and onward: A weekly maintenance dose of 2.4 mg

Sometimes, when you reach the 2.4 mg maintenance dose, the side effects become too unpleasant to bear. Your healthcare provider will likely drop your dose back down to 1.7 mg weekly for four weeks and then try again with the 2.4 mg dose.

If you still can’t tolerate the 2.4 mg of Wegovy, your doctor will likely recommend that you stop taking it and explore other options.

Wegovy immediately starts working once you’ve taken the injection, but it could be a few weeks or even months before you notice changes in the mirror.

However, that doesn’t mean you should stop taking Wegovy once you reach your ideal weight. You should be prepared to take Wegovy for several years for weight loss maintenance and for permanent results.

Wegovy has an excellent safety profile, which is important because most patients will take Wegovy for years.

However, Wegovy does have a few common side effects, most of which are gastrointestinal. These side effects, while unpleasant, tend to be more common when you first start Wegovy or when you increase the dose.

With time, these side effects tend to fade or become less severe as your body gets accustomed to the drug.

Some of the common side effects of Wegovy include:

• Nausea and vomiting

• Diarrhea or constipation

• Stomach pain

• Headache and fatigue

• Dizziness

• Bloating and belching

• Flatulence

• Heartburn

Wegovy also has a few rare side effects which are more serious, including:

• Changes in vision

• Rapid, pounding heartbeats

• Gallbladder problems, which commonly manifest as clay-colored stool and jaundice (yellow skin or eyes)

• Kidney problems

• Stomach flu

Ozempic  and Rybelsus are also popular weight loss drugs that contain the active ingredient semaglutide. Ozempic is injectable, much like Wegovy, while Rybelsus comes in the form of oral tablets.

However, unlike Wegovy, Ozempic is only indicated for treating type 2 diabetes in adults and reducing cardiovascular risk. Although it’s been widely used to help people lose weight, it’s still an off-label use that hasn’t been officially approved by the FDA.

Another major difference between Ozempic and Wegovy  is dosage. Wegovy has a slightly higher dose of 2.4 mg, while the maximum dose of Ozempic is 2 mg, giving Wegovy a slight advantage in terms of effectiveness.

Before you decide whether or not Wegovy is right for you, you should keep in mind that this is a prescription-only medication. That means you’ll need a signed prescription from your healthcare provider to purchase Wegovy.

Another thing to remember is that Wegovy isn’t a quick fix for obesity or a short-term solution for excess weight. It takes time to see significant weight reduction, and Wegovy is meant to be taken for long periods.

If you stop taking Wegovy, you may gain back all of that excess weight you lost.

This was illustrated by a 68-week-long study that included 327 adults. About 75% of the patients regained all of the weight they lost within one year of stopping Wegovy.

Wegovy is relatively expensive if you buy it without insurance. It can cost about $1,200 per month and sometimes more. Before you start your Wegovy weight loss journey, check whether your insurance company covers it or make sure you’re financially prepared.

Getting Wegovy from unreliable sources is a serious threat to your health and well-being, so you should never purchase it from vendors with no medical licensing .

If your healthcare provider doesn’t approve of this drug, or if you can’t afford it, especially if it’s for cosmetic weight loss, then it’s best to explore diet, exercise, or other medications as options.

Wegovy isn’t a quick fix for obesity. It requires a long-term commitment to achieve the weight loss results you want.

However, if you treat obesity like any chronic condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, you’ll realize there are no shortcuts to better health. Consistency and adherence to a healthy lifestyle can pay off immensely.