How to use Ozempic for weight loss. You'll start on the lowest dose, 0.25mg, and then gradually increase over 8 weeks to the 1mg dose. This helps your body adjust to the medication in the first few weeks and reduces the severity of common side effects, such as nausea.
You may need to increase your physical activity
As mentioned above, Ozempic should be used in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased exercise. For those starting with Ozempic, health professionals may recommend beginning with 150 minutes per week of physical activity, such as walking.
On average, people lose about 3% of their total body weight in the first month of Ozempic treatment for weight loss. The amount of weight lost can vary from person to person, depending on several factors including: Your starting weight and body mass index (BMI).
Ozempic starts working within the first week of beginning your maintenance dose.
Aim for foods and drinks that do not quickly raise or lower blood sugar. This helps keep your blood sugar steady and lets Ozempic (and other diabetes medications) work to their best ability. It's also a good idea to stick to lower fat, non-greasy foods because these are less likely to irritate the gut.
Bottom Line. Your blood sugar levels should start to fully decline within the first week after you start using Ozempic (semaglutide) at your regular maintenance dose. However, the full effects can take 8 weeks or longer, as this is a long-acting medication that is injected only once per week.
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.
You've hit a plateau
Losing muscle along with fat slows your metabolism and can slow down your weight loss. Once your body adjusts, your weight loss journey should pick up again.
Ozempic is also used off-label for weight loss. In particular, it can help reduce the amount of belly fat. This is because Ozempic works by making you feel fuller for longer, which can help you resist overeating by controlling cravings and hunger.
Nausea and Vomiting
This can occur particularly during the first few weeks of starting the medication as your body adjusts to the medication.
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.
You'll typically start with a low dose at first to give your body time to adjust to the medication. Then, the dose is usually raised every 4 weeks to get to the right dose for you. If you have any questions about your Ozempic dosage, talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist.
Study 1: Patients using Ozempic 0.5 mg dose lost on average 8 lb (3.6 kg), those using 1 mg dose lost 10 lb (4.5 kg), and those taking placebo (an inactive treatment) lost 3 lb (1.4 kg). Study 2: Patients using the Ozempic 1 mg dose lost on average 12 lb (5.5 kg), and those using the 2 mg dose lost 14 lb (6.3 kg).
In summary, Ozempic can make you feel tired, but it's a rare side effect. In the long-term, you may notice the opposite: energy increases and you're less tired, as you lose weight and improve cardiovascular health while taking Ozempic combined with physical activity and diet changes.
You could take it on a Sunday night before you start your week, right after your skincare regime. Or, you could take it first thing on a Wednesday morning every week. You can take Ozempic with food or without food: this will not affect how it works in your body.
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 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.
So with each higher dose, we should continue to see more and more weight loss. Remember that this is the average weight loss. We did have patients who lost a moderate amount but we also had patients losing over 15 pounds and even over 20 pounds in the first month!
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.
Lean protein sources from eggs, low-fat cheese, Greek yogurt, chicken, turkey, fish, nuts, tofu, and beans are all excellent ways to bulk up on protein while eating healthy if you take Ozempic.