What is Ozempic and how does it work?

It is safe to assume that taking Ozempic is not a one-way ticket to weight loss; weight loss is a collective of several efforts. Ozempic, on the other hand, is mainly used for adults with Type 2 diabetes. It is given in the form of an injection, post which it aids in lowering blood sugar by making the pancreas secrete more insulin. While this is its main purpose, several physicians prescribe Ozempic for weight loss as well.

Semaglutide is taken to manage diabetes, and it does that by mimicking GLP-1, a naturally occurring hormone that is responsible for stimulating the secretion of insulin. By doing this, it lowers glucagon secretion when the glucose levels in the blood are high. Triggered hormones slow digestion and tell your brain that you are “full”.

Also Read: Semaglutide vs Liraglutide for Weight Loss

Common Reasons for Not Losing weight on Ozempic?

As side effects, Ozempic can reduce the risk of cardiovascular failures, like a heart stroke, and aid in weight loss. Ozempic is not directly responsible for weight loss, and cannot work on it alone. It is not FDA-approved to work as a weight loss drug, unlike semaglutide under the name of Wegovy.

There can be varied reasons for not losing weight even while on Ozempic:

You’ll Have to be Patient to See Results

To start taking the dosage required for detectable weight loss, the gradual increase may take approx. 3 months. Typically, healthcare providers start the dosage at 0.25mg weekly. It is done to minimize if not avoid the side effects. Even once beginning the 1-2mg weekly dosage, the body takes a while to get used to it, eat less, and gradually lose weight.

You May Need to Adjust Your Dosage

It is essential to take advice from a professional healthcare for the dosage of the drug. Taking less or more can either have no effect or show exponential side effects.

While people with higher doses of Ozempic lose more weight, increasing the dosage takes a while. Regular visits to the healthcare provider should ensure you increase the dosage as and when required.

You May Need to Change Your Dietary Habits

Taking a drug does not mean that your diet can proceed unchanged. A low-calorie diet, and avoiding all substances like alcohol, drugs, starches, refined carbohydrates, red meat, as well as sugar-sweetened beverages are required.

An increase in protein and fiber proves to be healthy for a body that is undergoing physical changes. This means increased consumption of eggs, meat, milk, fish, poultry, beans, soy, tofu, lentils, quinoa, etc. is good. Studies show that in an adult’s diet, 10%-35% of their calories should be received from protein intake.

Read More: Natural Ways to Lose Weight

To consume a holistic diet, refer to a nutritionist or a registered dietitian.

You May Need More Physical Activity

A healthy diet and physical activities go hand-in-hand for a healthy body. Professionals recommend at least 150 minutes per week of physical activity, which could even be walking. It is essential for a healthy body and mindset to exercise consistently.

Proper exercises can speed up your metabolism, or help build up muscle mass as well. Physical activity can also boost your testosterone levels.

You May Not be Taking Ozempic as Prescribed

It is not advisable to miss even a single dose of Ozempic if you don’t want to think that your prescribed Ozempic is not working. The dosing is scheduled so that it aids you perfectly, so it is in your best interest to not forget to take Ozempic as per instructions of the healthcare provider.

Ozempic has to be taken once a week, and the amount of the drug you consume weekly is prescribed by the provider. To let Ozempic affect your body, it is best to always take the drug on time!

You May Have Reached a Weight Loss Plateau

Reaching a plateau is quite common in weight loss journeys. It is described as the period when your body loses too much muscle and fat rapidly, but eventually, the weight loss slows down. As a result of quick muscle and fat loss, the body’s metabolism slows down, in turn slowing down the weight loss process.

This is yet another reason why it is essential that you consistently exercise and eat nutritious meals. You might even observe an increase in cravings for high-calorie food. It is natural and while Ozempic will help subside them, a healthy body needs a healthy mind.

You May Not Be Getting Enough Sleep

Often ignored, sleep is one of the few crucial things in attaining a healthy body. Sleep habits are directly related to weight loss/gain. Studies have shown that people who get less than 6 hours or more than 8 hours of sleep are more susceptible to weight gain than the ones who sleep 7-8 hours.

People who sleep more than 10 hours every night are seen to become obese over time, as well as be affected by health conditions like diabetes or hypertension (high blood pressure).

You May be Stressed Out

As more people study the side effects of stress, it becomes increasingly significant that stress causes several health conditions. Even if it cannot directly cause weight gain, being stressed can definitely make it look like Ozempic is not working on you. There are a number of ways stress can affect your body. Obesity, and craving for high-calorie foods are a few of them. Stress can affect the hormonal levels, and even your brain to a certain point.

You May Have an Underlying Medical Condition

Facing a couple of health conditions at the same time can sometimes postpone the results of the drug. If, for example, you take a medicine that results in weight gain, it could counteract Ozempic.

Diabetes is one such medical condition that would hinder your weight loss process. A study showed how after 3 months of consuming semaglutide, people with Type 2 diabetes lost, on average, 3.9% of their body weight in contrast to people who didn’t have diabetes (6.3%).

Also Read: How CGM Devices Help with Diabetes Treatment

Thyroid is another such medical condition that interferes with the loss of body weight. Hypothyroid people have a slower metabolism, which may make you feel like you are not losing weight on Ozempic.

Additional Reasons Why Ozempic Might Not Be Working

Gastrointestinal Side Effects

It has already been established that alone, you cannot lose weight on Ozempic. A proper nutritious diet is as important as taking your doses on time. A few of the side effects of Ozempic alter your eating pattern. These include burping, constipation or diarrhea, flatulence (gas), or indigestion (upset stomach).

Such side effects can create a negative relationship with your food, and result in a poor eating habit. Nausea can influence you to eat less, which in turn pushes you into a vicious cycle.

Alcohol Consumption

One quite common cause of weight gain is alcohol consumption. They are high in calories but less nutritious. It can also affect your organs like the liver. The liver is essential in balancing the body’s metabolism. When this gets disrupted, the body cannot properly store carbs and fats, which in turn slows the process of losing weight.

Medication Resistance

Over the course of months, some people may observe a diminished effect of the drug. This happens when the individual builds resistance towards the drug.

Alternative Treatments if You are Not Losing Weight on Ozempic

Ozempic is not the only medication that might aid you in losing your body weight. There are several others, like Contrave, Sexandra and Zepbound (tirzepatide) that are FDA-approved to treat obesity or other ailments that lead to excessive body weight.

If you are based in Canada, you can get prescriptions for Contrave and Saxenda from Science & Humans.

Read more: Buy Saxenda Online in Canada

Also read: Buy Contrave Online in Canada

Zepbound is proven to help in the loss of around 15-21% of your body weight within 18 months, which rate is significantly higher than Ozempic.

Expert tips to Lose Weight with Ozempic

Change diet and consumption pattern

Along with a medical provider, it is essential to visit your nutritionist. The importance of a well-balanced diet goes beyond any drug, without it, you may observe gaining weight on Ozempic instead.

Each individual requires a diet tailored just for them based on their health condition, especially if they are diabetic or they deal with blood pressure issues. It is also pertinent to chew your food slowly for better digestion.

Get Regular Exercise

Exercising is healthy for everyone, though you can choose between different forms of exercise in order to focus on separate aspects of the human body. Especially for someone who is taking Ozempic, it becomes essential to exercise more to improve physical function and cardiorespiratory fitness, prevent loss of lean body mass, and build muscle strength.

To start, you can walk, use a stationary bike or an elliptical. You can eventually add resistance training, like push-ups, dumbbell workouts, squats, lunges, etc. It is of utmost importance that you exercise on the advice of a medical professional, take it slow, and take rest days. Exercises help eventually, but if you do too much out of the blue, it could be more harmful than good. It is completely alright to start with a 10-minute stationary bike ride.

Some examples of exercise routines:

• Aerobic routine:

• 5-10 minutes warm-up which includes gentle stretches, slow walking, cycling, or swimming. 
• 30 minutes of any exercise at moderate intensity.
• 5-10 mins of cool-down period, which is basically the same exercise but at a much slower pace.
• End with stretching for 10 minutes. 
• Resistance training: 
• 5-10 minutes of warm-up, gentle stretches, or slow aerobic activity. 
• 8-12 (one-set) repetitions for each strength exercise. You can do sit-ups, push-ups, squats, or lunges. It is recommended that you take 1-2 minute(s) rest between each set, and do 2-3 sets of each exercise. 
• 5-10 minutes of cool-down with slow aerobic exercises. 
• 10 mins of gentle stretches, emphasizing  the muscles you trained.

Get Advice From a Medical Professional

Ozempic is a drug you start with a smaller dosage, and eventually build up to a higher dose. Throughout this process, it is best if you are vocal to your medical professional, clarify all your doubts, report if you face side effects, or if you wish to change the drug altogether.

Regular check-ups are required in order for them to make an informed decision about your treatment plan.

Real Life Experiences with Ozempic

Different people give a variety of opinions on the mechanisms of the drug. Some of the reviews are:

1. A 54-year-old female took Ozempic for her Type 2 diabetes, and lost 34 lbs. She states that the drug has reduced her appetite, and her side effects are minimal. She faced nausea and constipation at the beginning of her treatment. 
2. A female took Ozempic for weight loss for a duration of 6 months. As an average, she says she lost 25 lbs in the first 5.5 weeks with side effects like headaches and nausea. To balance such side effects, she started taking Magnesium supplements every night, which has helped her so far. Learn more about how Magnesium can help with Weight Loss.
3. Another person gave a review after taking Ozempic for 7 weeks. Their dosage started slow, yet post 7 weeks they had lost 10 lbs. They faced a decrease in their appetite, and now eat a balanced meal, unlike the prior diet of junk food.
4. Tackled mild side effects of constipation with fiber supplements, and was steadily and gladly taking Ozempic.

Conclusion

Ozempic, which is also known as semaglutide, is often prescribed for weight loss. It is primarily a medicine for Type 2 diabetes, but has often shown positive results towards weight loss as well. Ozempic’s purpose is to mimic a hormone, which once triggered, slows digestion and fools your brain into thinking you are too full. This results in a lower intake of food, thereby reducing total body weight.

If you suspect that Ozempic is not working for you, it could be because of several reasons including your lifestyle, incorrect dosage, lack of patience, stress, or facing another medical condition that hinders weight loss.

Ozempic has a number of side effects, which if faced by you, must be clarified by your medical professional. At Science & Humans, we have developed a weight loss program in Canada that is backed by solid scientific evidence. It is possible to build up a resistance to this drug, or face an allergic reaction. If that is the case, there are alternative treatment options available. It is essential that you keep your medical providers in the loop, take advice from nutritionists, and dedicate consistent time to exercise.

Weight gain is a personal experience, but weight loss needn’t be. There is nothing wrong with any body type. Regardless, if you wish to work on your body to be healthier, you should safely do so. Contact medical professionals to make collective thus informed decisions that are best for your body.