Your blood glucose (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 effect can take 8 weeks or longer, as this is a long-acting medication that is injected only once per week.
Shedding pounds with Ozempic is a gradual process. While some users report feeling the appetite-suppressing effects as early as the first day, noticeable weight loss typically takes a few weeks to kick in. On average, clinical trials have shown that significant weight loss can occur over 30 to 68 weeks of treatment.
Ozempic (semaglutide) is a once-weekly injectable medication for treating type 2 diabetes. It typically takes at least 4 weeks to start affecting blood glucose levels. Ozempic only has Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to treat type 2 diabetes.
It takes about 4 to 5 weeks to reach a steady level of Ozempic in your system. Full effects may not be seen until at least 8 weeks of treatment. After this time, your healthcare provider will typically check your hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C or A1C), which is your average blood glucose levels over 2 to 3 months.
According to data from randomised controlled trials, Ozempic supports weight loss of around 1kg or around 1.1% of body weight after one month. After two months, it's around 2kg or 2.2% of body weight.
After taking Ozempic® for one month
Two of the STEP trials, which are large clinical trials that looked at how semaglutide could help with obesity, showed that average weight loss after four weeks of taking semaglutide at 0.25 mg alongside lifestyle change was around 2% of body weight.
Every patient is different, but you can expect to notice lower levels of blood sugar as quickly as within the first week of taking Ozempic, says Dr.
Each person is different as to the dose needed to successfully suppress appetite. Once this level is reached then the calorie deficit this achieves means that weight loss will begin to happen. This can take anything from four weeks upwards. However, once it does, the weight will begin to drop off pretty quickly.
You can tell if Ozempic is working because your blood glucose levels and HbA1c will fall. In the studies, HbA1c lowering was noted as soon as the first month after starting Ozempic, but further reduction may occur in the next few months.
The best places on your body to inject Ozempic® are the front of your thighs, the front of your waist (abdomen) or your upper arms. It is recommended that you rotate your injection site each time you inject. After 4 weeks, your dose should be increased to 0.5 mg once a week, unless otherwise informed by your doctor.
Swap simple carbohydrates (sugary foods, white bread, pasta, rice) for complex carbs (wholemeal pasta, brown rice, whole grains) Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables (at least half of your dinner plate should be vegetables) Eat more lean protein (turkey, white fish) than fatty proteins (red meat)
How fast you can lose 20 lbs on semaglutide (Wegovy) depends on your starting weight and other factors. If you weigh 232 lbs at the start of Wegovy treatment, you can expect to lose 20 lbs in around 16-20 weeks (4-5 months).
Kelly Clarkson's Weight Loss Journey: How She Lost 60 Pounds With Medication, Eating Protein, And Walking. “Everybody thinks it's Ozempic. It's not.”
Some people who use semaglutide (Ozempic, others) have noted sagging skin in the buttocks, calling it “Ozempic butt.” While lifestyle modifications may help prevent this weight loss side effect, a doctor may recommend surgery to treat excess, sagging skin.
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.
Ozempic face is a colloquial term, not a medically recognized condition. It describes the facial changes that can accompany rapid weight loss when using medications like Ozempic or another version of the same drug (generic name semaglutide) FDA-approved for weight-loss treatment.
Most people started losing weight within the first 4 weeks, but some took longer. The dose of Ozempic is not high enough yet. To reduce the risk of side effects, Ozempic is usually started at a dose of 0.25mg for the first 4 weeks, then gradually increased to 0.5mg, for 4 weeks, then 1mg for 4 weeks, then 2mg.
Key points: We need to eat in a calorie deficit to lose weight. If our baseline diet is rich in ultra-processed foods and we continue to eat this way on Ozempic, we may still consume more calories than we need to lose weight. It's essential to eat a diet based on whole foods to support sustainable weight loss.
The starting Ozempic dose for Type 2 diabetes is 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks. This dose doesn't typically have an effect on your blood glucose or body weight. It's meant to help your body get used to the medication. But after that, your dose is increased to 0.5 mg once a week.
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.
Week 3-4: At this stage, your hunger level starts decreasing, and you don't have a lot of “food noise.” In the first 4 weeks, you will be on the same dose prescribed by your healthcare professional. A noticeable difference in weight can be expected, typically ranging from a 2% to 4% reduction in your body weight.
Some people lose much more weight on Ozempic than the average, with reports of up to 30 pounds lost in 26 weeks. However, it's important not to compare your results to anyone else's. As long as the scale moves in the right direction, you should be happy with any improvements you make.
Specific foods to avoid include sweets, baked goods, sugary cereals, sodas, juices, flavoured yogurts, candy, ice cream, honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, jams, fruit smoothies, dried fruit and certain fresh fruits like mangoes, grapes, cherries, bananas, pineapple and watermelon.