Semaglutide for Weight Loss: Here’s How It Works
Oct 21, 2024
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Losing weight can be frustrating, especially when traditional methods like diet and exercise just aren’t moving the scale.
You may have heard of semaglutide by now and wonder if it could help you. This FDA-approved medication has gained attention for helping people shed pounds — and it’s one of our weight loss options here at RefineU Med Spa in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Below, our team of aesthetic experts explains how semaglutide helps you lose weight.
Semaglutide is a prescription medication designed to manage Type 2 diabetes but now approved for weight loss. Semaglutide belongs to a group of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists, meaning it binds to a specific receptor site in the body and mimics a natural hormone.
In this case, semaglutide binds to your glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor sites and mimics the hormone GLP-1. GLP-1 helps regulate your appetite, insulin production, and how your body uses blood sugar.
You typically administer semaglutide — the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Ozempic® and Wegovy® — as a once-weekly injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection). It comes in a pre-filled pen and can be injected into your abdomen, thigh, or upper arm.
At RefineU Med Spa, we offer compounded semaglutide, meaning we customize a version of the medication rather than using brand-name versions like Ozempic or Wegovy. Compounding allows us to tailor the dosage or formulation of semaglutide to your needs.
Semaglutide can lead to significant weight loss. Here’s how:
Your body typically releases GLP-1 after you eat. GLP-1 signals your pancreas to produce more insulin, a hormone that helps lower blood sugar. Semaglutide mimics this hormone, triggering your pancreas to act accordingly.
Semaglutide targets the areas of your brain that control hunger, lowering your appetite. You feel fuller for longer, so it’s easier to control your portions and resist overeating.
Semaglutide also slows the emptying of food from your stomach, so you don’t get hungry as quickly. Semaglutide can slow digestion by about 37% at four hours after eating.
The result? You eat less and give your body a chance to burn stored fat.
Results don’t happen overnight. However, studies show that semaglutide can lead to considerable weight loss over time, especially with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
According to a 2024 article in the science journal Nature, 67.8% of participants who received semaglutide injections achieved 5% (or more) weight loss at the two-year mark; 44.2% achieved 10% weight loss.
What could losing 5% or 10% of unwanted weight do for you? Women who lose just 5% of excess weight, for example, lower their chance of breast cancer by 12%; losing 10% takes 40 pounds of pressure off your knees. In short, it can do wonders for your overall health!
Most people notice changes within the first few months, and the weight loss continues steadily as long as you stick with the treatment plan.
Losing weight with semaglutide (and other healthy lifestyle habits) can improve your mood, restore your energy levels, lower your risk of several obesity-related conditions, and boost your self-confidence.
Semaglutide isn’t for everyone. But if you have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher (or 27+ with weight-related health issues like high blood pressure), it could be a good fit.
If you’re struggling to lose weight and curious if semaglutide can help, call our office today.