The first 6 weeks on Semaglutide, here is what to expect!

Starting Semaglutide can be such an exciting journey in a person’s life. Semaglutide is not just a weight loss journey, but a LIFESTYLE journey.

How Semaglutide Works

This medication works by helping to decrease your hunger and delay gastric emptying, so you simply feel less hungry & have a reduced appetite with less cravings. But it is important to remember that Semaglutide is not a cure-all. You must change your lifestyle, via addressing your nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress, along with taking the medication, in order for it to reach its fullest potential.

The first six weeks on Semaglutide is the initiation phase of the medication. This is where you start the medication at the lowest dose, and then increase the dosage monthly.

People often wonder why it is recommended to start at a low dose. This is because we want your body to become adjusted to the medication over the course of 4 weeks and then slowly increase the dosage at 4-week intervals. By following this process, you will be less likely to develop side effects, and if you do have side effects, they will be as mild as possible.

What To Expect

Typically, patients report that they begin to develop decreased appetite and suppressed hunger once they have made the first increase to the dose (i.e. during the second month). Research has shown that patients start to see weight loss somewhere around 6-8 weeks after starting the medication. It is important to remember that in the first 6-8 weeks of starting semaglutide, your body is adjusting and becoming regulated to the medication, so we do not expect any weight loss during these first few weeks.

Try not to become discouraged, as this is a lifestyle journey, and we will be here to help you every step of the way! People often become disappointed if they do not see weight loss within the first week or two, but it does take time for the medication to start producing an effect at the appropriate dose, so try not to become discouraged and know you are on an awesome journey to a healthy lifestyle change.

What About Side Effects?

In the first couple of days or weeks of starting Semaglutide, you may experience:

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Constipation

• Mild Headache

• Fatigue

These side effects typically improve over time and with increasing your water intake and adjusting your overall fat and carbohydrate intake, this can help with symptoms. Remember this is why we start you on a low dose and slowly titrate you up on the medication to help avoid or lessen the side effects.

More significant side effects, that would require emergent medical care, include abdominal pain, vomiting without being able to drink water, significant dizziness, severe forms of the side effects listed above, or anything that seems overly concerning. This is uncommon, but if this occurs, you should seek prompt medical attention at an emergency department. If you do experience any amount of dizziness you should not drive or operate heavy machinery.

Embarking On A Weight Loss Journey Is Exciting

Starting the weight loss journey, utilizing semaglutide, is exciting!

With optimization of your nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress, and with the semaglutide medication, within the next 6-8 weeks you can potentially start to see the results you have been yearning for. Do not forget to drink your water and stay consistent, and the results will follow!