Shedding excess body weight is never easy, no matter how much or how little you need to lose. Diets are hard to stick to, and getting enough physical activity to tap into fat stores is even harder. In the past, weight loss drugs that revved up your metabolism had life-threatening side effects that caused them to be pulled from the market.
Today, major advances in science have uncovered the mechanisms by which the body accumulates and metabolizes stored fat, giving hope to millions who struggle with obesity and its adverse effects on health. Multiple clinical trials have shown that weekly subcutaneous semaglutide injections for weight loss may provide a new weapon to fight obesity in the 2020s and beyond.
What is Semaglutide and How Does It Work?
Semaglutide, also marketed under the brand name Wegovy, is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist that is administered weekly by subcutaneous injection. It was initially approved in 2017 by the FDA to help control blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes. When clinicians discovered that patients being treated with semaglutide were also losing weight, the FDA approved it for weight loss as well.
Semaglutide acts by mimicking the effects of GLP-1, an incretin hormone that regulates appetite and digestion. Incretins are released by your digestive tract after eating, triggering the release of insulin, blocking sugar production, and slowing the digestive process. They give you a feeling of fullness, reducing your appetite and causing you to eat less.
When combined with lifestyle modifications that include a healthy diet and regular exercise, semaglutide can help you steadily lose weight over time.
Benefits of Semaglutide Injections for Weight Loss
In addition to helping you lose weight so you look and feel better, semaglutide can positively impact your health profile, leading to an overall improved quality of life.
Benefits of Semaglutide for weight loss include:
Semaglutide Weight Loss Side Effects
Despite its many health benefits, some people may experience mild to severe side effects. Because semaglutide affects the way your body digests sugar and carbohydrates, it can affect your digestive system.
Semaglutide weight loss side effects may include:
- Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting
- Constipation
- Stomach pain and indigestion
- Headache and dizziness
- Fatigue
- Bloating and gassiness
In extreme cases, some people may experience high-risk side effects, including:
- Pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas)
- Gallbladder disease
- Kidney damage
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- Anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction that affects your airway
- Diabetes-related eye problems
- Accelerated heart rate
- Suicidal thoughts and behaviors
If you are taking prescription medications for a health condition, always consult with your doctor about potential harmful side effects.
Steer clear of Semaglutide and its brand name Wegovy if:
- You are pregnant or nursing your baby
- You have insulin-dependent diabetes
- You have diabetic retinopathy (a type of eye damage from diabetes)
- You have chronic low blood sugar
- You have gallbladder disease
- You have acute pancreatitis
- You have low kidney function
- You have medullary thyroid cancer
- You have a family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma
- You have multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2
Getting the Best Results from Semaglutide Weight Loss Therap
The clinical trials that saw the most successful outcomes included lifestyle modifications as a part of semaglutide weight loss therapy.
To get the very best results from semaglutide injections for weight loss:
- Drink plenty of plain filtered water
- Avoid or reduce alcohol consumption
- Steer clear of fast foods, fried foods and processed foods
- Eat fresh organic green vegetables daily
- Limit your consumption of wheat, rice, corn and other grains
- Eliminate soft drinks (diet and regular), sugar, candy and other sweetened foods
- Exercise daily — brisk walking for 30 minutes can make a huge difference
- Get 7-8 hours of sleep nightly
Get Semaglutide Injections for Weight Loss in NYC
If you have been struggling to lose weight, semaglutide may be the weapon you need to fight obesity and its negative health effects. At InVita Wellness, we offer subcutaneous semaglutide injections for weight loss at our Manhattan clinic. Contact us today for more information, or visit our website. InVita Wellness is dedicated to providing natural therapies that support health, beauty and peak performance, helping our clients enjoy the very best quality of life.
Resources
Rubino, Domenica, et al. “Effect of continued weekly subcutaneous semaglutide vs placebo on weight loss maintenance in adults with overweight or obesity: the STEP 4 randomized clinical trial.” Jama 325.14 (2021): 1414-1425.
Singh, Gurdeep, Matthew Krauthamer, and Meghan Bjalme-Evans. “Wegovy (semaglutide): a new weight loss drug for chronic weight management.” Journal of Investigative Medicine 70.1 (2022): 5-13.
