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Not losing weight on Wegovy (Ozempic)? Here's what to try first

Simon Edward • 30 December 2024

If you're not losing weight on Wegovy (Ozempic), don't give up just yet. Start by trying these 7 steps to fix it.

So, you've started your Wegovy treatment journey. Congratulations!

We hope it's been a smooth ride so far and you've begun to see the results you want.

If you haven't, don't worry just yet. There's a good chance you can turn things around by making one or two small changes to your weight loss regime.

Here's what to try first.

1. Wait

Remember that Wegovy isn't a magic wand. It won't make you lose loads of weight overnight.

In a famous clinical trial, Wegovy users lost 15% of their weight on average.¹ However, these participants were treated with the drug over the course of 68 weeks.

You shouldn't need quite this long to get results. The SemaPen Wegovy programme, for instance, lasts 52 weeks.

But it's still more marathon than sprint. Wegovy is supposed to help with healthy, gradual weight loss when combined with diet and exercise.

And this is very much a good thing. Losing weight very quickly is unwise at best and dangerous at worst. That's the last thing we want for our patients.

So, if you're still in the early stages of treatment, give it a little longer. You can find out what to expect month by month in our expert guide.

2. Adjust your diet

It's best to think of Wegovy as a very effective weight loss coach. By helping limit food cravings and making you feel full, it can give you the willpower you need to adjust your eating habits.

But Wegovy can't just make the weight go away. You still need to eat a sensible, balanced diet if you want to meet your weight loss goals.

See, the Wegovy diet works like any other calorie-controlled diet. You need to create a calorie deficit. If you eat more calories than you burn, you'll still put on weight – whether you're on weight loss medications or not.

If Wegovy's not working for you, it's worth taking a look at what you eat. Might your portion sizes be too large? Or are you eating too many fatty, sugary or high-calorie foods?

Keeping a meal diary can help. Write down what you eat each day and you'll have a better idea of where you can make positive changes.

And remember: if you're on our programme, you can access expert support whenever you need it through the SemaPen app. We can also arrange an appointment with one of our dieticians or psychologists if you need extra support to control your eating habits.

3. Stick to an exercise routine

Diet is one side of the coin. Exercise is the other.

Don't forget that Wegovy only works effectively when combined with a sensible diet and regular exercise.

We get it. Sticking to an exercise regime is difficult at the best of times. And if you're experiencing certain side effects like nausea or stomach pain, it can make things even harder.

But the good news is that you don't have to become an Olympic sprinter overnight.

It's much more important to exercise regularly than it is to exercise hard. Aim to maintain a daily routine and make sure to listen to your body. Start slowly. Don't push yourself beyond your limits.

Before long, exercise should become part of your established daily routine. And once you get into the groove, you can gradually increase the intensity of your sessions. Your body will tell you when the time is right.

4. Try to get more sleep and less stress

Getting plenty of sleep and avoiding stress isn't just good for your mental health. It's crucial for physical health, too – including weight management.

When we're stressed, our body releases a hormone called 'cortisol'. This hormone makes us feel more energised – but it can also make us crave unhealthy foods.

And guess what? Lack of sleep is also linked to high cortisol levels. That's bad news for your progress on Wegovy.

If you're not losing weight on Wegovy, sleep and stress could be the culprits. Try to maintain good sleep hygiene – stick to a regular bedtime and switch off phones or laptops. And if you're stressed out, it's worth trying stress-reduction techniques like yoga, meditation or deep breathing.

5. Increase your dose

Remember that losing weight with Wegovy is a marathon, not a sprint. It's important to start taking a low dose and gradually move to higher doses as treatment continues.

This to give your body time to get used to the drug and to limit the intensity of potential side effects.

However, some patients choose to stick to a lower dose because that's what they're comfortable with. This is fine – but the fact remains that low doses work less effectively than higher ones.

If you've been taking the same dose for a while and your weight loss seems to have stalled, it might be time to step up to the next pen.

6. Switch from Ozempic to Wegovy

If you're not losing weight on Ozempic, consider switching to Wegovy instead.

It's a common misconception that Wegovy and Ozempic are the same drug. While it's true that they contain the same active ingredient (semaglutide), they're not designed in quite the same way.

Ozempic was designed to treat diabetes and is approved in the UK for this purpose. Wegovy, on the other hand, was designed and approved as an obesity treatment. As a result, Ozempic isn't available in the high dose that's most effective for weight loss.

Is Ozempic not working for you? If you've been taking it for a while, it might be that you need this high dose to get the results you're expecting.

7. Talk to a medical professional

If you've tried everything and you're still not losing weight on Wegovy, it's important to let your healthcare provider know.

That's because your lifestyle or eating habits might not be to blame.

You may have an underlying medical condition that's slowing or stopping your progress. For instance, people with hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid gland) often struggle to lose weight.

Another reason could be that you're on a medication that can cause weight gain, such as beta-blockers. Drugs like these can make Wegovy work less effectively.

Don't hesitate to make an appointment if you're concerned. Your doctor will be able to advise on the best route forward.

SemaPen is an online weight loss injection clinic staffed by UK obesity experts. Why not learn more about our Wegovy and Mounjaro treatment programmes?

Sources

1. Wilding, J.P.H. et al. (2021) "Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity" New England Journal of Medicine, 384(11) https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183

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