Wegovy Weight Loss Review: Safe and Effective? A Dietitian Examines

There are over three million cases of obesity in the U.S. each year, and this is a chronic health condition that requires prompt treatment in order to prevent severe health complications. Obesity can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, asthma, hormonal changes, cancer and more. People who are obese are encouraged to lose weight in order to prevent these issues as well as treat them.

Wegovy is a drug that is used for adults dealing with obesity. It is a weight management medication that has been approved since 2014. It can be used along with other weight loss options, including diets and working out. Let’s take a closer look.

Quick Summary of Wevogy for Weight Loss Review

What Is Wegovy?

Wegovy is a weight management medication that is used for a reduction in weight, in conjunction with a consistent exercise routine and healthy, reduced calorie diet. Manufactured by Novo Nordisk, Wegovy is an under-the-skin injection of semaglutide (2.4 milligrams) that is administered weekly. A patient that qualifies for Wegovy is someone that has a body mass index of 30 kg or more or has a body mass index of 27 kg along with one health issue that is caused by obesity.

Pros

• An effective compliment to diet and exercise.
• Requires supervision of a doctor for administration of the medication, so you should feel comfortable with its use.
• You can lose weight and keep it off with Wegovy. Maintenance of weight loss is something that many people find challenging.
• This may be the additional boost that you need to lose weight if you’ve been having trouble reaching your goals.

Cons

• There are side effects that you may experience after your injection. This can include headache, fatigue, bloat, dizziness, etc.
• One round of Wegovy over the course of four months may not be enough to get you to your weight loss goals. You may need to take it longer for optimal results.

How Does It Help with Weight Loss?

Wegovy uses the drug semaglutide, which functions synthetically like the hormone glucagon peptide-1 (GLP-1). While this hormone occurs naturally in the body, some people may benefit from additional supplementation. It targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake, providing you with beneficial results like hunger reduction and increasing the feeling of being full. In turn, you lose more weight when you're using Wegovy.

Is It FDA-Approved?

Wegovy has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It has been proven to be safe and effective when used properly. Its approval took place back in 2014, but we are still waiting on results for testing how Wegovy interacts with medications like insulin, herbal supplements, prescription medication and over the counter products. It’s a good idea to check with your doctor to see if any of the supplements or medications you’re using will interact with Wegovy before starting a regimen.

Who Should Take Wegovy

The main ingredient in Wegovy (semaglutide), has the ability to boost weight loss and weight control. Clinical trials have determined it is an effective weight loss option for people with blood sugar issues or diabetes. It’s recommended for people who are dealing with obesity and one other weight-related health condition. This can include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc. However, you should use Wegovy alone. While you can follow a specific diet plan and exercise routine, other medications and supplements are usually avoided.

Side Effects and Safety

Most medications come with some sort of side effects. Patients who have taken Wegovy have experienced:

• Bloating
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Pain in the abdomen
• Headache
• Fatigue

How Much Weight Can You Lose with Wegovy?

Research was outlined in the New England Journal of Medicine that shared Wegovy users experienced a 15 percent in weight loss after using it for 16 months. The placebo group that participated in the study only experienced a weight loss of 2.4 percent of their body weight.

The JAMA Network published a Phase 4 study that showed a weight loss of 11 percent of body weight in 20 weeks when using Wegovy. That group was then split in half, with half of the people continuing the use of Wegovy. The group of people who were in the placebo group gained weight, while Wegovy users continued on their path to weight loss.

How Long to Start Losing Weight?

Wegovy is a drug that should be used over the course of many months in order to see optimal results. It’s not going to provide immediate effects. After a few weeks, you should start to see a change in your eating habits and hunger. Over the course of many months, your weight loss journey should be changed in a positive way thanks to the drug.

How Long Do You Stay on Wegovy?

Wegovy doses are increased gradually over the course of 16 weeks at a time. The increase in medication is done every 4 weeks. You can repeat the process if your doctor feels it would be beneficial. Ongoing use of Wegovy for longer periods of time has shown to help people with long term weight loss while keeping weight off.

Reviews of Wegovy Medication for Weight Loss

On Drugs.com, Wegovy has a rating of 6.8 out of 10 among about 45 users. A large majority of people were happy with the results they experienced. They were able to reduce their weight while eliminating health issues they were dealing with like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This often resulted in being able to reduce or drop other prescription medications. Some people did experience the side effects we talked about earlier, but most people felt they were worth it.

Weight Loss Programs That Offer FDA-Approved Prescription Medication Such As Wegovy

In addition to using Wegovy, you should feel comfortable following a diet plan or program that will complement your fitness routine and medication use. Here are some of the different weight loss programs that use FDA-approved medications such as Wegovy.

Found

Found is a prescription weight loss program that is science based. It helps you lose weight while learning tricks and tools that will benefit you for the rest of your life so you can keep the weight off. They use FDA-approved weight loss medication and their program takes a holistic approach to weight loss. Found takes into account your metabolism, genes, gut health, hormone levels and medication use. A simple quiz consisting of 22 questions will help your medical coach and advisor get you on the path to weight loss success.

Read our Found weight loss program review to dive in and learn more.

Calibrate

Calibrate is a way to tackle weight loss using science and FDA-approved medication. One on one accountability coaching is provided, along with lifestyle tracking. Calibrate’s goal is to provide users with all of the tools that they need for long term weight loss success. A 52-week content curriculum will help you with behavioral changes, dietary changes, sleep, exercise and even your mental health. It’s a whole body and mind approach to weight loss.

Read our Calibrate weight loss program review to learn more and see if it's a good fit.

Form Health

Form Health is a telehealth company that looks at weight loss from the perspective of a medical approach. The goal of Form Health is to help you lose weight through a variety of science-backed methods. Figuring out what your weight loss barriers are is where you start. You receive a thorough medical evaluation, followed by a personalized plan moving forward. All of your care is conveniently managed through the Form Health app.

Read our Form Health weight loss review to learn more.

Is It Safe and Effective? Final Verdict

Wegovy is a safe and effective weight loss medication when you’re having it administered and monitored by a trusted medical professional. People have been able to lose as much as 15 percent of their body weight over the course of 68 weeks of use, which is pretty substantial. In many cases, Wegovy is a starting block for developing a healthier diet and exercise routine in people that have been discouraged by the process of losing weight.

Tips for Success from the RD

Weight loss is a challenge for many people, but it can really benefit your quality of life. You will feel better if you drop down to a healthier body mass index and incorporate more physical activity into your daily routine. How you go about this can vary. Some of the best ways to start out include:

Eating Healthier

A well-balanced diet that incorporates fruits, vegetables, healthy and lean protein and whole grains is optimal. Stay away from refined sugars that cause huge spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels. If you are having trouble coming up with a diet plan, you can work with a knowledgeable nutritionist / dietitian to learn more.

Be Careful of Labels

It’s ideal that you learn how to interpret what a nutritional information label says. Always pay attention to the serving size of a product. If it’s appropriately sized, look at the calorie content but also the fat content of a product.

Also, a product may be labeled as ‘natural’, which makes you think that you’re consuming something that is healthy for you. After all, something that comes from nature can’t be bad, right? In fact, natural ingredients can be anything but safe. A chemical naturally occurring in nature can be labeled as ‘natural’, but it isn’t actually safe or healthy for the body.

When you’re looking at the ingredients of a product, stick with items that have a short list of names that you are able to read. If you start getting into longer names that don’t appear to be actual food, then you’re probably dealing with something that’s very processed. It’s best to put the item back and choose something that is more whole foods based.

Gain Insights On Your Gut Health

Testing your gut health with an at-home gut health test is also a good way to figure out what’s going on with your weight loss issues. If you are dealing with a slow GI tract or malabsorption concerns, these things can contribute to how well you’re able to lose weight. Supplementing with a probiotic that is designed with your results in mind can help boost your metabolism. Probiotics can also help curb your hunger in many cases.

When you have a strong level of healthy bacteria in your gut, your body is able to block calories from being absorbed. When you absorb fewer calories, you’re able to lose more weight.

Choose an online holistic weight loss program (coaching and accountability + prescription medication)

If you are interested in learning more about Wegovy and have a body mass index that is over the required level, you can find out more through the websites for Found, Calibrate or Form Health. You can also talk to your doctor. It’s important that you’re receiving support from a trusted medical professional or team of professionals that can ensure Wegovy is being used properly to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

• Go to Found
• Go to Calibrate
• Go to Form Health