Semaglutide is an injectable prescription medication originally approved for treating type 2 diabetes. More recently, a specific semaglutide medication called Wegovy was approved by the FDA for chronic weight management in obese or overweight adults.
Semaglutide works by mimicking the effects of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). This hormone helps regulate blood sugar levels and appetite. Specifically, semaglutide:
Numerous clinical trials have shown that, on average, people taking semaglutide lose 15-18% of their body weight over 68 weeks when combined with diet and exercise. This amounts to 30-50 pounds for many patients.
For these reasons, semaglutide has emerged as one of the most effective medications for weight loss and obesity treatment. When prescribed appropriately under medical supervision, it can be a valuable tool for long-term weight management.
At Hormone Health Institute, we provide individually customized semaglutide treatment plans to help patients achieve substantial, clinically-proven weight loss.
Semaglutide offers several meaningful benefits for obesity treatment:
As shown in multiple large trials, semaglutide delivers significant weight loss for most patients who stick to the treatment regimen. On average, people lose 15-18% of starting body weight over about a year when combining semaglutide, diet, and exercise. This amount of weight loss can lead to major improvements in overall health.
Obesity takes a toll on long-term heart health. Beyond just weight, semaglutide improves key markers of cardiovascular health, including waist circumference, blood pressure, blood fats, and blood sugar control. These changes likely contribute to semaglutide’s ability to reduce future heart attack and stroke risk.
Semaglutide is generally well-tolerated, especially when treatment starts at a low dose and gets increased slowly under medical guidance. The most common side effects are temporary GI issues like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. By slowly ramping up the dosage, most patients have minimal side effects.
Semaglutide is given as a simple subcutaneous injection under the skin. After starting treatment, the recommended maintenance dosage is just one injection per week on an ongoing basis along with lifestyle changes. This makes compliance much easier compared to medications requiring daily dosing.
In 2021, the FDA approved the semaglutide medication Wegovy specifically for long-term weight management in overweight or obese adults. This was a landmark decision that underscores semaglutide’s proven safety and efficacy for obesity.
If you pursue customized semaglutide weight loss treatment with Hormone Health Institute, the general process involves:
You’ll have an extensive consultation with one of our experienced providers to review your health history and obesity-related issues. We’ll order lab testing to ensure semaglutide is appropriate and safe for you.
Your provider will develop a personalized semaglutide treatment protocol optimized for your individual health status, weight loss goals, medication tolerance, and more. This plan will also integrate lifestyle modification guidance.
Dosage usually starts low at 0.25 mg weekly, increasing slowly up to 1.0 - 1.7 mg over several months. This helps avoid GI side effects. We’ll provide clear instructions for administering your subcutaneous injections using small pen devices.
You’ll meet regularly with your Hormone Health Institute provider to evaluate your progress, tolerance, metabolic health markers, and dosage needs. We may order blood work to ensure effectiveness and safety. We’ll support you with diet and nutrition advice, adjustment of other medications under guidance from your primary provider, and tools to establish healthy lifestyle habits for long-term weight maintenance.
When you pursue semaglutide therapy with us, you get:
We strive to help each and every patient achieve substantial weight loss in a safe, caring manner. Please (mailto:info@) to learn how we can help transform your health.
Semaglutide was originally developed as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, but researchers unexpectedly found it also caused significant weight loss as a side effect. Further studies confirmed its effectiveness for weight loss in both diabetic and non-diabetic people, leading to FDA approval of a high-dose semaglutide product specifically for chronic weight management.
The key requirements to qualify for semaglutide treatment include:
Semaglutide is not advised for women who are or may become pregnant, or people with certain medical conditions.
Your Hormone Health Institute provider will conduct a full evaluation to determine if you meet criteria prior to prescribing semaglutide therapy.
To ensure optimal outcomes from semaglutide treatment, we closely monitor various health parameters at regular follow-ups, including:
We also offer optional body composition analysis to track fat mass vs. lean mass changes.
Careful monitoring allows us to provide optimal dosing and maximal benefits with minimal risks.
Successful, sustainable weight loss requires Attention to multiple facets of health. Our customized semaglutide treatment plans address:
- Prescription of optimal semaglutide dosage and injections - Careful treatment progress monitoring with labs as indicated - Management of other medical conditions & medications as applicable - Ongoing support to help troubleshoot challenges
- Personalized nutrition advice for healthy, sustainable dietary changes - Communication strategies to increase adherence & accountability - Tools to cultivate consistent physical activity habits - Support to improve sleep duration & quality - Stress management and mental health self-care skills
We understand the power of community support and connections. That’s why our plans emphasize:
With comprehensive management across medical, lifestyle, and community domains, we empower patients to achieve maximal, sustainable weight loss on semaglutide therapy.
In large clinical trials, semaglutide has been shown to deliver 15-18% body weight loss on average after about one year. For a 300 pound person, this equates to roughly 45 to 54 pounds lost. But there is a range, with some losing 10% and some as much as 25%.
Most patients notice some subtle appetite and digestion changes within days once reaching an effective dosage. However, it takes 2-3 months for more robust effects on body weight. Maximum results require 6 months of treatment. This demonstrates the importance of patience and persistence.
Because it alters digestion, possible GI issues like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea tend to be the most frequent side effects. Starting with a low dose and gradually increasing helps minimize symptoms. If they occur, we provide strategies for management.
Like any weight loss approach, maintaining results requires commitment to permanent lifestyle changes around eating, activity etc. If you revert back to old unhealthy patterns, some weight regain will likely occur after stopping. We emphasize making manageable habits that translate into keeping weight off long-term.
With compelling weight loss benefits backed by strong research, semaglutide provides powerful medical support for sustained obesity treatment when combined with lifestyle changes. Hormone Health Institute offers fully personalized semaglutide protocols tailored to your unique needs plus ongoing clinical care and community connections. If you struggle with longstanding weight issues, we encourage you to schedule a consultation regarding customized semaglutide plans to finally tackle this frustrating problem. Together, we can help you achieve better health for years to come.
