Not Losing Weight on Ozempic? Don’t Make These 6 Mistakes

Contents

1. You’re Not Exercising 2. You Didn’t Change Your Weight loss plan 3. You’re Not Taking It as Prescribed 4. Your Different Medicines Are Interfering 5. You Want a Greater Dose 6. Stress or Unhealthy Sleep Is Sabotaging Your Weight Loss The Takeaway

GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) are extensively hailed as weight reduction sport changers. So if you happen to’re taking considered one of these new medicine and the size would not appear to be budging, chances are you’ll be questioning what is going on on.

Generally it is a matter of being affected person, as it could take just a few weeks earlier than you discover outcomes, and plateaus generally is a regular a part of weight reduction. That stated, you should not rely solely on Ozempic to achieve your aim.

“To be able to see the outcomes demonstrated in research, GLP-1 drugs must be mixed with dietary and way of life interventions,” says Samantha Flanagan, DO, an weight problems medication specialist with Temple Well being in Philadelphia. For max success, it’s essential keep away from some frequent missteps that place key way of life adjustments on the again burner.

Moreover, GLP-1 weight reduction medicine don’t work for everybody. These with diabetes are inclined to lose barely much less weight, and even some folks with out diabetes might have to regulate their dose or attempt switching to a unique weight reduction medicine to see outcomes.

When you’ve got questions or issues about your progress, let your physician know.

1. You’re Not Exercising

Some could assume you need not carry a finger to shed kilos as soon as you are taking Ozempic, however individuals who use this medicine lose extra fats once they train usually. Bodily exercise can result in larger enhancements in insulin sensitivity and coronary heart well being, too.

“An exercise prescription is a necessary a part of all long-term [weight loss] plans,” says Richard Siegel, MD, an endocrinologist and a codirector of the diabetes and lipid heart at Tufts Medical Heart in Boston.

2. You Didn’t Change Your Weight loss plan

Whereas it is extra frequent for folks to wrestle with consuming sufficient on a GLP-1, not everybody on the medicine finally ends up lowering their total caloric consumption the important thing to profitable weight reduction.

“Sure dietary habits can result in increased caloric consumption and less-balanced vitamin,” says Dr. Flanagan. “These embody issues like grazing (snacking all day however not consuming any true meals) and alternating between skipping meals and consuming bigger, unhealthy meals.”

The standard of the meals you eat issues, too. An optimized consuming plan that emphasizes lean proteins, complete grains, vegatables and fruits, and wholesome fat will help you keep happy (so that you’re much less liable to grazing) and protect extra of that all-important lean muscle mass.

If you happen to’re struggling to seek out meals that give you the results you want, your physician can refer you to a registered dietitian-nutritionist who will help you discover an consuming plan that is each doable and scrumptious.

3. You’re Not Taking It as Prescribed

As with all different medicine, GLP-1s work greatest if you observe your physician’s dosing directions rigorously, says Siegal. So if you happen to’re discovering it troublesome to stay to your prescribed plan, maybe due to the often-cited disagreeable unintended effects of Ozempic, chances are you’ll not lose as a lot weight as anticipated. It’s possible you’ll even find yourself regaining among the weight you already misplaced.

It is okay to decrease your dose or cease taking your GLP-1 altogether, but it surely’s vital to take action with the steerage of your healthcare supplier. If there are components which can be making it troublesome so that you can take your medicine as prescribed, they can provide help to troubleshoot and discover a routine that works higher for you.

4. Your Different Medicines Are Interfering

Sure drugs could make it harder to drop extra pounds no matter whether or not you are taking a GLP-1. Widespread culprits can embody antipsychotic drugs, beta-blockers, sure antidepressants, oral steroids, some anti-seizure medicine, and a few diabetes drugs similar to insulin and sulfonylureas.

These drugs ship vital advantages, so that you should not simply cease taking them for the sake of weight reduction, says Flanagan. As a substitute, discuss along with your physician about your medicine plan as a complete. Collectively, you may work out methods to enhance your weight reduction plan whereas preserving another well being situations underneath management.

5. You Want a Greater Dose

It’s possible you’ll want a better dose of a GLP-1 (or another medicine, for that matter) as a way to obtain the outcomes you’re in search of, even if you happen to’ve made the beneficial way of life adjustments. “Some folks have a really vital response on the lowest dose of medicine,” says Siegal. “Others want a better dose to realize a weight lack of 5 % (of their physique weight) or extra.”

It is price giving your physique a bit of little bit of time if you happen to’re not seeing the quantity on the size pattern downward. However if you happen to’ve plateaued after a month or two at your present dose, discuss along with your physician, says Siegal. So long as you are assembly your dietary wants and your unintended effects are manageable, chances are you’ll resolve collectively to extend your dosage.

If you happen to’re utilizing a compounded GLP-1 drug, it’s price noting that these off-brand drugs are usually not inspected by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) and in some instances could also be much less efficient than their brand-name equivalents, and even fraudulent.

The danger of ineffective medicine could also be even increased for compounded types of GLP-1 medicine with non-FDA-approved supply strategies, similar to sublingual tablets and tinctures.

6. Stress or Unhealthy Sleep Is Sabotaging Your Weight Loss

No matter whether or not you are taking a GLP-1, power stress and a scarcity of high quality sleep aren’t useful for wholesome weight administration. “That is one thing I discuss rather a lot about with my sufferers,” says Flanagan.

Each stress and sleep deprivation sign the discharge of hunger-promoting hormones like cortisol, which may encourage your physique to retailer fats, says Siegal. You are additionally extra prone to make unhealthy dietary decisions if you’re zapped.

To raised assist the work of your GLP-1, intention to get the beneficial 7 to 9 hours of sleep per evening.

And if you happen to’re scuffling with stress, discover stress administration methods to discover a handful which will provide help to loosen up on troublesome days.

The Takeaway

Whereas GLP-1s usually include the expectation of great weight reduction, various components can affect how your physique responds to those drugs.
It’s vital to mix your GLP-1 with dietary and way of life interventions similar to common train, a balanced food plan, and high quality sleep to realize desired outcomes.
If you happen to’re not seeing the outcomes you need, attain out to your healthcare supplier, who will help troubleshoot your present medicine dose, join you with a registered dietitian-nutritionist, and discover different components which may be hindering your weight reduction success.