what are weight loss injections?
There are two injections currently FDA-approved for weight loss:
These same medications were initially FDA-approved for the control of blood sugar in diabetics, but under different brand names:
- Semaglutide (Wegovy)
- Tirzepatide (Zepbound)
These same medications were initially FDA-approved for the control of blood sugar in diabetics, but under different brand names:
- Ozempic = Wegovy
- Mounjaro = Zepbound
how do they work?
They help with weight loss by slowing down gastric emptying. This creates a feeling of fullness and reduces appetite.
These medications are injected on a weekly basis and the dose is increased as needed every few weeks until a maintenance dose is reached.
These medications can be used as either short-term or long-term aids to weight loss.
These medications are injected on a weekly basis and the dose is increased as needed every few weeks until a maintenance dose is reached.
These medications can be used as either short-term or long-term aids to weight loss.
how much weight will i lose?
Weight loss varies from person to person, but typical patients lose 10 to 15 percent of their body fat by the third month in conjunction with dieting and exercising. As an example, two of our staff members lost 20 and 25 pounds in six weeks, respectively, and another two staff members lost 30 pounds each in 12 weeks. The most dramatic result we've seen so far is a 66-pound weight loss in 4 months.
are weight loss injections right for me?
These medications are for people committed to long-term changes in their eating habits. If you go back to the same eating habits that caused you to gain weight initially, you will regain all of the weight that you lost and achieve no results.
can anyone take these injections?
There are specific medical considerations which need to be addressed before weight loss injections can be recommended.
These medications should be avoided if any of the following apply to you:
These medications should be avoided if any of the following apply to you:
- Taking diabetes medications
- Pregnant or plan to be pregnant in the next few months
- Breast feeding
- Gallbladder disease (doesn't apply if your gallbladder was removed)
- History of pancreatitis
- Personal history or family history of medullary thyroid cancer
- Personal history or family history of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN2)
do weight loss injections have any side effects?
Yes, but keep in mind that some people are more sensitive than others and that some of these side effects are brought on by overeating.
The following side effects have been reported by the manufacturers and they are more common at high dosages:
Semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) side effects
Tirzepatide (Zepbound/Mounjaro) side effects
The following side effects have been reported by the manufacturers and they are more common at high dosages:
Semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) side effects
- Nausea: 16% to 20% (vs. 6% on placebo)
- Diarrhea: 9% (vs. 2% on placebo)
- Vomiting: 5% to 9% (vs. 2% on placebo)
- Constipation: 3% to 5% (vs. 2% on placebo)
- Heartburn (dyspepsia): 3% to 4% (vs. 2% on placebo)
- Stomach (abdominal) pain: 6% to 7% (vs. 5% on placebo)
- Other reported side effects included: hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), injection site reactions, elevated amylase and lipase (pancreas enzymes), cholelithiasis (gallstones), increases in heart rate, and fatigue, dysgeusia (altered taste), allergic reactions and dizziness.
Tirzepatide (Zepbound/Mounjaro) side effects
- Nausea: 25% to 28% (vs. 8% placebo)
- Diarrhea: 19 to 23% (vs. 8% placebo)
- Belching / burping: 4 to 5% (vs. 1% placebo)
- Vomiting: 8 to 13% (vs. 2% placebo)
- Constipation: 11 to 17% (vs. 5% placebo)
- Stomach area pain: 9 to 10% (vs. 5% placebo)
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease: 4 to 5% (vs. 2% on placebo)
- Heartburn: 9 to 10% (vs. 4% placebo)
- Other reported side effects for Zepbound included injection site reactions, tiredness, allergic reactions and hair loss.
HABLAMOS ESPAÑOL
semaglutide dietary recommendations
Semaglutide is all about making weight loss smoother. It’s important to incorporate a healthy diet that is lower in calories than your regular diet, but not so low in calories that it's harmful. It's best to track your calories as accurately as possible for the first few weeks.
It is equally important to prevent muscle loss as you lose weight. This is accomplished by eating a sufficient amount of protein. So, you will also benefit from tracking your protein intake as accurately as possible for the first few weeks.
Tracking calories and protein intake is simple with any of the free calorie counting apps available online such as MyFitnessPal.
You also need to incorporate new eating habits to keep the weight off in the long term.
It is equally important to prevent muscle loss as you lose weight. This is accomplished by eating a sufficient amount of protein. So, you will also benefit from tracking your protein intake as accurately as possible for the first few weeks.
Tracking calories and protein intake is simple with any of the free calorie counting apps available online such as MyFitnessPal.
You also need to incorporate new eating habits to keep the weight off in the long term.
how many calories should you eat daily?
Your calorie needs depend on your target body weight (TBW), your current body mass index (BMI), and your activity level. The higher your BMI, the higher the calorie deficit that you can start with.
For example, if your BMI is over 35, you can start with a 25 to 30 percent calorie deficit without driving your body into starvation mode or losing significant muscle mass.
If your BMI is under 35, you would achieve better results by starting with a 15 to 20 percent calorie deficit.
Refer to the chart below and pick a realistic target body weight (TBW) for a rough estimate of daily calorie needs at various calorie deficits:
For example, if your BMI is over 35, you can start with a 25 to 30 percent calorie deficit without driving your body into starvation mode or losing significant muscle mass.
If your BMI is under 35, you would achieve better results by starting with a 15 to 20 percent calorie deficit.
Refer to the chart below and pick a realistic target body weight (TBW) for a rough estimate of daily calorie needs at various calorie deficits:
NOTE: Consult with your physician before setting a calorie target.
HOW MUCH PROTEIN SHOULD YOU EAT DAILY?
Nutrition experts recommend eating 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of target body weight to minimize the loss of muscle mass while dieting. This is more than the recommended daily allowance when not dieting.
what foods should you eat?
The best foods to eat are nutritious whole foods because they will maximize the weight loss effect while limiting the digestive side effects. Examples of whole foods are fruits (berries, kiwi, bananas, oranges, peaches, etc), vegetables (leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, carrots), lean proteins (skinless chicken breast, fish, eggs, lean cuts of turkey or beef), and whole grains (whole-grain bread, quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, whole-grain pasta).
Include a protein-rich ingredient at each main meal, choosing from fish, beans, tofu, eggs, poultry, lean meat, or reduced-fat dairy. If you have a poor appetite and struggle to eat, try making high-protein smoothies or blended vegetable and bean soups to ensure you’re getting enough essential nutrients.
Include a protein-rich ingredient at each main meal, choosing from fish, beans, tofu, eggs, poultry, lean meat, or reduced-fat dairy. If you have a poor appetite and struggle to eat, try making high-protein smoothies or blended vegetable and bean soups to ensure you’re getting enough essential nutrients.
how often should you eat?
There is no set eating pattern that works for everyone. Some people do well at one meal a day. However, most people on semaglutide experience discomfort if they eat large meals. Others do better with multiple small meals throughout the day. Many do better with intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting simply means that you eat all your meals for the day within 8 hours most commonly and eat nothing else except for water and coffee for the remaining 16 hours. You can experiment with intervals other than 16/8 such as 14/10 or 12/12 if it suits your schedule better.
what foods should you avoid?
If you are serious about your weight loss you should avoid all of the following foods during the diet and limit or avoid them after the diet:
- Sugary foods and beverages such as candy, pastries, desserts, ice cream, soda, and fruit juices
- Cooking with oil or butter should be minimized as much as possible. Try grilling, baking, air frying, saute in water, or boiling instead.
- Artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, saccharin, aspartame, erythritol, sorbitol
- Processed foods (packaged or prepared foods) such as potato chips, nachos, cookies, peanut butter
- Fatty foods (fried foods and fatty cuts of meat like sausage, bacon, ribeye) can cause discomfort when sitting in the stomach longer and they also have a high calorie content
- Foods high in sodium such as fast food, deli meats, soups, pickles, packaged snack foods
- Alcohol lowers blood sugar, so when used with semaglutide which also lowers blood sugar, this could lead to hypoglycemia. Alcohol also increases the risk of pancreatitis, which is already a potential, but uncommon side effect of semaglutide
try dr. pelosi's quick start diet plan
The quickest and easiest way to make an eating plan for your semaglutide diet is to use ChatGPT.
All you need is a kitchen scale to weigh your portions and chatGPT will create your menu and the recipes instantly.
Step 1: log into chatGPT.com or sign up for a free account.
Step 2: have your numbers ready: your daily calories target, your daily protein target, and how many meals you want to eat each day.
Step 3: copy and paste the sentence below into chatGPT and add your numbers:
Create a menu for the day for a total of ___ meals totaling _____ calories and ____ grams of protein using simple recipes no more than 3 ingredients per dish.
This is just one example of what you can do. Feel free to modify the number of ingredients, specify certain ingredients to include or to avoid, state that you are vegan, want gluten-free, etc. If you don't like the results that are given, you can just ask for more choices with any modifications you desire.
All you need is a kitchen scale to weigh your portions and chatGPT will create your menu and the recipes instantly.
Step 1: log into chatGPT.com or sign up for a free account.
Step 2: have your numbers ready: your daily calories target, your daily protein target, and how many meals you want to eat each day.
Step 3: copy and paste the sentence below into chatGPT and add your numbers:
Create a menu for the day for a total of ___ meals totaling _____ calories and ____ grams of protein using simple recipes no more than 3 ingredients per dish.
This is just one example of what you can do. Feel free to modify the number of ingredients, specify certain ingredients to include or to avoid, state that you are vegan, want gluten-free, etc. If you don't like the results that are given, you can just ask for more choices with any modifications you desire.