How does semaglutide work for weight loss?

Semaglutide belongs to a group of medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists. GLP-1 is a hormone your gut releases after you eat. It tells your pancreas to release insulin, slows how quickly your stomach empties, and signals to your brain that you have had enough. Semaglutide imitates that hormone and keeps the signal going far longer than your own GLP-1 does.

The practical effect is that you feel full sooner, stay full longer, and think about food less. Most patients describe the change as the constant background noise about food going quiet.

What results are realistic

In clinical trials, adults taking semaglutide alongside lifestyle change lost an average of around 15 percent of their body weight over 68 weeks. Individual results vary widely. Some people lose more, some much less, and results depend heavily on dose tolerance, sleep, protein intake and activity.

Weight loss is not linear. Expect a fast start, a plateau somewhere in the middle, and a slower second phase.

Side effects to expect

Most side effects are digestive and improve as your body adjusts:

• •Nausea, particularly in the first days after a dose increase
• •Constipation or diarrhoea
• •Reflux and burping
• •Fatigue during the first few weeks

Who should not take it

Semaglutide is not appropriate if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN2, if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, or if you have had pancreatitis. We review all of this before prescribing.

How we prescribe it

At Wade's Care First, weight loss visits start with labs and a full history. If a GLP-1 is appropriate, we check your insurance coverage, submit a prior authorization when your plan requires one, and start at a low dose with monthly follow-ups to manage side effects. Medication alone is not the plan; it is one part of it.