Wegovy before and after - weight loss results

To get the most out of your weight loss journey, it helps to think about what to expect from treatment and how long it takes to achieve results. While on Wegovy, you should see consistent weight loss throughout your treatment and expect to lose on average 21% of their starting weight over 72 weeks at the 7.2mg maintenance dose. These results were seen when also following a reduced-calorie, healthy diet plan and exercising regularly.

But what should you expect in the first month of taking Wegovy, and how will it affect your life before and after starting treatment? Here, we look at Wegovy, how it works and how it will affect your weight and body after your first month and beyond.

Wegovy works for weight loss by controlling your appetite and helping you regulate how much you eat. It does this because it is a type of medication called a GLP-1 receptor agonist. GLP-1 is a hormone produced naturally by your body that signals to your brain that your body is full and doesn’t need to eat any more food. This hormone also affects how quickly your stomach empties (which makes you feel fuller for longer) and changes how much insulin you produce (affecting weight and appetite and is beneficial for the management of blood sugar in people with diabetes).

By mimicking this hormone, Wegovy essentially tricks your brain into thinking it’s full and changes how quickly you empty your stomach, so you feel fuller from less food for longer. This, combined with a healthy diet plan and exercise regimen, leads you to lose significantly more weight than you would with diet and exercise alone – studies show people taking 7.2mg of Wegovy for over 72 weeks can lose on average 21% of their starting weight.

Wegovy is a weekly injection used to support weight loss, alongside a healthy diet and regular activity. You start on a low dose and gradually increase it over time. Each pen is single-use and pre-filled with a hidden needle. You get one pack per month, which contains 4 pens.

Take your dose on the same day each week. Store your pens in the fridge and keep them in the original box. Always check the liquid is clear and colourless before using it. Some people feel sick or get a headache at the start. These side effects often improve with time. Try eating slowly and choosing bland meals if you feel unwell.

Wegovy is not suitable for everyone. Tell your prescriber if you have any thyroid problems, digestive conditions, or mental health concerns. You should also mention if you are pregnant, planning to get pregnant, or breastfeeding.

Always read the instructions that come with your pen before starting. If you have any questions, speak to your doctor.

Studies have shown that, on average, people lose 2% or more of their starting weight in their first month of Wegovy. But it’s important to remember that everyone’s weight loss is different, and we call it a weight loss journey because it takes time. There are also other factors that will affect your weight loss in the first month, such as your diet, exercise regime, starting weight, and how well you tolerate treatment.

You may find that if you’ve been eating more calories than your daily recommended amount, it might take a little longer than a few weeks to reduce your calories. In addition to this, because the starting dose of Wegovy is low, it may take a little bit of time for your body to adjust to it before it can begin to reduce your appetite enough to reach your 600-calorie deficit goal.

Here, we’ll discuss what you can expect in your first month of Wegovy, but remember that everyone’s experience is different. If you’re worried about your treatment or how your first month is going, you can always ask us for advice – we’re here to support you. We’ll also supply you with a weight loss support pack for advice on nutrition, exercise and everything else you need to do for effective results during your Wegovy treatment.

Week 1: Your first dose and how your body responds

You'll start on the lowest dose of 0.25mg once a week. Your dose will be increased slowly every 4 weeks, or longer if you’re finding side effects more difficult to manage. This gives your body time to adjust to the treatment and can reduce your risk of side effects.

In this first week, you should start to notice some initial changes in your appetite – it may be very subtle or you may notice a big reduction in appetite, depending on how your body reacts to the medication. You should also notice that you're starting to feel fuller from your food. This is the perfect time to start reducing your food intake and thinking about adding more exercise to your routine.

Week 2: More appetite changes

With another dose, you should start to see a further reduction in your appetite, so you'll generally feel less hungry. You'll also realise you're staying fuller from your meals for longer. This is a sign that your body is responding to the treatment. You may notice some minor weight loss on the scales due to changing your diet and exercise habits, but do not worry if this hasn’t happened yet.

Week 3: Monitoring for side effects

By week 3, you might be noticing some Wegovy side effects and changes to your appetite. Side effects can happen anytime while taking Wegovy, but they're most common in the first month and whenever you change doses. If you are getting side effects, do not panic. These tend to be mild and will usually go away on their own, so stick with it if you can.

You can manage your side effects at home, for example, by eating small, plain meals if you feel nauseous and drinking lots of water if you’re having diarrhoea or vomiting. You can also take over-the-counter remedies.

The third week is also when you'll be ordering your next batch of treatment if you have not already, so you can increase the dose at week 5. If you're tolerating the medication well, you should be fine to have the next dose (0.5mg). Even if you feel ready to increase your dose, you must wait until 4 weeks have passed or you could be at risk of more serious side effects.

Week 4: Check your progress

At this stage, you'll have reached the end of your first month on Wegovy, and it's time to check your progress, weigh in and prepare for month 2. If you've lost weight, think of it as a bonus. While people usually lose weight in the first month, it's not uncommon to not lose much or any while your body is adapting to the medication and getting used to your new routine.

By now, you'll also see how the medication affects you and whether you have any side effects so you can better prepare to manage them as part of your treatment plan. Next week, you can increase your dose to 0.5mg if you’re ready.

While we can tell you what to expect, it also helps to hear it from other successful patients going through the same experiences. We’re helping over 180,000 people lose weight with our treatments – you’re never alone on this journey.

There are lots of things that can affect Wegovy results, but this doesn’t mean you won’t be able to lose weight. It might just take longer, but you should stick with your lifestyle changes and the medication for at least 6 months if you can.

Age

Age can affect weight loss as it can be harder to lose weight as you get older. This can happen because your metabolism slows down (it’s harder to burn calories) and your hormones change. For example, weight gain is a common symptom of menopause, and men who experience reduced testosterone have trouble burning calories.

Diet

Diet plays a huge part in achieving weight loss results on Wegovy. If you’re not sticking to a healthy diet plan or you’re eating more calories than you’re burning, you will lose less weight or even gain weight on Wegovy. Remember, Wegovy can’t burn calories for you, it’ll only make it easier to eat less and snack less.

Exercise

How active you are will also affect how quickly you lose weight. You burn more calories if you’re more active, leading to more weight loss. If you’re not very active, you’ll burn fewer calories, slowing your weight loss progress. Exercise can also make your body fitter and healthier, increasing your metabolism so you lose weight more easily. Strength training is a great way to keep burning calories

Sticking to your medication

Missing doses or forgetting to take your medication can affect your weight loss results. Missing too many doses can also result in starting your treatment from the beginning again, affecting your results. To get the most out of Wegovy, it is important to stay on top of your doses and keep your treatment regular (each week, at the same time). This keeps the levels of semaglutide steady in your body and can lead to more effective and consistent results.

Underlying health conditions

While not as common, an underlying health condition could be making it harder to lose weight or cause weight gain. If you notice new symptoms or have an existing health condition and find you’re not losing weight on Wegovy, it’s important to mention this to your doctor. This could be due to a health condition or a certain medication you’re taking, and it may mean you need to wait a little longer to see results.

To get the best results from Wegovy, you need to combine your weekly injection with simple lifestyle changes. It is not a quick fix, but with patience and consistency, you can begin to see steady progress. Here are some of the things you can do to make Wegovy more effective:

Stick to your weekly dose

Try to inject Wegovy on the same day each week. Missing doses may affect how well it works and could slow results. Setting a reminder on your phone may help.

Build healthy habits

Wegovy works best when combined with a lower-calorie healthy diet and regular activity. Focus on small changes you can maintain. Walking more, eating home-cooked meals, and cutting back on snacks are all good places to begin.

Drink plenty of water

Nausea is a common Wegovy side effect, especially at the beginning. Staying hydrated can ease this and support weight loss. It can also prevent constipation and dehydration if you get diarrhoea.

Give it time

Weight loss with Wegovy is gradual. You will usually have a review after six months to check your progress. If you have lost at least 5% of your starting weight, your doctor may recommend that you continue with Wegovy.

Wegovy side effects are common, especially in your first few months of taking the medication, so you’ll likely experience some during your first month. Most side effects are mild and go away as your body gets used to the treatment, so you should stick to your medication schedule if it’s manageable.

The most common side effects during your first month of treatment are usually:

• abdominal pain
• constipation
• feeling sick (nausea)
• dizziness
• headaches
• heartburn
• fatigue
• bloating
• gas

If you find you’re getting certain side effects, you can manage them at home with changes to your lifestyle, including your diet, and by taking over-the-counter medications.

Headaches

Drink more water and try to make sure you’re always hydrated. You can also take over-the-counter treatments like paracetamol to help relieve these headaches.

Nausea

Check you’re eating enough. Nausea can sometimes be caused by not eating enough food, which can happen as your appetite changes. You may also get nausea as a side effect of indigestion/heartburn, so medicine containing bismuth subsalicylate might help.

Heartburn and gas

This common side effect can be effectively managed with over-the-counter antacids like Gaviscon. To avoid these side effects as much as possible, you should also try to reduce the amount of acidic, greasy, spicy and fried foods you eat.

Most weight loss medications have slightly different results over the first month, but it’s common not to see too much weight loss. This is because most weight loss treatments are designed to be taken over a long period for gradual, sustainable weight loss.

Mounjaro

Mounjaro is a similar medication to Wegovy that is also injected once a week and works in the same way to reduce appetite and make it easier to eat less. Studies have shown that patients on Mounjaro can lose up to 4% of their starting weight within their first month of treatment. This is the most weight loss shown in the first month compared to other weight loss treatments.

Liraglutide

Nevolat or liraglutide is a daily injection that was previously available under the brand name Saxenda. Nevolat works similarly to Wegovy and Mounjaro, however, results seem to be lower than the weekly weight loss injections. Clinical trials have shown that people, on average, lose 2 to 3% of their body weight in the first 4 weeks of taking liraglutide.

Orlistat

Orlistat tablets change how your body absorbs fat, removing more of it as stool waste. While taking orlistat, it’s unlikely to lose much weight in your first month and there isn’t much data on this, but 37% of people lose up to 5% of their body weight within 3 months. These results are the same for Xenical, a branded version of orlistat at the same dose.

alli, the over-the-counter version of orlistat at a lower dose of 60mg may provide lower results as it only contains half as much active ingredient as orlistat and Xenical tablets. alli is effective if you want to lose weight and can’t take other weight loss medications that are of a higher dosage.

Mysimba

Mysimba tablets affect the parts of your brain that control appetite, helping you lose weight. After 16 weeks on Mysimba, 50.8% of trial participants had lost at least 5% of their starting weight, with the average weight loss being 8.1% after 56 weeks of treatment.

After your first month on Wegovy, you’ll increase your dose and continue doing so until you reach a maintenance dose. During this time, you should notice more significant weight loss results and changes in your body. Following the standard Wegovy dosage schedule and increasing your dose every 4 weeks up to the 7.2mg maximum maintenance dose, studies show you can lose:

Take a look at this graph that visualises this overview:

Source: Wegovy, emc

However, remember, everyone sees different results with Wegovy. These weight loss figures are only estimates.

Some people lose more, while others lose less. What matters most is that you are making steady, safe progress at a pace that suits you. Wegovy is designed for long-term use, and studies suggest it is generally safe when taken over extended periods.

Alongside weight loss, many people notice other improvements in their everyday lives. These can include feeling more energetic, moving more easily, sleeping better, and gaining confidence. Clothes may start to fit more comfortably, and daily tasks can feel less of a struggle. These changes are just as meaningful as the number on the scales and show that your health is moving in the right direction.

Wegovy appears to be safe for long-term use, with recent studies showing sustained weight loss and a low risk of serious side effects. In a 4-year trial, adults taking semaglutide lost over 10% of their body weight on average, compared to just 1.5% in the placebo group.

Serious adverse events were actually less common among those taking the medicine, and benefits were seen across all age groups, genders, and BMI categories.

You might. In a study that followed people after they stopped Wegovy, most regained much of the weight they had lost. On average, participants lost on average 21% of their starting weight over 72 weeks during treatment. But a year after stopping, they had regained about two-thirds of that weight.

This suggests that long-term weight loss with Wegovy may require ongoing treatment, alongside healthy habits. Obesity is a chronic condition, and stopping treatment could cause your appetite and weight to return to what they were before. If you are thinking about stopping Wegovy, speak to your doctor.

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