Ozempic® (semaglutide) is an injectable prescription medication originally approved for treating type 2 diabetes. However, it was quickly discovered that Ozempic also promotes weight loss as a beneficial side effect. Ozempic helps regulate appetite and food intake, leading many people to lose a significant amount of weight while on the medication.
As a result, specialized Ozempic weight loss clinics have begun emerging around the country to help patients who don't have diabetes access Ozempic solely for its weight loss benefits. These clinics provide consultations, prescription medications, follow-up monitoring, nutrition guidance, and more - all geared towards safe and effective weight loss utilizing Ozempic.
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It mimics the effects of GLP-1, a hormone released from the gut after eating that triggers feelings of fullness.
Specifically, semaglutide:
Together, these mechanisms help patients feel more satisfied with smaller food portions, reduce cravings and hunger, and moderate blood sugar spikes - all supporting easier weight loss.
Most patients lose 10-15% of their body weight over 6 months on a semaglutide regimen like Ozempic. Some research has found semaglutide more than doubles excess weight loss compared to placebo.
Successfully losing weight, keeping weight off long-term, and maintaining results lead to incredible health and wellness payoffs like:
The Rejuvenate Clinic Weight Loss Clinic provides cutting-edge medical treatments for weight loss, including prescription medications like Ozempic.
With clinics located throughout the Midwest, our experienced doctors and nurses tailor Ozempic regimens specifically to each patient's needs and preferences. We partner with you on your weight loss journey, monitoring progress, providing support services, and adjusting medications as needed.
Rejuvenate Clinic brings top expertise in medical weight loss, including specialized training in obesity medicine. Our practitioners stay up-to-date on the latest research and best practices.
We also take an integrative approach to weight loss. In addition to targeted prescription medications, our programs incorporate:
This allows us to help patients lose significant weight with Ozempic while establishing healthy lifelong habits.
Ozempic is appropriate for patients who meet the following criteria:
Talk to your healthcare provider about whether Ozempic is suitable for your individual health status and weight loss goals.
While originally approved for type 2 diabetes, Ozempic is now widely used successfully for non-diabetic patients solely seeking to lose weight. However, it is still a powerful medication that requires proper administration under medical supervision. Using Ozempic without oversight risks side effects and will reduce effectiveness.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Typically leads to loss of 10-15% of body weight | Must be injected - some patients dislike needles |
| Appetite and cravings are noticeably reduced | May cause temporary GI side effects early on - nausea, vomiting, diarrhea |
| Helps correct underlying metabolic dysfunctions sabotaging weight loss | Requires consistent access to refrigeration |
| Shown to be more effective than other weight loss meds | Not meant for long-term use due to unknowns about durability & safety |
| Positive reinforcing effects - early quick weight loss stays motivating | Requires close provider follow-up and lab testing for side effects |
Overall, however, Ozempic's significant benefits and advantages have made it an extremely useful tool in helping those who are overweight or obese to finally lose excess fat.
The basic protocol for using semaglutide (Ozempic) for medically supervised weight loss is as follows:
The timeline varies, but most patients stay on Ozempic approximately 6 months to 1 year, provided they continue losing weight meeting goals without problematic side effects emerging.
Some stay on it longer-term for weight loss maintenance if effective and well-tolerated. Like any medical treatment, the length and dosage must be tailored individually based on risk/benefit.
One key reason treatment is always supervised by healthcare providers is because Ozempic starts at a low 0.25 or 0.5 mg dose to minimize side effects, and then the dosage increases gradually over a 5-week ramp-up phase:
This titration schedule minimizes side effects so most patients adjust well to Ozempic even if some GI symptoms manifest initially. It also reflects that Ozempic builds up in the body over time, becoming progressively more effective as maintenance doses are reached.
Once at 1 mg weekly, providers reassess if this is the optimal dose based on clinical response or if dosage adjustments up or down are warranted.
Patients require consistent follow-up and oversight while using Ozempic for weight loss to ensure it continues meeting treatment goals and remains safe. This includes:
Lab Testing:
Clinical Monitoring:
Lifestyle Habits Evaluation:
Based on this ongoing comprehensive monitoring, Ozempic treatment regimens can be maintained, adjusted, paused, discontinued, or supplemented with other interventions as clinically indicated over time.
The most successful medically assisted weight loss integrates meaningful nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness habit changes.
We coach our patients towards realistic healthy lifestyle modifications to support weight loss, including:
With medically supervised weight loss, the impact of targeted prescription medications like Ozempic is further amplified by healthy complementary lifestyle interventions. This is why our clinic takes an integrative approach addressing all weight loss factors for each patient.
There are complex metabolic and hormonal drivers of obesity beyond behavior alone. Sometimes correcting an underlying dysfunction can help jump-start weight loss progress.
For example, hormone imbalances like untreated hypothyroidism, low testosterone, or high cortisol can all contribute to stubborn excess weight regardless of healthy lifestyle efforts.
At Rejuvenate Clinic, we specialize in precision hormone testing and evidence-based medical correction of hormonal imbalances sabotaging wellness.
Therefore, if appropriate, we integrate customized hormonal therapies - including thyroid medications, testosterone therapy, or supplements targeting high cortisol - alongside regimens like Ozempic to optimize outcomes.
This reflects our commitment to uncovering the root physiological factors influencing wellness and utilizing multiple targeted treatments synergistically when suitable for individual patients.
Most patients lose 10-15% of their body weight over 6 months on Ozempic. Some lose even 20% or more of excess weight depending on dosage, adherence to lifestyle changes, underlying health status, and other factors influencing response.
Yes, many do experience stalling weight loss at points, especially by 6 months or so. Dosage can often be adjusted to overcome plateaus, or strategic "holiday breaks" from Ozempic cycling on and off can help reestablish weight loss. Sometimes adding a complementary medication alongside Ozempic for enhanced effects, like using both a GLP-1 drug along with Phentermine, also restarts waning weight loss. Our providers help troubleshoot plateaus on an individualized basis.
Unknown right now. Ozempic has only been widely used for weight loss for a few years. Research to date shows excellent safety and efficacy up to about 12 months. It's reasonable for many to stay on Ozempic up to 1 year. However, there are open questions about using it continually for numerous successive years or decades. Providers must balance proven benefits against undetermined long-term effects. Regarding stopping Ozempic, weight regain is quite common although not inevitable. To keep weight off, patients must stick closely to the healthy lifestyle habits established while on Ozempic. Sometimes adding maintenance medications helps sustain weight loss too.
The most common side effects are gastrointestinal in nature - nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite early in treatment. Starting with low doses and slowly increasing mitigates these in most people. Staying well hydrated and modifying diet can alleviate symptoms too. Rarer but potentially more hazardous immune and allergic side effects have occurred in a very small percentage of patients - like thyroid dysfunction, kidney injury, or pancreatitis flares. This is why following lab testing protocols and reporting any unusual symptoms quickly to providers is essential. The risks of complications are very low with attentive monitoring and oversight.
In summary, the data clearly shows Ozempic can deliver transformative weight loss results when combined with healthy lifestyle changes. Diet and exercise alone rarely lead to successful obesity reversal for most people long-term without adjunctive tools.
However, all medical treatments carry some risks requiring responsible administration. This is why accessing prescription medications like Ozempic through specialized medical weight loss clinics staffed by expert providers optimizes safe, lifestyle-integrated, and sustained outcomes.
Rejuvenate Clinic Weight Loss Clinic has top obesity medicine expertise, equippatient mentoring programs, and leading outcome metrics - allowing us to help those carrying excess weight finally shed it through medically assisted and supervised protocols incorporating Ozempic.
Schedule a consultation today to learn how our individualized Ozempic regimens can help you reclaim health by reaching your weight loss goals.
