How to Lose Weight with Ozempic or Wegovy without Risks and Unnecessary Mistakes

A few years ago, they were only discussed in obesity and diabetes clinics. Today, they have become a phenomenon that has taken over social media. Ozempic and Wegovy, weight loss injections that promise rapid weight loss, have become symbols of a new era of shedding pounds. On TikTok, videos of dramatic transformations are increasing, people are sharing their experiences, and it seems that, finally, there’s a weight loss “pill” that really works. But is it really that simple?

The truth is that while these drugs can significantly help, they are not a miraculous solution. If used without professional supervision and without lifestyle changes, they can bring more problems than benefits. Today, we’ll look at who they are suitable for, how to lose weight healthily with their help, and what risks are associated with their use.

What are Weight Loss Medications, and which Ones Do We Know?

As the name suggests, these are medications aimed at helping you reduce weight. Since we’re talking about medications, these are not empty promises, as their effect is clearly proven by clinical studies. They really do work, which is confirmed by obesity clinics where doctors routinely prescribe them to their patients. That’s why they are professionally called anti-obesity drugs.

Like other medications, weight loss drugs are not magical pills that will conjure up your dream figure and endless satisfaction. They must be used sensibly, according to rules, and with caution regarding various risks. Moreover, they are not available over the counter and must be prescribed by a doctor. Now, let’s look at what types of weight loss medications actually exist.

There are Several Types of Weight Loss Medications with Different Mechanisms of Action

If you thought all weight loss medications work on the same principle, we might surprise you. In reality, there are several groups, and each of them focuses on different areas in your body.

• Xenical (active ingredient orlistat) reduces fat absorption from food.
• Mysimba (active ingredient naltrexone-bupropion) reduces appetite by acting on brain centres that control hunger. ^[15]
• Saxenda (active ingredient liraglutide) reduces hunger and promotes satiety. It does this by mimicking the effect of the incretin glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is a hormone naturally secreted in the digestive system. The active ingredient liraglutide belongs to the so-called incretin mimetics or GLP-1 agonists. ^[19]
• Ozempic and Wegovy (active ingredient semaglutide) also belong to GLP-1 agonists, which significantly suppress appetite. Ozempic is primarily intended for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. ^[16]
• Mounjaro (active ingredient tirzepatide) mimics the effect of two hormones – GLP-1 and GIP. Therefore, it may have an even stronger effect. It is also primarily intended for diabetics. ^[14]

Today, there’s a lot of talk, especially about the last three types of drugs, those that function as incretins and are administered by injection (Saxenda, Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro).

If you want to have an overview of how they work or what side effects they may have, read our article Ozempic, Wegovy and Other Weight Loss Medications: How Do They Work and Who Are They Suitable for?

Who are Weight Loss Medications Suitable for?

These medications are not intended for everyone who wants to lose a few pounds. Their use has clearly established rules, and they are meant to help primarily people for whom obesity or overweight is a significant health risk.

• people with obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m²)
• people who are overweight (BMI > 27 kg/m²) who also have weight-related health problems (e.g., type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol) ^[11]

Obesity is indeed a diagnosis accompanied by various metabolic problems. Just as you wouldn’t take blood pressure medication when your blood pressure is normal, it’s not appropriate to start Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss when you have a few extra pounds and being overweight is primarily an aesthetic problem for you. Like any other medication, these also have side effects, and the worst thing you can do is to buy Ozempic under the counter and dose it according to self-proclaimed doctors on the internet. That’s almost a guaranteed recipe for disaster.

Why Does Weight Loss with Medications Require Special Attention?

There’s no doubt that Ozempic or Mysimba work. However, what many people are unclear about is how they actually work. Recently, there has been a flood of stories about magical weight loss, for example, with Ozempic. Because of these, we imagine these drugs as miracle pills that will allow us to feast on sweets from morning to night while losing weight effortlessly and without worries. However, it’s often forgotten that using these medications has more than one catch that needs to be considered.

• The medication must be accompanied by lifestyle changes, a balanced diet and a calorie deficit. Only then will weight loss be effective, healthy and sustainable in the long term.
• Without lifestyle adjustments, weight loss with Ozempic and other medications is risky for health (there’s a risk of nutritional deficiencies, muscle loss, and other problems).^[5]

For weight loss to really work and be sustainable, it’s important to set up a reasonable reduction regimen based on calorie deficit, a balanced diet, and exercise. Only then will the full potential of the medications show, leading to better or faster results and improved health.

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Proper Weight Loss with Weight Loss Medication Step by Step

1. Get advice

Weight loss medication doesn’t belong in self-management, so the first and most important step is consultation with a doctor. Only a specialist (obesity specialist, diabetologist) can assess whether pharmacological treatment is the right path and, at the same time, select the most suitable type of medication. The doctor will consider your overall health condition, check for possible contraindications, assess whether you are ready for treatment, and choose the dosage of Ozempic and other medications.

Paradoxically, obesity is often associated with a lack of important nutrients. Therefore, it’s crucial to check in advance whether you suffer from a deficiency of vitamins or minerals. If any are found, it’s appropriate to address them through diet or suitable supplementation, even before anti-obesity treatment begins. This serves as an important prevention against later complications.

Consult with a Nutritional Therapist

While the medications will help you reduce your feeling of hunger, they won’t set up your diet for you. Therefore, it’s ideal to also seek advice from a nutrition expert, preferably a nutritional therapist. They will help you adjust your diet individually and show you what specific lifestyle changes you need to make for your success to be long-term, and at the same time support your health.

Don’t Neglect Mental Health

Weight loss is also challenging for mental health. The success of treatment is significantly increased if you are mentally prepared and don’t have exaggerated, unrealistic expectations. Many people with obesity also struggle with depression or eating disorders, and therefore, it’s sometimes appropriate to consider psychological support right from the start.

2. Create the right meal plan

The medications will help you naturally reduce your appetite, which is great. However, if you don’t use this reduced appetite to introduce a quality diet, you’re losing a large part of the treatment’s potential. The meal plan is crucial in anti-obesity therapy for several reasons.

• Quality nutrition helps achieve and maintain a calorie deficit.
• It’s also essential for preserving muscle mass, which is at risk during rapid weight loss.
• Obesity is almost always associated with health problems. A properly set meal plan also brings positive metabolic changes, improves cardiovascular system condition and so on. In practice, this is reflected in cholesterol levels, glycaemia, or, for example, blood pressure.

1. Set your calorie deficit correctly

The medications themselves will help achieve a calorie deficit. By reducing appetite, suppressing hunger, and some even blocking the brain’s reward system and pleasure from food, it’s much easier to consume fewer calories. ^[6]

However, it’s necessary to keep in mind that even the best treatment doesn’t guarantee that the deficit will always be there. You still need to have a well-thought-out reduction diet plan to ensure that weight loss is really continuing. Even with weight loss medications, it’s possible to exceed daily calorie intake.

Beware of Extremely Low Intake

At the same time, it’s true that the right energy deficit doesn’t mean eating as little as possible. Strong appetite suppression can lead to eating too little, which is undesirable and dangerous for health. If the body has an extremely low calorie intake for a long time, there’s a risk of:

• lack of vitamins and minerals
• excessive muscle loss
• fatigue and weakness

The goal is to find a reasonable deficit and fill it with nutritious, nutrient-rich foods that support your health condition.

2. Ensure sufficient protein intake

During weight loss, sufficient intake of protein is one of the main priorities, and this is doubly true when taking anti-obesity medications. In the case of faster weight loss, there’s a risk that you’ll also lose some muscle mass. You should try to prevent this, and high protein intake acts as a weapon against muscle loss. ^[10]

What is the Appropriate Protein Intake?

• When losing weight with anti-obesity medications, a daily intake of 1.2 – 1.5 g of protein per kg of ideal body weight is recommended. This means the weight you would have at a BMI of 24, not your current overweight. ^[1,5]
• However, protein intake is individual, and some people may need more, even up to 2 g/kg. The need increases, for example, with greater physical exertion or due to certain diseases. ^[5]
• Excellent sources of protein include lean meat, fish, legumes, dairy products, eggs, and plant-based meat alternatives (tofu, seitan, tempeh and others). You can also excellently supplement protein with quality whey or plant-based proteins. ^[1]

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3. Maintain proper hydration

Adequate hydration is essential for every organism, but it becomes exceptionally important when treating with anti-obesity medications. One reason is that during GLP-1 agonist therapy, there is often a reduced sense of thirst. This means that although your body needs fluids, your brain may not alert you to this. Therefore, it’s necessary to maintain proper hydration even without feeling thirsty.

Moreover, if digestive issues such as diarrhoea or vomiting occur, thorough hydration is crucial to prevent dehydration. ^[1]

How much to Drink and which Fluids to Choose?

• It is recommended to consume 2 – 3 litres of fluids daily. You can also follow the typical recommendation of 30 – 45 ml of fluids/kg of optimal body weight. But remember that needs are individual. If you actively exercise, have more muscle mass, or the weather is hot, this requirement may be even higher. ^[1]
• Pure water is the best choice when it comes to fluid selection. Unsweetened teas or mineral waters are also suitable. Avoid sweetened drinks and alcohol.
• Caffeinated beverages (coffee, cola drinks, and others) may be problematic for some people. Caffeine can stimulate digestive tract movements, while incretin mimetics work oppositely. This can be contradictory and cause digestive problems. However, it’s individual, and you need to observe how caffeine affects you personally.

3. Move and exercise

Remember that weight loss without exercise is not a good idea. Physical activity is necessary for weight reduction, especially when using weight loss medications. It has several important functions.

• It supports muscle mass maintenance.
• It alleviates constipation, which anti-obesity medications often cause.
• It facilitates achieving a caloric deficit.
• It improves mental health, which is challenged during weight loss.

Choose the Right Activity

The exercise you choose should be tailored to you. Ideally, it should help you maximise fat loss while protecting against muscle loss. ^[13]

• Therefore, regular strength training is important. Whether you exercise in the gym with heavy weights or at home with dumbbells and resistance bands, train at least 2 times, ideally 3 – 5 times a week. Exercise all muscle groups.
• Don’t forget about aerobic exercise (brisk walking, cycling, swimming, etc.), which supports fitness and cardiovascular health. ^[5]

Time Your Physical Activity Correctly

When treating with anti-obesity medications, when you exercise is equally important. The medications can cause feelings of fatigue or nausea in some people, which can complicate workouts. Therefore, carefully monitor your body’s reactions and plan your training for those parts of the day when you feel most energetic and at full strength.

Don’t forget about active recovery. Light walks, yoga, or stretching will help your body recover and also benefit your overall mental health.

4. Take care of your mental health and manage stress

Mental state and stress play a crucial role in weight loss. While anti-obesity medications help control appetite, they cannot solve psychological problems or chronic stress. On the contrary, they often make them worse. Therefore, it’s essential to take care of your mental well-being.

• Avoid drastic dieting. Even if medications suppress your hunger, excessive food restrictions are mentally taxing.
• Pay attention to sleep. Its lack and poor quality increase chronic stress levels.
• Weight loss is a lifestyle change, which is mentally demanding. Don’t hesitate to seek psychological support right from the start. It will help you set realistic goals and learn techniques to handle emotional challenges without turning to food.

By learning to effectively control stress and improve your mental health, you’ll increase your chances of treatment success and, most importantly, create sustainable habits that last beyond treatment.

5. Stay under professional supervision

It’s not enough to just get a prescription and then take care of yourself. Weight loss medications are typically intended for long-term use, which makes it essential to remain under constant professional supervision.

• The doctor (obesity specialist, diabetologist) should regularly monitor your overall health status. This includes laboratory tests and blood pressure checks. This helps detect not only potential medication side effects early but also health improvements due to weight loss. During long-term therapy, it’s also normal for the doctor to adjust dosage or consider changing the type of medication.
• A nutritional therapist can provide ongoing advice on diet adjustments. Changes are often needed due to weight loss progress, nutritional deficiencies, or digestive issues.

Which Supplements should You Take?

Don’t be afraid to use dietary supplements. Smaller daily food portions mean reduced intake of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fibre, and other important nutrients. The best thing you can do is get a blood test to determine which nutrients you’re lacking (this can test levels of minerals and vitamins). However, some supplements are worth taking preventively during weight loss.

What are the Risks of Taking Weight Loss Medications?

As we’ve mentioned, no effective treatment is completely risk-free, and anti-obesity medications are no exception. We’ll describe particularly the risks associated with GLP-1 agonists. However, you don’t need to fear them. If you anticipate possible problems, know how to respond to them, and seek advice early, you can successfully manage them in most cases. Let’s look at the most common risks.

1. Nutritional deficiencies

When you’re in a caloric deficit, you consume less food and therefore fewer vitamins and minerals. After some time of weight loss, your body’s stores of some nutrients can easily become lower than healthy. When taking weight loss medications, this risk is even higher. That’s why it’s important to eat a balanced diet full of nutrient-rich foods. Your diet should include whole grains, meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, legumes and other food groups to be as diverse as possible.

A quality diet should be supplemented with regular doctor check-ups and laboratory tests that can detect essential nutrient deficiencies. When deficiency occurs, it can be immediately addressed through diet adjustments or dietary supplements.

2. Loss of appetite

Ozempic, Saxenda, or Mounjaro, as we’ve mentioned, work by reducing hunger and appetite through brain signals. However, it commonly happens that they go full force and reduce appetite too much. You might think that’s even better? That you’ll lose weight more easily and faster? Unfortunately, that’s not true.

With such a restricted caloric intake, it would be the worst way to lose weight. Soon, you would experience nutritional deficiencies, significant muscle loss, and various health problems.

When you lose interest in food while taking weight loss medications, immediate action is necessary. Ideally, consult with a nutritional therapist. You can also try the following tricks.

How to Boost Appetite?

• season and flavour your food well
• be creative and look for new, interesting recipes – especially those rich in protein
• try liquid foods, e.g., meal replacements, protein drinks, gainers
• eat foods rich in complex carbohydrates and proteins (bars, liquid meal replacements, etc.)
• separate eating from drinking
• eat slowly and calmly
• boost appetite with exercise ^[3]

3. Digestive problems

Digestive issues are among the most common complications of weight loss medications, and this paradoxically applies even to those administered by injection. Medications that mimic the GLP-1 hormone slow down stomach emptying and thus bring more digestive problems.

Weight Loss Medications Can Cause

• nausea
• constipation
• diarrhoea
• vomiting
• gastroesophageal reflux ^[4]

To prevent them, regular meals and a diet rich in fibre are important. Adequate fluid intake is also essential. Conversely, it’s important to avoid too fatty foods, as they can cause problems. ^[4]

How to Deal with Digestive Issues?

Problem	Solution
Nausea	Eat slowly and in small portions. Avoid fatty and spicy foods. Drink enough fluids.
Constipation	Increase fluid and fiber intake. Exercise regularly.
Diarrhea	Increase fluid intake.
Vomiting	Eat slowly and in small portions. Limit spicy and fatty foods.
Reflux	Eat slowly and in small portions. Avoid foods that worsen your condition. Follow lifestyle measures such as longer breaks between dinner and sleep, separate food and fluid intake, etc.

^[3,4]

4. Muscle mass loss

With weight loss medications that effectively suppress hunger, weight loss can be too rapid. While rapid fat loss is desirable, it brings one serious risk – the threat of muscle mass loss. ^[7,12]

What to Do if You Experience Muscle Loss?

If you start experiencing significant muscle weakness or muscle loss despite prevention, you can take the following steps.

• Increase protein intake. Include more lean meat, fish, dairy products, and other protein-rich foods in your diet. Protein drinks can also help thanks to their high protein content.
• Add strength training. However, this must go hand in hand with adequate protein intake.
• Consult the medication dosage with your doctor. They will assess whether dosage adjustment is needed.

5. Changes in relationship with food and psychological issues

Weight loss medications bring a huge change into your life, and this can naturally affect your psychological experience of food and eating habits. Weight loss with anti-obesity medications requires increased attention to mental well-being, as you may encounter several unexpected scenarios.

• Significant dietary restrictions can gradually lead to feelings of guilt about food, as well as excessive control over what you put on your plate. There’s a risk that if you let this state progress further, it could develop into an eating disorder (ED).
• Diet often goes hand in hand with refusing social events and sometimes leads to isolation from friends, family, and acquaintances. This alone worsens mental state, so try to maintain social contacts as much as possible.
• Recently, GLP-1 agonists have been associated with a higher risk of depression and anxiety. By affecting dopamine receptors, they could not only block the good feeling from food but also reduce pleasure from other daily life joys. People often describe these states as a feeling of numbness. ^[8]

If you start noticing any long-term changes in mood and mental well-being, the best thing to do is to consult a professional. Mental health should not be neglected under any circumstances.

6. Weight regain after discontinuation

After discontinuing weight loss medications, weight regain may occur, known as the yo-yo effect. Therefore, it’s important to embrace lifestyle changes during weight loss. Only if a balanced diet, sufficient exercise, sleep, and stress management become natural to you, will you be able to maintain them more easily after treatment ends.

However, in many cases, medication use is planned for the long term, similar to other chronic conditions. Since an obesity diagnosis commonly involves various metabolic disorders, it’s normal that medications aren’t discontinued. You can compare it to treating blood pressure or diabetes. If medications were discontinued, weight regain could easily occur due to metabolic problems. Of course, even if your case falls into this category, don’t neglect the power of a healthy lifestyle. As we’ve said, it improves overall health and helps fight medication side effects. ^[17]

It’s up to your doctor to decide whether it’s appropriate for you to discontinue medication or not. Whatever direction your case takes, remember that healthy habits are your best insurance. Whether with or without medication, a balanced diet and active lifestyle will help you maintain your achieved weight long-term and protect your health.

When is it Appropriate to Interrupt Treatment?

You must discontinue medication, especially when it’s not working or has serious side effects.

• Doctors follow the 12-week rule. If a person doesn’t lose 5% of their initial body weight during this period, the treatment is considered ineffective. Then the medication is either discontinued or replaced with another. ^[9]
• Treatment must also be terminated if you experience unacceptable or persistent side effects (e.g., severe, persistent nausea) that significantly impair quality of life. ^[18]

What Should You Remember?

Weight loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy or Saxenda represent an effective way to tackle obesity. But only when used appropriately, correctly and under professional supervision. However, they aren’t without risks. If used without medical guidance and lifestyle modifications, they can cause unpleasant health problems, from nutritional deficiencies, digestive issues, to psychological problems.

Therefore, don’t consider weight loss medications as pills ideal for everyone. And when your doctor prescribes them, don’t forget about a balanced diet, regular exercise, proteins, hydration, sleep and mental health care. If you adopt these habits, medications can help you change not only the number on the scale but also your relationship with your body and health.

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Sources:

[1] ALMANDOZ, J.P. et al. Nutritional considerations with antiobesity medications. – https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/prescription-medications-treat-overweight-obesity

[2] DUYFF, R.L. Complete Food & Nutrition Guide. . New York: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2017. ISBN 978-0-544-52058-5.

[3] GORGOJO-MARTÍNEZ, J.J. et al. Clinical Recommendations to Manage Gastrointestinal Adverse Events in Patients Treated with Glp-1 Receptor Agonists: A Multidisciplinary Expert Consensus. – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9821052/

[4] GROSICKI, G.J. et al. Sculpting Success: The Importance of Diet and Physical Activity to Support Skeletal Muscle Health during Weight Loss with New Generation Anti-Obesity Medications. –

[5] CHAKHTOURA, M. et al. Pharmacotherapy of obesity: an update on the available medications and drugs under investigation. – https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(23)00059-7/fulltext

[6] IEPSEN, E.W. et al. Treatment with a GLP-1 receptor agonist diminishes the decrease in free plasma leptin during maintenance of weight loss. – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4424381/

[7] KORNELIUS, E. et al. The risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior in patients with obesity on glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonist therapy. – https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-75965-2

[8] TCHANG, B.G. et al. Pharmacologic Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279038/

[9] TINSLEY, G.M. – NADOLSKY, S. Preservation of lean soft tissue during weight loss induced by GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists: A case series. – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12536186/

[10] TOPLAK, H. et al. 2014 EASO Position Statement on the Use of Anti-Obesity Drugs. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5644876/

[11] WILDING, J.P.H. et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33567185/

[12] YUMUK, V. et al. European Guidelines for Obesity Management in Adults. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5644856/

[13] Mounjaro | European Medicines Agency. – https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/mounjaro

[14] Mysimba | European Medicines Agency. – https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/mysimba

[15] Ozempic | European Medicines Agency. – https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/ozempic

[16] Pharmacologic Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279038

[17] Pharmacological Management of Obesity Guideline Resources. – https://www.endocrine.org/clinical-practice-guidelines/pharmacological-management-of-obesity

[18] Saxenda | European Medicines Agency. –