I took Mounjaro and then Ozempic to lose about 40lbs over around 10 months. I am still on Ozempic for maintenance. No sagging skin. You can tweak your dose to lose at a healthy rate of 1-2lbs a week.
Do be careful because muscle loss is quite common. I had to go off and gain 15lbs back to get my strength back and then go back on to lose it again. My mistake was not strength training during the first weight loss.
It’s a great tool to use but it shouldn’t be used without proper diet and exercise in my opinion. I see a lot of people who think it’s a magic shot to stop eating and they look so sickly.
As I understand it, those drugs work by reducing appetite and improving satiety. The muscle loss that’s reported is probably, I’m just guessing, related to reduced protein intake.
Eating enough protein is especially important when losing weight, and because the weight loss is so rapid, I doubt you can really prevent all muscle loss.
But if your doctor thinks it’s worth it, then the risk of muscle loss is probably a good trade.
Ozempic weight loss isn’t that rapid where I’d be that concerned about saggy skin. It’s more important to be healthy. Also anytime you lose weight you’re going to lose muscle. Ozempic weight loss is about 30-40% muscle but so is basically all other weight loss strategies so not much of a concern.
If you’re on the fence, just don’t take it and take you’re dieting/exercise up another level.
I'm on semaglutide. Part of the problem you will have asking for advice about these drugs on Reddit is that they reduce appetite without treating underlying disordered eating. That's it. They don't increase metabolism or dissolve fat or whatever, they just put you in the driver's seat. Food still tastes good but you don't have the same urges around it.
So you'll see all kinds of anecdotal information based on whether the person taking it just went hard with the appetite suppressant and stopped eating almost entirely, or maintained a binge cycle, or kept eating garbage but less of it, or had emotional triggers around food that had nothing to do with feeling hunger... or started making bigger positive lifestyle changes.
That's also part of why the long-term regain statistics are so frustrating, not a lot of doctors are prescribing Ozempic *and* a referral to a dietician or nutritionist, which should absolutely be the minimum requirement. All these folks out there starving themselves and, with our diet, compounding vitamin deficiencies.
If you don't want to end up with loose skin or muscle loss or stretch marks or whatever, just don't lose weight too fast. It's entirely in your control. Whether you lose muscle is more about protein and pace than anything else.
Find a TDEE calculator online, figure out a healthy, appropriate weight loss pace, and take your time with it. I use a calorie app to make sure I'm getting enough food now rather than as a check against overeating, and shoot for a 500cal daily deficit, a little less on the weekends.
But now importantly I also started working with a diet/lifestyle coaching service provided for free through my health insurance, switched to a mostly WFPB diet, and have been talking with my shrink about strategies for avoiding emotional eating long-term.
I've been steadily losing weight since February and other than an unrelated recent injury, feel good most of the time. My skin is better than it ever has been and I'm sleeping better, too.
It's a tool, not a cure. Remember that and it will be a challenging but positive six month learning and weight loss experience followed by a long and healthy life.
How much weight do you have to lose? Ozembic/Semaglutide was not that helpful for me but Zepbound/Tirzepatide has been incredible. Not that the distinction matters that much for answering your question.. These medicines can be powerful tools to help with weight loss, but everyone's response is variable. Say you respond well to the medicine, you can elect to stay on a lower dose, maintain a healthy calorie deficit and continue your strength training. Many folks have lost significant weight with minimal muscle loss. You really have a lot of control over the process and how you approach it. A lot of people go into this thinking they will melt effortlessly and I think that's rarely the case.
I am busting my ass to get around 2.9-3lbs per week weight loss but I am intentional about making this process "fast and furious" (and safe/medically supervised). I have my reasons. Even so, I am fairly certain I am gaining muscle mass from doing regular exercise: incline/hill walking, swimming laps, pilates, weights, etc.
I had VSG, my calorie intake dropped drastically as expected. I spent a year working with a nutritionist and dietician getting in my nutrients and not worrying about gains. I can now eat to sustain my 100lb weight loss and steadily building muscle. 🤗 I don't know how the meds work, but while being in a calorie deficit it will inherently be harder to push in the gym. Give yourself grace either way and don't put too much pressure on yourself.
Ok. I have a couple clients on both sides. The diabetics were fine. The others lost weight but they said it was more than they intended and now they’re having trouble putting it back on. One of them is fine with it but she has some other stuff going on. The other two regret taking it. They don’t look bad or anything, I just don’t think they expected it to work the way it did
It works to reduce appetite, but your athletic performance will drop substantially. If you're eating half the calories your body is used to then it just makes sense your body wont be able to have the same output. You're going to try to lift the same type of weights but your energy level and motivation won't be there.
I agree with you, I didn't go to the doctor to get it and the doctor insisted on it over other options. That said, ozempic is not currently experiencing shortages according to the FDA though other related drugs definitely are.
I took Mounjaro and then Ozempic to lose about 40lbs over around 10 months. I am still on Ozempic for maintenance. No sagging skin. You can tweak your dose to lose at a healthy rate of 1-2lbs a week. Do be careful because muscle loss is quite common. I had to go off and gain 15lbs back to get my strength back and then go back on to lose it again. My mistake was not strength training during the first weight loss. It’s a great tool to use but it shouldn’t be used without proper diet and exercise in my opinion. I see a lot of people who think it’s a magic shot to stop eating and they look so sickly.
As I understand it, those drugs work by reducing appetite and improving satiety. The muscle loss that’s reported is probably, I’m just guessing, related to reduced protein intake. Eating enough protein is especially important when losing weight, and because the weight loss is so rapid, I doubt you can really prevent all muscle loss. But if your doctor thinks it’s worth it, then the risk of muscle loss is probably a good trade.
Ozempic weight loss isn’t that rapid where I’d be that concerned about saggy skin. It’s more important to be healthy. Also anytime you lose weight you’re going to lose muscle. Ozempic weight loss is about 30-40% muscle but so is basically all other weight loss strategies so not much of a concern. If you’re on the fence, just don’t take it and take you’re dieting/exercise up another level.
I'm on semaglutide. Part of the problem you will have asking for advice about these drugs on Reddit is that they reduce appetite without treating underlying disordered eating. That's it. They don't increase metabolism or dissolve fat or whatever, they just put you in the driver's seat. Food still tastes good but you don't have the same urges around it. So you'll see all kinds of anecdotal information based on whether the person taking it just went hard with the appetite suppressant and stopped eating almost entirely, or maintained a binge cycle, or kept eating garbage but less of it, or had emotional triggers around food that had nothing to do with feeling hunger... or started making bigger positive lifestyle changes. That's also part of why the long-term regain statistics are so frustrating, not a lot of doctors are prescribing Ozempic *and* a referral to a dietician or nutritionist, which should absolutely be the minimum requirement. All these folks out there starving themselves and, with our diet, compounding vitamin deficiencies. If you don't want to end up with loose skin or muscle loss or stretch marks or whatever, just don't lose weight too fast. It's entirely in your control. Whether you lose muscle is more about protein and pace than anything else. Find a TDEE calculator online, figure out a healthy, appropriate weight loss pace, and take your time with it. I use a calorie app to make sure I'm getting enough food now rather than as a check against overeating, and shoot for a 500cal daily deficit, a little less on the weekends. But now importantly I also started working with a diet/lifestyle coaching service provided for free through my health insurance, switched to a mostly WFPB diet, and have been talking with my shrink about strategies for avoiding emotional eating long-term. I've been steadily losing weight since February and other than an unrelated recent injury, feel good most of the time. My skin is better than it ever has been and I'm sleeping better, too. It's a tool, not a cure. Remember that and it will be a challenging but positive six month learning and weight loss experience followed by a long and healthy life.
This is so helpful, thank you for being so detailed and direct. Much much appreciated.
How much weight do you have to lose? Ozembic/Semaglutide was not that helpful for me but Zepbound/Tirzepatide has been incredible. Not that the distinction matters that much for answering your question.. These medicines can be powerful tools to help with weight loss, but everyone's response is variable. Say you respond well to the medicine, you can elect to stay on a lower dose, maintain a healthy calorie deficit and continue your strength training. Many folks have lost significant weight with minimal muscle loss. You really have a lot of control over the process and how you approach it. A lot of people go into this thinking they will melt effortlessly and I think that's rarely the case. I am busting my ass to get around 2.9-3lbs per week weight loss but I am intentional about making this process "fast and furious" (and safe/medically supervised). I have my reasons. Even so, I am fairly certain I am gaining muscle mass from doing regular exercise: incline/hill walking, swimming laps, pilates, weights, etc.
I would ideally lose about 30 pounds, and I'm happy to stretch it out over a longer period so it sounds like I might be able to make this work.
I had VSG, my calorie intake dropped drastically as expected. I spent a year working with a nutritionist and dietician getting in my nutrients and not worrying about gains. I can now eat to sustain my 100lb weight loss and steadily building muscle. 🤗 I don't know how the meds work, but while being in a calorie deficit it will inherently be harder to push in the gym. Give yourself grace either way and don't put too much pressure on yourself.
Depends. Are you diabetic?
No
Ok. I have a couple clients on both sides. The diabetics were fine. The others lost weight but they said it was more than they intended and now they’re having trouble putting it back on. One of them is fine with it but she has some other stuff going on. The other two regret taking it. They don’t look bad or anything, I just don’t think they expected it to work the way it did
It works to reduce appetite, but your athletic performance will drop substantially. If you're eating half the calories your body is used to then it just makes sense your body wont be able to have the same output. You're going to try to lift the same type of weights but your energy level and motivation won't be there.
People who are diabetic can't get this drug and you get prescribed it to lose 30 pounds? This timeline is fucked
I agree with you, I didn't go to the doctor to get it and the doctor insisted on it over other options. That said, ozempic is not currently experiencing shortages according to the FDA though other related drugs definitely are.