Weight Loss Medication: Is there an alternative to Ozempic and Wegovy?

Weight loss medication is not a new thing. In fact, they’ve been around since the 1930s. However, when they were first developed, they were used more short-term due to the concern for addiction. Needless to say, they’ve come a long way since then.

Fast forward several decades and the newest craze when it comes to weight loss is all about semaglutide injections or more commonly known as Ozempic and Wegovy.

Ozempic is not a new drug at all. In fact, it was approved by the FDA in 2017 for those with type 2 diabetes to help control blood sugar by helping the pancreas secrete more insulin. As a bonus, people were starting to notice they were losing weight on this medication too. However, Ozempic has not been approved for weight loss.

Because of Ozempic’s popularity in helping adults with type 2 diabetes also lose weight, a similar medication, called Wegovy, was approved by the FDA in 2021. Since then, it seems like everyone and their brother are looking to get their hands on it! But Wegovy isn’t for everyone. It can come with some intense side effects like nausea, heartburn, and loss of appetite.

But what if there was a way you can have similar weight loss effects without the weekly injection? And also, none of the intense side effects. Sounds too good to be true, right? Keep reading and I’ll explain.

How do semaglutide medications work?

Before we dive into alternative options, we must first understand how these medications work. Ozempic and Wegovy are brand names for the medication semaglutide. How they differ is that Wegovy is provided at a higher dose than Ozempic helping to promote more dramatic weight loss results.

These semaglutide medications mimic the hormone called, glucagon-like peptide-1, also known as GLP-1. GLP-1 is naturally produced in the small intestine to suppress appetite and promote the secretion of insulin in the pancreas. Semaglutide medications are known as GLP-1 agonists which means they bind to a receptor to mimic the action of this hormone. This also allows the medications to produce more of it, thus providing greater effects of appetite suppression and insulin secretion.

Can this be done naturally without an injection?

Turns out, yes, there are ways to increase your GLP-1 production naturally! Change the quality of your diet by including more lean proteins, whole grains, vegetables, and healthy fats. Let’s break it down:

• Lean proteins: Aim for a protein source at each meal and snack.
• Whole grains: Include about 3 servings of whole grain carbohydrates per day.
• Vegetables: Opt for at least 4 servings of non-starchy vegetables.
• Healthy fats: Choose unsaturated fats over saturated.

Obviously this isn’t some new, ground breaking information when it comes to weight loss. I pretty much just said, “eat a healthy diet”. But maybe that’s it? Sometimes the solution is truly just going back to the basics.

How does weight loss medication compare with your natural GLP-1 production?

According to the American Medical Association, patients can expect to lose between 3-12% of their body weight in a year while taking semaglutide medications. For someone who weighs 250 lbs, this is about 7.5-30 lbs per year.

Let’s compare these results to following a Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet includes eating lean proteins, non-starchy vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains. As we discussed above, this can help with the natural production of GLP-1. A study published in The American Journal of Medicine showed that people lost anywhere between 9-22 lbs when following the Mediterranean diet after one year.

Overall, I would say the results are pretty similar between diet and medication use.

Please note that this blog post is not meant to disuade you from using Wegovy or Ozempic as a tool for weight loss. Instead it is to provide an alternative option should you find yourself struggling to get access to these medications or just not sure how you will handle the side effects. These recommendations are also what you should do to keep the weight off long-term if you feel you want to reduce dosage or go off of it completely in the future.

While my goal when working with my patients is to reduce the need for medication, I have had several people who have been on Ozempic and Wegovy to help with their weight loss efforts. I’ve helped supplement those efforts and keep the weight off by following a Mediterranean diet and lifestyle.

If you’re looking for personalized guidance to help you lose weight, manage blood sugar, and improve heart health, check out my program, The MEDication Freedom Method.