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A Secret To Sustainable Weight Loss Is Out: Semaglutide. This Fat-Burning Breakthrough Has Transformed Lives, And Semaglutide Weight Loss In Littleton, CO, Could Do The Same For You.
If you watch TV or visit the web, you’ve probably heard about semaglutide, which is sold under the brand names — Wegovy and Ozempic.
It originally started as a diabetes drug, but soon people discovered it had more than a little impact on weight loss and management, thus its transition from a diabetes medication only to a revolutionary drug for trimming down as well.
While these medications are all making long strides to help people lose weight, with the average person shedding over 10 percent of their body weight after six months of treatment, semaglutide weight loss in Littleton, CO, is only beneficial to some. To help you decide if it could be right for you, we’ve created a guide with everything you need to know before you schedule a consultation.
For many, semaglutide weight loss is a solution when other options aren’t successful.
A Brief History and Overview
Semaglutide began as a diabetes drug, the first in its class, after approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019.
As a GLP-1 agonist, it replicates the activity of the naturally occurring hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which your intestines secrete once you eat to trigger insulin release. We won’t go into too much detail, but we’ll say that it acts on your glucose levels in other ways, too, such as by delaying gastric emptying so you feel full longer. For that reason, it’s no wonder that people taking it for diabetes were seeing considerable weight loss results.
After its slimming effects became known and widespread, in 2021, Wegovy made its big debut as a GLP-1 agonist containing semaglutide, but it was specifically for weight loss and could be used at a higher dosage than Ozempic.
Then, there’s Mounjaro (tirzepatide), which also contains a GLP-1 receptor agonist. As ‘double trouble’ for excess weight, it also has a gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP). Like semaglutide, GIP also slows gut motility and stimulates insulin secretion but even enhances fat metabolism.
Tirzepatide is FDA-approved for weight loss and sold under the brand name Zepbound for this purpose.
A Longer History Than You Thought
If you’re a little skeptical now because 2021 doesn’t seem that long ago, semaglutide was being used “off-label” for weight loss before FDA approval. Essentially, this means that despite the FDA having yet to say it was effective, doctors were prescribing it for weight loss because of the results they were seeing.
This practice isn’t illegal or necessarily unsafe, but the prescribing physician is taking a chance. And unfortunately, if a medication isn’t FDA-approved, insurance won’t cover it. On a side note, this, by far, isn’t the only drug that has been and is given off-label. Some ones that instantly come to mind include Botox, dermal fillers, and antidepressants.
Interestingly enough, because physicians were prescribing semaglutide for weight loss off-label and giving it to those who weren’t obese, an overall shortage occurred, but compounding pharmacies were there to save the day for med spas like ours.
Digging Deeper Into the Benefits
Now that you have a generalized understanding of this drug and its history, let’s specifically delve into its benefits for you as a patient looking into semaglutide weight loss in Littleton, CO.
Well, unlike previous drugs on the market for weight loss that have only one mechanism of action, GLP-1s help you shed pounds in various ways, including the following:
- Regulating blood sugar levels by encouraging insulin secretion
- Reducing the production of glucose produced by the liver
- Slowing digestion so you feel full longer and ultimately eat less
- Improving insulin sensitivity so you store less fat
- Decreasing hunger and cravings to regulate your appetite better (through the hypothalamus of the brain)
Think of your health and weight as one (because they are in many senses). And in this case, as your weight approaches closer to a recommended level, your health will improve, especially with your heart.
Not to mention, unregulated sugar levels spell out danger for your kidneys. Over time, the tiny vessels (the capillaries and glomeruli) in your kidneys feel the wrath and won’t be able to do their job as well, leading to waste buildup in your bloodstream.
That excess glucose also works your kidneys harder and may injure the larger vessels and cause organ damage. However, by regulating sugar levels and your weight, you can prevent this from happening.
Know if You Qualify
Losing weight and keeping it off may seem impossible, but with a little help, it doesn’t have to be. That said, we recommend contacting us even if semaglutide or Tirzepatide doesn’t sound right for you because we have other options, but that’s content for another blog.
Anyway, our practitioner will only prescribe one of these medications to help you get leaner if you have a body mass index of 27 or higher and have at least one chronic health condition, e.g., diabetes or hypertension, or a BMI of 30 or greater, with/without weight-related health conditions. You may be able to reverse the condition or prevent a new one from occurring.
If your BMI is lower, our practitioner won’t consider this option because your short- and long-term side effects are greater than normal.
In general, common side effects include:
- Nausea
- Dehydration
- Indigestion
- Diarrhea
The less common but more serious ones are as follows:
- Depression
- Gallstones
- Pancreatitis
- C-cell thyroid tumors
- Kidney impairment
Results You Can Expect
You’ve heard the good and the bad. Now, on to the part you’ve probably been waiting for… the anticipated results.
While every patient experiences different effects, the general outcome for those taking semaglutide-based drugs is astonishing. The largest controlled trial conducted on obese adults without diabetes showed that, on average, a person would lose 14.9 percent of their total body weight by 68 weeks of taking a 2.4 mg dosage of once-weekly Wegovy. To put this into better perspective, that’s about 33.7 lbs on average.
A study conducted on patients taking Mounjaro each week also demonstrated positive results. Participants lost 15 to over 20 percent of their body weight—which equals about 34.4 lbs or more, on average—after 72 weeks of taking the drug.
Learn more here: Skip Fad Diets for Real Results at Our Weight Loss Clinic in Littleton, CO
Ready to Finally See the Scale Reading Work Its Way Down?
If you’re ready to start losing weight when diet and exercise alone weren’t enough, reach out to Ageless Expressions today.
We offer semaglutide weight loss in Littleton, CO, and other medical weight loss solutions to finally help you see the results you desire. Sometimes, however, the most effective method is hormone replacement therapy to balance biological messengers and ultimately boost your metabolism.
If you’re hesitant because shedding pounds hasn’t happened in the past, look at what previous clients had to say about their journeys with us. See reviews click here.
Call us today at (720) 864-1272 to book a consultation and take the first step toward finally seeing weight loss results. After your visit, kick off your fitness regimen by taking a walk at Geneva Lake Park, which is less than five minutes away.
