Why Am I Not Losing Weight on Wegovy?

Why Am I Not Losing Weight on Wegovy?

8 min read

|

12 Sep 2023

Things you’ll learn in this blog

  1. How Is Wegovy Supposed To Work?
  2. Why Is Wegovy Not Working?
  3. Does Wegovy Usually Work?
  4. What Are the Side Effects of Wegovy?
  5. Should You Use Wegovy To Lose Weight?
  6. What Are the Alternatives to Wegovy?

Wegovy seems to be everywhere, doesn’t it?

But despite all the celebrity endorsements and the promises of it being a miracle drug, it appears that people are still struggling to lose weight whilst using Wegovy. Even worse, many are experiencing terrible and unforeseen side effects.

If you’ve tried Wegovy and found it underwhelming, or even if you have only just considered trying it, here’s why it might not be the best product to use for achieving weight-loss goals, and what you can do to enhance your weight-loss efforts instead.

Let’s dive in.

How Is Wegovy Supposed To Work?

Unlike most types of weight-loss medication, Wegovy isn’t a supplement that you take as a pill, capsule, or drink. It’s actually a self-delivered injection.

The medication is delivered through the skin through an injectable device that is administered by yourself once a week.

Wegovy, along with a similar brand Ozempic, was developed and manufactured by a European company called Novo Nordisk. Both of these are injections of a drug known as semaglutide.

What is semaglutide?

Whilst semaglutide is supposed to be prescribed for the treatment of diabetes or for obesity-related medical issues, it is being sought out by more and more people as a general weight-loss solution.

The way in which semaglutide drugs like Wegovy work is by mimicking an appetite-suppressing hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1). This hormone sends signals to your brain that you are full.

Therefore, a GLP-1 analogue like semaglutide can theoretically do the same thing – leading to faster satiation so the user requires less food to feel full and can potentially lose weight as a result.

Why Is Wegovy Not Working?

So you may be wondering...why am I not losing weight on Wegovy? If Wegovy is prescribed for actual weight-related medical disorders, why isn’t it working as a general weight-management product? Here are several possible reasons.

Why Is Wegovy Not Working?

Incorrect usage

If you aren’t noticing any significant weight-loss results despite already taking Wegovy, then it could be you aren’t administering the injections correctly.

Perhaps you aren’t injecting in the right area, or maybe you aren’t injecting for long enough for the full dose to be delivered.

Double check the instructions and rewatch the informational video on the Wegovy website to make sure each step is being followed properly.

Wrong dosages

If you’re certain that you have been following the exact injection procedures, and haven’t been skipping doses, then the issue could be with the dosages themselves.

Your first dose should be 0.25mg for the first few weeks, which then slowly increases to the full 2.4mg over the course of five months.

Carefully examine each Wegovy pen before injecting yourself to ensure that the dose you are taking is the amount prescribed for that particular stage of your treatment.

Eating too much

Like other weight loss medications, Wegovy will not work if you continue to consume more calories than you burn. A calorie deficit is still required if you wish to reach your weight loss goals.

Semaglutide is taken to reduce hunger pangs and control your appetite, so if you're still eating too much it could either be a problem with the drug itself, or you are just overriding your body’s satiety signals and eating anyway. This can lead to further weight gain.

Unhealthy foods

The product won’t work on its own, you have to reduce your calorie intake and embrace healthy eating as well if you want to see a reduction in your body weight. Switch up your dietary habits to include less high calorie foods and processed foods – focus on a healthy diet and generally healthy lifestyle instead.

Drinking sugary drinks

Whether you use Wegovy or not, drinking sodas, fruit juices, and other sugar-filled beverages will hinder your weight-loss journey.

Drinks like these contain a huge amount of calories yet barely fill you up at all.

The same goes for alcohol – beer, wine, spirits, they all contain sugar and carbs that interfere with your body’s ability to burn fat.

Just stick to water. It’s calorie-free and much more hydrating.

Lack of exercise

Just as a healthy diet plan is required for Wegovy to work, so is more physical activity.

Eating fewer calories is a great start, but without regular exercise sessions your weight loss progress will be limited and ultimately stall.

So, move a little more. Job, dance, go for a daily stroll with music blasting in your headphones…do what makes you feel good, and the results will follow.

Woman shows weight loss from exercise

FYI: The Wegovy website itself states that a “reduced calorie meal plan and increased physical activity” are required for their drug to be effective – so make sure to add in some workouts to your week.

Lifestyle factors

If you still aren’t losing weight on Wegovy, or are even experiencing weight gain, then you may have to make further lifestyle changes.

Along with changing your food intake (ditch the unhealthy foods and concentrate on healthy eating habits, such as getting more lean proteins and healthy fats into your diet), and are getting enough exercise (from a mixture of cardio and strength training), there are a few other sustainable lifestyle modifications you can make to help with weight maintenance:

  • Reduce your stress levels
  • Quit smoking
  • Get enough sleep
  • Set realistic expectations  (You’re doing great)

These are the things you should be doing anyway to meet your health goals and experience significant weight loss.

It’s not for you

The final reason you might not be losing weight on Wegovy is that you aren’t supposed to use it.

Really, Wegovy is intended to be taken by people with a BMI (body mass index) of over 30 (i.e. living with obesity) or a BMI of over 27 and also need extra help losing weight as a result of underlying health conditions – such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or some other cardiovascular risk factor.

FYI: If you aren’t in this bracket then you really shouldn’t be taking Wegovy or any other weight-loss medication containing semaglutide anyway.

And certainly not without the recommendation of your healthcare provider. There are far more suitable natural alternatives that can be used to supplement your diet and burn fat without horrific side effects.

Does Wegovy Usually Work?

Using Wegovy certainly can lead to successful weight loss, but, and we can’t highlight this enough, it is only designed to be used by people with a BMI over 30 (adults with obesity) or a BMI over 27 and who also have weight-related medical problems.

For those people, results do certainly seem consistent – as they are given a helping hand to reduce their appetite so they can consume fewer calories and therefore lose weight.

Studies have shown that for these groups of people, Wegovy can lead to a reduction in body weight, but clinical trials haven't been conducted into using semaglutide as a general healthy weight-loss aid – because that’s not what it’s for.

So unless you are in one of those target groups just mentioned, you’d be far better off turning to a safe and natural supplement to help boost your fat-burning potential.

What Are the Side Effects of Wegovy?

The reason we suggest opting for a safer alternative is because Wegovy can cause a huge range of side effects – from the trivial to the utterly terrifying and life-threatening.

What Are the Side Effects of Wegovy?

Minor side effects

If you’re lucky, you’ll only encounter some of the minor side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.

Major side effects

But it’s the potential for serious side effects that is particularly worrying with Wegovy:

  • Thyroid tumors (including cancer)
  • Pancreatitis
  • Gallstones
  • Kidney disease (or full kidney failure)
  • Stomach paralysis
  • Depressive or suicidal thoughts

All of these have either been reported by users of semaglutide drugs or are listed as potential side effects on the Wegovy website – so these are very real and very dangerous implications of using this type of product.

We’ve covered this in more depth in another Wegovy guide. So, take a look there as well if you want a more detailed insight into the issues that can arise when using Wegovy and other semaglutide injections.

Should You Use Wegovy To Lose Weight?

Some people ask: why am I not losing weight on Wegovy? A better question would be: should I be using it at all? No, Wegovy is not recommended as a general weight-loss tool.

If you have a BMI of over 30, or over 27 but also have pre-existing or underlying medical conditions relating to weight, then you may be a potential candidate for a Wegovy prescription.

Just be sure to confer with a healthcare professional first – do not under any circumstances seek out Wegovy without the recommendation of your doctor!

Fake semaglutide products

Be aware that there are counterfeit alternatives being sold by third parties. These should also be left well alone. 

Cheap knock-off versions are unregulated, often untested, and potentially even more dangerous than legitimate semaglutide drugs.

What Are the Alternatives to Wegovy?

Despite all the hype around semaglutide weight loss medications like Wegovy, the reality is there are far better options if you are looking to lose weight naturally.

We’ve seen the horrendous potential effects of these injectable products, so why would anyone want to put themselves at risk when there are safer and more effective alternatives?

Supplements that contain natural ingredients for boosting your metabolism and to suppress appetite can enhance your weight-loss journey without any of the harmful side effects.

PhenQ is one of the most popular and effective of these supplements, having helped literally thousands of people successfully lose weight safely and naturally.

Nopal cactus (AKA prickly pear) and chromium picolinate are included in the formula for their ability to reduce food cravings and limit the amount of dietary fat that can be stored by your body.

There are also some thermogenic fat-burning ingredients in the mix too, including capsicum (red pepper extract) and caffeine. Both of these are proven to have a positive effect on your metabolism to improve the fat-burning process.

If you value your health and your overall well-being, a natural and safe dietary supplement like PhenQ is the smart way to achieve sustainable weight loss. Yes, it improves your weight loss results without putting your body or mind at risk as semaglutide drugs will do.

PhenQ