Semaglutide is an injectable medication used for treating obesity and helping with weight loss. It is similar to the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that occurs naturally in the body. Semaglutide works by controlling appetite and making you feel full sooner after eating. This leads to reduced food intake and weight loss.
Semaglutide was originally approved for treating type 2 diabetes. However, studies showed that it also has beneficial effects for obesity treatment. In 2021, the FDA approved a high dose semaglutide injection called Wegovy specifically for chronic weight management.
When used alongside diet and exercise changes, semaglutide can result in significant weight reduction in overweight and obese individuals. Research indicates that people may lose around 12-15% of their body weight over 15-20 months of treatment.
Benefits of using semaglutide for weight loss:
In this article, we will discuss key information about using semaglutide injections at Vitality Restored Clinic for managing obesity and supporting weight loss goals.
Vitality Restored Clinic offers personalized care and treatment plans to help patients regain hormonal balance and optimal health. Our clinic specializes in hormone deficiency screening, testing, and replacement therapies. This includes medications like semaglutide injections to assist with weight management.
We take a functional, integrative approach that addresses the underlying causes of hormonal issues rather than just symptomatic treatment. Our providers spend quality time understanding patient medical history and lifestyle factors to create customized treatment protocols.
At Vitality Restored Clinic, we utilize advanced testing and the latest medical technologies to accurately diagnose and treat hormone deficiencies. We provide access to pharmaceutical grade bioidentical hormones and other high quality medications that are tailored to patient needs and goals.
Our mission is to help patients look, feel and perform at their peak through expert hormonal balancing. We empower them to take control of their health by providing exceptional care in a safe, welcoming environment. Please reach out if you would like to learn more about our weight loss and obesity treatment options.
Comprehensive lab testing is crucial for identifying hormone deficiencies or imbalances contributing to weight gain and obesity. Common tests include:
An underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) slows down metabolism making weight loss very difficult. Getting thyroid hormones like T3 and T4 to optimal levels is key.
Low testosterone in men and estrogen/progesterone imbalances in women can increase fat storage and impede fat burning. Testing levels and supplementing where needed assists weight loss.
Many Americans are low in this essential micronutrient, which plays an important role in metabolic regulation.
Chronically elevated insulin drives fat accumulation and inflammation, undermining weight loss efforts. Identifying and addressing insulin resistance is imperative.
At Vitality Restored Clinic, we utilize high quality blood, saliva, urine, or genetic tests to uncover specific hormone deficiencies or imbalances hindering weight loss. Our providers carefully review lab test results and meet with patients to explain findings, make an accurate diagnosis, and craft a tailored treatment plan. Reaching hormone balance optimizes patients' ability to lose excess fat when combined with nutrition and lifestyle interventions.
Table 1: Common Lab Tests for Obesity and Weight Gain
| Test | Information Provided |
|---|---|
| Thyroid Panel | Evaluates T3, T4, TSH levels to check for hypothyroidism |
| Sex Hormones | Measures testosterone, estrogen, progesterone levels |
| Insulin | Determines levels of fasting insulin and blood glucose |
| Vitamin D | Assesses Vitamin D sufficiency |
| Cortisol | Checks for cortisol dysregulation |
| Leptin | Screens for leptin resistance |
| Ghrelin | Detects ghrelin sensitivity issues |
Once we have test results indicating any hormone deficiencies or imbalances contributing to excess weight, our practitioners will discuss treatment options. For individuals who qualify based on their BMI (Body Mass Index) and weight-related health risks, we may recommend trying pharmaceutical grade semaglutide injections to assist with appetite control and weight reduction.
As noted earlier, semaglutide is an injectable anti-obesity medication similar to the appetite regulating hormone GLP-1. It helps patients feel more satisfied after eating smaller portions. This leads to decreased calorie consumption and enhanced weight loss results over time.
Table 2: Key Features of Semaglutide
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Formulation | Injectable solution |
| Frequency | Once weekly injection |
| Administration | Subcutaneous (under skin) |
| Mechanism | Activates GLP-1 receptors Slows stomach emptying Reduces appetite |
| Key Benefits | Promotes weight loss Improves related health parameters |
There are two mechanisms by which semaglutide stimulates weight reduction:
1. Appetite Suppression
By mimicking the hormone GLP-1, semaglutide sends signals to the brain leading to increased feelings of fullness and satisfaction after eating smaller meals. This results in reduced overall food intake and supports creating the necessary calorie deficit for fat loss.
2. Slowed Stomach Emptying
Semaglutide also slows down the speed at which food leaves the stomach to be digested and absorbed. This enhances the stomach stretch signals that tell the brain one is full and should stop eating. Again, this limits calorie consumption and enables tapping into stored body fat for fuel through the ensuing calorie deficit.
Together these effects result in diminished appetite, improved control over food cravings, lower caloric intake at meals, and ultimately clinically significant reductions in body weight over the course of semaglutide treatment.
Research confirms semaglutide is highly effective for weight management when combined with nutrition and fitness modifications.
For example, in one study, the semaglutide group lost on average 15% of their body weight over 68 weeks compared to only 2.4% weight loss for the placebo group.
Several other clinical trials also demonstrated over 15 pounds of additional weight loss for participants utilizing semaglutide versus the placebo. Such findings showcase semaglutide's impressive efficacy.
Furthermore, semaglutide-induced weight reduction also translates to major improvements in obesity-related health parameters like waist circumference, blood pressure, blood lipids, and glycemic control.
Advantages of semaglutide therapy include:
Potential disadvantages consist of:
For most patients seeking substantial weight loss, the proven benefits clearly outweigh the drawbacks. Our clinic also educates patients regarding proper injecting techniques and strategies to minimize side effects like nausea when initiating semaglutide treatment.
At Vitality Restored Clinic, qualified patients can access pharmaceutical grade compounded semaglutide injections to assist with achieving healthy and sustained weight reduction.
During an initial consultation, our practitioners complete a thorough health evaluation examining weight loss history, previous treatments attempted, contributing factors, health goals, and key parameters like BMI. We also conduct any necessary lab testing to uncover potential hormone imbalances or vitamin/mineral deficiencies impeding weight loss.
Where indicated, we design a personalized plan involving compounded semaglutide injections to control appetite and reduce caloric intake. This facilitates tapping into stored fat for fuel. We provide detailed guidelines regarding semaglutide dosing, injecting, side effect management etc. Treatment plans also emphasize requisite diet and fitness modifications for maximizing and maintaining weight reduction.
Patients return for follow-up appointments where our staff evaluates progress, adjusts semaglutide dosing if needed, ensures proper injecting proficiency, and provides additional diet/lifestyle recommendations. We may also check lab tests periodically to guarantee hormone balance optimization. Our goal is facilitating the greatest amount of healthy weight loss and body composition improvement possible over the treatment period.
In summary, Vitality Restored Clinic' medical weight loss program utilizing compounded semaglutide injections enables overweight/obese patients to finally gain control over their eating habits, accelerate fat burning through caloric deficits, and achieve remarkable weight loss with accompanying enhancements in metabolic health. Please contact us today to determine if semaglutide treatment is suitable for your needs.
While pharmaceutical interventions like semaglutide injections powerfully curb appetite to create calorie deficits, patients still need to uphold certain diet and fitness habits for ensuring optimal and lasting weight loss on treatment. We counsel our patients regarding key lifestyle factors to maximize their results including:
When patients synergistically work with the appetite suppressing effects of semaglutide by sticking to smart nutritional and workout plans, they often lose even more weight due to enhanced burning of stored body fat. Our clinic offers extensive resources to help patients implement the necessary eating and activity habits changes. Dedicated adherence multiplies total results.
Despite following the protocols properly, some patients using pharmaceutical interventions like semaglutide injections plateau early or struggle losing weight due to biological hurdles.
Common causes include:
When patients hit a weight loss plateau on semaglutide, we reevaluate their hormone balance, check for inflammatory markers, assess insulin sensitivity, review thyroid health, and gauge morning cortisol levels. We then modify treatment plans accordingly by:
Hitting plateaus is common, and our functional medicine practitioners have tremendous experience overcoming stalled weight loss. We modify protocols to address underlying issues hampering results so patients can continue dropping excess pounds and shrinking their waistlines. Please reach out if you have stopped losing weight so we can troubleshoot and restart your fat burning!
Research shows that patients losing around 15% of initial body weight over 12-15 months of treatment is common. However, results vary substantially per individual based on factors like starting weight, adherence levels, diet quality, workout regimen etc. Heavier persons often lose weight quicker. We tailor semaglutide dosing based on patient needs and trajectories.
The most common side effect is temporary nausea or vomiting when first initiating treatment while the body adapts. This typically resolves within 4-8 weeks. Other gastric issues like diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation may rarely occur. There is also a very small risk of developing pancreatitis. We provide nausea prevention and management tips.
Semaglutide comes as a solution for subcutaneous injection using small insulin-type needles. Injection sites include the abdomen, thighs or upper arms. Our staff trains patients on proper injecting techniques and sites rotation to avoid skin reactions. The medication regimen starts at a low dose which escalates over 16 weeks to improve gastrointestinal tolerance.
There is no pre-defined treatment duration, although staying on semaglutide for 12-15 months seems to produce the greatest weight loss results based on studies. We monitor patient progress at follow-up visits and help decide an appropriate treatment length according to improvements achieved and any side effects experienced. Many patients end up using semaglutide for obesity management long-term due to its efficacy and safety profile.
In some cases, we combine semaglutide with other agents like liraglutide, phentermine etc. when mono-therapy stalls. Specific combo protocols are tailored to patient lab results, treatment history and plateau causes. We avoid arbitrarily stacking weight loss meds to minimize side effects. Get in touch if you think you may benefit from combination obesity pharmacotherapy.
Obesity medicine is an exciting, evolving field with ongoing advances improving care and enhancing weight loss outcomes for patients. Below we highlight promising near-future innovations that should further optimize excess weight reduction protocols:
Pharma researchers are engineering new long-acting GLP-1 drug formulations requiring less frequent dosing while improving weight loss efficacy. Once-monthly and even once-daily injectable variations may become available in coming years. These will offer greater convenience and compliance.
Co-utilizing medications like semaglutide plus liraglutide or semaglutide plus tirzepatide in synergistic custom combos tailor-made per patient seems extremely promising for amplifying results, especially for severely obese persons. Optimized polypharmaceutical protocols are the future.
New nutrition, exercise and behavioral coaching approaches better supporting physician-guided obesity treatment continue emerging. Connecting patients with weight loss apps, activity trackers, remote coaching etc. will likely boost adherence. Combining comprehensive lifestyle interventions with intensive medical management seems essential for better outcomes.
At Vitality Restored Clinic, we stay current with the latest anti-obesity research learnings, new drug therapies, improved diagnostic testing, and premium lifestyle solutions so we can continually enhance our medical weight loss program results. Losing those stubborn extra pounds and permanently keeping them off is within reach through advancing science and innovations in obesity medicine.
We hope this detailed content clearly showcases the safety and efficacy of utilizing compounded semaglutide injections as part of individualized medical weight loss protocols for select patients struggling with overweight and obesity. When combined with personalized diet, activity, and hormone balancing interventions, semaglutide facilitates impressive reductions in appetite, food intake, and ultimately body fat levels over time. Through our cutting-edge functional medicine approach, the practitioners at Vitality Restored Clinic have helped many patients finally gain control over their weight, health, and lives. Please reach out today to see if pharmaceutical grade semaglutide administered as part of our medical weight loss program is appropriate for your needs. We look forward to helping you lose those extra pounds for good!
