Semaglutide for Weight Loss: What You Need to Know

Repeat after me: There is no magic potion. There is no magic potion. There is no magic potion.

When it appears there is one, it usually comes with severe consequences.

And that is what we are reading about in the news about weight loss these days.

A pharmaceutical drug — Semaglutide — is being hailed as the cure-all for menopausal weight gain.

Typically given to diabetics, Semaglutide drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Monjuaro are becoming mainstream for weight loss and taking the world by storm.

Weight Watchers recently invested $106 million to acquire Sequence, a telehealth provider that allows access to drugs like Ozempic into their program. That strategic action boosted their stock sales overnight.

Here’s how Semaglutide, the weight-loss drug works:

Semaglutide is the generic name for a prescription drug in a class of medications called incretin mimetics. It works by enhancing insulin secretion to reduce blood sugar and at the same time, stimulates the release of the hormone glucagon, the fat-burning hormone. The result is appetite suppression, reduction of cravings, and weight loss.

Semaglutide has been used by diabetics since 2017. In December 2017, the injectable version of Semaglutide, with the brand name Ozempic, was approved for use by people with diabetes in the United States, and in January 2018, in Canada.

In September 2019, a version that can be taken by mouth (Rybelsus) was approved for medical use in the United States. In June 2021, a higher-dose injection version sold under the brand name Wegovy was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as an anti-obesity medication for long-term weight management in adults.

So if it’s been approved for weight loss, why is there a problem? It does sound pretty magical, after all. Especially when menopausal weight gain can feel so impossible to reverse…

It is true that Semaglutide works to cause weight loss, reduce cravings and suppress appetite. — all great benefits for diabetics and overweight individuals.

But those benefits come at a cost — literally and figuratively.

The average cost of the weekly injection can be as high as $1500 per month, and it is typically not covered by insurance.

And even if you can afford it, Semaglutide often causes these side effects alongside the benefit of weight loss:

• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• abdominal pain
• constipation
• decreased appetite
• heartburn
• burping
• Inflammation of the pancreas

It is important to note that people who take Semaglutide medications are on them for life; when you stop taking the drug, you gain the weight back — and more — within 6-12 months.

The FDA has just put a black-box warning (the highest level of warning) on these drugs for thyroid cancer. This alone should be a deterrent, but it can still be a desperate choice for many.

Investing in healthy life-long weight loss

There is no such thing as a pill or injection that will healthfully address weight gain. Yes, there are absolutely drugs that can do things in your body to affect weight loss, but they don’t get to the root of weight gain.

And they are not health-promoting.

In menopause, the root cause of weight gain is blood sugar imbalance, and inflammation. And each of these conditions can be remedied by food and lifestyle modification. My clients’ success in reaching their weight loss goals is living proof of this.

YOU HAVE A CHOICE: Invest in your wellness by way of healthy and delicious lifestyle choices, or turn to a pill (or injection) that comes with risks.

I’ve spent the past 20 years developing a program that offers a proven step-by-step solution that addresses menopausal weight gain. It empowers my clients to eat for hormonal balance and be proactive about their health.

For a fraction of the cost of lifelong, monthly injections, you could learn how to work with your body to naturally shed the menopausal weight gain, and lose the insatiable appetite and cravings.

Here’s what my current clients are experiencing:

Nona was excited to share that she lost 25 pounds in my 12-week program and how easy it’s been. She learned how to eat for hormonal balance and her eating habits have changed completely. Nona had a routine visit with her cardiologist and her blood work indicated her previous elevated levels of inflammation were gone! Her cardiologist was very impressed and happy to hear she was on this program and eating according to an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle plan. She now makes conscious food choices when meal planning for the first time ever!

Martha reached her weight loss goal of losing 30 pounds in my 12-week program. And she exclaimed how easy it had been. Her body now moves more easily and her lab results indicated she was a picture of health. She looks 10 years younger! She beams with joy and she is excited about the future.

These are two powerful testimonials.

If you are facing the big decision between pharmaceuticals or lifestyle changes, there is a silver bullet, a simple and seemingly magical solution to a complicated problem: the Midlife to Great Life method.

Learn more about my healthy solution for menopausal weight gain in my FREE monthly webinar: Menopause Fat Loss Formula

Or, contact me for a free consultation to see how the Midlife to Great Life method can support you.