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After years of fighting with my weight, I decided to try Ozempic for weight loss, and the results were pretty incredible. I was never overweight growing up, but after my third child I struggled to lose the baby fat. At one point, I worked my tail off to lose 25 pounds with the help of a bodybuilding coach, but I gained it all back after some personal issues caused me to lose sight of my goals.
Until recently, I thought diet and exercise were the only paths to losing weight, but then I stumbled upon Ozempic. Ozempic is a type of medication that can be taken to help you manage your type 2 diabetes symptoms as well as help you lose weight. After doing some research, I decided to take the plunge and give it a try. Now, after I’ve lost 28 pounds, I am confident in saying that Ozempic works!
I am not a diabetic, nor am I pre-diabetic, but I was overweight, with a high enough BMI and high cholesterol that my doctor and insurance approved me for the medication. I’ll share more on how I was able to get a prescription and which doctor I used below. Before I get started, I want to share a disclaimer that this is not medical advice. I am not a doctor, and you should seek treatment and advice from a licensed physician – not the internet. I am simply sharing my experience on Ozempic.
How Does Ozempic Work?
Ozempic is a once-weekly injectable medication that helps reduce your blood sugar levels. It also has another great benefit—it can help you lose weight! Ozempic works by helping your body process glucose more efficiently and reducing hunger cravings. This makes it easier to stick to a healthy lifestyle when it comes to eating and exercising regularly.
I noticed the bloating decreased significantly in addition to the weight loss. I also have been blessed by my Grandma’s cankles (ya know…where your ankles and calves become one…).
Since taking Ozempic, my ankles are smaller than ever. Don’t laugh! It’s a real condition that some of us women are very insecure about!
My Experience on Ozempic for Weight Loss
When I started taking Ozempic, I had no expectations or preconceived notions about what would happen with my weight loss journey. I just knew if my insurance would cover the (very expensive drug), I was willing to try it.
To my surprise, within just a few weeks of taking it, I noticed changes in my appetite and how full I felt after eating meals. As time went on, those changes continued until eventually I was able to stick to smaller portion sizes at meal times without feeling hungry soon afterwards!
Additionally, since Ozempic helped me better manage my blood sugar levels, I was also able to reduce my daily insulin dosage which further aided in my overall health goals.
After months of regular use of Ozempic and minimal effort on my part (no fad dieting or rigorous exercise!), I’m proud to say that I’ve lost 28 pounds! The fact that such a drastic change happened without any extra effort on my part still amazes me!
And even though there are no guarantees when it comes to medications like this one, if you find yourself struggling with similar issues as mine then maybe giving Ozempic a try is worth considering as well.
Ozempic Side Effects – Pros and Cons
Here’s the thing. Some people feel really crummy while taking Ozempic for weight loss specifically. It can make you feel dizzy, nauseous, and even give you diarrhea. Thankfully, I didn’t have a horrible reaction to the medication.
I did have short bouts of nausea and dizziness once in awhile, and I just took Dramamine (which I kept on hand at all times).
But the benefits outweighed the risks by far. Not only did I lose 28 pounds including so much bloating, but I lost inches off of nearly every part of my body.
How Much Weight Can You Lose on Ozempic in a Month?
Let me preface this by saying I am not a doctor. I am only sharing my experience. On average, you should be able to lose up to 10 pounds in a month. My husband has been taking Ozempic off-label for weight loss for two weeks and is down 12 pounds already, but I have heard that men tend to lose weight easier than women. How is that even fair?!
I took Ozempic for weight loss for a total of 5 months, and I lost 28 pounds, but the last 1-2 months I wasn’t consistent with my injections. I actually skipped every other week for multiple doses just to see if I would notice any difference. There was no difference.
I gained no weight back during my off weeks, and I was able to make my prescription last a bit longer.
Non-Scale Victories – Losing Inches off your Waist, Hips, etc
Not only will you notice the weight drop quickly, but you will start feeling smaller around the waist, your chest, hips, legs, and yes…even ankles and arms and wrists.
I lost six inches off of my hips. The drawback is now we’re dealing with pancake booty, but squats should help with that!
Is Ozempic for Weight Loss Approved by the FDA?
Semaglitude, sold under the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, was approved by the FDA for weight loss in 2021. Ozempic became insanely popular from social media after influencers started sharing successful weight loss using the once-weekly injection.
According to the company’s website, Ozempic is not for weight loss. Wegovy is approved for weight loss. Your physician and insurance company will determine whether Ozempic or Wegovy are right for you.
There will be haters that will attack me for using this diabetes drug for weight loss. To that, I say I am under the care of a doctor, and my insurance approved it, so simmer down. A bodybuilder commented on my YouTube video “Have you ever heard of diet and exercise?” to which I wanted to reply “Have you ever heard of clean, steroid-free training?”…..but I didn’t. I took the high road. Be a nice human, people. We’re all at different stages in life and in our health and fitness journey.
As a 40-year old woman, I’ve tried to lose weight many different ways. Hormones, peri-menopause, and other things come into play when deciding which weight loss method to choose.
The manufacturers really need to get a handle on distribution, but if you’ve tried multiple different ways to lose weight and are at the point of frustration and defeat, I would suggest visiting a doctor.
Just know that because of supply chain issues, you may have a hard time getting it at your pharmacy. I was only unable to get my medicine once, and another pharmacy had the drug on hand.
How to Get Prescribed Ozempic or Wegovy for Weight Loss
You can visit your primary care doctor or weight loss clinics, and they might be willing to prescribe you Ozempic. I used the PlushCare app to find a doctor who accepted my insurance (United Healthcare, at the time).
Ozempic offers a coupon to commercially insured patients, bringing the cost down to $25/month at the time of this blog post. Again, the company notes on its website that Ozempic is not a weight loss drug. So you will likely have to have a pre-existing condition, pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, or some other indicators that put you at greater risk.
How Much Does Ozempic Cost?
Ozempic will run around $1,000 per month if you’re a cash pay patient. If you use the GoodRx app, you can save some money, bringing it down to approximately $850 (in my area at Winn-Dixie).
If you have commercial insurance, they may deny you initially, or
require a prior authorization. It’s the insurance company’s way of asking you to jump through some hoops first…to insure that you really need it.
My insurance required a prior authorization, so we submitted my blood work showing high cholesterol along with my BMI, and they approved it for up to 12 month. As I said, I am no longer taking it after five months.
Wegovy vs Ozempic for Weight Loss – Which One is for Me?
These two drugs are both semaglitudes and both will offer similar results. A girlfriend of mine also tried Mounjaro and had similar results. Do your research and consult a qualified doctor.
If you’re looking for an easy way to make improvements in your health goals then consider giving Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss a try – especially if you’re someone who struggles with managing their type 2 diabetes symptoms or has difficulty sticking with diet and exercise plans due to lack of willpower or motivation!
It worked wonders for me by greatly reducing hunger cravings while increasing feelings of fullness after meals – all without having to go on any sort of special diet or do rigorous workouts every day! So why not give it a shot? You never know what positive changes could come out of it if you do decide go ahead and give it a chance!
I can’t say this enough. I am not a doctor. I am not qualified to tell you whether you should take semaglitude or not. I’m only sharing my experience because it has been a good one. If I had to do it all over again, I would have tried to be approved for Wegovy as it has been approved for weight loss specifically.
Life is a collection of memories and experiences. There are ups and downs. I am so grateful for God’s grace and am on the journey to a renewed spirit, free of perfectionism. Perfection Hangover offers the sober truth – no filter.
