So I started 4 weeks ago at .25 dose and am down 3 pounds, which is great, but I’m curious if I need to step up to .50 dose or if I’m seeing good enough progress to stay at .25?
This drug is amazing and it’s helping me make better food choices and eliminate the food noise snacking in between meals! I haven’t had any side effects other than a little nausea the day of injection.
For reference: SW: 178, CW:175, GW: 135-140.
Any feedback welcome! 🤗
I would definitely go up to .50 after one month and up again to 1.0 the next month if you’re tolerating it well. I didn’t start seeing significant loss til I hit 1.0/1.7 mg. For reference my SW was 170 and CW is about 154
Thanks for the advice! Seems like we are around the same starting point, so good to know you have had more success as you went up in dosages. I’m hoping to be in the 150’s by August or September (fingers crossed 🤞) because I have a family wedding to attend in mid-October 😊
Seems like you’re losing at a good pace too. I lost 18 lbs in six months
I was losing at .25 so I moved up in dose very slowly. Only made it to 1.7 at the 9 month mark and that was too high for me. I moved back down to 1.0. That being said: every person and body is different in how they react to this med.
I’ve bumped up once a month since starting. There was one month I lost a significant amount and stayed at that dose but it tapered out so I moved up to the final boss. lol I started last November and then was off it from Jan to maybe Feb-March because of insurance but all in all I’ve lost about 38lbs.
That’s amazing - 38 pounds so far is incredible!!
I lost very little on .25 and .5 and now at 1.0 it’s starting to come off. Although I have a bit of a different situation because last year I was on ozempic for only about two months before my insurance said “no, just kidding” and then couldn’t get Wegovy for a very long time so I had to start over but my body did have at least some memory of it because for ozempic I was losing on .25 and .50. Not as much as I am now but still losing
Hey, so I started on the .25 with feeling no difference at all, no appetite suppression......nothing, just started .5 yesterday and still the same. The only thing I find is my mouth gets dry. I don't know what I was expecting 😕 lol. I am just worried because nothing is happening.
When it kicks in is different for everyone but feeling nothing at .25 or .5 is normal
Great thank you 😊
My EXACT situation. Just got to 1.0 and am feeling hunger suppression. I was worried like uh oh this isn’t like last time! I got on Wegovy two years ago, fought through the shortage, made it to 1.0 and my insurance changed. They wouldn’t cover me. Finally back on and so grateful!
One month on .25 I lost 10 lbs. Next month I moved up to .50 and I lost 8 lbs. Decided to stay on .50 for another month, took my 5th shot of .50 today.
I am okay with the 3 pounds so far because it is around 1 pound a week, but I was hoping maybe it speeds up a bit as doses increase. Don’t get me wrong if it’s 1 pound week over week I’m totally fine with that, just curious what other people’s experiences have been ❤️
I’ve been on for ~1 year. Majority of weight loss was between month 3 and month 6 (50 lbs). Have been maintaining for the last 6 months with an additional 5 lbs lost over that time but I’ve also been spacing out doses every 10-14 days because I lost insurance coverage and am trying to make my remaining doses last.
You need to keep stepping up doses eventually, as your body does get used to the meds especially at doses .25-1.0, but everyone’s a bit different as to when exactly. Talk to your doctor.
I’ve been on wegovy since August or September last year…been on the highest dose since December and just last month I’ve noticed my appetite curbed and down nearly 20 lbs in 6 weeks or so. If I didn’t hit my deductible I would’ve gotten off the stuff. For some reason it just started working later than most.
Don’t go up on dose unless you’ve gone a week without losing
My doctor said 4 weeks on .25mg and then bump up to .5mg and see how it goes. I took my second .5mg shot today. I have not had worse daily side effects. I lost 4.8 lbs across the 4 weeks on .25mg and then another 1.4 this week. I like this pace. My doctor said it was common to be on .5mg for three months. I am meeting with a weight loss management doctor starting on Monday and I am hoping they will know more and give me guidance on that. I already have my second month prescription filled so I will do that. I think it's great timing to talk to your doctor about moving up. I am not in a hurry to bump up and plan to stay on the lowest effective dose as long as possible and as long as I continue to have no issue finding it. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing ❤️ I am just now starting on week 4, so if I lose another pound it would be 4 pounds the first month. I’m not upset at that loss rate, but it’s good to know most people didn’t see additional side effects at .5 compared to .25.
My doc also said it’s about finding the dose that works for you the best - so steady, but slow weight loss and appetite control but with little or no side effects. Some people seem to stay at .25 for months before moving up and since I am seeing some weight loss here I am just very curious about the benefits of stepping up to .5 vs what I’m seeing now at .25 😊
I’ve done 4 weeks on .25 and just moved up to .5 on Wednesday, down 6 pounds so far in the about 4.5 weeks. I’ve had no side effects on .5 I recommend moving up!
I went up to .5 on schedule after 4 weeks on .25, even though I was losing on average 1 lb per week. But I was hungry during the second half of the week before my next injection. I've done 2 shots of .5 now and the appetite suppression is lasting a day or two longer at this dose. I lost 2 pounds this past week. I'm not in a hurry and am happy with 1 lb a week, but I don't want to be battling hunger. So far .5 is better in that regard and not much different for me in the way of minimal side effects. Mostly fatigue the day after the shot and insomnia that I'm trying to find something to help with.
I had the same thing happening on 0.25 with the hunger and food noise coming back the last 2 days of the week. I just took my first 0.5 injection today and I'm hoping the effects last all week now. I'm getting great weight loss and no negative side effects so far, so I'll stick to 0.5 as long as it continues to work!
I’ve only been on Ozempic for almost 3 weeks (next Tuesday is the third .25 dose). I went from 353 to 345.
I read that the weight falls off faster when you get to the full 1 or 2 mg dose.
Just starting my 3rd month on .25. Lost 14lbs in close to two months. In consultation with my doctor, I will stay on .25 as long as I continue to lose at least a 1lb a week. Zero negative side effects so far as well.
It really depends on how much you have to lose. I have over 150 pounds to loose. I’ve lost 22 and I can’t tell yet.
You got this. It took 80 pounds (pre-wegovy) for anyone to notice my weight loss. Then one day BOOM it was undeniable.
Yeah I definitely know it will take awhile. I also don’t really want people commenting on my body so I’m fine with it right now. Congrats on your loss!!
I noticed the most weight loss at the beginning. I figured it was water weight from sitting at home recovering from having my appendix removed. Went from 5 pounds a week to about 2. I'm about to start the 1.7 next week so we'll see how it keeps going. Spoke with my doc the other day and I should hit 200lbs by the end of the year if I keep going at the rate I'm at. Started at 325 mid Feb and I'm at 277 as of yesterday.
Healthy weight loss is 1lbs each week. You don't need to up your dose if you are doing well with minimal side effects.
I didn’t start seeing significant weight loss until I reached 1.7 and then titrated up to 2.4. We all respond differently, don’t get discouraged!
I'm hoping this is same for me as I have not lost weight at 1.7 and my GP thinks it might take 2.4 to work. Did you lose anything on lower doses?
I would definitely step up. For me, most of my weight loss from first 4 weeks came from shedding water weight from the first day.
I’m on week 9. Just started 1.0 dose. Lost about 7 pounds since I started, but most of that came off in the first month. Not much has come off since and I still think about food all the time. Am I doing something wrong?
This is my EXACT SAME scenario. Took my first dose of .25 on April 14th, then .5 4 weeks later, and about to take my second dose of 1.0 on Sunday. Only lost 7 pounds in 9 weeks. I’m trying to see what will happen as I continue to up my doses but it’s getting frustrating. Seems like everyone else’s weight is just “falling off”…
I think a lot of it depends on your SW and your body’s individual response to the medication. I know my SW is less than some and I am only needing to lose about 35-40 pounds total, but I have been active most of my life and cut out desserts and high fat foods about 4 years ago, so all those changes others are making now might be helping them lose a little faster 😊 I’m okay with slow and steady, just want to educate myself as much as possible as I move forward!
I wonder what the reason is behind it not working that much for others. I’m not an early responder either. But it does take time to build up in the system over time. I suppose we all just have that level that works for us
I'm on day 4 and have easily lost 4 pounds. SW 212; 5'8" - I'm taking this for cardiac reasons (heart failure), age 52, and am so happy I could finally get my prescription filled. So many people who do not need it are taking this drug as an easy fix for 10-15 pounds and it infuriates me. BUT, I'll focus on the positive. I'm having very few side effects, see a huge change in the way I 'see' food, and also see a bright future. I think you're on the right track too!
I have a lot of weight to lose but I don’t begrudge anyone for taking it for 10 to 15 lbs. over time that weight gain will pile on top of the 10-15 lbs. better to prevent more weight gain and have to lose 15 than to become more unhealthy and have to lose 60.
My opinion is that it should not be at the cost of someone with heart failure NOT being able to get access to the drug because someone wants to lost 10-15 for 'cosmetic' reasons. Sorry to post this on your thread. I will start my own.
Weight loss isn’t a cosmetic thing it’s a health thing?
What I was trying to say is that there are people who are a healthy weight with no health issues who have access to a Wegovy prescription because they go to a Specialty Center (the type of places that offer botox, body wraps, etc). These businesses are all over the country. I work with a person who has been on it since December and she had zero health issues. She wanted to 'ensure she had a gap between her thighs again. While I had to wait until June to get a prescription due to supply being almost non-existent.
The argument could go both ways.. she's getting on top of a problem before it snowballs into heart issues. We are all at different periods of correcting our weight problems.
NM, my point isn't understandable.
Just quit talking.
In 2019 the American medical association classified obesity as a disease. It is not a simple matter of lifestyle choices although there are many who still have not made or understand the conclusions of biology and physiology involved in this disease. We all know people who eat whatever they want and don't gain any weight and there are others who can't eat as much because they have that metabolic imbalance between the glucagon produced in the liver and the insulin produced in the pancreas. It is not our place to judge the obesity disease of someone else. Personally I would not mess with my metabolic system for 15 pounds but it is their option. I look forward to the time when this medication is freely available to everyone and not just because some med spa or clinic orders the peptide from China, reconstitutes it, and charges 5 to 8 times as much for their patients. So many people are making a lot of money off of these peptides.
I very much agree! This was my entire point. I should not have mentioned 10-15 pounds to lose because that seems to have triggered people. I was only referring to a person on Wegovy that is healthy, falls into no health risk categories AND still wants to lose so they can meet the "approval" of our medias twisted view of what healthy looks like.....
These people should not be able (in my opinion) to so easily get the prescription when it was been back ordered due to supply and people like me with heart failure can't easily get the prescription filled.
Gotcha.
I would move up.
I was averaging around 1.5-2 pounds/week when I was actively losing. (I’m in maintenance now.)
When I started taking 1.7!! Can’t wait to start on 2.4 which is waiting for me in my refrigerator 😂
I started at 229. Last time I got weighed (2 wks ago?) I was 214. I have been on this drug for 3 months. I'm almost at 1.0 (I'm having a rough time tolerating it)
No idea what I am now but people can see the difference and clothes are looser.
Hello, I’m in a v similar position/stage. I was wondering the exact same thing and decided to go up to the .5 dose, which I will be starting next week. I decided to go up because I still have more food noise than I’d like and frankly am hoping for faster weight loss. I’d also decided that if I was to stick to the .25 that I’d only do so for another month. Wish you all the best whatever you decide.
They also say the .25mg is the hardest to find.
Ok I didn’t know that
When I didn’t have gaps from shortage. :)
Lost nothing on .25 and .5, but now losing steadily on 1.0.
I'm on week 5 of. 25 and have lost 5 1/2 lbs. I have already noticed a change in how my pants fit.
Other that horrible sulphur burps and gas (I really could use some remedies here), so far so good. I have changed so I eat way more lower fat foods and less sugar.
My work /volunteer schedule is flat out so I haven't been able to amp up my exercise as much as I would like, but I do try to incorporate more walking and have increased my water intake.
Looking forward to increasing the dosage.
EDIT : Adding dosage in the post
Best remember I found for supper burps was drink more water, tums, Prilosec. It lasted a few days and it was bad but then….magicallh disappeared.
I take omeprazole daily for other stuff anyway. I'll try something similar to Tums (I hate them), but was wondering if the burps went away. I get them the next day after the injection like clockwork.
My sister in law has these awesome Alka Seltzer Heartburn Chews that are so much more delicious than Tums. I had never seen them before she offered me one recently. You can find them on Amazon or at any store.
They went away for me but they seem to reappear every so often. I’m currently on .50 and only down 7lbs since 4/23. But slow and steady, right?
I would say if you are finding your appetite is down with .25 I’d stay put. You could try going up to see how you do on .50 of course. I got a lot of benefit from .25 for quite some time. In my mind, the lower the dose you can use the better. Ideally your doctor would advise on this, not a bunch of strangers on a Reddit board but I know sometimes doctors aren’t available for any number of reasons.
Started in April 2023 at 299, now at 207, gw 150 ish. I lost the most weight when I started the 2.4 because that is when I finally pulled my head out of my ass and started making actual lifestyle changes. I don’t want to be on this medication forever, only pooping twice a week isn’t fun.
You poop twice a week? Must be nice😂 I'm lucky if I go once😱
Daily metamucil and a lot of water, everyday. You should be pooping more than once a week.
I was that way, moved down to 1.7 and I’m going twice a week now. Not losing weight though.
I’ve actually weight this morning, SW 238 CW 226.8 GW 160 lbs I’m a 28 yo woman. - 5ft 4inch . I’m on this medication since 5 weeks now and I started at 0.5 now I’m at 1. It took two weeks to loose 1 pound.
I had a big drop my second month on . 25, threw up a lot on 1, and lose about 7.5 a month at 2.4. I have a 500-1000 calorie deficit most days.
It's not a miracle drug, you still have to put in the work. For me, eating super low calorie just isn't sustainable, so I aim to burn 2500-3000 calories a day, and eat around 1500.
Wowza!! What exercises do you do to burn 3k a day?
Curious to hear how to burn that many calories too!! Sounds amazing!
Most days, my TDEE on a work day is around 2300, if I hit 6k steps a day I clear 2500, and if I lift weights or go rock climbing, those are easily 500-700 calorie an hour burn. I usually only do those once a week each though.
That's amazing!
I joined a women's weightlifting class in February, and it's been amazing. 1st, the skinny women are jealous of how strong I am, which feels pretty good. 2nd since I pay for the class, I have to go, every week, no excuses. 3. The trainer keeps us at a clip with circuits, so it's a lot. 4. Watching my lean mass stay fairly level and my body fat start tanking in February has been really rewarding. 5. I've gone from a 2x or 3x to L in sports bras and most athletic gear that has stretch. I've only lost 35 lbs, but 28 of those are fat. My clothes are looser than the last time I was this weight, and I will choose inches lost over pounds lost any day. Muscle definition is starting to peak out, my face is slimmer, my traps look good, and I swear I saw the beginning of abs in the right light.
Every other time I've tried to lose weight, I've focused on cardio and neglected weight training. Weights seem to be really important to my situation, which I should have known, because as a teen I was always really strong and weighed more than I looked because of the muscle from swim and dance.
This post of yours and the replies are very inspiring. I always loved strength training over cardio. Thanks!
I'm 64 and have done weight training intermittently since I was in college. After many, many spins on the weight loss/gain carousel, it's come to my attention that it's the only kind of exercise that has helped me lose weight. I'm going to stick with it as long as I can.
Freaking BEAST MODE yessss!!! Muscle mass/inches lost over weight loss ANY DAY!!! I was smiling so big reading all that because I remember back in 2013 when I dropped weight and started packing on muscle just how ADDICTING it was! I loved looking at myself and my progress because I had never been in that shape before. I told myself this time around I'm doing it right. No starving myself, eating a balanced diet with the help of Wegovy shutting out food noise is going to make my life so much easier. I'm so excited to start I could just cry lol
That's absolutely the right mindset to be in! Because ultimately, it's lifestyle changes that we are supposed to be working on. The drug just helps you eat like a normal person and not obsess over your next meal. Being able to eat like a regular person is amazing. I finally know that people aren't lying when they say "I'm not hungry."
I take my measurements weekly and put them in a spreadsheet. I've been doing that off and on since 2008, so I'm going back in time, seeing what I weighed and what my measurements were. Currently, I'm 2017 weight, but 2016 size, which is pretty exciting, because 2016 was an awful year and is when I really started the runaway weight gain. Soon I'll completely have that chapter of my life closed. Every day I look more like myself when I look in the mirror, instead of searching for the right angle or saying "good enough I guess."
I skipped the .5 cycle because I couldn't find them, and I was really sick. Like puking 2 days after, then barely an appetite, brain fog, and nothing seemed edible to me. I also had to adjust my meds, because the extended release pills just sat there all day and I think that was ultimately the biggest problem. Took months for my doc to believe me, and then things settled down in my tummy.
I'm so thrilled for you!! Man I can't wait to eat like a regular person lmao I truly do obsess over food, what I'm eating, when I'm eating, should I eat it or should I not, etc. I can't WAIT for that to end. Eeeeek!!
You'll do great! I go for the high caloric burn, because 1200 a day is just not satisfying, no matter what it is for me. I'm left hungry and eventually binge. With my burn goal being so high, I can eat more, can usually fit in a dessert or salty snack, which I never do well when I cut them completely out, so I just make room for a single serve ice cream bar, popsicle, or smoothie at night.
I also bought a super cheap folding treadmill. I can jump on that after work, grab a book or Hulu, and walk 2 miles before I even realize it. And I'm not completely sweaty or wiped or hurting from trying to run. Days I use the treadmill while reading, I always go over my step goal.
I am a big snacker so cutting out snacks without wegovy is nearly impossible! And sweating... omg being 270lbs I feel like I blink and I work up a sweat. It sucks. It's embarrassing. I can't wait for that part to go waaaaay down lol
I’ve consistently lost 2 to 3 lbs a month regardless of which drug (Saxenda vs Wegovy) or dosage. Currently at 2.4mg Wegovy. Most insurance wants you to move up to at least 1.7.
Consistently lost 11 pounds the two months i was on wegovy, 22 pounds in total, and im now on last week of 0,5.
I'm only on my 7th pen. I lost 10lbs my first 3 pens or 3 weeks into it and then I've been stalled and fluctuating between the same 3-4 lbs. I lost 22lbs on my own before the medicine, but didn't lose any inches. When I got on Wegovy, I FINALLY started losing inches, & my clothes went down like 2 pant sizes despite losing less weight on the pens than without it. So it seems the medicine is making me lose directly from stored fat. I notice when the scale isn't moving I'm shrinking in size. To stay encouraged measure yourself too! Sometimes when the scale is stalled it's coming from visceral fat & body fat.
Months 3-4 it started to be really consistent
My insurance would not let me stay at .25 or .50.
I will have to look into that some more. If .5 keeps working then I'd rather stay there as long as I can.
If you're feeling good you could always try another month of your current dose. It isn't a therapeutic dose, but I don't think there is any harm in it. You can always go up the next month. I also decided to stay on .25 for 2 months bc I responded well at first, but I found by weeks 5 and 6 the lower dose no longer worked for me. I have been losing steady weight the whole time but I definitely noticed the food noise creeping back in and have gone up a dose twice now.
Everybody’s different— pay attention to your own response. I’ve been losing steadily at 1 pound per week, and only up the dose when food noise is up and side effects are stable. (I’m only at 1.0 after 6 months, and ready to up my dose next refill.)
There’s no reason to stay at 0.25 for more than two months. Even if you were getting good results with it, it’s NOT a therapeutic dose. It exists to get your body accustomed to it so that the side effects don’t kick your ass and make you want to go off the drug altogether. I’ve now been on 0.25 for one month and I do my first shot of box 2 tonight. I’ve lost 8.2 lbs as of last week (haven’t weighed myself today), but as soon as my doc moves me up, I look forward to getting closer to an actual therapeutic dose.
ETA: why am I being downvoted, I didn’t say anything wrong nor did I say anything insulting ???
15lbs first month on .25 and 5lbs for the next 5 weeks (.50 for 4 weeks and 1mg for 1 week). The last two weeks of .50mg I had a lot more food noise. This diminished greatly when I moved up to 1mg.
Hmm I’ve lost pretty steady the whole time so far. Maybe early on I dropped the most weight but since it has been pretty consistent. My starting weight was way higher though
Within the first week. I just took my fifth dose (continuing with 0.25) and I've lost about 10 pounds. But I'm super sensitive to medication.
Go up. You’re just getting your body adjusted to the medicine right now. Therapeutic doses are 1.7 and 2.4. Insurance will kick you off it if you don’t titrate up with the medicine like it’s meant to do.
That's not true. A therapeutic dose is what is effective for that individual person, no matter what dose it is. So if .25 or .05 is effective in losing weight then that's the therapeutic dose for that person.
A therapeutic dose is considered one that is working for the patient, no matter what drug it is. So if .5 or 1mg is working it is a therapeutic dose for that person.
Exactly !! 👏👏 I just wish more people on here would accept this fact.
In order to prevent that, just refill as if you're titrating up. ;)
I didn't know that!! Are the higher doses easier to find at least? And are the side effects less? I opted to stay at the 0.5 for 1 more month (so a total of 2 months) because the loose stools are kicking my butt! No matter what I eat (except dry cereal for some reason which, I'm trying to avoid), it goes straight through me. High carb, low carb, lean protein, high protein, low fat, no fat, all plants, small portions, everything. 😭 Cereal oddly is the only thing constipates me when I did eat it lol, and it's not even high fiber cereal.
It’s more medicine so I’d imagine if you’re not handling lower doses you wont do better going up. Some bodies just need some adjusting time. I’m opposite, causes constipation for me but I’ve found a solution that works. My only other symptom is extremely sensitive skin. Like I have a sunburn but I don’t.
A couple weeks into the 1.0, I finally noticed.
I just finished eight weeks at .25 and have not lost a pound! Ugh. I move up to the .5 dose on Sunday, and I'm really hoping to see something happen.