Often known as the ‘skinny jab’, semaglutide (Wegovy) is a once-a-week self-administered injection in an easy to use pen. It was first licensed as a treatment for people with type 2 diabetes and contains the active ingredient Semaglutide. It reduces appetite and increases insulin productivity.
Weight loss can be really quite disheartening and challenging to control when you’re calorie counting all week and struggling with the cravings! Wegovy can help with this. Taking Semaglutide whilst you develop good eating habits and become more aware of your dietary habits can help create and achieve a life long change that can help give you the support needed to get back to a healthier you! It’s important that we check your overall health before starting any treatment. Part of this will be done with blood tests to check elements like your thyroid function, cholesterol and to screen for diabetes. After the initial consultation blood tests will be selected according to your personal health needs.
This costs £300 per month which includes a monthly review with the doctor, which can be done remotely or in person.
Who can use Semaglutide?
Men or Women who have tried other ways to reduce their weight and have a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or above who have at least one weight-related disease or people with a BMI of 30 kg/m2.
Wegovy helps take the negative association away from being in a calorie deficit and allows you to create and re-enforce healthy habits.
If you're local, we can also offer support through Plymouth Performance gym, who have strength and conditioning coaches who are degree level trained and are experienced in assisting people on Semaglutide and other weight management medication. They can work around injuries and niggles and even have a physio on site.
Combined with a healthy diet and appropriate exercise, the injection helps you lose weight without the discomfort of hunger, helping you keep the weight off.
The semaglutide injection has been used in the US for weight loss since 2014 and has been used in the UK for management of type 2 diabetes. It is licensed for weight loss now. Semaglutide has been studied quite extensively in multiple clinical trials and evidence clearly shows that more than twice as many patients achieved 5% and 10% body weight loss compared to diet and exercise alone. Have a look at the evidence here.
The short answer is yes! But although semaglutide is safe for most people, there are always some people it should not be used for:
People with thyroid disease
People with pancreatic disease
People taking insulin
People breastfeeding, pregnant or trying to conceive
People with a BMI less than 27.
During your initial consultation with the doctor, we will discuss your medical history and family history to assess if semaglutide or Monjaro is the right treatment for you. We may also need to do some additional tests including blood.
The most common side effects reported whilst taking Ozempic® include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach (abdominal) pain, and constipation. Most reports of nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhoea occurred during dose increases and this can be managed with medication if needed but it usually settles quickly on its own.
