Wegovy 101
Wegovy is an MHRA-licensed prescription-only medication that should be self-injected once per week to balance blood sugar levels and reduce body weight. The active ingredient Semaglutide mimics a naturally occurring hormone to suppress and regulate appetite, allowing you to lose weight.
Yes, by suppressing appetite and causing your stomach to empty slower, you’ll feel fuller for longer, making it easier for you to consume fewer calories. Clinical trials have demonstrated that when used alongside a calorie-reduced, healthy diet as well as routine exercise, you could lose an average of 15% of your total weight within one year. However, individual results will vary as everyone is unique. Wegovy is only suitable for people with a BMI of over 30, or over 27 with certain comorbidities.
We’re confident that you’ll lose at least 10% of your body weight within 6 months, or you’ll get your money back with our Voy Money-Back Guarantee.
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding
- You are trying to conceive
- You have cancer
- You have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer
- You have a personal or family history of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndrome type 2 (MEN2)
- You suffer from liver, kidney or congestive heart failure
- You suffer from pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
- You suffer from type 1 diabetes or diabetic retinopathy
- You have a history of an eating disorder (eg. anorexia, bulimia)
- You have a history of gallbladder problems
- You have a history of Inflammatory bowel disease or gastroparesis
Wegovy is a brand-name version of the generic medication Semaglutide, which is a type of medication called a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist. To keep things simple, we call these medications “GLP-1s'' for short. The group of GLP-1 analogues (GLP-1a) mimics the effect of the natural gut hormone GLP-1, helping to balance blood sugar levels and suppress appetite, resulting in reduced body weight.
In a nutshell, Wegovy helps to support weight loss by:
- Reducing appetite - so you are less hungry
- Reducing cravings - so it’s easier to make healthy choices
- Reducing your ‘set point’ - so you can lose more weight before starting to plateau
Weight-loss medication has been used for many years, but the latest generations of medication have significantly fewer side effects and increased effectiveness. It’s important to note that the medicine does not provide sustained weight loss alone. To get the most out of a course of Wegovy, you must consider it as a tool to use in combination with healthy lifestyle changes for long-term weight management.
For the first 4 weeks of taking Wegovy, you will be taking a starting dose which is 0.25mg. Following this, your dose will increase to reflect your treatment plan.
Month 2
Your dosage will increase to 0.5mg per week.
Month 3
Your dosage again will increase to 1mg per week.
Month 4
Your dosage will further increase to 1.7mg per week.
Month 5
Your dosage will increase to the maximum dose of 2.4mg weekly.
It’s important to track your progress and attend follow-ups with your clinician to ensure the medication is working for you as well as to monitor any side effects.
The maintenance dose
The maintenance dose is the maximum dose you can take. For Wegovy, the maintenance (or maximum) dose you should take is 2.4mg once per week. Your coach will advise you on how to maintain your weight loss after you stop using Wegovy.