Wegovy contains the substance semaglutide. That drug makes your sense of satiety stronger. You feel full faster and stay that way longer. As a result, you automatically eat less, without having to hold yourself back all day. The effect is found in a hormone that regulates your hunger, and the effect builds up in steps.
What does Wegovy do in your body?
Your intestines produce a hormone after eating: GLP-1. That hormone regulates your hunger and satiety. It does four things:
It signals to your brain that you have eaten enough.
It drains your stomach more slowly, keeping you full for longer.
It helps your pancreas release insulin when your blood sugar rises.
It keeps your energy more stable between meals.
In overweight people, this hormone often does not work as well. Your hunger returns faster. Your satiety comes later. And you need a larger portion to feel full. This is not a matter of willpower. Your body works this way.
Semaglutide mimics that hormone. But it works more strongly. And it stays in your body much longer: about a week. That is why one injection a week is enough. Your sense of satiety thus gets a continuous boost.
Important: the drug does not turn off your hunger. It makes your own satiety stronger. If you keep eating while full, you will get nauseous faster. If you listen to your body, you will notice that a smaller portion is enough.
Why is the dose going up slowly?
Wegovy starts low and goes up in steps. This way, your body slowly gets used to the drug. The build-up takes about 16 to 20 weeks.
| Phase | Dose per week | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1-4 | 0.25 mg | Getting used |
| Week 5-8 | 0.5 mg | Getting used to it further |
| Week 9-12 | 1.0 mg | Impact builds up |
| Week 13-16 | 1.7 mg | Towards full dose |
| From week 17 | 2.4 mg | Maintenance dose |
That slow build-up is for a reason. Your stomach works more slowly because of the drug. Your body has to get used to this. If you go up too fast, you get nausea faster. And then people often stop before the medicine works properly. Do you have a lot of symptoms in one phase? Then just stay on that dose for a week longer. Faster than this schedule is almost never wise.
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How much will you lose weight with Wegovy?
In large studies, obese people lost about 15 per cent on average. That was after more than a year, at the highest dose. For someone weighing 100 kilos, that's around 15 kilos. They did receive guidance: advice on diet, exercise and habits. The group without medication lost an average of two to three per cent.
Note the word average. Some lose more, others less. A small group notices too little effect. What you achieve depends on your starting weight, your dose, your lifestyle and your body. A doctor does not promise a number beforehand. Neither do we. But we do know this: with a good lifestyle, a clear weight loss is achievable.
Do the check for a first impression of whether a supervised course suits you. If suitable, an intake will follow.
Why is the dose going up slowly?
Wegovy starts low and goes up in steps. This way, your body slowly gets used to the drug. The build-up takes about 16 to 20 weeks.
| Period | What you notice | On the scales |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1-2 | Less hunger, fewer cravings between meals | Still little difference |
| Week 4-8 | You fill up faster, leave something more easily | First kilos off |
| Week 8-12 | Cravings decrease | Weight drops gradually |
| After 16 weeks | Effect on full dose | Time to evaluate |
In the first few weeks, you won't see much on the scales yet. That is normal. This phase is all about getting used to it, not about losing weight. After 16 weeks, you and your doctor will check how you are doing. Have you lost less than five per cent by then? Then you will discuss whether the dose, your lifestyle or another drug is more appropriate.
What does Wegovy not do?
Wegovy does a lot, but not everything. Three things to remember:
Not a substitute for nutrition: it makes eating less easier. But it doesn't choose you. Those who also eat healthier will see effects faster.
No substitute for exercise: it works on your hunger, not your fitness. So keep exercising. That will help preserve your muscles while you lose weight.
Not a cure you do for a while: stop without new habits, your hunger will return. And often some of the kilos too.
You can read about what happens after quitting in how long have you been using Ozempic. It works the same way for Wegovy. Want to know what it contains and how to store it? Check out the Wegovy page. Would you like to know if a trajectory with Wegovy injections suits you? Then we will look at that in the intake.