How Long does it Take to Lose Weight on Ozempic?

Ozempic is a newly approved drug for the treatment of diabetes. Although not approved for the treatment of obesity and weight management, people have witnessed significant weight loss effects associated with Ozempic.

Weight loss is considered a desirable side effect of Ozempic when used in obese diabetic patients. High-dose Semaglutide injections, Wegovy, have been approved primarily for weight loss.

What is Wegovy, Rybelsus, and Ozempic? Efficacy in DM and Obesity

Ozempic is similar to Wegovy as it has the same drug formulation, however, the dose used in Ozempic is about one-third the dose of Wegovy.

Ozempic is given as a 0.25 mg injection weekly for four weeks, followed by 0.5 mg weekly. The maximum recommended dose of Ozempic in diabetics is 1 mg subcutaneous injection once a week.

On the other hand, Wegovy is the same drug, but the dose of Semaglutide is 2.4 mg once weekly.

Before and After Pictures & Reviews of People who are using Ozempic

How long does it take to lose weight on Ozempic?

So, when should you notice the weight loss effects of Ozempic?

Unlike the A1C, which may take at least four weeks to come down to normal, the weight loss effects of Ozempic may be noticed soon after treatment initiation.

It may take as little as one week to at least two months when you may start noticing the weight loss effects of Ozempic.

In clinical trials, weight loss associated with Ozempic was 9 to 12 pounds after one year of treatment using 0.5 mg and 1 mg Ozempic injection respectively [Ref].

Ozempic Weight Loss Reviews by Real Patients @ Reddit

Data from real patients who posted their weight loss stories on social media observed weight loss soon after treatment initiation.

To answer the question, we collected data from social media of people who have been using Ozempic and evaluated the weight loss effects of Ozempic. Here are the results:

Here is data taken from real patients who observed weight loss using Ozempic:

Data of a total of 43 patients who were using Ozempic was analyzed.

Gender and Duration of Ozempic treatment:

67.4% (29) of the participants were females while 32.6% (14) were males. Participants were using Ozempic injection for a mean duration of 9.17 weeks (+/- 10 std) ranging from 1 to 52 weeks.

gender distribution of patients in the study using Ozempic — Gender distribution of patients in the study using Ozempic

Dose of Ozempic:

Out of a total of 38 participants who mentioned the dose of Ozempic, most were using 0.25 mg injection.

Since Ozempic is advised in a dose of 0.25 mg weekly for four weeks followed by 0.5 mg weekly up to a maximum dose of 1 mg weekly, most patients were using it in a dose of 0.25 mg per week.

	Less than 4 weeks	More than 4 weeks
0.25 mg	19	1
0.5 mg	0	10
1 mg	0	7

One patient was using Ozempic in a dose of 0.25 mg beyond four weeks. One patient was using a supratherapeutic dose of 1.7 mg.

dose of ozempic — The percentage of patients using different doses of Ozempic

How to Switch from Victoza to Ozempic (Liraglutide to Semaglutide)

Weight Loss with Ozempic:

The mean weight loss in the study was 17.44 lbs +/- 16 ranging from 0 to 60 lbs.

Duration of treatment and weight loss:

Duration of Treatment in Weeks	Percentage of patients	Mean weight loss (lbs)
One week	7	10
2 weeks	16.3	5.27
3 weeks	16.3	8.71
4 weeks	9.3	4.25
5 weeks	9.3	23.87
6 – 12 weeks	16.3	22.29
12 – 24 weeks	20.9	33.33
24 – 48 weeks	2.3	35

Below is the graphical presentation of the same findings:

weight loss effects of Ozempic vs duration of treatment — The weight loss effects of Ozempic in patients plotted with the duration of treatment

It can be seen that the weight loss effects of Ozempic can be noticed soon after treatment initiation. Even after a single dose of Ozempic, people started noticing significant weight loss.

However, as the duration of treatment is extended beyond four weeks, significant weight loss can be observed.

It is important to note that the first four weeks of treatment is considered the priming period where people get used to the drug so that the drug-related adverse reactions can be minimized.