Semaglutide is an injectable medication originally approved for treating type 2 diabetes. More recently, it has shown promising results for weight loss in people struggling with obesity.
Semaglutide works by mimicking the hormone GLP-1, which helps regulate blood sugar and appetite. It sends signals to the brain to tell you that you are full, reduces food cravings, and slows digestion to curb hunger pangs.
Benefits of using semaglutide for weight loss:
Semaglutide is administered as a weekly injection prescribed by a medical provider. Side effects are usually mild but may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. These often improve with continued use.
Here at Vitality Hormone Clinic in Buffalo, we help patients achieve their weight loss goals through customized plans involving semaglutide. We focus on sustainable results rather than extreme dieting or intensive exercise programs that often lead to weight regain.
With semaglutide and lifestyle guidance, most patients lose 10% or more of their weight over a 6 to 12 month period. Some lose even more through continued use of the medication and adopting healthier habits.
Our clinic takes a holistic approach by assessing each patient’s unique needs. We provide nutritional counseling, fitness tips, emotional support for behavior change, prescription management, and routine follow-ups to keep you on track.
Losing weight improves nearly every aspect of health – reducing pain, boosting immunity, stabilizing blood sugar, improving lung and heart function as well as mental health. We empower patients to make positive changes so they look good, feel energized, and prevent weight-related diseases.
Semaglutide can benefit adults struggling with obesity and weight-related medical problems. Good candidates include those with:
Semaglutide is appropriate for motivated adults ready to make healthy lifestyle changes. We help patients incorporate more activity into daily routines, guide food choices for nutrition, address emotional eating patterns, and reframe thoughts around willpower and self-image.
Treatment plans are tailored to your unique medical history, preferences and weight loss goals. Rapid results in the first few months help patients stick with the program for maximal, sustainable success.
There are many reasons why semaglutide is so effective for weight loss, especially compared to traditional diet pills.
While results vary, most patients lose 10-15% of starting weight on semaglutide alongside improved eating habits and physical activity. Some individuals lose 20 pounds or more per month, especially heavier patients in the first few months.
The biggest difference from other programs is that weight loss is rapid yet sustainable. Patients don’t feel starved or deprived thanks to appetite regulation from semaglutide treatment. We help you identify and break negative patterns for long-term success.
Semaglutide was originally approved as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, but researchers discovered it also causes significant weight loss. In 2021, a specific semaglutide formulation called Wegovy was approved by the FDA solely for chronic weight management, making it one of the first medications specifically for obesity.
Here at Vitality Hormone Clinic, weight loss solutions are never “one-size-fits-all.” We take time to understand your unique medical history, challenges, and needs to create custom treatment plans.
After an initial consultation, our providers order lab tests to assess hormone balance, cholesterol, liver health, blood sugar, thyroid function, and more. This establishes a baseline to monitor progress.
We educate patients on realistic weight loss timelines so expectations stay reasonable. For heavier individuals, losing 4 pounds per week is common initially but slows to 1-2 pounds as you approach a healthy goal weight.
Lifestyle modifications are key – we offer guidance to improve nutrition, reduce stress, optimize sleep, and increase activity. Even mild exercise like walking helps amplify results. Group support sessions promote accountability.
Follow-up visits every 4 weeks monitor progress through repeat body composition scans, lab tests, and measurements. We adjust medication dosage and lifestyle plans to overcome plateaus. Addressing mental roadblocks and unhealthy thought patterns is crucial too.
The comprehensive approach maximizes weight loss during 6-12 months of semaglutide treatment. Maintenance plans promote keeping weight off long-term through continued healthy behaviors. We celebrate success stories and guide patients suffering setbacks.
Patients beginning semaglutide therapy with Vitality Hormone Clinic must meet certain criteria:
We welcome referrals from physicians, though any motivated adult can self-refer for an obesity consultation. Your PCP remains involved for collaboration and awareness.
Cost varies based on dosage strength needed and insurance coverage. Many plans cover some or all of the expense since obesity worsens nearly every health condition. Payment plans or discounted services are possible for financial hardships.
The process of beginning semaglutide is straightforward:
We empower patients with knowledge, tools and support. Small consistent changes transform health over time. Vitality Hormone Clinic celebrates each milestone!
The medical definition of obesity is having a body mass index (BMI) over 30. BMI between 25-30 is overweight. It's calculated by dividing weight in kg by height in meters squared.
While useful for tracking trends, BMI fails to capture important details like waist size, body composition, and fat distribution. Our testing better evaluates disease risk and guides treatment plans.
Carrying extra body fat significantly worsens health, especially around the abdomen. Potential obesity complications include:
Losing just 5-10% of your weight often stabilizes blood sugar, lowers cholesterol, improves sleep apnea, reduces joint pain, and boosts immunity.
The biggest challenge with weight loss is controlling hunger and cravings long-term. This often requires calorie counting, portion control, resisting temptations, and loads of willpower.
Semaglutide makes the process easier by curbing appetite naturally. As a GLP-1 receptor agonist, it activates areas of the brain that reduce food intake.
Patients report feeling satisfied with smaller meals, less snacking, and fewer cravings. It regulates physiology to match the lifestyle changes you want to make.
Another way semaglutide assists weight loss is by slowing digestion so the stomach empties slower.
Food stays in the stomach longer which maintains feelings of fullness between meals. Patients become satisfied with smaller portions that get digested more slowly.
This mechanism also helps regulate blood sugar levels since nutrition gets absorbed gradually instead of large spikes after eating.
Insulin is the hormone needed to store fat. It essentially signals to fat cells to stockpile excess calories from food instead of burning it for energy right away.
People with obesity and diabetes often develop insulin resistance - insulin loses its effectiveness so the body makes more trying to overcome resistance. Chronic high insulin from resistance promotes easy fat storage.
Semaglutide makes body cells more sensitive to insulin. This helps reverse insulin resistance by improving cell response to insulin signals.
Better insulin sensitivity means the body more readily taps into fat for energy needs instead of storing all excess calories as body fat. Increased fat breakdown equals weight loss!
Semaglutide comes in a pre-filled injection pen similar to insulin pens used by diabetics. The weekly injection is self-administered at home.
After removing caps, patients pinch around 1 inch of skin/fat to inject medication. The stomach area, thighs, or arms all work well.
Injections begin at a low dose which gets increased gradually around 4 weeks in based on patient tolerance and provider guidance.
Titrating doses slowly and monitoring side effects is key - rapid dose escalations may increase gastrointestinal effects like nausea. Staying adequately hydrated helps minimize adverse reactions.
While semaglutide curbs hunger, sustaining weight loss still requires improved nutrition and more activity. We coach patients on healthier eating patterns, provide nutrition tips for satiety, recommend home exercises, address mental roadblocks, and ensure accountability.
Small consistent changes improve results over time - things like decreasing processed carbs and fried foods, adding a serving of vegetables to each meal, reducing portion sizes 20%, taking a short walk 3 times a week. It all adds up!
Patients using semaglutide have follow-up visits every 4 weeks to assess progress, troubleshoot challenges, measure weight loss and side effects, and make medication adjustments as needed.
Body composition testing using our latest technology monitors the breakdown of fat mass vs lean muscle mass over time. DEXA scans help visualize shrinking belly fat.
Blood tests every 3 months ensure safety by tracking cholesterol, liver health, nutrients, and blood cell levels for any medication interactions.
Most patients utilize semaglutide for 6-12 months with excellent results, though some continue longer term for weight maintenance given its good safety profile.
We monitor patient health closely and advise stopping treatment if side effects become intolerable or safety lab tests indicate developing problems.
Other reasons to discontinue use may include achieving goal weight, cost barriers, lack of effectiveness, pregnancy/breastfeeding, or declining motivation making lifestyle compliance difficult. Each case is unique.
Sustainable weight management requires lasting improvements in eating patterns and nutrition. Fad crash diets inevitably fail long-term.
Our nutrition experts guide patients toward balanced low-processed carbohydrate meal plans optimized for health. We provide sample daily menus, snack ideas, cooking tips, grocery guidance, and eating out strategies tailored to individual needs and preferences.
Behavior change challenges like night eating, emotional eating, meal planning barriers and restaurant pitfalls are addressed through accountability groups.
While semaglutide curbs appetite significantly, increasing activity makes the biggest impact for fat burning potential and weight loss. We encourage starting small.
Our staff provides home exercise program guidelines appropriate for your fitness level – whether chair exercises for the elderly or mobility limited, beginner strength training routines, flexibility training, walking programs, aquatic therapy or more. We offer equipment suggestions to make moving easier.
Lifestyle tweaks like taking the stairs, adding movement breaks every hour in the office, parking farther away, gentle yoga videos, and dancing around the house provide extra activity without excessive exertion. Every little bit counts!
Maintaining motivation as you approach your goal weight can be challenging. Our optional online support groups facilitate encouragement, tips for overcoming plateaus, addressing emotional eating, and celebrating victories.
Follow-up visits every 4 weeks provide medical oversight for medication management, lab test monitoring, body measurements, and ensuring you receive the coaching needed for maximal, sustainable success. We stick by your side!
Of course every patient responds differently, but most lose 10-15% of total body weight over a 6-12 month period with semaglutide alongside improved nutrition and added activity.
Some patients lose up to 20% body weight or more, especially those with higher BMIs initially. The first few months generally show rapid results as the medication dosage increases and routine lifestyle changes begin compounding.
As the weight comes off, health biomarkers like blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar improve too. Patients require less medications for obesity-related conditions. Mobility gets easier and energy levels rise.
Many health insurance policies cover some or all semaglutide treatment costs given its proven efficacy to reverse weight-related diseases. We assist patients in navigating potential coverage options.
Obese patients with comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension or heart disease often meet prerequisite qualifications. We appeal insurance denials when appropriate to ease financial barriers.
For self-pay patients, we offer discounted pricing and financing plans. Cost depends on several factors - dosage needed, insurance contributions, duration of treatment. We strive to make programs affordable.
Are you ready to lose weight with expert guidance? We welcome you to take the next step:
? Request an obesity consultation
Our friendly staff schedules new patient appointments within a week typically. We look forward to learning about your unique situation and goals to chart a course for success!
Doctor visits remain safe during COVID through sanitization precautions and optional virtual visits when appropriate. Don’t let the pandemic further delay life-changing weight loss – we empower patients to overcome obesity remotely or in-clinic.
Commit today to reach your health goals faster and more comfortably than willpower alone.
