Why is it critical to understand the advantages of maintaining a healthy weight?
For one thing, if you're overweight or obese, that information may motivate you to begin a weight loss program.
After you've started a program, remembering the benefits of reducing weight might help you stick to the plan.
Not all of the advantages of losing weight are physical. Changes in your self-image and self-esteem are likewise significant and should be recognized and appreciated.
Semaglutides' exceptional success is due, in part, to:
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their action on multiple organs
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the absence of drug tolerance...which is present in practically all other weight loss drugs
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the lack of significant side effects
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as well as the amazing effect on appetite, cravings, and fullness
The Semaglutides have been designed to be taken indefinitely...like any other medication for a chronic problem.
GLP-1...otherwise known as Glucagon Like Peptide-1 is what is called a receptor agonist. And in-case you don't know what an agonist is, an agonist is a medication that acts on a specific receptor to trigger a bodily response.
In June 2021 the U.S. FDA approved Wegovy® (aka semaglutide) injections for chronic weight management.
This approval was based on the results of the STEP (Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with Obesity) clinical trial program.
In the STEP 1 trial, results showed that patients taking Wegovy® achieved an average weight loss of 14.9% of body weight at 68-weeks.
This approval was based on the results of a trial that showed that patients taking Wegovy® achieved an average weight loss of 14.9% of body weight at 68-weeks.
Tirzepatide was approved as Mounjaro® by the FDA on May 13, 2022 for Type 2 Diabetes treatment.
A study found during a 72-week trial, participants saw a "substantial and sustained reduction in body weight," by taking Mounjaro®, regardless of the drug dosage.
Tirzepatide was again approved on November 8, 2023 as Zepbound™ - an injection for chronic weight management.
Studies showed that 1 in 3 patients taking Zepbound™ lost over 25% of their body weight.
Think about this...before the arrival of these medications, a generally accepted goal of a weight loss program was a 5% weight loss from baseline...and the U.S. FDA adopted the "5% or greater weight loss" as a goal of weight loss medications. So at 25% plus...a new bar has been set.
Up until a few years ago, there have been few medications able to produce consistently more than a 5% weight loss from baseline, and none of them have been able to help maintain the weight loss beyond a few months.
Only bariatric surgery was able to achieve consistently greater results.
The absolute contraindications for this treatment are:
#1 - Type one diabetes
#2 - A history or a family history of medullary C-cell type thyroid cancer.
#3 - Problems with MEN-2, which is multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2.
Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 2 is a rare, hereditary disorder characterized by the occurrence of specific types of tumors in various endocrine glands.
Additionally, if you have any allergy to any of the previously mentioned glucagon like peptide medications…this would also be a contraindication.
Weight Loss Program
How do GLP-1 agonists work?
To understand how GLP-1 agonists work, it helps to understand how the naturally occurring GLP-1 hormone works. GLP-1 is a hormone that your small intestine makes. It has several roles, including:
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Triggering insulin release from your pancreas: Insulin is an essential hormone that allows your body to use the food you eat for energy. It lowers the amount of glucose in your blood. If you don’t have enough insulin, your blood sugar increases, leading to diabetes.
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Blocking glucagon secretion: Glucagon is a hormone your body uses to raise your blood sugar levels when necessary. So, GLP-1 prevents more glucose from going into your bloodstream.
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Slowing stomach emptying: Slower digestion means that your body releases less glucose from the food you eat into your bloodstream.
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Increasing how full you feel after eating (aka satiety): GLP-1 affects areas of your brain that process hunger and satiety.
What I'd like to do next is go over the mechanism of action of combined GLP-1 / GIP Receptor Agonists (aka tirzepatides.)
The medications mimic the actions of two incretin hormones: GLP-1 and GIP hormone. These are otherwise known as "twincretins". The duo work together to stimulate insulin secretion after a meal is eaten.
The insulin then helps your body use or store glucose.
Functionally, it stimulates insulin release from the pancreas and leads to a reduction of hyperglycemia.
Its dual agonism ability leads to a more significant reduction of hyperglycemia than GLP-1 agonist agents alone and lowers the user's appetite...in other words, 2 receptor agonists are better than 1.
Tirzepatide is safe for both short and long-term use unlike many other weight loss options. Tirzepatide activation of GLP-1 receptors - improves glucose-mediated insulin secretion and decreases secretion of glucagon.
Tirzepatide activation of GIP receptors - increases and enhances insulin sensitivity & secretion and thereby helps reinforce the mechanisms regulating blood glucose levels.
Owing to the drug’s additional effects, such as delayed gastric emptying and increased satiety after eating...its use is further associated with reduced food intake And, you guessed it...significant weight loss.
So Key Takeaways Are:
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Tirzepatide has a unique ability to mimic the actions of two different types of hormones: GLP-1s and GIPs.
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Wegovy® & Ozempic® as semaglutide medications activate the GLP-1 receptor, while Mounjaro® & Zepbound™ as tirzepatide medications activate two receptors: GLP-1 and GIP.
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To stay with the 2 is better than 1 approach, this seems to cause people who receive tirzepatide injections to lose even more weight than those who receive a single-agonist medication such as semaglutide.
Do I Need to Change My Diet to Lose Weight?
Yes you Do! You cannot lose weight drinking high-sugar beverages, too much alcohol, fast food, pastries, rice, pasta, and potatoes very often.
A reduced-calorie, high-protein, low-carb diet makes the most sense to help increase the weight loss.
Low-carb diets are the most successful for weight loss because they depend on protein, which is the most filling, satisfying, and protective against hunger.
Try The Rules of Ten for Fullness: Select foods and beverages with more than 10 grams of protein and less than 10 grams of sugar or net carbs, or a Glycemic Index of less than 55 percent to produce fullness and prevent hunger.
OR...Try my personal favorite
The Rule of Halves: Eat whatever you want, just eat 1/2 as much