Weight loss medication: what you need to know

Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and other GLP-1 medications, were orignally developed for people with Type 2 diabetes, particularly those also living with obesity. Prescribed and used properly, they can be genuinely life-changing, dramatically improving blood sugar control and reducing serious health risks.

The problem is that over the past couple of years, their popularity has gone viral, reframing them as a sort of modern miracle, a quick fix for weight loss, and often people are sourcing it without a doctor’s supervision. But. They are NOT a magic pill.

For a start, there are side effects: nausea, digestive upsets, constipation, abdominal discomfort, and in rarer cases, gallbladder or pancreatic issues. Then there’s the less talked-about part: unless managed carefully, a significant proportion of the weight lost can be muscle and bone, leaving you literally, very, very weak and fragile.

These medications do not automatically teach you how to eat well and how to prevent nutritional deficiency . In fact, the science is clear, if you do not improve your lifestyle, your meals, and your movement, while taking the weight loss meds, then you will go back to your previous weight (or more) once the medication is stopped.

So, for everyone who’s been asking about these medications over the past few weeks, the takeaway is simple: GLP-1 drugs, on prescription, can open a window for change, but lasting results only come from reshaping your habits.

How do you get to change your lifestyle while on weight-loss medications?

You need to eat and move in a way that protect muscle, bones and nutrient levels. You may need help to manage the common side effects like nausea or constipation. And then, after the medications stop, you need to stay aligned with your new way of eating as appetite returns.

If you’re using GLP-1 medication, or considering it, and you’re considering Health Coaching to help you build habits that support your health long after the injections stop, you’re welcome to book a no-obligation chat. It’s simply a space to talk things through. I can tell you this though:

What a health coaching programme for weight loss is NOT:

• Calorie counting or food policing

• Another restrictive diet

• A yo-yo plan that leaves you heavier than before

What a health coaching programme IS:

• A science-led, holistic approach to health

• Designed to fit real life and family routines

• Simple, enjoybable flexible food principles — no tracking, no maths

Whatever you decide, make an informed decision. That’s what matters. Please if you are on these weight loss medications and you are not changing your lifestyle, take action now. You might end up worse than you started out, otherwise. Feel free to get in touch for more no-obligations information.