Sema not working as well as I hoped?

ChillLean

ChillLean

Active member
I've been on semaglutide for about 14 months, with a small break last fall. I've only managed to lose around 20 lbs when my doctor thought I'd lose at least twice that. It seems to help curb my appetite, especially preventing overeating, but I still get hungry. I can usually eat a normal-sized meal, except on injection days where dinner isn't as appealing. Lately, my hunger has increased, and I've even put on a couple of pounds. I know everyone's different, but I'm wondering if this is a waste of time and money. I've been exercising more to compensate. Anyone else experience this? What did you do? I'm taking a week off the injections to see if that helps reset things.

Right now, I'm on 1 mg. I tried going up to 1.5 mg, but it made my hunger even worse, felt like it was just wasting the medication.
 
Thanks for posting! Checking in to remind you to be careful. No talk about off-label meds or selling anything, even in DMs. Read the FAQ if you're new!
 
It's not a magic bullet. You still need to be active and watch what you eat. If you don't make changes to your habits, you'll probably gain the weight back, or even more.
 
Would you have lost those 20 pounds if you weren't taking it? Or would you have gained weight? I'm sometimes hard on myself, but I've lost almost 65 lbs in the last 3 years thanks to these meds, and I'd probably still be over 300 lbs without them. Even just keeping the weight off is a big win.
 
Hey there! It sounds like the medication is working differently than you expected it to.

Some people notice appetite suppression, others only notice they don't binge eat and their hunger is more controlled. Weight gain and increased appetite can happen for many reasons, even without tolerance. Stress, sleep patterns, and changes in your daily routine can all contribute.

A week off probably won't reset your system. Talk to your doctor about your dosage and whether this is the right choice for you.
 
Goals are similar - started 88kg aiming for 60kg. Thanks for posting, I love seeing similar progress and knowing it works for others. Just started so I worry it won't work. Posts like yours make me believe. Great work.
 
Have you considered increasing your dose? 1.5mg is still in the titration phase. The clinical trials used 2.4mg as the therapeutic dose, so you might not be getting the full effect yet.
 
It sounds like it was doing something for you last year! 20lbs is still a big improvement to your health, even if it wasn't the crazy results your doc was hoping for.

I've dropped about 35lbs while taking it. I eat smaller portions than before and don't binge as much (except around certain times of the month). But lately, I've been fighting hunger between meals and I'm losing weight really slowly - maybe 1-3 lbs each month. I think that's because my calorie needs have decreased as I've lost weight. I started over a year ago eating 1700-1900 cals per day and lost weight easily. Now I'm eating 1200-1300 cals per day and losing slowly. The hunger could be because the medication isn't working as well, or because I'm not eating enough to fight off the hunger, even with the medication.

I'm committed to taking this for 2 years, so I'm going to keep going until this fall. Maybe picking an end date to aim for will help you decide.
 
I agree with @Chris_16, now is a good time to really look at what you are eating. Food cravings and how much you eat is just one aspect. What is the calorie breakdown of your meals? What do you grab when you are hungry and how long does it keep you feeling full?

Smaller meals aren't always lower calorie or healthier. If you are gaining, you are no longer at a calorie deficit, maybe you have some insulin resistance issues (which semaglutide should help with). I would look more closely at your calorie intake and insulin resistance before you change your dose or injection schedule.
 
If you're working out more, you will feel hungrier. Your TDEE has decreased too now that you're lighter. Focus on your diet and figure out how many calories you're eating.

You're at a low dose still. A week off won't change anything. Stop comparing your results to other people's. Up your dosage and start tracking your calories.
 
I'm in the same boat, I've lost some weight, but not as much as others (still down about 55 pounds in the last year, so I'm not complaining).

I eat regular meals, but the sema makes them feel...more normal. I don't overeat. It's easier for me to skip late night snacks (although I will eat something if I didn't get enough calories during the day). Sometimes I feel full and can't finish my plate, so I'm eating smaller portions overall, but not tiny ones like some people show online.

I still get hungry, I still crave pizza, and I still eat muffins. Just not as much. Losing weight has also made it easier for me to exercise regularly (because I feel better about my body, and also yoga and cardio are easier with less weight.)

The biggest change for me has been cutting back on alcohol. I drink a bottle of wine once every couple of months, if that. Cutting out my nightly glass of wine made a big difference - those calories add up quickly!
 
20lbs in a year probably means it's not working, honestly. Some people lose weight without trying, while others have to diet strictly and just find it easier with the medication. Maybe it just doesn't work for some people, but they keep taking it cause their insurance covers it or it's cheap. As someone who has lost weight before without medication, I don't think losing 20 lbs in a year is worth $5,000, but everyone is different.
 
You sound like my oldest daughter. She's been taking it for almost 3 years. She lost about 20lb the first year and hasn't lost any more since then. My other daughter and I are on it and we lost weight really fast. My oldest daughter eats healthy and exercises a lot. My other daughter eats junk food and never exercises, but she had much better results with the medication. I eat right and I'm active and I lost weight quickly. My mom is also taking it, and she still eats and drinks a lot, but she's losing weight steadily. My oldest daughter tried switching to another drug and started losing weight again, but she had injection-site reactions and had to stop taking it. She's okay with losing 20lb, even though she wanted to lose more, so it is what it is. If you want or need to lose more weight, maybe you should switch. I think it just works better for some people than others. It's frustrating, for sure.
 
I agree with needing to give it time.
Maxie_1990 said:
Stop comparing your results to other people's.
Click to expand...
This journey varies SO much from person to person. Some people drop huge amounts of weight quickly; others see slow but steady progress. Just keep going!
 
It's easy to get impatient. I see newbies getting mad they aren't losing weight immediately! You just gotta let it happen. This is so personal. People lose like 80-100 pounds in a year, and I'm like...wow. Down about 50 after nearly a year and I'm thrilled!
 
Thanks, @Reta-Cake and @CoolMom559 for the encouragement. I'm definitely going to keep focusing on my diet and see if increasing the dosage, like @Dakota_70 recommended, makes a difference. It's helpful to hear that others have had similar experiences and still found success!
 
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