These 4 Daily Habits Help My Patients on Semaglutide Stay on Track, MD Says

Semaglutide such as Wegovy and Ozempic is a GLP-1 drug used by patients for weight loss. The short description of this "faux hormone" is a prescribed medication that helps patients feel full, which in turn curbs appetite. Sounds like a pretty streamlined process, do you agree? The steps are pretty easy, although there can be risks and side effects during the journey.

Before starting any weight-loss drugs, it's important to learn any tips and tricks you can do to ensure success. In fact, implementing good habits can help patients tolerate their prescribed medications much better. We spoke with Dr. Blen Tesfu, MD, a Licensed Physician and Medical Advisor at Welzo, to get the details.

"Good habits help improve patient compliance," Dr. Tesfu explains. "If patients feel no side effects from their prescription medications, they are less likely to miss doses of their medication or discontinue treatment too early, as patients will have increased confidence and faith in the treatment. The direct result of the behavior will be that weight loss due to a constant diet and hydration will be consistent and will include the preservation of lean body mass. Therefore, as long as patients maintain a consistent diet and hydration pattern, the amount of fat lost per week will become much more predictable, and the overall results will become more sustainable, and therefore, much less prone to extreme fluctuations (burnout or plateau)."

If you are taking—or just starting to take—semaglutide, here are four daily habits to help you stay on that course, according to Dr. Tesfu.

Although you are dieting and consuming less food, it's essential to establish set times for your protein and fiber-rich meals.

"Although semaglutide will decrease your appetite, you are still likely to experience nausea, dizziness or other symptoms that can occur from under-eating," Dr. Tesfu says. "In addition, patients who have eaten well-balanced meals typically report feeling much steadier and full throughout their day."

Drink, drink, and drink more water to stay adequately hydrated.

"Drinking enough fluids helps with the digestive process and can reduce the amount of side effects they may be experiencing (i.e. constipation, headaches, etc.) I also recommend patients engage in low-intensity daily activity (such as walking) to enhance their metabolic health while minimizing fatigue," Dr. Tesfu tells us.

Dr. Tesfu stresses the importance of "building habits." After all, Rome wasn't built in just one day.

"For example, by making one simple change to your day (such as adding protein for breakfast or using a reminder app for hydration), you can make this new habit a manageable part of your daily routine," Dr. Tesfu says. "Once you have a small win under your belt, it becomes much easier to continue down the path of creating a long-term habit. By focusing on how these habits contribute to your overall well-being, as opposed to viewing them as a means to reach."

Be in sync with your body. There are early signs that will ensure you're administering your prescription right. It's a great confidence booster! After the first two weeks or so, nausea starts to decline, energy increases, and digestion improves.

"In terms of behavior, most patients will begin to feel much more in control almost immediately after they establish their routine. As weekly injections become second nature for the patient and the discomfort associated with administration decreases, so does the need to be motivated to continue the treatment," Dr. Tesfu says.

For major weight-loss transformation inspiration, check out I Lost 100+ Pounds on Mounjaro and This 'Guilty Pleasure' Breakfast Helped Me Do It.