Wegovy Weight Loss Timeline: Week-by-Week Results and What to Expect

In the first 4 weeks of taking Wegovy, you may notice a change in your appetite. Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonist, which means that it mimics naturally occurring appetite hormones in the body to:

• send a message to your brain that you’re full
• regulate your blood sugar
• slow down the emptying of your stomach

When you start taking Wegovy, you should notice that your appetite is decreasing and you feel fuller for longer after meals. As a result of these effects, people lose an average of 2% of their body weight in the first 4 weeks of taking Wegovy. However, please remember that weight loss will vary for each individual.

To help increase your success on Wegovy, it can be helpful to focus on sustainable lifestyle changes alongside the medication. These include:

• improving your diet by increasing protein and fibre intake
• adding exercise into your routine, working out around 5 times per week
• being more active in general, such as standing and walking more
• staying hydrated
• managing stress
• getting enough sleep

It’s also helpful to have a support system around you to help you stay motivated throughout your weight loss journey, and to give emotional support on days that feel harder to stay positive.

Common side effects

It can be common to experience some side effects in the first weeks. These should go away on their own as your body gets used to Wegovy, but they may come back when you increase your dose.

You should seek medical advice immediately by calling 999 if you experience a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Signs of this include:

• feeling like you can’t breathe
• swollen face, lips, tongue, or throat
• reduced consciousness

➤ For more detailed information on Wegovy side effects, check out our guide: Wegovy Side Effects: What You Need to Know.

What to do if you get side effects

You can treat most side effects at home. Mild symptoms like headaches can be treated with over-the-counter medications like painkillers. The most common symptoms of Wegovy are nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. These symptoms can be treated by:

• staying hydrated
• getting plenty of fresh air
• eating smaller meals
• limiting oily and fatty foods
• eating slowly
• avoiding fizzy drinks

If your side effects become persistent or if you are worried about your side effects, you should speak to your doctor. They may suggest an alternative weight loss treatment for you that is more suitable.

After 4 weeks, if you have been coping well with the 0.25mg dose, your doctor may suggest increasing your dose to 0.5mg. As your body adjusts to the higher dosage, it’s likely you will experience a return of some side effects, especially nausea. These can be managed at home like before, but if you are worried about your side effects, speak to your doctor. You can stay on a lower dose for longer if you need to.

After a dose increase, people lose an average 2% extra body weight, for a total 4% loss compared to their starting weight. You might start to see physical signs of weight loss. You may also notice that your relationship with food has changed. You may:

• have a deepening sense of fullness
• have fewer urges to overeat
• want to snack less
• have fewer cravings
• think about food less

At 9 weeks, if you’re still coping fine with your previous dose, your doctor may again recommend increasing your dose, this time to 1.0mg. At this stage, you may experience a return of some side effects.

You can expect to lose an average 2% of your starting body weight again by this point, meaning you may lose around 6% altogether. At this stage, you may start to notice changes beyond just weight loss. For example, you may experience:

• an increase in energy levels
• better sleep quality
• an improvement in overall mood
• improved mobility

By weeks 9 to 12, you should be experiencing a significant decrease in your appetite, but it’s important to make sure you are still eating a balanced diet with enough protein and nutrients.

As you start to lose more weight, you may find that exercise gets easier, and you can add more to your daily routine to help increase your weight loss. We recommend planning meals and tracking your progress to maintain your motivation. If you’re not noticing changes in your appetite and are struggling to reduce your calorie intake, speak to your doctor.

At week 13, you may increase your dose to 1.7mg and can expect to have lost an average 8% of your starting body weight. At this stage, you’re likely to see improvements in your blood sugar levels and blood pressure as well.

Any side effects that persist or cause concern at this stage should be raised with your doctor before starting the maximum maintenance dosage.

At 17 weeks, you may stay on 1.7mg or increase to the maximum dose of 2.4mg, depending on how your body is responding. You can expect to have lost an average 15% of your starting body weight after 68 weeks.

Wegovy is a long-term weight loss medication, so progress will happen gradually, and you may not see changes immediately. You can track your success in other ways too, such as improvements in your:

• blood pressure
• sleep quality
• confidence and self-esteem
• mobility
• blood sugar levels

Weight loss will vary from person to person depending on individual factors. But on average, people can expect to lose around 15% of their starting body weight after 68 weeks. This means that if you start at 200lbs (around 14.3 stone), you can expect to lose around 30lbs to 40lbs (approximately 2 to 3 stone).

The average expected weight loss is:

• weeks 1 to 4 – 2%
• weeks 5 to 8 – 4%
• weeks 9 to 12 – 6%
• weeks 13 to 16 – 8%
• week 17+ – 15%

Losing weight can come with many changes and challenges, both physically and mentally. Physical changes in your body, along with changes in your appetite and general health, are to be expected. However, there may be some things that you may not have considered and may need to prepare for.

Weight loss plateaus

A weight loss plateau is where your weight loss slows down or stops completely, no matter how much progress you are making. This is common with long-term weight loss, even when using medication.

Plateaus can be caused by a number of things, including reduced metabolism or hormonal adjustments. You may experience a plateau at any point when using Wegovy, but there are a few things you can do to help overcome a plateau, such as:

• adjusting your calorie intake, which can help boost your metabolism
• increasing your physical activity
• eating more nutrient-rich foods
• increasing your protein and fibre intake
• getting plenty of sleep
• managing your stress

It’s important to be patient and not to get discouraged if you hit a weight loss plateau.

Buying new clothing

Around weeks 13 to 16, you may start to notice changes in how your clothes fit. This is a great sign of your success, but now you have to deal with finding a new wardrobe. At first, you may be able to make temporary fixes with fashion tape or safety pins, but eventually, you will be faced with the task of tailoring or getting new clothes.

You can use this opportunity to experiment with your style when you find new clothes that you might not have considered wearing before. Take time to go through your wardrobe and find which pieces you can donate or sell and which you can keep. This change might feel strange at first, but it can also be fun and exciting, and is part of your weight loss journey.

Everybody will respond to Wegovy in different ways and will have a different experience. Many factors can influence your results, these include:

• your starting body mass index (BMI) – if your starting BMI is higher, you may lose a higher percentage of your body weight
• your sex assigned at birth (whether you are male or female)
• your age (as you get older, your metabolism slows down)
• if you are taking the medication as prescribed
• your diet
• how much you’re exercising

➤ You can find out more information about why you may not be losing weight on Wegovy in our guide, along with helpful information on what to do to improve your results and when to speak to a doctor.

Underlying health conditions

Some underlying health conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), diabetes, or thyroid disorders can slow weight loss progression. Some conditions can affect your metabolism or hormone levels, making it harder to lose weight. Other conditions, such as depression or chronic pain, can affect your ability to exercise regularly which can also have an impact on your weight loss.

People with diabetes who are taking insulin or sulphonylurea may be at a higher risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), so it’s important to stay on top of your blood sugar levels and talk to your doctor if you notice significant changes. Wegovy cannot be taken with some diabetic treatments, so you must let your doctor know before taking Wegovy if you’re diabetic and take medication, or if you get a new prescription while taking Wegovy.