Semaglutide Injections for Medical Weight Loss in Brooklyn, NY

Semaglutide is a medication that was created for use on patients with type 2 diabetes as a means to help them manage their blood sugar levels more effectively but was quickly realized to provide significant weight loss benefits as well. This realization has made semaglutide incredibly popular for use as a weight loss medication used alongside a medical weight loss program that includes a reduced calorie diet and a regular exercise regimen to help patients who are considered to be overweight or obese to effectively lose that excess weight to reduce their risks for weight-related health conditions.

The medication is typically administered through a subcutaneous injection once weekly and starts at a very low dose that is gradually increased to ensure that there are minimal side effects. The most common brand names for semaglutide include Wegovy, which is the FDA-approved version of the medication for weight loss, and Ozempic, which is currently only FDA-approved for diabetes treatment but is often recommended for off-label use as a weight loss medication.

The medication semaglutide works by mimicking a naturally produced hormone, GLP-1, which is released in our guts as a response to eating, supporting the pancreas in releasing the correct amount of insulin to decrease blood sugar levels. This allows for the excess sugar located in the blood to be moved instead into the other body tissues to be used for energy. When taken in higher doses, semaglutide also helps to send signals to the brain to indicate that the stomach is full, resulting in a suppressed appetite. This allows patients who are taking semaglutide for weight loss to feel fuller for longer.

Semaglutide has proven to be very effective for weight loss, making it a very popular option to be used as part of a medical weight loss program. Since one of the roles that the medication plays in the body is to allow the patient to feel fuller for longer, the patient is far more likely to be able to successfully maintain a calorie-deficient diet. Maintaining this reduced calorie intake is essential in losing excess weight as having insufficient amounts of calories being consumed forces the body to turn to stored fat deposits to burn for use as energy. This means that instead of just using the consumed calories from every meal, the metabolism is using the stored fat to burn during workouts or just for enough energy that is required to get through the day, decreasing the amount of fat that remains on the body.

By allowing patients to feel fuller for longer, maintaining the calorie-deficient diet becomes significantly easier, so while the patient continues to take semaglutide for weight loss, they will continue to experience a decrease in appetite, resulting in fewer calories consumed. Maintaining the calorie deficient diet is one of the hardest components of a weight loss program, especially when the patient continues to exercise as cravings for calorie-dense foods can become very intense and result in binge eating.

Weight loss medications such as semaglutide are typically considered to be long-term treatments, as patients who respond well to the medication will typically continue the treatment for at least 12 to 18 months. The medication needs to slowly be increased in dosage to ensure that any potential side effects or adverse reactions are minimized as much as possible. This means that the medication likely won’t start to provide substantial weight loss results until the higher doses or the maximum dose is achieved, which can often take a couple of months. To achieve longer-lasting results, some patients may continue to take the medication as long as it is deemed safe to continue to keep the weight off. Every patient will have their individual treatment timeline depending on how they respond to the medication, how much excess weight they have to lose, and how effectively they can follow the diet and exercise components of the weight loss program.
 
For individuals who want to achieve their weight reduction objectives in addition to making dietary and activity modifications, Big Apple Medical Urgent Care offers semaglutide injections. For more information, contact us or book an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 3805 Church Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203. We serve patients from Brooklyn NY, Flatlands NY, Canarsie NY, Park Slope NY, Prospect Heights NY, Clinton Hill NY, East New York NY, and surrounding areas.