The Ozempic Files
- Thread starter Poppy
- Start date
I swiped this from somewhere else.
Semaglutide: A Diabetes Drug That Rips Off Body Fat?
Elon Musk was large. Now he’s not. Kim Kardashian was large, or at least a part of her was. Now she (it) isn’t.
Similarly, socialite brides-to-be are lately slipping into their waifish wedding dresses without breaking so much as a moist upper lip in the gym. Recovering Wall Street Peloton addicts who’d put on an extra 10 or 20 post-Peloton pounds are suddenly getting back to their fighting weights without the whole hamster-on-a-wheel thing. Post-partum baby weight, for many well-to-do mothers, has become a non-existent problem.
And it’s all because of semaglutide, a relatively new diabetes drug that’s been appropriated for the off-label purpose of fat loss by financially secure people, along with some resourceful, less deep-pocketed people who’ve gotten their insurance companies to cover it, even if they don’t have diabetes.
So, what is this stuff, and, more importantly, should regular folk who quickly want to drop a wheelbarrow of fat use it?
Semaglutide is an insulin regulator that was developed by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk in 2012 and was approved for the treatment of Type II diabetes (and heart disease since it lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke) five years later.
If you own a television and you’ve turned it on any time in the last few years, you’ve no doubt had your senses assaulted by a cheery chorus singing “Oh-Oh-Oh Ozempic…”
Yeah, that’s the trade name for semaglutide.
The drug is typically injected subcutaneously once a week and it lowers blood sugar levels by stimulating the release of insulin, which is hugely helpful for people with Type II diabetes. Semaglutide also mimics a hormone called glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) that tells our stomachs that we feel full, along with prompting the stomach to slow down the transit of food.
Those things, of course, are a recipe for weight loss, one that rivals bariatric surgery, the procedure where they surgically reduce the size of your stomach to about the size of the pouch your AirPods come in.
When Novo Nordisk saw what was happening to the waistlines of Ozempic users, they felt a big dose of that hygge stuff you hear about, and it apparently filled them with entrepreneurial inspiration. “We’ve got the diabetics’ money, but what if we make semaglutide for fatties too?”
Genius! The only trouble was, semaglutide/Ozempic had only been approved by the FDA for the treatment of Type II diabetes and related or non-related heart problems.
That didn’t mean some completely healthy but chubby people weren’t getting semaglutide for its off-label use by finding doctors with flexible ethics. Regardless, Novo Nordisk decided to make it easier for people who wanted to be svelte by developing an injectable semaglutide specifically designed for weight loss. Enter Wegovy, which the FDA quickly approved.
It’s the same damn drug as Ozembic, only Wegovy is available in higher dosing to facilitate weight loss more efficiently. Each comes in nifty pre-loaded syringes (a 4 mm, 32-gauge needle), but Ozempic is available in 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, and 1.0 mg pens, while Wegovy is available in 0.25 mg, 0.5, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg pens.
Enter an Oral Version, Rybelsus
Obviously, a lot of people aren’t comfortable jabbing themselves with a needle. It’s too invasive, too medical, too ucky. Enter Rybelsus, an oral form of semaglutide. Unfortunately, it has to be taken in a very specific way: a half hour before eating and with 4 ounces of water.
Unlike Ozempic, it’s only approved for the treatment of Type II diabetes, but there are ways around that for those who want to use it for weight loss (like sweet talking your doc into writing the script anyways).
Novo Nordisk also has at least a fourth variant of semaglutide in the works, but little is known about it. Given that the earliest entry for any generic semaglutides to appear is December 5th, 2031, I half-expect Novo Nordisk to take full advantage and churn out a cascade of different semaglutide products in the meantime – gummies, tinctures, nasal sprays, who knows? Maybe even some semaglutide products for adipose adolescents, tubby tots, or porcine pets.
How Much Weight Loss is Typical?
Users of any of the semaglutide products typically lose up to 15% of their body mass in just a few weeks, without making any modifications at all to their diet or exercise habits. Whether most of this weight loss is comprised largely of fat with a modicum of muscle loss would of course be dependent on the user’s protein intake and type and intensity of exercise.
Side Effects
As with any drug, there are some side effects associated with the use of semaglutide:
There are also some more serious possible side effects that can occur with semaglutide:
The risks to the dieter who only stays on the drug for a short time would of course be less, or even minimal. Of course, any fat loss that occurred from using any of the forms of semaglutide would come back with a vengeance after cessation of the drug unless appropriate lifestyle modifications were made.
Financial Side Effects
The executives at Novo Nordisk have taken to mixing their Kartoffelsalat with caviar and buying their kids solid gold Legos because, justifiably or not, they’re charging an arm and a leg, or given their original demographic, and arm and a pancreas for semaglutide.
A monthly supply of Ozempic, depending on the dosage, is around $900, while the cost for an equal supply of Wegovy is around $1,300. However, if you’re a Type II diabetic, have heart problems, or are clinically obese (have a BMI over 30), you should be able to use insurance to get the cost down to around $25.
There exists kind of a loophole, though, provided you have flexible morals. A lot of people are allegedly getting the drug through video chats with their doctor. The apparent secret is to lie about your body mass index (BMI). If you qualify as obese (a BMI over 30), you’re supposedly in. Whether this lie requires you to shove your cheeks full of cotton balls, a la’ Marlon Brando in “The Godfather” and have the camera aimed solely at your face, I don’t know.
Other Considerations and Alternatives
I can see semaglutide having an impact on bodybuilders. It may bring back the discredited practice of off-season bulking. Lifters can eat their lungs out during winter, gain an appreciable amount of fat and muscle, and then painlessly Ozempic or Wegovy their way down to a much more muscular body come springtime.
Still, there’s that price thing to contend with. Of course, given that pro bodybuilders often spend as much as 10 grand a month on anabolics, a few more dollars probably wouldn’t be a deterrent.
Semaglutide: A Diabetes Drug That Rips Off Body Fat?
Elon Musk was large. Now he’s not. Kim Kardashian was large, or at least a part of her was. Now she (it) isn’t.
Similarly, socialite brides-to-be are lately slipping into their waifish wedding dresses without breaking so much as a moist upper lip in the gym. Recovering Wall Street Peloton addicts who’d put on an extra 10 or 20 post-Peloton pounds are suddenly getting back to their fighting weights without the whole hamster-on-a-wheel thing. Post-partum baby weight, for many well-to-do mothers, has become a non-existent problem.
And it’s all because of semaglutide, a relatively new diabetes drug that’s been appropriated for the off-label purpose of fat loss by financially secure people, along with some resourceful, less deep-pocketed people who’ve gotten their insurance companies to cover it, even if they don’t have diabetes.
So, what is this stuff, and, more importantly, should regular folk who quickly want to drop a wheelbarrow of fat use it?
Semaglutide is an insulin regulator that was developed by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk in 2012 and was approved for the treatment of Type II diabetes (and heart disease since it lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke) five years later.
If you own a television and you’ve turned it on any time in the last few years, you’ve no doubt had your senses assaulted by a cheery chorus singing “Oh-Oh-Oh Ozempic…”
Yeah, that’s the trade name for semaglutide.
The drug is typically injected subcutaneously once a week and it lowers blood sugar levels by stimulating the release of insulin, which is hugely helpful for people with Type II diabetes. Semaglutide also mimics a hormone called glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) that tells our stomachs that we feel full, along with prompting the stomach to slow down the transit of food.
Those things, of course, are a recipe for weight loss, one that rivals bariatric surgery, the procedure where they surgically reduce the size of your stomach to about the size of the pouch your AirPods come in.
When Novo Nordisk saw what was happening to the waistlines of Ozempic users, they felt a big dose of that hygge stuff you hear about, and it apparently filled them with entrepreneurial inspiration. “We’ve got the diabetics’ money, but what if we make semaglutide for fatties too?”
Genius! The only trouble was, semaglutide/Ozempic had only been approved by the FDA for the treatment of Type II diabetes and related or non-related heart problems.
That didn’t mean some completely healthy but chubby people weren’t getting semaglutide for its off-label use by finding doctors with flexible ethics. Regardless, Novo Nordisk decided to make it easier for people who wanted to be svelte by developing an injectable semaglutide specifically designed for weight loss. Enter Wegovy, which the FDA quickly approved.
It’s the same damn drug as Ozembic, only Wegovy is available in higher dosing to facilitate weight loss more efficiently. Each comes in nifty pre-loaded syringes (a 4 mm, 32-gauge needle), but Ozempic is available in 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, and 1.0 mg pens, while Wegovy is available in 0.25 mg, 0.5, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg pens.
Enter an Oral Version, Rybelsus
Obviously, a lot of people aren’t comfortable jabbing themselves with a needle. It’s too invasive, too medical, too ucky. Enter Rybelsus, an oral form of semaglutide. Unfortunately, it has to be taken in a very specific way: a half hour before eating and with 4 ounces of water.
Unlike Ozempic, it’s only approved for the treatment of Type II diabetes, but there are ways around that for those who want to use it for weight loss (like sweet talking your doc into writing the script anyways).
Novo Nordisk also has at least a fourth variant of semaglutide in the works, but little is known about it. Given that the earliest entry for any generic semaglutides to appear is December 5th, 2031, I half-expect Novo Nordisk to take full advantage and churn out a cascade of different semaglutide products in the meantime – gummies, tinctures, nasal sprays, who knows? Maybe even some semaglutide products for adipose adolescents, tubby tots, or porcine pets.
How Much Weight Loss is Typical?
Users of any of the semaglutide products typically lose up to 15% of their body mass in just a few weeks, without making any modifications at all to their diet or exercise habits. Whether most of this weight loss is comprised largely of fat with a modicum of muscle loss would of course be dependent on the user’s protein intake and type and intensity of exercise.
Side Effects
As with any drug, there are some side effects associated with the use of semaglutide:
- Redness or itching at injection site (Ozempic and Wegovy)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dehydration
- Diarrhea
- Stomach pain
- Constipation
- Gas
- Fatigue
- And of course, weight loss.
There are also some more serious possible side effects that can occur with semaglutide:
- Allergic reaction
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
- Cholelithiasis (gallstones)
- Kidney problems
- Thyroid C-cell tumors (in animal studies, at least)
The risks to the dieter who only stays on the drug for a short time would of course be less, or even minimal. Of course, any fat loss that occurred from using any of the forms of semaglutide would come back with a vengeance after cessation of the drug unless appropriate lifestyle modifications were made.
Financial Side Effects
The executives at Novo Nordisk have taken to mixing their Kartoffelsalat with caviar and buying their kids solid gold Legos because, justifiably or not, they’re charging an arm and a leg, or given their original demographic, and arm and a pancreas for semaglutide.
A monthly supply of Ozempic, depending on the dosage, is around $900, while the cost for an equal supply of Wegovy is around $1,300. However, if you’re a Type II diabetic, have heart problems, or are clinically obese (have a BMI over 30), you should be able to use insurance to get the cost down to around $25.
There exists kind of a loophole, though, provided you have flexible morals. A lot of people are allegedly getting the drug through video chats with their doctor. The apparent secret is to lie about your body mass index (BMI). If you qualify as obese (a BMI over 30), you’re supposedly in. Whether this lie requires you to shove your cheeks full of cotton balls, a la’ Marlon Brando in “The Godfather” and have the camera aimed solely at your face, I don’t know.
Other Considerations and Alternatives
I can see semaglutide having an impact on bodybuilders. It may bring back the discredited practice of off-season bulking. Lifters can eat their lungs out during winter, gain an appreciable amount of fat and muscle, and then painlessly Ozempic or Wegovy their way down to a much more muscular body come springtime.
Still, there’s that price thing to contend with. Of course, given that pro bodybuilders often spend as much as 10 grand a month on anabolics, a few more dollars probably wouldn’t be a deterrent.
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Update:
It took me 5 phone calls to 5 different pharmacies in my area to find a ozempic pen. The lady was nice once I found a pharmacy that carried it. They called my pharmacy and took care of everything.
The back order around here if you can find it is two to three weeks.
It took me 5 phone calls to 5 different pharmacies in my area to find a ozempic pen. The lady was nice once I found a pharmacy that carried it. They called my pharmacy and took care of everything.
The back order around here if you can find it is two to three weeks.
Yes… on strength. I’ve always walked around at 220ish and maintained a decent amount of strength through my 50’s.
Being below 200 pounds for first time in decades, I’ve lost lots of strength. I can still bench 225 for a handful of reps and same with squats at 315. Disclaimer… I do not even try to strain anymore at 61yo.
No on stamina. I feel great with longer training sessions and working around house. Disclaimer… I’m learning to be more lazy as I age.
Being below 200 pounds for first time in decades, I’ve lost lots of strength. I can still bench 225 for a handful of reps and same with squats at 315. Disclaimer… I do not even try to strain anymore at 61yo.
No on stamina. I feel great with longer training sessions and working around house. Disclaimer… I’m learning to be more lazy as I age.
Fred
Well-known member
Here is some Keto Bread that does not suck. I do not know how they can make bread with 0 sugar but somehow it works. I have tried a lot and this Hawaiian Keto is pretty good tasting. also the Smucker’s Sugar Free Jelly is good. The entire PB&J is only 2 grams of sugar (all from the PB2) and about 125 carlories.
Last post about ozempic until something else happens one way or another….
I’ve leveled out at 192-193.
Feeling pretty good other than the normal winter bleak weather blahs.
Could be a bit stronger imo but those are days gone by…maybe.
I’ve leveled out at 192-193.
Feeling pretty good other than the normal winter bleak weather blahs.
Could be a bit stronger imo but those are days gone by…maybe.
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Louisianastrength
Well-known member
So I didn’t notice about a month ago whenever I increased my dose that I got acid reflux pretty bad I’m thinking because it slowed down the food from exiting my stomach which calls the acid to back up in my stomach a little bit. It was so bad that I went horse And lost my voice for about a week. I also have a couple friends taking this and the other witches Majano or however, you spell it, which seems to be stronger and more effective and work quicker.
It seems as though the fat loss really increases around the 1 mg dose, at least from what I have seen and experienced with a couple close friends.
I think a half a milligram is a sweet spot for me that allows me to not worry about the cravings I have, but yet still be hungry enough to get food in without having to force myself to eat
It seems as though the fat loss really increases around the 1 mg dose, at least from what I have seen and experienced with a couple close friends.
I think a half a milligram is a sweet spot for me that allows me to not worry about the cravings I have, but yet still be hungry enough to get food in without having to force myself to eat
Kicksave
Well-known member
I just started my cycle of Wegovy and the doc has me on .25 mg for 4 weeks. Then to .50
I lost 2 pounds the first week. On second week started today. My goal is sub 200 pounds before the New Year. We shall see.
Blood panels should be back in a few days.
Initial stats:
56
BP 129/85
Wt 256
BMI 38.5
Not getting out of the woods overnight.
Yet the journey has commenced.
I lost 2 pounds the first week. On second week started today. My goal is sub 200 pounds before the New Year. We shall see.
Blood panels should be back in a few days.
Initial stats:
56
BP 129/85
Wt 256
BMI 38.5
Not getting out of the woods overnight.
Yet the journey has commenced.
