Wegovy, Ask Me Anything - Common Questions I Hear in the Exam Room, Organized for You (3)

Q. I’m not losing weight... Does that mean it isn’t working for me?

A. Some users

after about 2 to 3 weeks

start wondering,

‘Why am I not losing weight as much as I expected?’

First of all, Wegovy

helps induce a feeling of fullness quickly,

preventing excessive food intake

and, over the long term,

helps with weight loss.

If you look at how much weight

you have lost

about 4 to 6 weeks after starting Wegovy,

you can roughly estimate

how much weight loss to expect going forward.

In the case of Wegovy

and other injectable treatments,

weight usually starts to drop rapidly

early in use,

then reaches a stable phase

around weeks 4 to 6.

After that,

rather than a large change

in body weight,

the pattern tends to be

gradual weight maintenance.

Therefore, you need to use it

for at least about a month

before you can tell

whether you are a non-responder. Also, the following factors can slow the rate of weight loss:

• Lack of diet/exercise support

: The amount of weight that can be lost through diet and exercise

is only about 2–3% of total body weight on average,

so it does not have a major impact.

• Menstrual cycle (especially from ovulation to just before menstruation)

• Water retention

• A body type with more muscle mass

(→ usually body fat decreases,

but there is little change in weight)

One moment!

What is water retention?

It refers to a phenomenon in which water abnormally accumulates in spaces inside the body, causing body organs to swell.

Simply put, it means there is more water left in the body than is needed.

Q. Is it okay to get Wegovy shots without changing my diet?

A. You can lose weight

even without dietary changes,

but there is a higher chance

that muscle mass will also decrease.

In other words, your basal metabolic rate

may decline.

That is why,

from a health perspective,

it is advisable to combine it with diet changes.

✔Looking only at weight loss,

there is not a dramatic difference

between ‘diet control + Wegovy’

and ‘Wegovy alone.’

That is because Wegovy alone

still produces a strong appetite-suppressing effect.

✔But

from a health standpoint

(fatty liver, blood sugar, cholesterol, etc.),

combining it with diet is much more beneficial,

which is why most doctors emphasize that

“diet is not optional, it is essential.”

Q. How long do I need to keep taking it?

A. Wegovy is

a medication that requires

a mid- to long-term plan

rather than a short-term project.

🔹 The duration varies depending on the target weight.

-> If the goal is to lose 13–15% or more,

it takes an average of 1 year or more (52 weeks).

🔹 What if you stop as soon as you reach it?

-> As satiety gradually fades,

there is a risk of rapid binge eating.

👉Wegovy is not simply

a medication that reduces body weight;

as proven through clinical research,

it also has the effect of improving

liver enzymes (AST, ALT) and inflammatory markers (CRP, etc.).

In particular, it is known to be especially beneficial

for patients with obesity who have fatty liver

or systemic inflammation.

Therefore, if your financial situation allows it,

you may continue it

for steady weight maintenance.