It Starts With Finding A Way To Eat Fewer Calories Than You Need
A calorie is a unit of energy, which is in the food and drink we consume. Your body uses energy for everything we do from breathing and sleeping to exercising. When you eat, youre replacing the energy youve used, which helps you to maintain a healthy weight.
As a general guide, government recommendations are that men need around 2,500kcal a day to maintain a healthy weight, and women need around 2,000kcal a day. But most people need different amounts of calories based on how their bodies work, how active they are and any weight management goals.
Weve put together some 7-day meal plans to help you lose weight. They’re all clinically approved, nutritionally balanced, calorie and carb counted, and can help if you want to lose weight:
- Mediterranean diet plan
- Lower-calorie diet plans, like 1,200 or 1,500 calories a day
Evidence shows that the best approach is the one that youre likely to stick to. So the key is to find a plan that you enjoy and fits in with the rest of your life. Everyones different and what works for some may not for others.
How Long Will I Need To Take Weight Management Medication
How long you will need to take weight management medication depends on whether the drug helps you lose weight and keep it off and whether you experience serious side effects.
If you have lost enough weight to improve your health and are not experiencing serious side effects, your health care professional may advise you to stay on the medication indefinitely. If you do not lose at least 5% of your starting weight after 12 weeks on the full dose of your medication, your health care professional will probably advise you to stop taking it. Your health care professional may also
- change your treatment plan or consider using a different weight management medication
- have you try different lifestyle, physical activity, or eating programs
- change your other medications that might be causing weight gain
- refer you to a bariatric surgeon to see if weight-loss surgery might be an option for you
Because obesity is a chronic disease, you may need to continue your new eating and physical activity habits and other behaviors for yearsor even a lifetimeto improve your health and maintain a healthier weight.
Diabetes Medications May Double As Weight Loss Drugs
Research Review Shows Byetta and Victoza Can Help Overweight People Shed Pounds
Jan. 10, 2012 — Two drugs approved to treat type 2 diabetes may also aid weight loss in overweight people with or without diabetes, a new study shows.
The drugs and Victoza mimic gut hormones that decrease appetite.
They are typically prescribed when patients need medication to help control their blood sugar. A new research review, published in BMJ, reanalyzed data from 25 separate studies.
The review reveals that the drugs helped overweight people without diabetes shed an average of 7 pounds and those with diabetes lose an average of 6 pounds when injected daily or weekly for at least five months.
That makes these agents promising treatments for obesity, study authors say.
âItâs not a cure, but itâs a good treatment. And you still need to combine it with lifestyle changes,â says researcher Tina Vilsboll, MD, DMSc, an endocrinologist and associate professor at Gentofte Hospital in Hellerup, Denmark.
Vilsboll says the modest weight loss many of her diabetic patients see on the drugs helps encourage them to kick up their diet and exercise programs to lose even more weight.
âThey use it as a tool for changing their lifestyle,â she says.
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What Are Overweight And Obesity
Health care professionals use the Body Mass Index , a measure of your weight in relation to your height, to define overweight and obesity.
People who have a BMI between 25 and 30 are considered to be overweight. Obesity is defined as having a BMI of 30 or greater. You can calculate your BMI to learn if you are overweight, have obesity, or have severe obesity, which may increase your risk of health problems. Your health care professional can assess your individual risk caused by your weight.
If you are struggling with your weight, a healthy eating plan and regular physical activity may help you lose weight and keep it off over the long term. If these lifestyle changes are not enough to help you lose weight or maintain your weight loss, your health care professional may prescribe medications as part of your weight-control program.
Fda Approves Popular Diabetes Medication For Use As Weight Loss Drug
- The FDA has approved the medication Wegovy, a higher dose of the diabetes drug semaglutide, to be used as a weight management drug in patients with obesity.
- In clinical trials, participants without diabetes who took Wegovy lost an average of 12.4 percent of their initial body weight.
- The drug is a synthetic version of a gut hormone that suppresses hunger and appetite.
A diabetes drug has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to also be used as a weight-loss medication in patients with obesity.
The medication, Wegovy, is a higher dose of the diabetes drug semaglutide produced by Novo Nordisk.
Its the first drug for chronic weight management that has been approved by the FDA since 2014.
Wegovy, administered via a once-weekly injection, is indicated for people with a body mass index of 27 kg/m2 or higher and who have at least one weight-related medical condition such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. The medication is also for people who have a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or higher.
In the United States, approximately 1 in 3 adults over 100 million people have obesity. Treating obesity can improve blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
Todays approval offers adults with obesity or overweight a beneficial new treatment option to incorporate into a weight management program, Dr. John Sharretts, the deputy director of the Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders, and Obesity in the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in
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Diabetes Weight Loss Drug Works Better With Exercise
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, May 6, 2021 — The weight-loss drug Saxenda can keep extra pounds off â but combining it with exercise brings a bigger payoff, a new clinical trial finds.
The study found that some longstanding advice is valid: Prescription weight-loss drugs work best when used along with â and not in place of â lifestyle changes.
Saxenda is a prescription drug approved in the United States for spurring and maintaining weight loss when added to calorie-cutting and exercise.
But whether the drug plus exercise is any better than the drug alone â or exercise alone â has not been rigorously tested.
The new trial, published May 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine, did just that. And it found that over one year, the combination won, helping people shed more pounds and, specifically, body fat.
Experts not involved in the trial said it underscores the importance of “comprehensive” tactics for keeping extra weight off.
“The standard of care with all obesity treatments â medications and surgery â is to use them as adjuncts to ongoing behavioral changes,” said Dr. Scott Kahan, a spokesperson for The Obesity Society.
Sustainable diet changes and regular exercise are key, said Kahan, who also directs the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington, D.C.
Weight-loss medications are useful, Kahan said, but not “magic cures.” Yet some doctors, he noted, may prescribe them without giving patients enough support on the lifestyle side of the coin.
Your Feelings About Food
The emotional part of trying to lose weight is important and can often be overlooked.
Do you feel guilty when you eat a treat? Do you eat more when youre upset? Do you feel dejected if you cant see progress straight away?These are really common feelings and tackling them can help you on the road to a healthier lifestyle and a healthy weight.
Connect with others and share tips in our online forum weve made a board especially for people who are looking to lose weight.
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Promising New Study Using Diet Changes To Treat Type 2 Diabetes
The medications do come with side effects. Most commonly, patients complained of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain.
And experts emphasize the drug is not a magic bullet.
I dont care how wonderful the drug is, it will not work for everyone, said Dr. Zhaoping Li, the director of the Center for Human Nutrition at UCLA. This is a tool, but its not the tool.
Still, obesity doctors and researchers say that compared with the older class of weight-loss drugs, the new medications are impressive, especially for those whose obesity has caused other chronic conditions, such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
Taking Empagliflozin With Metformin
There are 4 different strengths of Synjardy. Each tablet contains 5mg or 12.5mg of empagliflozin and 850mg or 1g of metformin. Your doctor will prescribe the right strength of tablet for you.
The usual dose is 1 tablet, taken twice a day. It’s a good idea to take your medicine with a meal. This means the metformin is less likely to upset your stomach.
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What Are The Benefits Of Using Prescription Medications To Lose Weight
When combined with changes to behavior, including healthy eating and increased physical activity, prescription medications help some people lose weight and maintain weight loss. On average, after 1 year, people who take prescription medications as part of a lifestyle program lose 3% to 12% more of their starting body weight than people in a lifestyle program who do not take medication.
Research shows that some people taking prescription weight management medications lose 10% or more of their starting weight.5,6 Results vary by medication and by person.
Weight loss of 5% to 10% of your starting body weight may help improve your health by lowering blood sugar, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels. Losing weight also can improve some other health problems related to overweight and obesity, such as joint pain and sleep apnea. Most weight loss takes place within the first 6 months of starting the medication.
Highest Dose With Highest Efficacy
In SURMOUNT-1 the biggest weight reduction was seen in the 15mg arm with participants losing 24kg at 72 weeks. The average age of participants was 45 years and about two-thirds of them were women, says Dr Nadia Ahmad, senior medical director of the tirzepatide obesity program. The baseline BMI was 38, with all participants being overweight or obese, with hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease.
Ahmad adds that 41% of the participants had prediabetes, a health condition when sugar levels are higher than normal but do not reach the baseline of T2D diagnosis. Those participants will continue the treatment for the next two years in an extension study, as per ClinicalTrials.gov, but at end of the 72-week trial, more than 95% of those people had reverted to normal blood sugar levels, Ahmad notes.
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Can Children Or Teenagers Take Weight Management Medications
Most of the weight management medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are for adults only. Two prescription medications, orlistat 2 and liraglutide ,3 are approved by the FDA for children ages 12 and older. A third prescription medication, setmelanotide ,4 is approved by the FDA for children ages 6 years and older who have rare genetic disorders causing obesity.
What Are The Concerns About Using Prescription Medications To Lose Weight
Experts are concerned that, in some cases, the side effects of prescription medications that treat overweight and obesity may outweigh the benefits. For this reason, never take a weight management medication only to improve the way you look. In the past, some weight management medications were linked to serious health problems, and they were removed from U.S. markets.
Possible side effects vary by medication and how it acts on your body. Most side effects are mild and most often improve if you continue to take the medication. Rarely, serious side effects can occur.
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What Side Effects Should I Worry About
Its vital to have a discussion with your doctor about this, especially when youre starting any new medications. This knowledge allows you to monitor for side effects which allow your doctor to better titrate your medication dosages. Many medications are associated with mild side effects, such as nausea or gastric discomfort, which may disappear over time.
Here, I want to talk about 2 side effects in particular you should be aware of:
1. Hypoglycemia
A few classes of medications are associated with higher risk of hypoglycemia because of their mechanism of action. This includes the sulphonylureas, meglitinides and insulin. If you are on any of these medications, it is vital to watch for any signs of light-headedness, tremors, sweating, fast heartbeat, and test your blood glucose immediately if so. Also, keep a fast-acting carbohydrate such as a can of regular soda or fruit juice on standby.
2. Weight Changes
Some diabetes medications have been shown in studies to be associated with weight gain, while others have been associated with weight loss.
Type 2 Diabetes medications that may cause you to gain weight include:
- Sulphonylureas
- Insulin .
Type 2 Diabetes medications that can help you lose weight include:
- GLP-1 receptor agonists . These are injectable medications for people with type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes medications with no effect on body weight or can potentially help in weight loss include:
- Metformin
- DPP4-inhibitors
- SGLT-2 inhibitors
Diabetes Drug Leads To Notable Weight Loss In People With Obesity Study
Experts say the apparent effects of a weekly dose of tirzepatide are potentially game changing
A weekly dose of a diabetes drug appears to lead to significant weight loss in people with obesity, in a development experts have hailed as gamechanging.
Obesity causes 1.2 million deaths in Europe each year, according to the World Health Organization, and the UK has one of the worst obesity rates.
Efforts to tackle the disease have long been focused on diet and exercise, but many people who lose weight this way find they regain it over time.
Now researchers say a diabetes drug, used alongside such interventions, can help people with obesity. Participants in a 72-week trial lost as much as 20% of their body weight.
Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, an international team report that they randomly split 2,539 overweight or obese participants into four equal groups.
One group was offered a self-administered placebo injection once a week for 72 weeks, while the other three groups were offered either 5mg, 10mg or 15mg of a drug called tirzepatide. All participants were also given regular lifestyle counselling sessions to help them stick to low-calorie meals and at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week.
On average, participants had a body weight of 104.8kg, or 16.5 stone, with 94.5% deemed obese. The majority were white and female, and none had diabetes.
Dr Simon Cork, a senior lecturer in physiology at Anglia Ruskin University, also said there were challenges.
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Lilly Eyes Weight Loss Arena For Diabetes Drug Tirzepatide After Positive Data
The company plans to pursue an expedited approval as an obesity treatment after the recently approved diabetes drug shows weight reduction benefits.
Close on the heels of a newly-minted label for Type II diabetes , Eli Lilly is now paving the way for tirzepatide to expand its reach as a weight-loss medication. The companys presentation at the American Diabetes Associations 82nd Scientific Sessions put a spotlight on tirzepatide in not just T2D, but also highlighted its potential in obesity.
Following an approval in May, the company announced that the dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro for T2D, will soon become available in US pharmacies. Mounjaro got an FDA approval to improve blood sugar control in people with T2D on 13 May. Eligible T2D patients with commercial insurance will need to spend $25 per month to receive Mounjaro with a copay program, according to the companys ADA presentation.
According to GlobalData, tirzepatide sales are forecasted to reach $6.8 billion in 2028. GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology.
At ADA, Lilly presented 2,539 participant-Phase III SURMOUNT-1 study data where tirzepatide demonstrated statistically superior and clinically meaningful weight reduction at three different doses compared to the control arm.
How To Lose Weight Safely
Tuesday, 1 March 2022
Have you been prescribed a diabetes medication that also assists with weight loss? These medications belong to a group called GLP-1 analogues. They include Semaglutide , Dulaglutide , Exenatide , and Liraglutide . Ozempic, in particular, is often prescribed for weight loss. When using these medications it is important to know how to support your body to lose weight safely.
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Ways To Measure Healthy Weight
Body Mass Index compares a persons weight to their height. For most adults aged 18 to 65, a BMI of 25 to 29.9* is overweight and, 30 or more is obese.
Waist Circumference is the measurement around the waist. Too much fat around the waist is linked to health risks. WC goals differ depending on ethnic background and gender. In general, a healthy WC for men is less than 40 in and for women it is less than 35 in .
If overweight, losing 5 to 10% of your current body weight is a healthy goal. For someone who is 200 lbs , 5 to 10% is 10 to 20 lbs .
For more information on measuring and interpreting your BMI and WC, visit this Health Canada guide.
Note: these assessments should not be used on pregnant or lactating women, very muscular adults, adults with very lean build. BMI values are age and gender independent, and may not be correct for all ethnic populations.