Wegovy starts working right away, but most people start noticing visible changes within the first 4–8 weeks.
How much weight you’ll lose will depend on your diet, calorie intake, exercise habits, metabolism, dose adjustments, and starting weight. For most people, significant weight loss starts after around 12 weeks of taking the medication once weekly.
In this guide, we’ll show you a timeline of what to expect at each stage of your treatment, what factors can influence your progress, and give you some tips to help you get the most out of your treatment.
Three Key Takeaways:
Wegovy starts working to reduce your appetite and regulate hunger signals in your brain straight away, but you may not see visible weight loss until around week 5.
Most people can expect to lose around 4% of their starting weight by weeks 5-8 as their dose increases.
From week 17 onward, your prescriber can put you on the maximum dose of 2.4mg weekly to maintain your new healthier weight and keep your appetite under control indefinitely.
What to expect week by week
Here’s what you can expect when taking Wegovy over time:
Weeks 1–4:
Start on dose 0.25mg
During your first month taking Wegovy, your prescriber will start you on a 0.25 mg dose and you’ll start to feel less hungry than normal. This is because Wegovy helps suppress hunger cues in the brain and promotes feelings of satiety (fullness).
Build healthy habits
At this early stage, you’re in the process of building new eating habits. Weight loss typically takes a little more time. Start your diet plan, eat fewer calories and try to move more.
Possible 2% weight loss
In the first month of taking Wegovy, most people can expect to lose around 2% of their bodyweight. This means if you weigh 100kg, you’re likely to end up losing around 2kg. But these numbers on the scale may not be visible in the mirror at this early stage.
“Wegovy isn’t a miracle drug, so you won’t see instant weight loss results from the very first dose. But most people can feel the difference in themselves and their reduced hunger and food cravings straight away. It’s been clinically proven to be highly effective at helping you lose weight faster than diet and exercise alone, so stick with it. You’re likely to start seeing real weight loss results after the first month or so”
From week 5, your prescriber will most likely raise your dose to 0.5mg per week, as your body adjusts to the medication.
Start seeing visible results
Weeks 5-8 are when you’re more likely to start seeing visible results. It’s important to note that you’re far more likely to lose weight if you’re eating fewer calories and exercising. Wegovy isn’t a miracle drug, it’s designed to support a healthy lifestyle.
Up to 4% weight loss
If you’re eating a balanced nutrient-rich diet and staying physically active, you can expect your weight loss to double to around 4% of your starting body weight.
Weeks 9–12
Increase to 1mg
If you’re tolerating the medication well, your prescriber should increase your Wegovy dose to 1mg each week from week 9.
You’ve nailed your routine
As the dose increases, and your healthy eating and exercise habits become more routine, this is the time when most people start to really notice results.
Possible weight loss: 6%
At this point, most people can expect to have lost about 6% of their starting body weight.
Week 12 and beyond
Increase your dose
From weeks 13-16, if you’ve been seeing good results and coping well with side effects, your prescriber will probably raise your dose to 1.7mg weekly.
You’re well on your way
By now, you’re getting results you can see in the mirror. Clothes feel looser and you’re confident in your routine.
Possible weight loss of 8%
People at this stage of Wegovy treatment see an average weight loss of8% of their starting body weight.
Final dose and maintenance
After week 16, your prescriber may keep you on the 1.7mg dose, or raise this to 2.4mg (the maximum prescribable dose) from week 17 onwards.
This is called a ‘maintenance dose’, and with the right medical supervision, it’s possible to stay at this dose indefinitely to help with weight control.
Stick to your programme
Now, all you need to do is keep up your hard work and you’ll keep seeing results. Remember: Weight loss isn’t always a straight line, you might have weeks where you lose less weight or the scales don’t change. This is normal.
Lasting results
Some people continue to see more weight loss over longer periods of time on a maintenance dose. One long-term study of people on Wegovy found that some of the people studied lost between 15-25% of their starting body weight over 65 weeks.
“Wegovy has been shown in clinical trials to be safe for long-term use, so it’s possible to stay on a maintenance dose indefinitely to prevent hunger cues and food cravings from coming back. Talk to your prescriber about whether staying on a maintenance dose is right for you and what dose would be ideal for you to maintain at.”
Factors that affect how fast Wegovy works include:
Dosage
Higher doses of Wegovy can result in quicker weight loss for a lot of people.
But if you’re taking higher doses, it’s crucial to do so under medical supervision, as higher doses of Wegovy increase the chances you’ll experience Wegovy side effects. This is why it’s important to stick to the Wegovy dosing schedule so your body has time to adjust.
Diet
When you’re taking Wegovy, eating well is key to seeing results. This means focusing on nutrient-dense, unprocessed whole foods and restricting your calories to make sure you’re burning more than you eat.
It’s also important to eat high amounts of protein and fibre. This helps you feel fuller longer and can reduce side effects like constipation and low blood sugar.
For tips on exactly what to eat, and a full 7-day Wegovy meal plan, check out our Wegovy diet guide.
Exercise
Staying physically active isn’t just important for weight loss. It can help reduce side effects like fatigue and boosts your overall health. Experts recommend getting at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week.
This may sound like a lot, but you don’t have to do it all at once to increase weight loss on Wegovy. You could try breaking this into small, manageable chunks by doing 30 minutes five times a week and putting your feet up on the weekend.
It’s a good idea to mix-up cardio and resistance (strength) training. Cardio is great for your heart health, circulation, and blood pressure. Strength training is great for bone health and helps to preserve muscle mass, which helps you burn more calories and lose weight more effectively.
Metabolism and hormones
Both metabolism and hormones can influence how much weight you lose on Wegovy.
Hormones that can influence your ability to lose weight include:
estrogen
testosterone
cortisol
thyroid hormones
growth hormone
Factors that can influence your metabolism and hormones include:
your biological sex
your age
genetics
your sleep schedule
your diet and exercise habits
FAQs
How to tell if Wegovy is working
If you’re feeling less hungry than normal when starting Wegovy, that’s a sign the medication’s working, even if you’re not losing weight.
After week 4, weight loss of up to 2% of your starting weight every month or so is a sure sign Wegovy’s working.
Does Wegovy work for everyone?
No, there’s no medication that works for everyone, but Wegovy has been proven effective in helping people lose up to 20% of their starting weight.
Restricting calories, eating healthily, and exercising will give you the best chance of losing weight with Wegovy.
Why is Wegovy not working for me?
Wegovy may not be working for you because you may need a higher dose, you may be in a weight loss plateau or you may need to change your diet and exercise habits.
Does Wegovy work straight away?
Yes. For most people, the hunger suppressing effects of Wegovy start to work from the first dose. As you naturally eat less, weight loss typically begins from weeks 2-4.
Do higher doses of Wegovy work better?
Yes. Research shows that, for most people, weight loss increases at a higher dosage, though it varies for each person.
Does Wegovy work without exercise?
Yes, you can still lose weight on Wegovy without exercising, as long as you restrict your calorie intake enough. But experts recommend exercise both for weight loss and for overall health.
How fast can I lose 20lbs on Wegovy?
Wegovy typically helps you lose 8% of your starting weight from weeks 13-16, so if you weight 200lbs, it’s likely to take around 15-17 weeks for the average person to lose 20lbs (10% of your starting weight).
What to expect in the second week of taking Wegovy
In week 2 taking Wegovy, your body may still be adjusting to the medication, and you may still experience some mild side effects. You should be noticing you’re less hungry and eating less, and you may also lose around 1% of your starting weight.
When do most people start losing weight on Wegovy?
People typically lose 2% of their total bodyweight in the first 4 weeks taking Wegovy. From weeks 5-8 people lose 4% of their bodyweight on average, as the dose is increased.
How long does it take to notice first results on Wegovy?
For most people, weeks 5-8 are when they notice visible results, as people lose 4% of their starting weight on average by this point. It’s also good to measure your waist size each month as this is a good indicator that you’re losing fat.
Can Wegovy work faster if combined with diet and exercise?
Yes, Wegovy works faster if combined with diet and exercise. You’re also more likely to keep off the weight you lose if you diet and exercise, even if you stop taking Wegovy.
Will weight loss stop if I miss a dose of Wegovy?
No, weight loss will not stop if you miss a dose of Wegovy, but you should try to schedule your dose at the same time and on the same day each week, to help you stick to your medication schedule and avoid side effects.
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