Chapter 5: Weight Loss Drugs Success Stories

The widespread use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists has drastically affected the weight loss segment. But this has not taken place in a vacuum as it is a result of numerous success stories that have motivated a lot of people to try these drugs.

Some of the drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Rybelsus are some of the drugs that have been approved for Type-2 diabetes but are quite famous because of the amazing results that people have achieved and showcased over the internet. We will share some of these stories with you that might help you better decide which course you should take.

Ozempic (Semaglutide)

Ozempic is a shot you take once a week that contains semaglutide. It first became popular because it works really well for type 2 diabetes by helping control blood sugar (A1C levels) and might lower heart disease risks in some folks. Big studies like the SUSTAIN program showed these good results. But here’s the thing – doctors kept noticing patients were losing weight while taking it. With more data from the STEP program (which looked at higher doses, like what’s in Wegovy, specifically for weight problems), lots of people started using it “off-label” just to lose weight.

Susan & Michael Dixon: This couple’s story shows how people use it both ways. Susan, who had prediabetes, dropped 14 pounds in just six weeks using Ozempic off-label. She found it worked way better for her weight than stuff she’d tried before, like Weight Watchers or phentermine. Food just didn’t interest her as much anymore; she got full really fast, and she even stopped wanting alcohol. Michael, who took Ozempic for his actual type 2 diabetes, saw his A1C drop from too high to just 5 in about four months. He wasn’t even trying to lose weight, but still lost 15 pounds simply because the medicine made him feel full super quickly, making him eat about half what he used to. Their story shows how the drug cuts your appetite, but also some real-world problems. Susan had trouble during the 2022 Ozempic shortage and gained back 10-12 pounds when she couldn’t get her prescription filled for over two months.

Susanne Brown: Doctors prescribed Ozempic off-label for Susanne’s obesity after she gained back weight following stomach surgery. It completely changed her life. She lost tons of weight (going from 280 lbs to 140 lbs, though some of that was from her earlier surgery) and became super active, even climbing mountains and running. But at first, she had really bad side effects. The appetite control was so extreme she called it “doctor-approved anorexia,” eating tiny amounts like “two pieces of cauliflower” and needing caffeine supplements just to have energy to exercise. This led to not getting enough nutrients, causing anemia and hair loss. The important part is that she eventually got professional help, working with a therapist and personal trainer to build a healthier relationship with food, track her nutrients, and build muscle while still losing fat.

Holly Figueroa O’Reilly: After having trouble with two stomach surgeries and lots of diets, Holly finally found success with Ozempic in 2023. She lost 105 pounds and got down to a healthy weight of 145 pounds. For her, the medicine helped her develop a better relationship with food. She made sure to combine Ozempic with weightlifting and eating lots of protein. While she felt sick to her stomach and had diarrhea at first, these problems went away after a few weeks. Her story shows how Ozempic can be a helpful tool that makes big lifestyle changes possible even when other serious methods didn’t work.

Barbie Jackson-Williams: Using Ozempic mainly for her type 2 diabetes starting in early 2021, Barbie achieved an amazing 180-pound weight loss. Her blood sugar levels got much better, dropping to pre-diabetic levels. Like Holly, Barbie emphasized that the medicine wasn’t a magic fix: “People think they can just take it and get skinny, but it’s not true. You have to do the work.” She found Ozempic helped her make better food choices, but regular exercise and discipline were super important parts of her success, helping her feel more active and fit.

Other Notable Experiences: Several other people have shared big results. Pepper Schwartz lost around 30 lbs off-label and found it permanently changed her eating habits by reducing her appetite and helping her focus more on portion control and health.

Mounjaro (Tirzepatide)

Tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for long-term weight management, is a newer kind of medicine that works on both GLP-1 and GIP receptors in your body. While Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes, it’s really good at helping people lose weight, so many folks used it off-label for obesity before Zepbound was specifically approved for that.

Natalie Wilgus: As a fitness trainer, Natalie’s story gives us a pretty unique perspective. She had amazing weight loss, dropping 55 pounds (from 235 lbs to 180 lbs) in just six months while using Mounjaro along with her regular strength and cardio workouts. But surprisingly, she decided to stop taking the medicine, not because it wasn’t working for her body, but because of how it affected her mind and emotions. She felt the rapid weight loss wasn’t something she could keep up long-term and noticed she was focusing too much on the scale numbers instead of overall health. Her experience really shows that success isn’t just about physical changes; mental well-being, sustainability, and feeling like yourself are super important too. She stressed the need for “mental work,” like mindfulness and self-acceptance, alongside any physical changes.

Sharon Schwartz, a 61-year-old nurse anesthetist, finally lost 75 pounds after fighting with her weight her whole life, made worse when doctors removed her thyroid 25 years ago. When she got diagnosed with prediabetes in 2022 and worried about diabetes complications that ran in her family, she knew she had to do something. At 5-feet-2-inches and 200 pounds, even walking seven miles every day wasn’t helping anymore.

After talking with Hello Alpha, a doctor service online, she got prescribed Mounjaro, a GLP-1 medicine. This, plus eating a low-carb diet with mostly fish and vegetables and keeping up her walking, led to an amazing 10-pound weight loss in the very first week. Sharon now weighs 112 pounds and enjoys a more active, “more joyful” life, including going boating with her husband. She really wants people to know that “obesity is a disease” and encourages others struggling with weight to get help, pointing out that even with all her medical knowledge, she needed support too.

Alix Harvey, a 35-year-old marine biologist, had her life completely transformed by Mounjaro. After gaining weight following the birth of her two children, she worried she might become morbidly obese. Starting Mounjaro in May, Alix saw her BMI drop from 32 to 22 in just six months, losing 25% of her body weight.

The drug really changed her relationship with food and got her motivated to exercise, even leading her to start weightlifting. While she didn’t want to eat much at all when she first started, this effect got less intense over time. Alix found that what she paid monthly for the drug was balanced out by spending less on food. She feels Mounjaro has “completely changed” her life and stresses how important it is to have a plan for after you stop taking the medicine, emphasizing it’s “not a quick fix.”

Wegovy (Semaglutide)

Wegovy has the same active ingredient as Ozempic (semaglutide) but comes in higher doses and is specifically approved by the FDA for long-term weight management in people with obesity or those who are overweight with related health problems.

Dustin Gee: Dustin looked for help after gaining 50 pounds, reaching 225 pounds. Starting Wegovy in early 2023, he lost 45 pounds in the first nine months. When his weight loss slowed down, he took action by joining the Mayo Clinic Diet program, which is specially designed for people on GLP-1 medicines, to build habits he could keep up long-term after eventually stopping Wegovy. This combined approach helped him lose another 6 pounds, reaching his goal weight of 175 pounds. He focused on learning more about nutrition and dealing with emotional eating. Dustin said he had very few side effects, even at the highest Wegovy dose. His journey shows how important it is to combine behavior programs with medicine, especially if you want to avoid gaining weight back after treatment.

Lisa (Patient Ambassador for Novo Nordisk): Lisa used Wegovy for 20 months, losing 26 pounds (about 11% of her starting weight). She combined the medicine with eating fewer calories and being more physically active. She reported experiencing the typical changes in appetite, feeling full sooner, and having less “food noise” in her head. While we don’t know her specific side effects, general Wegovy safety information was provided. Her story shows steady, maybe more moderate, weight loss over a longer time compared to some of the rapid weight loss stories. (It’s worth noting she is a paid ambassador.)

On Reddit, user “Fiveminutes26,” who had switched from Zepbound to Wegovy because of shortages, reported losing 37.6 pounds over 5.5 months (about 1.8 pounds per week, or 12.45% of body weight). They found side effects like heartburn and sulfur burps manageable and noted the medicine helped them eat less and better understand their hunger signals.

Saxenda (Liraglutide)

Saxenda, which contains liraglutide, is another GLP-1 receptor medicine approved by the FDA for long-term weight management. Longer studies suggest that about half of the people who initially respond well maintain significant weight loss at three years if they keep using it and maintain lifestyle changes.

Lizz Adair, from Market Weighton, describes her experience with the weight-loss drug Saxenda as “life-changing.” Having been overweight for most of her life, she decided to try the daily shot after seeing a friend lose a ton of weight. Lizz bought Saxenda from an online pharmacy and dropped 10 stone (63.5kg).

The change has dramatically improved what she can do physically. She says, “Now I can walk miles and miles and my feet aren’t aching the next day, I’m not laid up in bed.” While Lizz found success buying it online, doctors warn that Saxenda, which suppresses your appetite, should only be used after talking to your GP because it can have serious side effects, and buying it online can be dangerous.

Reddit user “PizzaReheat” reported losing 20 kg (about 44 pounds) over about a year on Saxenda and kept the weight off for over a year, noting that it helped kickstart important lifestyle changes.

Rybelsus (Oral Semaglutide)

Rybelsus is special because it’s the only semaglutide you can take as a pill instead of a shot. While it’s not approved for weight loss, it often leads to modest weight reduction as a side effect, due to the same GLP-1 effects that suppress appetite and slow down how fast your stomach empties.

darragh_johnston: This user switched to Rybelsus from Trulicity because they couldn’t get Trulicity anymore. They noticed their appetite went down within the first two weeks, felt full faster by weeks 3-4, and had fewer cravings for sweets and fried foods. They started taking daily walks between weeks 5 and 8 and found it easier to choose healthier foods. By the second month, they had lost 24 pounds, describing the weight loss as gradual but steady. Importantly, their blood sugar levels also got much better throughout the five months of use. They saw Rybelsus as a helpful tool that made gradual, positive changes in both weight and diabetes management possible.