Ozempic Before and After: Real Photos and Month-by-Month Timeline
Studies of Ozempic focused mainly on blood sugar. In STEP 1, which tested Wegovy, the same medicine at a higher dose, people on semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly lost 14.9% on average over 68 weeks, against 2.4% on placebo.
- Average loss, top dose
- 14.9%
- On placebo
- 2.4%
- Trial length
- 68 weeks
- Trial
- STEP 1
Ozempic overview
Its half-life is about 1 week: once 7 d pass, half is gone, while about 3% remains after five half-lives (35 d).
In SUSTAIN 1, people with type 2 diabetes lost 4.7 kg over 30 weeks, compared with 1.2 kg on placebo.
Monthly costs in US dollars include the list price and self-pay offers, both taken from the maker's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, prnewswire.com 1 2.
Ozempic before and after: the numbers first
Studies of Ozempic focused mainly on blood sugar. The weight trials shown here used Wegovy, a higher dose of the same medicine.
| Trial | Dose group | Average weight lost | Placebo or comparison | Weeks | Who was in it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEP 1 | Semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly | 14.9% | 2.4% | 68 | Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes |
| OASIS 4 | Wegovy pill 25 mg daily | 13.6% | 2.4% | 64 | Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes |
| STEP 2 | Semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly | 9.6% | 3.4% | 68 | Adults with type 2 diabetes who are overweight or obese |
Data came from STEP 1 (FDA label (DailyMed)) and STEP 2 (PubMed).
Ozempic before and after: the numbers first
The 14.9% trial average was applied to three starting weights. Arithmetic produces this figure, rather than a prediction for any one person.
| Starting weight | Average loss on semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly | Average loss on placebo |
|---|---|---|
| 180 lb | about 27 lb | about 4 lb |
| 220 lb | about 33 lb | about 5 lb |
| 260 lb | about 39 lb | about 6 lb |
Source: the FDA label (DailyMed).
Week by week
- Stomach side effects are most common early on while the dose remains low and continues to rise. After every dose increase, these effects often come back for several days.
- At Week 68, STEP 1 ended, which is when the average loss above was measured.
Sources: health.clevelandclinic.org, PubMed.
What causes it to stall and what helps
- See which dose step you are on now. Every trial listed above found less weight loss at lower doses.
- During the last month, make a count of doses you missed or took late.
- Record what you eat and drink for a few days. When portions get smaller, liquid calories and grazing add up.
- Discuss with your prescriber whether to check your thyroid or blood sugar. If your progress stalls for months, talk with them about changing medicines.