Semaglutide is an injectable prescription medicine used for improving blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. It can also be used with diet and exercise to help overweight adults lose weight. Semaglutide works by slowing digestion and helping you to feel full and eat less.
Semaglutide is a synthetic version of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). This hormone helps control blood sugar levels by signaling your pancreas to release insulin when blood sugar is high. It also tells your stomach to slow down food that is moving through your gut, which makes you feel fuller longer.
At Vitality Balance Clinic, we provide semaglutide shots to help our patients manage their weight and improve their health.
Semaglutide has been shown in clinical trials to be highly effective for weight loss when combined with diet and exercise. Some of the key benefits include:
In studies, people taking semaglutide lost an average of 12-16% of their body weight over 68 weeks compared to people taking placebo who lost about 2-6% of their weight. This amount of weight loss can have meaningful health benefits by reducing risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.
Semaglutide helps regulate appetite by affecting areas of the brain that control food cravings and portion control. People taking it often have decreased hunger and increased feelings of fullness. This makes following a reduced-calorie diet much easier.
In addition to weight loss benefits, semaglutide also lowers blood sugar levels significantly more than placebo. This leads to improvements in type 2 diabetes, with some patients even going into diabetes remission.
Semaglutide shots only need to be taken once per week. This is much less frequent dosing compared to similar diabetes or weight loss medications that require daily or twice-daily injections. The convenience of weekly doses leads to better patient adherence.
The key requirements to determine if you are a good fit for semaglutide shots are:
If you meet the above criteria, semaglutide shots may provide you the additional support you need to finally lose those stubborn extra pounds that diet and exercise alone have not been able to budge.
The most common side effects of semaglutide treatment are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach pain, and dyspepsia. These tend to be mild-to-moderate and usually subside within the first 4-8 weeks of starting treatment.
There are some additional but rare risks to be aware of:
We will monitor you closely for any potential side effects and make dosage adjustments as needed. The benefits almost always outweigh the risks but it is important to have realistic expectations.
If you believe you may be a candidate and want to explore using semaglutide, the next steps are:
First, schedule a comprehensive wellness evaluation with one of our hormone experts at Vitality Balance Clinic. We will review your complete health history, risk factors, previous attempts at weight loss, and lifestyle to determine if semaglutide is right for you.
If we feel you are initial candidate, we will order screening blood work and other testing to establish baselines and rule out any contraindications:
Vitality Balance Clinic staff will then undertake the approval process required by your insurance carrier based on your test results and health data. This typically takes 2-4 weeks. We will inform you once approved to move forward.
Most major health plans now cover semaglutide shots based on medical necessity criteria. We handle the entire process for you seamlessly.
Once insurance approval is secured, we create a customized dosage schedule tailored to your needs:
Some patients find they get sufficient weight loss benefits at lower 0.5mg dose based on their body composition. We methodically titrate to find your "sweet spot".
We provide you comprehensive lifestyle education based on the latest clinical evidence around nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress reduction and other areas germane to successfully losing and keeping weight off long-term.
Small consistent changes get big results over time! We are your accountable partners along the way.
You will track your progress closely with us:
We will make adjustments dynamically based on the data and your feedback for optimal weight loss success.
The key is consistent personalized support over the many months (or years) it takes to achieve and sustain your health goals. That's our specialty!
Semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, was originally developed as a treatment for diabetes but has gained significant attention recently as an effective weight loss medication. In clinical trials, semaglutide helped participants lose an average of 12-15% of their body weight over 68 weeks when combined with diet and exercise.
There are many reasons to choose Vitality Balance Clinic over other clinics or medication prescribers:
Our approach looks at the complete YOU - not just writing prescriptions based on formulas. We take the time to understand your unique health history, challenges, preferences and barriers. Semaglutide is just one potential tool among many we may leverage strategically based on your needs and circumstances.
Our clinical team are hand selected thought-leaders in functional and lifestyle medicine with advanced certifications from the Institute of Functional Medicine, American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, and National Institute of Health. We combine the best of traditional and innovative models tailored to your needs.
We only use proven programs validated by data and clinical outcomes. Fad diets and spotty research don't make the cut. We distill vast amounts of evidence into personalized plans for sustainable success.
Obesity and diabetes do not happen in isolation. We look at how all aspects of your lifestyle, genetics, environment and total health interrelate when designing your treatment plan. Other singularly focused treatment programs fail to make this vital connection leading to suboptimal outcomes and frustrated patients.
Don't get caught unprepared navigating byzantine insurance requirements. We know exactly what carriers need to approve coverage and will interface on your behalf. We have your back!
We also negotiate appeals if any denial does occur. We win over 90% of cases on first pass or appeals because of our thorough documentation and persistence.
Our founder and head physician Dr. Tammy Smith has over 20 years clinical experience specifically helping patients right here in the North Richland Hills area. Her depth of local connections ensures we can get you referred to allied specialists like nutritionists, personal trainers and mental health pros to augment your care program.
We know all the trusted labs, pharmacies and wellness facilities to create tailored recommendations based on your individual needs and preferences. New in town? We have you covered!
Reach out today to see if semaglutide administered by Vitality Balance ClinicHormons is your weight loss solution breakthrough!
