Are they right for me?
Weight loss medications have been a hot topic over the last few years—and rightfully so. We have made some amazing developments in the options available with the introduction of the likes of Semaglutide and Tirzepatide. It is not uncommon for us to get questions about these options, so I figured it was time we started the discussion.
First, a disclaimer—each situation is unique and different. The decision to start weight loss medication is individualized and personalized. If you have any questions, or after reading this post you feel you may be a good candidate, please reach out to your medical provider.
When I sit down with patients for these conversations, there are a couple things that I think are most important to begin with to help decide if you are a good candidate.
Before we get into the medications themselves, I like to ask my patients a series of questions.
1. What would weight loss allow you to do that you can’t do now? There are no wrong answers here. For some it is for health reasons like decreasing blood pressure or blood sugar. For others it may be feeling more comfortable in their body. And for others it may be keeping up with their kids or grandkids.
2. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being not important and 10 being extremely important), how IMPORTANT do you see losing weight for your health? For the best success, this number should be at an 8 or above.
3. On the same 1-10 scale, how MOTIVATED are you to make some necessary lifestyle changes? As you will see later, weight loss medications don’t come without some hard work. If this number doesn’t line up with your importance number it may not be the best time to consider these medications.
We can’t start this discussion about the medications without first looking at who they are approved for. Maybe more importantly, who are they NOT approved for? They were never meant to be a quick fix. Want to quickly lose a few lbs for the summer? There are much better, safer, and sustainable ways to go about that.
Each of these medications was studied over a series of months to years, not just a few weeks. There isn’t a minimum time commitment, but think of these as sustainable, slow weight loss over time—not just a quick fix solution.
There are two groups of people that they have been approved for.
– Those with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30
– Those with a BMI over 27 AND a chronic, weight-related, medical condition such as diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol
Beyond just fitting into one of these two categories, there is one VERY important piece that doesn’t get talked about. EVERY SINGLE FDA approved weight loss medication (including Tirzepatide and Semaglutide) states that the medication is to be used in combination with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. Across the board, these medications are more effective, safer, and lead to more sustained weight loss and improvement in health when combined with healthy lifestyle changes.
This fact is so important to me that I strongly encourage (dare I say require) those who are considering these medications to be doing some form of exercise routine as well as following some form of reduced calorie, sustainable nutrition plan. This isn’t a form of punishment, but instead a way to unlock the full potential of the medication.
Believe it or not, not all weight loss is created equal! We would like all weight loss to come from fat loss. Unfortunately, some weight loss comes from muscle. To minimize that muscle loss, it is important to incorporate resistance exercises and make sure you are eating enough protein.
If you fit into one of the approved categories above, understand that weight loss is important to your health, and are motivated to make the necessary lifestyle changes to unlock the full potential of these medications, they just may be a good option for you. If so, please reach out so we can talk more!
