Leading endocrinologist and weight loss experts detail 10 ways how miracle drug Wegovy works for weight loss

TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Working along with weight-loss surgical experts at the Florida Surgical Weight Loss Specialists, world-renowned endocrinologist and endocrine surgeon Dr. Jim Norman took Wegovy as a 4-month experiment finding Wegovy causes weight loss by 10 different mechanisms which are described for the first time.

Until now it is believed that these new weight loss drugs work because of only two effects on the stomach and brain. But this well documented experiment by two recognized experts found that Wegovy causes weight loss in 10 distinct ways.

10 Ways Wegovy Works for Weight Loss:

1. Wegovy prevents eating of big meals – usually cannot finish entire meal
2. Wegovy suppresses appetite—you just don't get hungry
3. Wegovy causes weight loss through intermittent fasting
4. Wegovy causes weight loss by developing ketosis (Atkins-like diet)
5. Wegovy requires less reliance upon "will power"
6. Wegovy prevents getting second portions
7. Wegovy prevents eating deserts
8. Wegovy decreases food cravings
9. Wegovy decreases appetite for alcoholic beverages
10. Wegovy teaches portion control

Wegovy (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk) became the first of the new "miracle" weight loss drugs called GLP-1 agonists when it was approved by the FDA in adults in June 2021. It was approved for weight loss in teens 12 and up just this week. But until now, how these drugs affect eating habits and other aspects of dieting such as alcohol intake has not been well documented by endocrine specialists or weight loss specialists.

In conducting their experiment, Dr. Norman did not make any changes to the type of food he would normally eat nor did he change his typical daily activity or increase his exercise in any way. The only change to his lifestyle was a single weekly injection of Wegovy.

The researchers found that the most noticeable effect of taking Wegovy is that it prevents you from eating large meals. Dr. Norman discovered that on the higher dose of Wegovy, he simply could not finish his meals despite them being his normal portion size. He found that the sense of fullness came on much faster, after finishing about a quarter of his typical meal. Eating any more than half of a full portion made him very uncomfortable.

The bariatric surgeons at the Florida Surgical Weight Loss Specialists note that the most difficult part of any diet is will power. It's why 90% of diet plans fail for 90% of the people on them. But with Wegovy, Dr Norman explains, the need for will power to eat less and lose weight is nearly eliminated. Overeating, snacking, food cravings, alcohol consumption and more are all drastically inhibited with very little effort or will power.

Dr. Norman also noted a remarkable difference in his appetite. He found that he wasn't hungry at mealtime, and found it easy to forget a meal. This led Dr. Norman to adopt the well-known diet of intermittent fasting subconsciously. He found that he was in a state of ketosis, unintentionally, on about 70% of the days he was using Wegovy. Thus without trying, he was preferentially burning fat while saving lean body mass, concepts that made the Atkins low carbohydrate diet so successful. Further, he found that he wasn't going back for seconds, wasn't craving desserts or late-night snacks, and wasn't finding alcohol particularly appealing.

The experiment was conducted in partnership with Dr Richard DiCicco of the Florida Surgical Weight Loss Center in Tampa, Florida. "We perform hundreds of robotic gastric bypass operations every year for morbid obesity," DiCicco says. "Wegovy is unlikely to help the extremely obese patient who may still be best suited for gastric bypass, but it seems to be a huge game changer for people who are modestly over weight."

The experimenters noted that it took essentially no effort to lose weight while taking Wegovy which is in stark contrast to the effort it takes to successfully lose weight on most diets.

"For everybody I know who has been on a serious diet to lose weight, they are thinking about the diet all day long. But this is not so when taking Wegovy," Dr. Norman said. "Weight loss was never on my mind. I didn't have to think about it. I didn't have to plan my meals. I just didn't think about food and occasionally forgot to eat."

Dr. Norman's full article detailing each of the 10 ways Wegovy works and his personal experience with each mechanism can be found here.

As one of the nation's highest volume robotic gastric bypass centers, Florida Surgical Weight Loss Specialists is dedicated to helping patients achieve a healthier lifestyle through weight loss surgery. Led by a team of highly specialized bariatric surgeons and weight loss specialists, Florida Surgical Weight Loss Specialists offer comprehensive, individualized weight management programs designed to help patients achieve long-term weight loss. www.floridasurgeicalweightlossspecialists.com

Located in Tampa, Florida within the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery, the Norman Parathyroid Center is the leading endocrine surgery center in the world, performing nearly 3,800 parathyroid operations annually and nearly 5000 total endocrine operations. Well known for expertise in all aspects of surgical endocrinology (thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal), the Center's success centers on a teamwork approach by the most experienced thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal surgeons in the world.
www.parathyroid.com | (813) 972-0000

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SOURCE Florida Surgical Weight Loss Specialists