Mounjaro for weight loss: Here’s what to expect

February 22. 2023

If you are looking for more information regarding Mounjaro for weight loss, you have come to the right place. This type 2 diabetes medication, released in 2022, is causing sensation due to its weight loss benefits. While other anti-diabetic drugs have become extremely popular in the past couple of years, Mounjaro for weight loss promises to be even more effective. More effective than Ozempic weight loss – the medication that even celebrities resort to for losing high amounts of body fat? Well, today, we will find out how good Mounjaro actually is.

Weight loss management can be a challenging task. Any extra aid is welcome as long as it is safe for people to use them. Mounjaro is relatively new on the market, but our weight loss clinic in Chicago experts are already well-versed in everything there is to know about this medication. In this article, we will share with you all our insight on Mounjaro for weight loss.

What is Mounjaro?

Mounjaro is a type 2 diabetes medication that controls blood sugar levels. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in May 2022; it is manufactured and distributed by the American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly & Company. Mounjaro is the brand name of the drug tirzepatide, a synthetic peptide chain of 39 amino acids. Tirzepatide is a gastric inhibitory polypeptide analog that activates two receptor agonists: glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).

To simplify that, agonists bind to cell receptors to cause an effect on the brain. GIP and GLP-1 are two naturally occurring intestine hormones our bodies secrete during meal ingestion. Those two hormones combined tell the pancreas to release insulin and the liver to lower glucagon (sugar) secretion. That is how our bodies usually work, but diabetic patients’ bodies do not regulate or produce insulin correctly. That is why their blood glucose sugar levels tend to be high if they do not use a diabetes medication (such as Mounjaro). Mounjaro activates the GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonists, and they help with blood sugar control, keeping people with diabetes out of danger. High blood sugar levels present many hazards to our health, such as permanent damage to nerves or retinopathy.

Why doctors say Mounjaro is highly effective for weight loss

In April 2022, Eli Lilly pharmaceutical released the data from its SURMOUNT-1 clinical trial at the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting. The results regarding weight loss were more than satisfactory. At the time, there were other diabetes drugs slowly becoming weight loss supplements due to their weight loss properties. Ozempic (semaglutide) is another incredibly effective weight loss treatment that started as diabetes medication. But what made Mounjaro stand out were the numbers gathered from the clinical trial results. Even with the lowest dose, patients lost around 5% of body weight.

Of course, things get better. With the highest possible dosage of Mounjaro, some patients lost up to 22% of their body weight. Nothing like this has ever been seen before in the industry. The average weight loss with Mounjaro is 15% when combined with diet and exercise. Doctors and weight loss professionals now have a new weight management tool to help patients lose weight fast and smoothly.

Mounjaro is more effective because it acts as a dual receptor agonist (GIP and GLP-1). It is currently the only drug on the market to work that way. Other diabetes medications such as Wegovy or Ozempic only mimic the GLP-1 hormone that, while highly effective, can not beat the double work of two hormones combined.

How this drug helps you lose weight

Have you heard about Phentermine for weight loss? Phentermine is an appetite suppressant used to promote weight loss, and it has been around for over 50 years now. While through a completely different process, Mounjaro has a similar effect to this type of appetite suppressant.

As mentioned, tirzepatide helps with blood sugar control by increasing your pancreas’ insulin production while decreasing your liver’s sugar secretion. That happens every time you have a meal; those receptors agonists activate and do their work on your body. When insulin levels increase, and glucagon decreases, food travels more slowly through your digestive system. The longer it takes for food to leave your stomach (this process is known as gastric emptying), the longer you will feel satisfied. Feeling fuller for longer will help you eat less during the day. Do you struggle to stay on a low-calorie diet? That will no longer be a problem once you start taking Mounjaro.

Besides slowing down the gastric emptying process, the two hormones that tirzepatide activates also have an extra effect on your brain. They work in the appetite centers of your brain, letting it know you are full sooner than usual. Studies are currently taking place to learn how GLP-1 changes your food preferences. Most patients claim they lose their appetite for greasy and fatty foods when on Mounjaro. All these facts make following a healthy and balanced diet easier than ever before.

Exercise and diet: are they necessary?

Now you know how Mounjaro can help you with weight reduction. But as mentioned above, this drug needs your commitment to follow a diet and stay active. Many people come to us asking: “why am I not losing weight on Ozempic or Mounjaro?” When talking to them, we typically discover they did not pair their treatment with a low-calorie diet or exercise. Whether they started the treatment without proper supervision or their healthcare providers did not advise them of how vital dieting and working out is to guarantee weight loss with Mounjaro.

Acquiring a healthy lifestyle is fundamental to losing weight and maintaining it once you cut down on the extra pounds. The best news about tirzepatide is that there is no one strict diet to follow. The only rule is: to eat fewer calories than you burn throughout the day (and here is where you will need to get involved in any physical activity). Use this great advantage of Mounjaro to include or lose any food group you want and customize the diet to your particular needs. Of course, we advise you to stay away from high-calorie foods such as desserts and other treats. Mounjaro and alcohol are not a good combination either. Alcoholic drinks have too many empty calories, and tirzepatide and alcohol can interact and lead to low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia).

Is Mounjaro FDA approved for weight loss?

Mounjaro was approved by the U.S. FDA to treat adults with type 2 diabetes in 2022. As for weight management, the FDA granted Mounjaro the Fast Track designation. That happened because of the excellent result Mounjaro displayed during the clinical trials. This designation concedes Eli Lilly pharmaceutical extra meetings with the FDA, broader communication, and faster medical reviews. All this with the sole purpose of accelerating the approval process.

The expected date for tirzepatide FDA approval is between the first half of 2023. Mounjaro for weight loss is on its way to becoming one of the most powerful and successful weight loss treatments.

Common side effects and how to manage them

All medicines and drugs come with a quote of side effects you should be aware of before taking them. Mounjaro for weight loss is not an exception. These are the most common side effects you can expect to experience when on the treatment:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Stomach pain

The good news is that those side effects tend to occur at the beginning of the treatment because your body is not used to the drug. Often, once your body adapts to tirzepatide, the side effects cease. That is why the Mounjaro treatment starts with a low dose of 2.5mg a week. Your professional healthcare provider will slowly enhance the dosage over about one month until reaching the highest possible dosage of 15mg per week.

To prevent or manage those common side effects of tirzepatide, there are certain Mounjaro foods to avoid, such as greasy foods. You can also opt for having smaller meals. Staying hydrated is also vital, especially if you suffer from vomiting and diarrhea.

Another, not so common and severe side effects include low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), pancreatitis, vision issues, and kidney damage. While they are very rare, those adverse effects are possible. The way to avoid or prevent them from happening is through regular medical check-ups during the treatment. We recommend you resort to experienced professionals in the weight loss field when choosing to start losing weight with Mounjaro. That will guarantee both the success of the treatment and your health safety.

Final thoughts

Mounjaro for weight loss is one of the newest and most promising treatments. Losing a large amount of weight in only a few months is now possible thanks to this medication. Of course, Mounjaro requires help from a healthy diet and exercise to complete its work. But at the end of the day, the unparalleled results make it all worth it.

Schedule a call with us to learn more about how Mounjaro can take your weight loss game to the next level.

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.