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Ozempic you lose muscle and fat. Metformin is superior as it lets you keep more muscle, which is why bodybuilders use Metformin.
Never heard of metformin, that’s interesting. Looks like on google it’s less weight loss (2-3%) vs GLP1s (15%+). Curious if the muscle loss thing is true - if you’re doing consistent strength training and still getting your protein intake, you’d probably have limited muscle loss, no?
It's less weight loss because it's focusing on the fat and is mainly used by bodybuilders for cutting i.e. they want to preserve their muscle. Muscle is >2x as dense as fat so even if the weight change is less, the physical change can be as or even more pronounced.
Dawson Weiss on Metformin
Metformin Muscle Building | TikTok
Why not just diet? Ozempic is such a lazy way out. Might as well just buy some T at that point
It's the most commonly used diabetes drug
I heard of some guys quitting Metformin after recent research (1-2 years ago) showing it blocked muscle building.
Firm believer that most if not all people who use unnatural forms of weight loss will not be able to maintain it.
Weight loss is more a lifestyle change than it is adopting some super strict regiment / diet. Atomic habits somes it up quite eloquently.
You’re not wrong - GLP1s have to continually be taken to keep the weight off. But would I rather do that than have food cravings the rest of my life?
I also do think some people gain/hold weight a lot easier. I have friends who eat absolutely terribly and don’t work out and are skinny as a stick. There’s definitely some hormonal/genetic factors that make weight loss easier/harder for different people.
GLP-1 meds reduce the cravings that are the root of compulsive behavior of all kinds.
Put drunks on those meds and they stop drinking.
I could well-imagine a bodybuilder on those meds deciding he didn’t need to be so damned neurotic about his body and start skipping the gym.
GLP-1s are probably the wrong drugs for anyone who is working really really hard to accomplish something they believe is important to them.
I think you're correct. One of the less reported on side effects of Ozempic and other GLP1s (how it's been explained in laymen's terms to me, not sure exactly how the mechanism works) is that they actually break down fat cells into smaller cells i.e. they increase the number but make them individually smaller in the process. But what that means is that as soon as you stop taking them if you return to previous diet/exercise routine, they have the capacity for greater surface area as they expand meaning you could blow up quicker and bigger than you were to begin with. It's the perfect drug from pharma's perspective - you have to keep taking it in perpetuity to keep the effects (unless you change your habits, which most people won't).
That’s really interesting because natural weight loss doesn’t kill fat cells. It just makes existing fat cells smaller. Splitting fat cells into more cells is kind of a mind fuck regarding the potential implications it could have if someone relapses.
The research showed that most of the weight came back after stopping. But many caveats there:
1) Baseline isn't original weight. Overweight people tend to gain over time, so even if you maintained weight that's a win.
2) They didn't gain it all back
3) For experimental integrity, no lifestyle improvements were made
4) No maintenance dose was given
Ultimately I think it's assuming a lot to think someone is going to need to take it for life. Sure some patients will, but the potential to stop taking it or taking a reduce amount is going to be there for many.
Fair but what about people who already made the lifestyle change and want to accelerate results. Also losing weight through any kind of fasting or caloric restriction (including ozempic) probably leaves you with better insulin sensitivity going forward. I say "probably" because all the research actually says that, but I'm not a real doc or otherwise qualified so I caveat a bit.
Unfortunately, I disagree. Insulin plays a big role in weight managment. WHich is why Ozempic works. Which is why you never see a fat Tpe 1 Diabetic.
Girlfriend takes Wegovy (~5 months now). It has been very effective with surprisingly minimal side effects given everything we read beforehand. Generally speaking, (1) appetite is down / ability to eat is down, (2) physically uncomfortable if 'normal' portions are eaten, (3) sensitive to dairy and fat-rich foods foods, and (4) the minor sides and impact of the shot is far more pronounced in the first few days vs. the last few days of the week. The brand name drug in the 'pen' application has been purchased each time with a discount being available via the Wegovy site (though it's still expensive), I believe you can buy the drug in a more bulk fashion and inject yourself with needles ala old school insulin for diabetes.
Feel free to DM with any questions.
Thank you for replying to the topic haha. Was the reason for taking more medical or more just to lose a few extra lbs? Happy to dm if better.
Reason was purely for weight, no other conditions (e.g. no diabetes).
Is it difficult to self-inject?
Self-injecting is simple and painless. The needle is so sharp you don’t feel it. You press down on the plunger, wait a few seconds, pull out and recap needle. Easiest thing in the world.
Instead of 1 shot a week, you could half the dosage and do it twice a week (or even every day if you divide by 7) for a more sustained/constant blood concentration.
I’ve taken ozempic for a 1.5 months and it works pretty great. Lost 5-7kg on it while maintaining muscle.
Effects of GLP1-agonists (which ozempic belongs to)
- Reduced appetite
- slower digestion (so your stomach is filled for a longer time)
- increase insulin levels (not beneficial for weightloss)
While ozempic is great by all means, there are better GLP-1 agonists. Tirzepatide is more potent for example because it’s also a GIP agonist (which causes further appetite reduction). But currently the holy grail is retatrutide.
Retatrutide is amazing tbh. Not only is it a GLP-1 and GIP agonist, it also promotes fat breakdown by stimulating glucagon secretion. So you’ll get the benefits of tirzepatide & specifically promote fat loss.
I’ve personally taken retatrutide for 4 months and have lost a further 10kg and maintained it.
I know others personally that have taken retatrutide and have lost more than me while (mostly) maintaining their muscle
The key is to keep going to the gym and make sure you hit your protein (1.8g/kg is optimal and the ideal range is 1.5-2.0g/kg, so 1.5kg is fine too) by eating stuff that’s high in protein and low in volume.
TLDR: ozempic is great, tirzepatide is better, and retatrutide is best
I’ve taken ozempic for a 1.5 months and it works pretty great. Lost 5-7kg on it while maintaining muscle.
Effects of GLP1-agonists (which ozempic belongs to)
- Reduced appetite
- slower digestion (so your stomach is filled for a longer time)
- increase insulin levels (not beneficial for weightloss)
While ozempic is great by all means, there are better GLP-1 agonists. Tirzepatide is more potent for example because it’s also a GIP agonist (which causes further appetite reduction). But currently the holy grail is retatrutide.
Retatrutide is amazing tbh. Not only is it a GLP-1 and GIP agonist, it also promotes fat breakdown by stimulating glucagon secretion. So you’ll get the benefits of tirzepatide & specifically promote fat loss.
I’ve personally taken retatrutide for 4 months and have lost a further 10kg and maintained it.
I know others personally that have taken retatrutide and have lost more than me while (mostly) maintaining their muscle
The key is to keep going to the gym and make sure you hit your protein (1.8g/kg is optimal and the ideal range is 1.5-2.0g/kg, so 1.5kg is fine too) by eating stuff that’s high in protein and low in volume.
TLDR: ozempic is great, tirzepatide is better, and retatrutide is best
Don’t you need to be medically obese to be prescribed these?
Not Metformin.
You technically do but I’ve heard doctors will prescribe it if you tell them you want it (won’t be covered by insurance though), because people also use teleproviders where you self report conditions to get prescriptions. I’ve heard friends who are just slightly overweight with no related medical condition whose PCPs have asked if they want it.
*Some* of them are approved for solely weight loss, *some* only for diabetes (or other medical conditions) but are still prescribed off label.
My significant other was not medically obese but had tried various routes over the past several years with pretty strong commitment (e.g. diet via caloric deficits, exercise) without fully satisfactory results to her.
Metformin is OTC here in Hong Kong. I pop them like candy. I'm taking it for the longevity effect, based on the work of David Sinclair, on the off chance it might make me live longer. Haven't seen any decrease in muscle mass or fat mass.
Ozempic was not designed as weight loss drug, but a way to regulate blood sugar for diabetics which it is very good at. The problem with Ozempic is that it signals the brain that you are full all the time so eating is not appealing and you basically have no appetite. This results in the loss of not only adipose tissue, but muscle contractile tissue as well which is BAD. Not to mention the undernourishment these people are experiencing from lack of protein, good fats, and micronutrients / vitamins. Yes, you will lose weight, but it is not a healthy or efficient way to do it.
If you look at the most effective methods to reduce body fat, bodybuilders have this down to a science. They are extremely good at retaining muscle mass while a reducing fat tissue which is ultimately what you should be trying to do. This is done through adequate weight training in addition to a diet consisting of high protein and a caloric deficit. Pretty simple in theory, but difficult for the average American who is constantly surrounded by cheap junk food and probably did not grow up eating this way.
There really are not shortcuts with this. Just like building muscle, yeah you can take SARMs or anabolic hormones to speed up the process, but you will have to continually use these substances to maintain your progress because you fucked up your body’s natural hormone production. Ozempic is no different - unless you change the underlying issues, you will probably revert right back to where you started when you come off.
But doesn't any caloric restriction tend to hit both fat and muscle unless something is done to tip the scales (like lifting + protein)? I feel like I'd need to see that the Ozempic effect of muscle loss is unusually pronounced relative to other weight loss mechanisms, before I'd abandon my current working belief that it's helpful.
Medical professionals should asterisk this as a treatment for individuals without an ounce of discipline.
Seriously. Just eat less than you burn. Sick of the obese cope.
100% agree that your approach is ideal, and that GLP-1 side effects are still being understood and have very real drawbacks. But for those drugs the good far outweigh (no pun intended lol) the bad when you look at morbidly obese individuals who have a slew of serious chronic conditions due to their weight. Most people dont even know these individuals really exist but if you work in healthcare you see them all the time. We are talking 300+ pounders. If Ozempic can get them to lose 100 pounds over an extended period of months/years then more power to it.
If you are just a chubby bloke looking to lose some weight then yea diet/exercise is better than this shortcut. If you are truly obese then there are underlying behavioral factors that are much more difficult to address
Bodybuilders indeed do have it down to a science - however don’t think this is from natural causes?
Look at bodybuilders over time, you will notice a striking trend. They have gotten bigger and reduced body fat drastically.
This is almost certainly because of two factors - better access to nutrition and knowledge thereof and most certainly stronger steroids .Trenbolone was synthesized in the 1960s however it did not become popular with body builders until around the 1980 after tren ace was made for cows. From my understanding it allows cows to gain and maintain quite a bit of muscle mass before being transported to a feedlot and then slaughtered.
no love for zepbound/mounjaro?
(i'm long LLY)
Why not just take Clen instead of ozempic?
because it heat up your body alot, and the side effect is significant.
Could just try not eating shit and going to the gym. It’s really not complicated. Eat at a deficit and move.
Please do not forget that its as simple as that, most people that cannot lose weight is not about eating too much but the type of food that they consume, several foods damage the hormones and chemicals in our bodies, that needs to be fixed first before you can control their insulin levels which cause people to put on weight.
Please, stay away from that drug, use natural equivalent.
forgive my ignorance but what are the natural equivalents? Or do you mean coffee and tea as appetite suppressants?
Maybe just not a horse bronchodilator
This was such a great one. I wish they did more regular releases vs these longer form ones but I guess they're pretty busy these days with other stuff/enjoying semi-retirement.
For those who do not know that a equivalent natural way to lose weight includes amongst a better eating habit is taking Berberine. You can find the pill’s version on amazon.
How about ecig
But why? It’s not natural.
Reviews are mixed on this one.
I’ve followed a few discussions about Ozempic, and while many report good results, there are also people who have experienced serious side effects. In fact, there are several Ozempic lawsuits investigating these cases, and I found this page dedicated to the Ozempic lawsuit updates from a law firm that explains more clearly what’s happening from a legal perspective.
The drug is effective from what I’ve seen from a relative.
From a business perspective, there was a shortage of Ozempic/Wegovy, which led to a bunch of wellness companies getting into the business with semi-glutide alternatives, which charge a subscription plan of $200/month for the meds. This was clearly for weight loss.
Apparently, Spring 2025, Novo Nordisk has solved the manufacturing shortfall and these substitute companies are signaling that they will shutdown or stop selling the substitutes.
Since health insurance doesn’t normally cover unless you have diabetes or whatever it’s made for, the cost of the real Ozempic for weight loss will go up substantially. People are buying in bulk the substitutes while they still can, but the effective life of the substitutes are only about 1 year.
So, sometime in 2026, something will happen. My guess is the people who can afford and seen positive results, will pay through the nose. I don’t know what will happen to the lower cost market segment. However, there will be difficulties getting your doctor to prescribe the real thing if you don’t have diabetes or are unhealthily obese.
Over the past 3 months (2Q2025) was a Reddit discussion that went viral about how Ozempic makes your weiner appear bigger, due to weight loss around the torso. The stock soared, but has recently come down.
The downsides of the drug appear to be some muscle loss. You can become “skinny fat” so you shouldn’t just do cardio, but also lift weights. And not sure about long term health effects. But overall weight loss seems to be a net positive for health and importantly, vanity.
Interesting company and drug. I think it’s a “miracle drug” that has and will change the world.
I’ve been on it for a couple of months just for weight loss. It’s been working, but the first few weeks were rough-nausea and no appetite at all.
Some dropped weight pretty fast, but a couple had stomach issues or felt kinda off the first weeks. Definitely not a magic fix, but it seems to work for some if you stick with it and watch your food.
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