Average Weight Loss in Clinical Trials
Patients on Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly) lost 15-17% of body weight on average over 68 weeks in the STEP trials, compared to 2-3% on placebo. For a 250-pound person, that's about 37-42 pounds.[1][2]
How Weight Loss Varies by Time on Treatment
- Months 1-3: 5-10% loss (12-25 pounds for 250 pounds starting weight).
- Months 4-6: Additional 5-7%, totaling 10-15%.
- By 68 weeks: Peaks at 15-20% for most responders.[1][3]
Loss slows after year 1; maintenance requires continued use.
Factors Affecting Your Results
Higher starting BMI (>35) predicts more loss (up to 20%). Diet, exercise, and adherence boost outcomes—those following calorie restriction lost 2-3% more. Men often lose more absolute pounds; women more percentage-wise. Age, diabetes, or insulin resistance reduce response.[2][4]
Who Loses the Most (and Least)
Top responders (top 25%) hit 20-25% loss. Non-responders (<5%) may stop after 12-16 weeks per guidelines. About 75% lose ≥10%.[1][3]
What If You Miss Doses or Stop?
Missing >2 doses in a row halves weekly loss. Stopping leads to 2/3 regain within a year; 83% kept ≥10% off at 2 years with lifestyle changes.[2][5]
Compared to Other Weight Loss Drugs
Wegovy outperforms Ozempic (same drug, lower dose: 10-12% loss), Mounjaro (18-21%), Zepbound (20%), and older drugs like phentermine (5-10% short-term).[3][6]
Real Patient Experiences
Forums report 20-50 pounds in 6 months, but 10-20% experience plateaus or GI side effects limiting dose to 1.7 mg (12% average loss).[4]
[1]: NEJM STEP 1 Trial
[2]: Novo Nordisk Prescribing Info
[3]: STEP 4 Extension Data
[4]: JAMA Network Meta-Analysis
[5]: SUSTAIN FORTE Study
[6]: DrugPatentWatch: GLP-1 Comparisons