OK, it’s here to stay. I get it. Ozempic wasn’t originally devised as a weight loss drug but once folks figured out that that was one of the side effects, WOAH!…. Ozempic, or Wegovy, or any of the new versions of semaglutide have literally exploded in the marketplace.

This is not a surprise. The world has been waiting for the “golden tablet”, or in this case the golden injection, that would magically shed weight, without diets or exercise. Just jab yourself with a syringe once a week and voila! Weight loss.

I know. I sound dubious. I sound like I wonder what the long term effects could be. I wonder if, once Big Pharma figured out that they had a drug that would literally print money for them, they have performed their due diligence in testing all of the potential short and long term issues before hurling it on the market at, at least in the U.S., a huge profit margin. I sound like maybe having gone the strict diet and exercise route to weight loss and weight management, I may resent the pharmaceutical shortcut which the semaglutide family of drugs represent.

Maybe.

But that’s not what I’m blogging about today.

I’m asking a favor. To all my friends going down this path.

Consider, just consider, integrating a better diet and physical activity along with your weekly injection. I’m not saying don’t use semaglutide, because I don’t, as a general rule, spit into the wind or beat my head against walls. That would be counter productive, not to mention give me a headache. It’s here, it’s giving people what they want, and any rant I put out there won’t change that. And I know they tell you to use it “along with diet & exercise”, but I wonder how much of that really goes on.

Ozempic works. You lose the weight. But what you don’t get from the semaglutide family is;

-Overall fitness. Boosted metabolism, increased cardiovascular wellness, retention of lean muscle, improved bone density, and a whole host of other wellness benefits that come with physical activity. Skinny and fit are two very different things.

– Healthy dietary habits. Improving the quality and quantity of the food you consume. More vegetables and lean proteins. Less fried foods, simple carbs and saturated fats. Getting the benefits of vitamins and phytonutrients which are present in these foods and can benefit cardiovascular health, brain health, eye health and myriad other benefits which science is still discovering on a day to day basis.

So what did I say in those last two paragraphs? Diet and activity. Yes, I climbed back on that old warhorse. Why, because that works too!!! And we’re not going to find out in 5 years that there are long term side effects to diet & activity that we didn’t know about in our rush for a miracle cure. It’s going to provide weight management and health benefits for your entire lifetime, not just a lower number on your scale and being able to fit into the pants you wore in high school.

I know. I’m swimming against the tide here. But how about this…

Just try integrating some fitness and dietary habits as you are taking the “sema-jab”. Or, after you get to your desired number on the scale, maintaining your weight through healthier habits.

I know. It’s not easy. It’s not necessarily fun, especially starting out. But it’s doable and it has undeniable lifelong benefits. And yes, this probably makes the 10th or 12th “Practically Well” blog that preaches these benefits.

What can I say. I’m stubborn when it comes to your health.

Talk later,

Bob