Medical Weight Loss Programme
With our weight loss programme adding weight loss medication: Glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists, to a sensible meal and exercise plan helps you lose weight and keep it off. The medication mimics the action of peptides that are normally present in the body and acts by causing a feeling of fullness and suppressing appetite.
Delivery is via a virtually painless injection administered weekly. It makes you feel less hungry, feel fuller quicker and fuller for longer.
You must complete a medical consultation with us to ensure you are suitable medically, to be educated on how to titrate dosing, what to expect and how to manage any side effects.
We also provide fat dissolving injections (Acqualyx) for localised areas of stubborn fat. However, if you are carrying excess weight over a large area or effecting your entire body we do not recommend fat dissolving injections but instead the weekly GLP-1 agonist medication to obtain a healthy overall weight and body size.
Please note: We do not dispense the pen here at the clinic, similar to any other prescription medicine you will need to bring your prescription to a chemist who dispenses the medication to you and pay the chemist for your medication.
How do weight loss medications work to help me lose weight?
The new GIP and GLP-1 agonist weight loss injectable medications generally work in 4 different ways: reduce appetite, increase satiety (make you feel full with less), increase your metabolism and decrease the pleasure/reward feeling associated with overindulging.
There are several different brands of GIP and GLP-1 agonists available now for doctors to prescribe such as Saxenda (liraglutide), Ozempic (semaglutide), Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide). Dr. Hughes will explain about the different types during your consultation and explain how to use whichever medication she decides to prescribe for you. It is also possible to switch to a different one if you are finding side effects are not manageable or if after a discussion with your doctor it is recommended to change for better efficacy.
Do I need to watch what I eat, diet, fast or go to the gym while taking a GLP-agonist for weight loss?
Dr. Hughes usually advises people to try to eat 3 small meals a day and not to skip meals. It is important not just to be slim, but also to be nutritionally healthy. Please remember to try to eat your 5 a day, oily fish and dietary fiber. Calcium, iron, vitamin D are important especially in ageing people. Sources of calcium are milk, yoghurt, cheese. Sources of vitamin D and iron are red meat, oily fish and egg yolks. Drink plenty of fluids, preferably water while on your medication. Regular, consistent weight resistance exercise is the most efficient method for increasing muscle mass and metabolic rate and changing body shape. However, many people will not be ready for this type of exercise at the beginning, so start at a realistic target of walking steps and build on this over time. European guidelines for exercise are >150 mins/week of brisk walking or 10,000 steps per day. You should think about taking a multivitamin containing all the B complex vitamins, biotin and omegas whilst on a GLP-1 agonist or GLP-1 and GIP agonist.
GLP-1 agonists will also increase your metabolic rate as part of their mode of action.
Do you sell weight loss pens?
We are a medical clinic and Dr. Hughes is a medical doctor, we are not a chemist, therefore medication is prescribed at the clinic, but not dispensed. The weight loss medications are prescription only medicines, so it cannot be bought over the counter, and you will need a prescription from a doctor. Please do not buy from people pertaining to sell these over the internet, on Instagram or via WhatsApp as these are scams and are selling fake product, but could be dangerous for your health.
Semaglutide is the scientific name of the drug what is contained within Ozempic and Wegovy pens and it can only legally be prescribed by a doctor and dispensed at a chemist the same as for antibiotics, contraceptives, steroids, insulin etc.
Will I be on a weekly injection forever? What happens when I attain my target weight?
People often fear that they will regain the weight once they stop doing their regular injections but in our experience the weight tends to stay off as GLP-1 agonists are working at the level of the brain not just the gut, so it changes the way that you think about food. For some patients if they are very worried about coming to a full stop with their treatment, we can taper the dose right down to the initial dose (a maintenance dose rather than a weight losing dose) for a few months to allow a period of adjustment. There is no hard and fast rule on this though and once the desired target weight is reached it is time for a discussion with doctor to assess whether it may be worthwhile considering a small weight maintaining dose on a chronic basis. If patient considers that weight is likely to recur and it would be beneficial for overall health to continue on a chronic low dose this may be the wisest option.
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