• What are the best ways to lose weight without dieting or weight loss?
• What is an appetite suppressant?
• What if my doctor prescribes Semaglutide?
• Can a Lipotropic injection help me lose weight?
• I’ve heard about hormone replacement therapy—what is it?
• What weight-loss strategy is right for you?

Many people worry about their weight and want to slim down. Nearly two out of every five people regularly discuss dieting and weight loss. Most people approach weight loss from the perspective of staying healthy—in fact, 95% of people who are interested in losing weight say they believe that shedding some pounds will improve their sense of well-being. However, only 23% of the U.S. population meets national standards for fitness and exercise.  

Many Americans look for ways to eat healthily and lose weight without the sweat and exertion that comes with exercise. We spend over $33 billion every year on fad diets that, for the most part, do not work. Another 580,000 people look to surgery to help reduce the size of their digestive tract, limiting how much they eat.

Is there a way to lose weight without dieting? Can you skip exercise and still lose weight? Is surgery the only option if you’re struggling with obesity? 

These are all good questions that can be answered with one word: Yes. WeCare Pharmacy offers our patients four alternatives to losing weight without diet or exercise. Here’s what you need to know.

Modern medicine offers an alternative to sweating on a treadmill. While no weight loss programs offer an easy process, four doctor-prescribed pharmaceutical alternatives have proven effective in helping patients stop weight gain and even lose weight:

1. Appetite suppressants 
2. Semaglutide 
3. Lipotropic injection 
4. Hormone replacement therapy 

If you are an adult with health problems resulting from weight gain, medical intervention with the goal of weight loss may be right for you. Let’s explore these four popular alternatives to exercise, dieting, and invasive surgery.

An appetite suppressant is a weight-loss drug that helps you lose weight by curbing that empty-stomach feeling that makes you want to eat. There are over-the-counter diet pills, but they are not regulated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Instead, true appetitive suppressants are medically prescribed and closely supervised by your doctor.

According to the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, a healthy diet, increasing exercise, and behavioral therapy to dissuade excessive food consumption can help you lose five to 10% of your weight in the first six months of receiving treatment. The problem is that some patients are not capable of exercising until they lose a certain amount of weight first. For these patients, an appetite suppressant may be a helpful first step on the road to health. 

Appetite suppressants are good exercise and diet alternatives if you:

• Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher
• Have a BMI index of 27 or higher and some obesity-related health problems
• Were unable to lose one pound per week after six months of diet, exercise, and behavioral adjustments

Appetitive suppressants, however, are just one medical intervention your doctor can prescribe.

Semaglutide is a relatively new weight loss medication that is already a best seller at WeCare Pharmacy. Researchers developed Semaglutide to treat type 2 diabetes. The Mayo Clinic says, “This medicine is also used to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death in patients with type 2 diabetes and heart or blood vessel disease.” 

Semaglutide may be taken orally in pill form or by injection. Clinical studies show that a weekly injection of this weight-loss medication was effective at helping patients lose nearly 15% of their body weight in just over two months.

Lipotropic injections help speed up fat loss in the body when combined with a reduced-calorie diet. These injections are made up primarily of vitamins and supplements, including:

• B-12
• B-6
• B complex
• Branched-chain amino acids
• L-carnitine
• Phentermine
• MIC (methionine, inositol, and choline)

A lipotropic injection, like Semaglutide, is administered weekly. Vitamin B-12 is one of the active ingredients that is believed to increase your metabolic rate and burn fat quickly. However, more research needs to be done to understand exactly how these supplements affect weight loss.

The fourth non-diet, no-exercise weight loss strategy to consider is hormone replacement therapy. What is it and is it right for you?

Hormone replacement therapy is used to artificially boost the hormone levels of women and men who experience a natural reduction in hormones as they age. Hormones are bodily chemicals produced by the endocrine system. These hormones regulate everything from your sex drive to weight gain. During menopause, or mid-life for men, production of these vital chemicals declines. That makes it harder to lose weight. Without the right hormone balance, the metabolism slows, abdominal fat builds, and you have less energy for weight loss.

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, your doctor can prescribe hormone replacement therapy to replenish your hormone levels. One study says, “Combined hormone replacement therapy not only prevented weight gain but increased weight loss significantly.” There is also evidence that hormone replacement therapy can help treat osteoporosis and heart disease. 

Doctors have known for years that hormones are one of the variables affecting your ability to lose weight. Supplementing your body with hormones can help compensate for the loss of these helpful chemicals.

Diet and exercise can be effective strategies for weight loss. However, for patients struggling with severe obesity, exercising or dieting isn’t always enough. 

Medical intervention can offer you the support you need to shed the weight and regain your health. Talk with your doctor about a strategy that works for you. 

WeCare Pharmacy partners with your clinical team to compound whole-person medications to treat issues that arise at different stages of your life. Contact our team today about how we can help you on your weight loss journey.