Losing weight is rarely an easy feat, especially when you feel like you’ve tried every method under the sun. And, while a reduced-calorie diet and exercise are the traditional pillars of weight loss, in many cases, they don’t move the needle quite enough.
Why? Well, because your biology might be working against you. This is where weight loss injections can come in, as these medications address weight on a biological level.
When combined with behavioural and lifestyle changes, weight loss injections can help you achieve sustainable and significant weight loss and help you keep it off in the long term. Sign us up!
If you’ve tried several diets and weight loss measures, you might think that this sounds too good to be true and that’s completely understandable. But, thanks to research, we know it’s not.
With this in mind, let’s explore what you need to know about weight loss injections and how effective they can be.
What Is A Weight Loss Injection?
A weight loss injection contains medication that is delivered via a subcutaneous injection. This can sound intimidating but it simply means it’s injected into the fatty tissue just under your skin. The most common injection sites are the upper thigh, abdomen or upper arm.
Medication is often delivered this way as it allows the body to absorb it far more slowly than if administered via a vein [1]. This is why medications like vaccines are usually administered into the upper arm, as these require continuous delivery at a low dose rate.
The medication used in weight loss injections contains a molecule that works in the same way as GLP-1 (also known as glucagon-like-peptide-1 receptor). Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of GLP-1 before, it’s an appetite hormone that is naturally produced in the small intestine and is involved in helping you feel full.
Weight loss injections contain a molecule that mimics this hormone, which helps to slow stomach emptying and keep you feeling satiated for longer, which in turn, leads to weight loss.
Do Weight Loss Injections Really Work?
Weight loss injections really do help you lose weight and can play a role in chronic weight management.
How do they work, exactly? Well, as we mentioned earlier, this medication slows stomach emptying and digestion, which releases less of the sugar from the food you’ve consumed into your bloodstream [2]. This helps to reduce spiking blood sugar levels. This can help to reduce spiking blood sugar levels and improve the way your body is able to process fat and manage nutrients.
The medication also affects parts of the brain that are related to fullness, helping to increase these feelings while also reducing hunger signals [2]. It can also help quiet some of the ‘food noise’ you may experience and put a stop to cravings.
Plus, the research on the efficacy of weight loss injections speaks for itself. In 6 key research trials of 7,215 patients, after 1 year of treatment, up to 63% of participants lost 5% or more of their body weight [6]. 27% of participants lost 10% or more of their body weight.
Who Can Use A Weight Loss Injection?
There are certain parameters that practitioners must adhere to when prescribing weight loss medications and they will usually use your body mass index (BMI) to work out if the medication is suitable for you or not.
Before being prescribed these injections, a healthcare practitioner will need to gain a clear understanding of your current weight and health.
How To Access Weight Loss Medication
You may be wondering how you can find out if these weight loss medications are a good fit for you. With this in mind, we’ve partnered with Juniper to bring you a new weight-loss experience. Juniper’s clinically proven treatment is prescribed by Australian practitioners to suppress appetite and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Juniper’s Weight Reset Program takes a multipronged approach to weight loss, which includes the following:
Unlimited Access To Weight Loss Experts
Speak with GPs, nurses, dietitians, health coaches and pharmacists at any time.
Clinically Proven Medication
Suppresses appetite and increases the feeling of being full.
Access To A Private Online Community
Find support and advice from women on the same journey.
Free Smart Scales
Measure your biometric health improvements and check in on your goals.
Juniper’s Weight Reset Program takes a new approach to weight loss with medication and when combined with lifestyle changes, it’s proven to be among the safest and most effective methods for lasting weight loss [2].
How Long Do Weight Loss Injections Take To Work?
Every person’s weight loss journey looks different and the same goes for how long it can take for weight loss medications to work.
When starting weight loss injections, your practitioner will instruct you to start on the lowest dose of medication for the first 4 weeks — this allows your body to adjust to the medication while also helping to reduce possible side effects.
If you’re tolerating the medication well, you’ll slowly increase your doses over time and should you see changes in your body as time progresses.
How Much Weight Will I Lose?
Unfortunately, we can’t determine exactly how much weight you can lose with weight loss medications, due to a number of factors like your metabolism rate, age and your current weight.
In saying this, average Juniper members tend to lose over 13% of their body weight in one year [3]. While this will vary from person to person, these results are incredibly heartening.
What Are The Most Effective Weight Loss Injections?
There are several different weight loss injections on the market but unfortunately, we aren’t able to disclose the names of these medications. What we can say is that our partnership with Juniper offers the leading weight loss treatment in Australia.
All medications prescribed by Juniper clinicians have been approved for use in Australia and are commonly prescribed by GPs and local pharmacies for the treatment of weight management.
You’re probably wondering why we can’t share the names of these medications and this is due to Australian Therapeutic Goods regulations, which require you to undergo a consultation with one of Juniper’s practitioners before they can disclose medication names.
This is to ensure a qualified medical professional discusses all the options available to you before you make any decisions regarding medical treatments.
If you’d like to know more, we recommend taking Juniper’s quiz and getting connected with an Australian practitioner to discuss treatment options.
How Much Do Weight Loss Injections Cost?
In the case of Juniper’s Weight Reset Program, which includes prescription weight loss injections, unlimited follow-up consultations with your Juniper practitioner, health coaching, 1:1 health tracking and access to our supportive and like-minded Juniper community, you’re looking at $285 per month.
While this is an investment in your health, it’s one we believe is worthwhile. Juniper is a holistic program that considers weight loss from all angles — not just through diet and exercise — and members are able to access medical support from the comfort of their homes.
Juniper also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can make sure Juniper is the right program for you.
How To Use An Injection Pen
It can take a little while to feel comfortable using your weight loss injection pen, especially if you’ve never self-administered medication in this way before.
The good news is that it doesn’t take long and the whole process is straightforward. Here’s how to administer weight loss injections.
Check Your Pen
Survey your pen and check that the label contains your prescribed medication and that the medicine itself is colourless.
Attach A New Needle
You’ll need to attach a new needle before each injection. Start by tearing off the paper tab, then push and turn the needle until it’s tight. Pull both needle caps.
Look At The Flow Check Symbol
Turn the dose selector until the counter shows the flow check symbol — this will ensure you’re administering the correct dose of medication.
Press and hold the dose button until the counter shows 0 — make sure a drop appears at the needle tip.
Administer Your Injection
Ensure that the area around your injection site is clean and ready to go. Then, turn the dose selector until the counter shows the dose you need to inject.
Insert the needle into your skin and press and hold down the dose button. After the dose counter reaches 0, slowly count to 6. Remove the needle from your skin.
Post-Injection
Carefully remove the needle and place it straight in a sharps container. Pop the pen cap back on the pen.
Are There Any Side Effects?
As with all prescription medications, there are certain side effects associated with weight loss injections that some people may experience. Thankfully, most of these are considered to be mild and will usually subside after a few weeks as your body gets used to the medication.
Your Juniper practitioner will try to mitigate these side effects as much as possible by starting you on a low dose of medication and slowly increasing this over a number of weeks.
Here are some of the most common side effects.
Changes To Your Sense Of Taste
Some people who use weight loss injections cite changes to their sense of taste. It tends to affect a small number of people but something to keep in mind if you’re experiencing the same.
Researchers are currently investigating why this could be happening via clinical studies so watch this space [4].
Fatigue
Fatigue tends to be a secondary symptom as it usually happens as a result of vomiting or following a reduced-calorie meal plan while on a weight loss journey.
To help mitigate feelings of fatigue, try to fuel your body with lots of water and whole foods and prioritise sleep and rest where possible.
Dizziness Or Lightheadedness
It can be common to experience dizziness or lightheadedness when taking weight loss medications, especially when starting your medication [5].
While this isn’t ideal, it will usually resolve itself as your body adjusts to the medicine.
Diarrhoea, Acid Reflux And Heartburn
Weight loss injection side effects can tend to appear in the stomach and digestive system, so you may experience diarrhoea, acid reflux or heartburn as a result of starting the medication.
These side effects are usually mild and do tend to fade as you progress with your treatment and you adapt to the medication.
Try eating smaller meals throughout the day and drinking lots of water to support your digestive system through this transition.
Constipation Or Abdominal Pain
Stomach pain can be related to constipation, bloating or diarrhoea associated with weight loss injections and it will usually resolve itself.
If you’re experiencing severe stomach pain, seek medical attention immediately.
Headaches
Headaches are pretty common when first starting weight loss injections and these are usually as a result of dehydration. Do your best to stay hydrated and let your healthcare provider know if they persist.
Vomiting
Vomiting is often another short-term side effect that you may experience when you start weight loss injections. Opt for bland, low-fat foods as well as those with a high water content, like soup, to help settle your stomach and stay nourished and hydrated.
The symptoms will usually go away on their own as your body adjusts but be sure to seek medical assistance immediately if you’re experiencing severe side effects.
How To Approach Your Lifestyle When Taking Weight Loss Medication
It’s important to note that while weight loss medications can help you lose excess weight, they aren’t a silver bullet — unfortunately, the medication on its own won’t be enough in the long term.
Because of this, Juniper’s Weight Reset Program takes a holistic approach to weight loss through 1:1 health tracking, educational videos, dietitian support and access to a private community of other women who are on the same journey.
Juniper’s health coaches work with you to help create behaviour change and manage your weight. They are experts in helping Juniper patients implement sustainable behavioural and lifestyle changes over time, which sets you up for long-term success.
This includes advice on diet and exercise and helps you navigate the often tricky path of weight loss with support. You don’t have to do it alone, which is why our partnership with Juniper is so important. With the support of a medical team at your fingertips, Juniper is the modern way to approach weight loss.
