Wegovy®
by Artisan
Support for Your Wegovy® (Semaglutide) Journey
Weight management is complex—and you're not alone in it. While diet and exercise are important, many other factors influence weight gain, weight loss, and your overall health. These include genetics, hormones, sleep, stress levels, medications, and underlying health conditions. That’s why a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for everyone.
If you’re using Wegovy® (semaglutide) as part of your treatment plan, you’ve taken a meaningful step toward managing your weight and improving your long-term health. Wegovy is designed to help regulate appetite and reduce food intake by mimicking a natural hormone in the body (GLP-1). But successful, sustainable results come from more than just the medication—they come from the right support, tools, and mindset.
Wegovy® is a medicine for weight loss and weight maintenance that contains the active substance semaglutide.
For people with overweight or obesity, the different brain signals in charge of appetite can become imbalanced, making it harder to manage cravings, recognise true hunger, and feel satisfied after eating.
Similar to a natural hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that is released from the intestine after a meal, Wegovy® works by acting on receptors in the brain that control your appetite, causing you to feel fuller and less hungry and experience less craving for food.
Understanding weight loss
Many people believe that losing weight and keeping it off is about what you eat and how much you exercise, and that strong willpower determines success.
The reality is that obesity is a complex, chronic disease caused by multiple factors, including your environment, genes and emotional health.1–3 Having difficulty losing weight is real and not just about willpower.
Our brains are in charge of our appetite, but it’s not always as simple as just feeling hungry. While one part of our brain tells us when we need food, other parts influence our food choices based on things like emotions, routines and even simple enjoyment.
For people with overweight or obesity, these different brain signals can become imbalanced, making it harder to manage cravings, recognise true hunger, and feel satisfied after eating.
What to expect from treatment with Wegovy®?
Starting a new treatment plan can bring up a lot of questions. Understanding what to expect with Wegovy® can help you feel more prepared as you begin.
- Wegovy® should be combined with changes to your diet and physical activity. Your healthcare team can help you develop a personalised plan that fits your lifestyle and supports your goals for weight loss and improved health.
- You will administer your once-weekly injection of Wegovy® yourself at home. Your healthcare team can show you the proper technique for injections.
- Like all medications, Wegovy® may cause side effects, although most people only experience mild-to-moderate side effects that typically don’t last long. It’s important to know that side effects may not always occur, but if they do, always discuss these with your doctor. If you don’t experience any side effects, this also doesn’t mean the medication isn’t working as intended.
- Weight loss is a gradual process and everyone responds to treatment differently. It’s important to focus on consistent, sustainable changes overtime. Your doctor will work with you to set treatment goals and the steps necessary to achieve these goals.
- As obesity is a complex, chronic disease, everyone’s weight loss journey will be different. Ongoing management may take time. Your health goals and length of treatment will be something you reassess with your doctor, so you continue to be clear about treatment expectations. Always speak to your doctor before changing or stopping your treatment.
Benefits of weight loss
Weight loss can protect your heart and liver.
By deciding to lose weight, you have already taken an important step towards improving your overall health. You may notice improvements in aspects such as joint pain, energy levels, and sleep quality.
Another piece of good news is that weight loss has been shown to improve heart health, and greater weight loss can lead to even more benefits. The numbers below illustrate the improvements you may experience at different levels of weight loss:
- >5%: Lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and reduces fat in the liver.
- >10%: Lowers blood pressure and decreases LDL (i.e., “bad” cholesterol).
- >15%: Reduces the risk of dying from heart diseases
People taking Wegovy® to help with weight loss can also benefit from other health-related improvements. A study recently looked at the effects of Wegovy® on more than 17,000 people living with obesity and pre-existing heart diseases. The results of the study showed that people taking Wegovy® had a 20% reduction in the risk of major cardiac events like heart attack and stroke as compared to placebo.
Losing weight can be challenging, but it is important to adopt a long-term perspective. By making this positive change, you not only shed excess weights but also enhance your overall health and protect your heart.
Quick guide to Wegovy®
Watch this video on how to use your Wegovy® pen.
Your first injection
If you're nervous about your first injection, you're not alone.
Talk to your doctor if you require guidance on the relevant injection techniques. You can also approach our friendly pharmacists for a face-to-face consultation as part of our patient support programme.
What to do if you miss a dose
If you do miss a dose, try to remember the 5-day rule:
If it is 5 days or less since you should have used Wegovy®: Use it as soon as you remember, then inject your next dose as usual on your scheduled day.
More than 5 days since you should have used Wegovy®: Skip the missed dose and inject as usual on your next scheduled day.
How to store Wegovy®
Before first use: Store in a refrigerator (2°C to 8°C)
After first use: You can keep the pen for 6 weeks when stored at a temperature below 30 °C or in a refrigerator (2 to 8 °C).
Common side effects and how to manage them
Watch this video on managing common side effects.
When you first start taking Wegovy®, or when you increase the dose, you are more likely to experience some common side effects. Not everyone experiences these effects, and if they do occur, they are usually only mild and don’t last for long. Speak to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you require assistance on any side effects with Wegovy®.
Nausea and Vomiting
If you do experience nausea or vomiting, it may help if you change what and how much you eat.
Here are some tips to help manage nausea and vomiting:
- Reduce meal size
- Stop eating when full or when not hungry
- Avoid spicy or high-fat foods
- Drink less carbonated or alcoholic beverages
- Drink more water and eat high-fibre foods
Constipation: what you can do
Try to:
- Eat foods that are high in fibre (kiwi, beetroot, oat porridge and prunes are good options)
- Be more active during the day
- Drink plenty of water
Diarrhoea: what you can do
Try to:
- Drink plenty of water or a rehydration drink
- Take small bites of salty cracker
Try to avoid:
- Spicy foods, fruits, alcohol, and caffeine until 48 hours after all symptoms have disappeared
- Milk for 3 days after symptoms disappear. You can eat cheese or yogurt with probiotics
Wegovy® Patient Booklet (Singapore)
English (page 1-15)
Chinese (page 16-27)
- Adults with Obesity
- Adults with Overweight + Weight-Related Health Issues
At The Artisan Clinic, all our doctors are well-trained professionals.
We keep ourselves up to date with latest trends and updates in the Aesthetic medicine field by being constantly involve and participating in seminars and conferences around the world.
Our Medical Director, Dr. Isaac Wong is an international trainer, and is often invited to speak in international conferences.
All treatments by The Artisan Clinic doctors are carefully curated by our Medical Director, Dr. Isaac Wong.
Aging is inevitable but you can choose to age gracefully.
Naturally healthy skin
Enhance facial contours
Thicker, fuller hair
Restore youthful looks
Fair and dewy skin
Body slimming
About our founder
01
Founder / Medical Director of The Artisan Clinic
02
Ellanse Asia Advisory Board Member.
03
Winner of Ellanse / Silhouette Soft Combination Therapy Before After Competition in Barcelona 2018.
04
Accredited trainer for Dysport , Radiesse, Belotero.
05
International Trainer / Speaker for CynoSure Medical Devices, Ellanse , Silhouette Soft , Teoxane , Mint Lift.
06
International Speaker for Anti-Aging Medicine World Congress, Aesthetic Multi-Specialty, Euromedicom conferences.
