Two people. The same medication. The same dose. But completely different results.

When it comes to treatments like GLP-1 therapy, even small differences between individuals can lead to very different outcomes. That’s why medication is never a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution.

Your body, your health needs, your response to the medication, and your lifestyle are all different.  As a result, as with most medications, your prescribed dose is personalized to ensure the best results and fewest side effects.

In your weight loss journey with GLP-1, picture yourself as a passenger on board a ship and your doctor as the captain steering you towards your destination by recommending the suitable GLP-1 medication and dose. If you change the medication or dose on your own, you risk the ship going off course.

Upon embarking on your weight loss journey, your doctor will start by¹: 

You are generally considered a candidate for GLP-1 therapy if you have a:

• Body mass index (BMI) of 30kg/m² or higher²
• BMI of 27kg/m² or higher in the presence of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, or heart disease²

Your doctor may prescribe GLP-1 medications at an even lower BMI if you are at a high risk of obesity-related health problems³.

Once your eligibility is confirmed, your doctor will decide the suitable dose for your condition.

If you had just started learning how to drive, you wouldn’t go on the highway at peak time on your first day, would you? Not only would that make you hate driving before you even start, but it would also compromise your safety. Instead, you would start learning on less busy, and less stressful, roads and work your way to busier ones.

GLP-1 therapy works similarly.

Noticing changes or wondering if your dose should be different? That’s a conversation to have with your doctor, not a decision to make on your own.

If you're experiencing side effects, your doctor may temporarily lower your dose.

On the other hand, your doctor will usually increase your dose if⁶:

• Your weight loss has plateaued.
• You are experiencing more hunger or can’t stop thinking about food.
• You were temporarily placed on a lower dose to resolve side effects.

When seeking the best weight loss results, we sometimes fall under the illusion that increasing the dose means losing weight faster. However, that might not necessarily be the case, you could just be creating more discomfort. 

Real progress in weight management doesn’t come from following someone else’s experience, it comes from following the right plan for you. GLP-1 therapy works best when each step, from the starting dose to any adjustments, is guided by your doctor based on your individual response. Trusting that process helps you achieve better results with fewer setbacks because the best outcomes come from moving forward with the right support, one step at a time.