Semaglutide and Tirzepatide: Understanding Medical Weight Loss

Medical weight loss has become one of the most asked-about services in our practice, and also one of the most misunderstood. Here is a clear explanation of what these medications do and what a supervised programme actually involves.

How they work

Both semaglutide and tirzepatide mimic hormones your gut naturally releases after eating. They slow how quickly your stomach empties, signal fullness to your brain, and help regulate blood sugar.

The practical effect is that you feel satisfied sooner and stay satisfied longer. The constant background noise of food thoughts that many people live with tends to quieten considerably.

The difference between them

Semaglutide targets one hormone pathway, GLP-1. Tirzepatide targets two, GLP-1 and GIP.

In studies, tirzepatide has generally produced greater average weight loss. It also typically costs more. Neither is universally the right answer, and plenty of patients do very well on semaglutide.

What supervision actually means

This is the part worth paying attention to when comparing options.

We start with a full health history and an InBody composition scan, which measures muscle and fat separately rather than just total weight. That distinction matters enormously, because losing muscle alongside fat is a bad outcome even when the scale looks good.

Dosing starts low and increases gradually. That titration is not a formality. It is what keeps side effects manageable, and it should be adjusted based on how you specifically respond.

We monitor along the way and adjust. If side effects are difficult, we slow down. If progress stalls, we look at why rather than simply increasing the dose.

What to expect honestly

Nausea is the most common side effect, usually worst after a dose increase and usually improving. Eating smaller meals and slowing down helps considerably.

This is not a quick fix. Meaningful results take months, not weeks.

Protein intake and resistance training matter more than most people expect. Without both, a significant share of what you lose can be muscle. We will talk about this at every visit because it determines whether you end up leaner or simply smaller.

And weight often returns after stopping, which is worth understanding before you begin rather than after.

Is it right for you?

That depends on your health history, your goals and your circumstances, which is exactly what the consultation is for. It is free, it is thorough, and if we do not think this is the right path for you, we will say so.