Semaglutide FAQs

Our protocol includes:

• Semaglutide injected subcutaneously into the fat of the abdomen, arm, or thigh with a small insulin syringe
• Anti-nausea Intramuscular (IM) injection
• Digestion & metabolism support oral supplements
• Digestion & metabolic support IM injection
• NP check-in, accountability, and support

Be in touch to learn the cost of this protocol. The protocol also includes discounts on other VIVA Wellness services that directly benefit the semaglutide weight loss experience. This information is available during your initial weight loss consultation—book here.

It’s not! Those are the branded names, but the drug semaglutide is the same. Rybelsus is an oral tablet, which we have found may be a bit less effective and causes additional GI side effects.

The length of each protocol varies by weight loss goal, health, ability to adhere to the protocol, etc. You could theoretically be on it for as few as 3 months (minimum), but as far as we know at this point, you could remain on the protocol until you reach your goal weight or to maintain it without drastic lifestyle change or deprivation.

VIVA Wellness emphasizes our method which includes consideration of the key components of semaglutide use for safety and success—side effect management, responsible dosing, and having a healthcare provider as part of the process. The body experiences so much as it learns the medication, so it’s expected that there would be a period of time where there is some adjusting.

Having NP care during this period is critical to ensuring success and quality of life. Quite simply, if you feel terrible, what’s the point? There is also so much important information available based on how you tolerate the medication which can offer us insight into overall levels of toxicity, metabolic health, mental/emotional health needs, etc.

We hope you choose to gain support through our team of Nurse Practitioners with extensive histories in weight loss, mental health, and critical care. We truly, truly do everything we can to ensure that you are supported, thriving, and find success. If semaglutide ends up not being the right fit for you, there are seemingly limitless approaches we can take to find something else that may be.

Semaglutide works by mimicking an incretin hormone, a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), that targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake and also:

• Enhances insulin secretion from the pancreas
• Regulates blood sugar. Often cravings or a sensation of needing to eat are due to sugar spikes or unpredictable blood sugar.
• Reduces the release of glucagon from the liver > this prevents your liver from making and releasing too much sugar.
• Delays food leaving your stomach > so you feel fuller faster and longer.

Paired with healthy food choices and movement, you likely feel compelled to eat less to feel full. The caloric deficit means that your body utilizes your own fuel instead of just forever in the glucose cycle. Additionally, those obsessive food chatter and physical or mental cravings, often inspired by blood sugar dysregulation, become less frequent, if at all.

Your body runs the show, so there’s no way to guarantee any sort of exact weight change. Some see minimal change in the beginning as we slowly introduce the medication, while some will see immediate shifts. If you jump fully into the VIVA Signature Detox & Weight Change Protocols that include whole system care (beyond the already powerful semaglutide protocol), you would likely expect to see an even greater speed of fat and toxin release, as well as decreased symptoms. Again, no two bodies are alike, no results are guaranteed, and you’d need to determine which plans are best for your unique scenario.

There may be a lot to this, but essentially it very well could be. We’d want to look at what you’ve tried, your story, and perhaps look at your overall level of health. That said, chances are that yes, this could be your gamechanger, as it’s often successful for people who have not been able to achieve weight loss success with other protocols. There is no minimum or maximum amount of desired weight loss that “qualifies” an individual for the drug, but rather it depends on health history and goals.

We love semaglutide’s ability to slow or stop the mental chatter and obsession with food and your “struggle” with weight, so perhaps that alone would decrease the stress that is signaling the retention of this weight. Take a look at this article for a reframe that may also help with your last 10-15 pound struggle.

Think about it — this medication is changing multiple processes throughout the body, so to not have the potential for side effects would actually be a little surprising. Side effects will vary by individual, and if experienced, these do usually decline with time as the body adjusts: nausea, Digestive disturbances (constipation or diarrhea), abdominal discomfort (gas, bloating), low energy, fatigue, detox symptoms, blood sugar changes, emotion, mood, and hormonal changes.

This is why having a NP-managed program, including frequent check ins and dosing (including administration of the injections themselves), can revolutionize the way you feel as you receive semaglutide, which may ultimately influence the results you experience.

Success is defined by you, but ultimately and in most cases, yes!

While there are a number of suggested ways of eating that will help you feel better and support the changes to the processes that the medication is adjusting, this medication is so effective because it doesn’t require massive change to work. That said, a natural byproduct of the changes your body is experiencing on the drug is feeling fuller quicker and for longer (slows the emptying of the stomach), so you will naturally desire to eat less. If you were to push past that feeling, you can expect to experience digestive discomfort or distress.

We always suggest aiming to eat healthfully and move your body—as they are critical components of a healthy lifestyle which is a pillar of weight release, with or without medical weight loss interventions.

Your NP will help you understand the right foods that support your goals as well as suggest you make movement (even just walking) a priority because of the many other physiological processes that are catalyzed through movement.

Your Nurse Practitioner introductory call will determine if you are a fit for our semaglutide protocol, but people who are definitely not great candidates would be (according to Wegovy.com), “you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).”

Additional considerations to be very upfront with during your initial consultation are whether any of the following resonate with you:

• pancreas or kidney problems
• type 2 diabetes (or a history of diabetic retinopathy)
• struggle or have struggled with depression, suicidal thoughts, or mental health issues. Please offer details here, as this could become an important part of your story and influence the weight loss direction
• pregnant or planning to be. Semaglutide may harm your unborn baby.
• breastfeeding or planning to. It is not known if semaglutide passes into your breast milk.

Ah, we’re so glad you asked. Whether you want to start semaglutide or any weight loss or lifestyle wellness change, we have so many ideas for you. Your NP can help you come up with a plan to begin, but a few ideas include:

Anything that will facilitate detox and support your liver is helpful during your treatment. While this information is related to cellular detox in terms of a specific fat loss protocol, it helps you understand how fat cells, detox, and various body systems work together and we highly recommend you take some time to read.

• Prolon. This 5-day fast mimicking protocol is an excellent idea if you are someone who traditionally struggles with a large appetite. This is also a great way for your system to focus on the healing that’s being done vs. digesting, as the foods are specifically chosen to move your body into a healing state without deprivation. LINK + CODE USAGE, etc.
• HIGHLY ENCOURAGE colonics for constipation!
• Lymphatic Drainage. These treatments are incredibly supportive of the metabolism and their ability to open up pathways, clear waste, and reduce stagnation . Your lymphatic system is responsible for so many processes and if it is overburdened, the good work you are doing with your protocol may be slowed if what is released into the body as fat is released is not able to be processed and moved fully out of the system.
• Castor Oil packs. This supports your liver in decongesting and moving out toxins released from other systems to the liver for processing. We love castor oil packs! Be sure to choose clean, organic Castor Oil (we carry this in the clinic). **These are also offered during a colonic, massaged in the abdomen with a layer of warm cloth and then tucked under a heating pad that you wear the whole session. This invites your colon to relax and release more effectively. Castor oil helps your liver detox into the colon, so it's basically a two-for-one detox.
• Movement. There is no shortage of evidence that the body benefits from movement. The best type of movement for your body is the movement you enjoy and are consistent with. Dance. Walking. Yoga. Biking. High intensity. Low Intensity. Any movement will do. Movement is so much more than just about burning calories—lowers stress, boosts lymphatic movement, improves mood, builds / supports muscle, etc. The lymphatic system has no pump of its own, so movement is the only way that it can flow. If movement is challenging, let’s get creative in coming up with something that is accessible to you. We love seated workouts, chair yoga, stretching, walking, and biking as options, but if they don’t work, please let us know.
• Breathing. You’re already a natural at this one, but utilizing deep belly breathing will not only support your lymphatic system in pumping, but it catalyzes many processes in the body including staying out of stress and in the rest & digest state. This is where healing can happen. So much of weight gain is due to your body’s reaction to stress—however real or simply perceived—and breath is proven to positively influence stress response.