Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice. All statements are merely the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to pharmaceutical medication.
There are several FDA-approved injections for weight loss. All are clinically shown to cause weight loss, but some are more effective than others.
But which injection for weight loss causes the greatest weight loss? Does this weight loss method have risks? How do real users rate and describe the effects of injections for weight loss? And are there safer solutions?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze clinical studies on injections for weight loss to determine which is the most effective.
We'll feature real patient reviews of this weight loss treatment, and explain how it works in the body.
Which Treatment is Most Effective?
At the time of publishing this article, there are at least four weight loss injection options: Zepbound, Ozempic, Saxenda and Wegovy.
Here's how much weight loss each treatment caused in clinical trials:
Zepbound caused weight loss of 15% after 72 weeks, as documented in a 2022 clinical trial.
Ozempic was shown to cause around 10 pounds of weight loss in 30 weeks in a 2022 medical review.
Saxenda caused average weight loss of around 15 pounds in 20 weeks, in a clinical trial published in the Lancet journal.
Wegovy is clinically shown to cause 14.9% body weight loss after 68 weeks.
Ozempic is not currently FDA-approved for weight loss, while the other three options here are.
As we discussed in our Zepbound reviews article, we consider this medication to be the most effective weight loss injection option because of its performance in head-to-head clinical trials against other weight loss drugs.
All of these medications have a "black box" warning from the FDA indicating potentially increased risk of cancer.
Real People Try Weight Loss Injections
A YouTube creator named "Countess of Shopping" claims to have lost 88 pounds on Zepbound:
A YouTube creator named Dawn Barlow documented her experience taking Saxenda for 14 days:
What are the Risks?
As we mentioned in the first section of this article, weight loss injections are associated with increased health risks in some individuals.
Zepbound's FDA label indicates a risk of thyroid C-cell tumors in a "black box" warning section.
The label also indicates that use of Zepbound has been associated with increased risk of severe gastrointestinal reactions, acute pancreatitis, hypersensitivity reactions, low blood sugar and more.
These risks seem to occur in a minority of patients, but are definitely worth considering and discussing with a doctor before signing up for weight loss injections.
Patients Rate Zepbound
Drugs.com is a website that allows prescription medication patients to rate and review the drugs they're taking.
We cannot verify the accuracy or authenticity of any reviews on this site.
Zepbound has been reviewed over 50 times on Drugs.com at the time of publishing this article, with an average review rating of 9.1 out of 10.
A top positive review comes from a user named "Lori" who gave the medication a 10/10 rating, and claims to have lost a significant amount of weight while using it:
"Thank you Zepbound for showing me what being full was. It's a whole new feeling. I have more pep in my step. Four weeks in, over 20 pounds lost. Bring on the 2024 weight loss journey!! (2.5 dose, going up next shot)"
A top negative review is written by a user named "sherri" who gave the medication a 4/10 rating, and seems unhappy with the weight loss:
"I have been on Zepbound for two months and have lost only 9 pounds...I have no side effects from the drug or overeating."
Our Clean Weight Loss Picks
There are food-based nutrients which have been shown in medical studies to be effective for weight loss.
Dietary fiber was shown in a medical review published in The Journal of Nutrition to cause 16 pounds of weight loss in 6 months when combined with moderate caloric restriction (750 calories per day below baseline).
MBG Organic Fiber Potency+ is our top fiber pick because it's certified organic, provides 7 g of fiber per serving and costs under $1.85 per serving at the time of updating this article.
MCT oil was shown in a meta-study to cause more than one pound of weight loss over 10 weeks. This equates to potential annualized weight loss of 6 pounds per year with less than one tablespoon's worth of MCT oil per day.
Performance Lab MCT Oil is our top MCT oil pick because it's certified organic.
Ginger intake "significantly decreased body weight" according to a 2019 meta-study on ginger and weight loss that analyzed data from 14 clinical trials.
Pique La Ginger is our top ginger product, because it's an organic tea in convenient crystallized form, and all that's needed is to pour the powder into a glass and add hot water.
All three of the products mentioned in this section are entirely free of additive ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
We're not suggesting any of these supplements should be used to treat any medical condition, or that they're as effective as any FDA-approved medication; rather, we're just sharing information that individuals averse to prescription medication can speak with their doctor about.
