Liraglutide (Saxenda) helps to stimulate insulin release and inhibit glucagon secretion, slows gastric emptying and increases satiety after eating. Patients who use Saxenda will have reduced appetite and hence eat less. This will lead to reduced caloric intake and if coupled with a healthy lifestyle, will help patients to reduce or control their body weight.
Saxenda can be safely used for a year or more for those who require them, unlike medications such as Duromine or Panbesy which are meant for short term treatment. These weight loss supplements must be consumption must be supervised by a doctor.
How is Saxenda efficient in helping adults who are obese and those who have difficulty maintaining a healthy weight?
Saxenda has been evaluated in two studies of more than 3,000 obese or overweight patients with hyperlipidemia, hypertension, or diabetes. In both studies, Saxenda had been shown to be effective in weight loss for patients. It can be used up to 2 years for certain patients for sustained weight loss.
Before we embark on Saxenda, patients are advised to start living healthily, such as a balanced diet, reduced caloric intake and increased physical activities. Saxenda will help patients to further curb their appetite and maintain a negative energy balance for effective weight loss.
Before using Saxenda as a weight loss solution, I would recommend someone with weight issues to first:
- Exercise and work out for at least 250 to 300 minutes per week of at least moderate level of activities. Definition of moderate exercise: able to speak but not sing while exercising.
- Maintain diet and caloric regulation. Daily energy expenditure for individuals will depend on the gender, weight, job and daily activity levels. In general, most individuals will need to be in a deficit of at least 500kcal/day to have noticeable weight loss over some time. Patients are usually advised to monitor their caloric intake and types and amount of food consumed.
While side effects are more tolerable for most than other medications. However, it is still good to be aware of the possible side effects of Saxenda. They are nausea, palpitations, constipation, diarrhoea, headache, dizziness and lethargy.
Can you use Saxenda with other weight management supplements like Xenical?
Every individual is different and will need to have treatment tailored to their needs, lifestyle and health conditions. There are cases where doctors will prescribe different treatment combinations for patients. It is best to discuss these options in detail with your doctor.
