Obesity or Excess Body Weight not only causes a loss of confidence in appearance but also brings various serious diseases. Therefore, losing weight and controlling weight to return to a proper range is an urgent matter that should be done. However, it is well known that losing weight is not something everyone can easily succeed in. Some people fail and become hopeless. Fortunately, nowadays we have a new alternative aid to make weight loss easier and more convenient, which is the “weight loss pen”.
What is a Weight Loss Pen and Why Does It Help Achieve Successful Weight Loss?
The weight loss pen is a type of weight loss medication that looks like a pen. It is used by injecting the drug under the skin. The active ingredient is a type of protein that works by controlling the brain to reduce hunger, decreasing appetite, which helps control food intake better. The drug also has properties that reduce intestinal contractions, slowing down digestion of food, resulting in feeling full faster than usual. This enhances the effectiveness of controlling food intake and weight loss.
Who is the Weight Loss Pen Most Suitable For?
In reality, the weight loss pen is suitable for obese people of all genders and ages. Anyone with a BMI over 27, which is considered overweight, can use the weight loss pen. However, since the main mechanism of the pen focuses on controlling calorie intake, it may not be suitable for “people who normally eat very little” or “those who do not like snacking” because using the pen will reduce food intake even more, which may result in insufficient calorie intake. Therefore, the weight loss pen is especially suitable for those who eat a lot, like to snack, and cannot control their appetite, as it helps limit food intake effectively, leading to better calorie and weight control.
Side Effects to Be Aware of When Wanting to Use the Weight Loss Pen
Although the weight loss pen may have some side effects for users due to its mechanism of reducing intestinal contractions, it can cause constipation because the intestines work slower, taking longer to digest food into fiber and stool. Also, since the drug causes a feeling of fullness quickly, it may cause nausea or discomfort when eating, especially if eating quickly or consuming large meals.
How to Use the Weight Loss Pen Correctly and Effectively
The guidelines for using the weight loss pen effectively are as follows:
- Inject the medication once daily, preferably after breakfast to ensure a full breakfast is consumed first. After the injection, appetite will decrease for the following meals of the day.
- Inject into the abdominal area under the fat layer. Repeated injections may cause bruising. Doctors may recommend switching to the thigh or upper arm areas with more fat, although these areas may be harder to inject than the abdomen.
- Each pen contains a total of 18 milligrams of medication and has a dose adjustment feature. The doctor will set the appropriate dose to achieve the best weight loss results. Therefore, daily injections must not be missed to maintain the effective dosage.
- Continue injections as recommended by the doctor. There is no fixed duration for stopping the medication; it depends on individual weight loss goals. For example, if the weight drops from 100 kilograms to 75 kilograms, and the BMI is still above standard but the person wants to stop, they can do so.
- Injecting with the weight loss pen is not as painful as many fear because the needle is very small. For the first injection, the doctor will perform it to guide the patient on how to do it themselves for subsequent injections.
Additional Recommendations to Follow Alongside Using the Weight Loss Pen
Since using the weight loss pen involves “controlling food intake,” reducing calorie intake can cause muscle loss before fat loss because the body uses energy from muscles first. This may result in weight loss being due to muscle loss rather than fat loss. Muscle loss is a key factor that causes the “Yo-Yo Effect” after stopping the medication.
Therefore, when eating less, it is necessary to control the quality of food intake well to achieve effective weight loss and desired results. The recommendation is to focus on eating more protein and reducing carbohydrates and fats. Even if not using the weight loss pen but losing weight by other methods that control calorie intake, it is still necessary to control food quality similarly.
Benefits of Using the Weight Loss Pen Under Medical Supervision at a Hospital
Because the weight loss pen is easy to use, just one initial consultation with a doctor is enough to continue using it at home. However, using the weight loss pen under the supervision of a specialist doctor at a hospital is still the most effective way to lose weight. Hospitals have equipment to check physical condition and analyze body composition, accurately determining fat and muscle percentages. This allows effective monitoring of weight loss results because in some cases, weight loss may be due to muscle loss without fat reduction. Weight loss treatment with the weight loss pen under medical supervision includes follow-up physical examinations every two weeks initially. Doctors also provide dietary advice and nutritional care, resulting in better and faster weight loss outcomes compared to not following up with a doctor.
Having a body weight within the standard range not only gives us a proportionate figure, which is the starting point for confidence in all life activities, but also opens the first door to good health. The more we exercise and take care of ourselves to avoid disease risks, the less likely we are to suffer illnesses that reduce quality of life. Therefore, for anyone who realizes today that they are overweight, taking care of oneself and controlling diet to lose weight is an urgent and important task before diseases arrive. The weight loss pen is a good option because it is easy to use, effective, and works best under the guidance of a specialist doctor.
