Practicing self-care isn't just about your well-being—it's also about your physical health.

Our post Physical Self-Care She stresses that this is especially crucial for women, who are often under more pressure to follow society's beauty standards. That's why it's important to learn to distinguish physical beauty from physical health. By nourishing your body, keeping it in good shape, and loving what it's capable of rather than how it looks, you can improve your physical and mental well-being.

Considering physical self-care from this perspective can be especially helpful in losing weight more sustainably. Losing weight for the sake of long-term health rather than to look thinner can be especially vital given the increased risk of developing chronic diseases that comes with being overweight or obese. The steps above can help you get started on that path. However, simply establishing a healthier lifestyle is not a one-size-fits-all solution and won't work for everyone.

That is why the demand for weight loss drugs, particularly Ozempic, is on the rise. Due to rising obesity rates around the world, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Companywhich supplies Ozempic, sold more than $21 billion worth of these weight-loss drugs in 2023 alone. But can Ozempic really help with physical self-care or is it just a way for people to take a “shortcut” when it comes to losing weight?

When does Ozempic promote sustainable weight loss?

Ozempic is considered a GLP-1 drug. Originally designed to treat diabetes, it works by regulating the body's natural hormone levels. In doing so, it sends satiety signals to the brain, which helps you feel full faster and control your appetite so you eat less. You may have heard of Ozempic as a “celebrity drug.” Its widespread use by big names has given rise to what is known as the “Hollywood drug.” Ozempic epidemicsomething that experts say can influence ordinary consumers to take the drug even if they don't need it. While it may seem like an unhealthy way to speed up the weight loss process in line with societal pressures, the truth is that it can significantly help with sustainable weight loss, when in the right hands.

Because Ozempic can produce significant weight loss, healthcare professionals only prescribe it to a key population: people who are overweight or obese and have difficulty losing weight due to medical factors. This includes people with a genetic predisposition to obesity, as well as women diagnosed with pre-existing medical conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS. In these cases, a prescription for Ozempic can help when these medical issues prevent them from living a healthy lifestyle, such as eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.

From this perspective, the weight loss drug can significantly promote physical self-care when one's own biology hinders progress. This is especially true when we take into account The multiple health benefits of OzempicAs well as helping to prevent and manage conditions commonly associated with excess weight, such as type 2 diabetes, it can reduce cellular inflammation to significantly improve kidney and heart health. Ozempic can even prevent cognitive decline and reduce the risk of developing conditions such as depression and anxiety, meaning its benefits extend to your mental wellbeing.

Despite the advantages that come with its use, it is important to note that Ozempic is not a magic solution for weight loss. Those who take advantage of it with the ultimate goal of losing weight quickly to meet conventional beauty standards may end up using it incorrectly, leading to side effects. That includes: Ozempic's buttThe rapid weight loss caused by the drug can affect your skin's ability to contract, meaning the body fat you lose can cause your skin to sag in some parts of your body, including your butt. This can affect your self-esteem as you lose weight. More seriously, improper use of Ozempic can affect your physical health by causing gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, constipation, and diarrhea.

To truly use Ozempic for physical self-care, it is essential to separate physical beauty from health again. Focus on how you can improve your well-being by integrating it into a holistic weight loss strategy, which involves following best practices for diet and exercise. Doing so will be a win-win situation. By using Ozempic to regulate your appetite, you will be able to better benefit from the digestion- and metabolism-boosting effects that come from eating the right foods and building muscle. At the same time, you will avoid problems such as nutritional deficiencies, sagging skin, and muscle loss, which can occur if you take the drug on its own.

The most important thing is to make sure that you are prescribed a medication. That is why it is essential to consult with your doctor before trying to use the medication to lose weight. From here, follow his or her instructions for taking it to the letter. Usually, Dosage guidelines for Ozempic They require weekly injections. If you miss a dose, administer it as soon as possible within the next five days. Skip to the next week's dose if you go past that five-day period. These instructions can be crucial, as using too much Ozempic to speed up the weight loss process can negate your physical self-care efforts by causing low blood sugar and severe dehydration.