����vlog

I did Weight Watchers. I worked with *** trainer. I took classes. I even tried *** half marathon. After years of struggling to lose weight, Sarah Cinus turned to Ozempic. Many patients are using it to drop some pounds. For others, including Sarah, it's *** gateway to *** healthier lifestyle. The weight came off, but I have to make it work for me, so I'm. Exercising, eating the foods, making sure I'm hitting my protein. Unlike previous weight loss drugs that speed up your metabolism, Ozempic is *** prescription traditionally used for diabetics, but now it's being used off label as *** weight loss drug that slows your food processing and mimics *** hormone that you make in your body to tell your brain you're full. But doctors say it's not *** magic drug. It just makes the impossible merely difficult, and it might not be right for you, but there are certain classes of people who absolutely cannot take this drug. In tonight's cover story, ABC 7's Alexia Tropoulos gets you more on what doctors want you to know about these drugs. I really, it's amazing to see the difference, but it's also how did that happen? Sarah Sinus felt trapped in her own body two years ago. I did the Weight Watchers. I did the weightlifting. I did the running, and you, I still wasn't losing anything. With hours of workouts, Sarah still didn't feel good. She felt tired most of the time. She decided it was time to see *** doctor. That's when she learned obesity is *** disease. She had *** chemical and hormonal imbalance working against her, preventing Sarah from losing weight. Sarah's doctor prescribed GLP once as *** medication to help her. You might not recognize those letters, but I bet you'll recognize this brand name, Ozempic. People started using it off label because the diabetics who were overweight started using it for great blood sugar control. Well, when they control their blood sugar, the weight was able to be let go. This semaglutide injection is now approved by the FDA. They suggest doctors prescribe it for people with *** body mass index of 24 to 30, which meant Sarah was *** good candidate. My A1C, my hormone imbalance, that is. At *** really good level right now. Although there are *** number of benefits, these injections could harm you. Those drugs actually are very dangerous and overdose. For one, poison control says people mistake the dosage. They get calls more often now that the drug is popular. We're seeing people take double what they were supposed to, 5 times what They were supposed to, or in one case, 10 times what they were supposed to because they had misread the decimal point on the, the instructions. There's side effects to also take into consideration, and the drug impacts everyone differently. Any drug you take is going to come with risks and side effects, and there is *** risk benefit. There are certain classes of people who absolutely cannot take this. Doctors say Ozempic shouldn't be the only tool in your weight loss toolbox. Inside, you should also have working outs and eating healthy. That's the best way to lose weight while taking this medication. It's *** tool. Um there, there needs to be an incorporation of education, right? So dietary education, uh, healthy lifestyle changes. Um, and then you use the medication as *** supplement. If you learn to control cravings while taking these medications, doctors say once the injections stop, that weight will stay away. Once the medication stops, um, your appetite is going to come back. Those cravings, you know, that haunted you before, they're they're gonna. Back as well. But if you don't use it as *** tool and just rely on it, there's *** chance those pounds will appear on your scale again once you stop the medication. But I feel better. I sleep better. For Sarah, she did notice some side effects impacting her digestive system, but she says it's nothing she couldn't handle. And now after taking these injections for over *** year, she's proud to look at herself in the mirror. If you're interested in taking weight loss medications like Ozempic, talk to your doctor first. It's not *** magic pill, it just makes the impossible really difficult. I'm reporting in Fort Myers, Alexia Chiropoulos, ABC 7. *** new meal replacement drink taking over social media claims to give Ozempic-like results. It's being called Ozempic. Yes, you heard that correctly. The drink is *** blend of oats, *** splash of lime for *** boost in vitamin C, and *** sprinkle of cinnamon, but doctors say it does not mimic the weight loss benefits of Ozempic. We are creating *** false equivalency between ozembic and maglotides, as class of medications, versus the wonderful world of soluble fibers. This is like *** concoction that basically can give people *** half *** cup of oatmeal, that's *** lot of fiber and some water to help them feel full, which may lead to *** caloric deficit, which is why people are seeing *** weight loss. Doctors do recommend incorporating more whole foods and fiber into your diet. Now the ABC.