What Is the Best GLP-1 for Weight Loss?

You’ve probably tried a fad diet or two (or ten), a bunch of exercise routines, and even some influencer’s “revolutionary” approach to weight loss. 

Thanks to revolutionary GLP-1 medications, your struggles could finally be over. But which one actually works best for weight loss?

Let’s break it down by the data and explore real-world outcomes and practical pros and cons to help you figure out which GLP-1 might be right for you.

Keep in mind, at the end of the day only you and your doctor or medical provider know what’s best for you, including GLP-1 medications.

How GLP-1 Medications Work for Weight Loss

GLP-1 medications mimic the GLP-1 hormone that your gut naturally makes after eating. This hormone tells your brain you’re full, slows down your digestion, and helps regulate your blood sugar.

So when you take a GLP-1 medicine, your body reacts as it would to the natural GLP-1 hormone it is already producing. The result? You feel less hungry and eat less, without having to rely solely on willpower.

Some newer options, like tirzepatide, also activate a second hormone receptor (GIP), which is similar to GLP-1. Taking a medicine that mimics both hormones can amplify the effect. 

In clinical trials, these medications have not only helped people lose weight but also improved markers like blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.^[1] This is a key reason many doctors see GLP-1s as game-changers for metabolic health.

Top GLP-1s Compared: Wegovy®, Ozempic®, Mounjaro® & More

Although all GLP-1s essentially do the same thing, some have proven to be more effective than others in the short time they’ve been available. 

GLP-1s can be broken down into four main groups: semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide, and older GLP-1s:

Medication	Brand Approved for Diabetes Treatment	Brand Approved for Weight Loss
Semaglutide	Ozempic	Wegovy
Tirzepatide	Mounjaro	Zepbound®
Liraglutide	Victoza®	Saxenda®
Older GLP-1s, including dulaglutide and exenatide	Trulicity®, Byetta®, Bydureon®	n/a

Let’s dive into each medication in more detail.

Semaglutide (Wegovy & Ozempic)

Semaglutide is sold under the names Ozempic when used for diabetes and Wegovy when used for weight loss. 

It requires a weekly injection sold in the form of a push-button pen and can be administered in the upper legs, lower stomach, or upper arms. The procedure is relatively painless but can result in some soreness at the injection site. 

In clinical trials, Wegovy led to an average of around 15% weight loss by week 68, compared with around 2% with placebo.^[2] It has been FDA approved both for weight loss and for reducing heart risk in people with obesity.

Some semaglutide users report strong appetite suppression at first, with more hunger creeping back over time. However, Wegovy users in general have had outstanding results.

Semaglutide also comes in non-injectable forms, most notably oral medications, such as Rybelsus®. Compounded oral drops are also an option, though they aren’t FDA approved and are less readily available. Oral semaglutide is considered less effective than injections.^[3]

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro & Zepbound)

Mounjaro (for diabetes) and Zepbound (for weight loss) are the brand names for tirzepatide. You can self-administer tirzepatide as a weekly injection to the upper leg or lower stomach. It also comes in the form of a “pen” and is very simple to use.

There is no FDA-approved oral version of tirzepatide.

The big difference between tirzepatide and semaglutide is that tirzepatide activates both GLP-1 receptors and GIP receptors, so it has a greater effect on hunger cravings. 

In clinical trials, tirzepatide led to an average of around 21% weight loss with the 15-mg dose after 72 weeks (versus around 3% with placebo).^[4] Users often say hunger is “just gone” and many describe faster, deeper weight loss. Just keep in mind that nausea is apparently more common with tirzepatide than with semaglutide.

Liraglutide (Saxenda & Victoza)

Liraglutide, sold as Saxenda for weight loss and Victoza for diabetes treatment, has some significant differences from the other GLP-1s on this list. For starters, it requires daily injections. Obviously that’s a lot more effort and requires a greater commitment.

Like tirzepatide, there is currently no FDA-approved oral version of liraglutide.

It’s also currently on the FDA shortage list, which means that those who have been prescribed Saxenda may not receive their medicines on time.^[5] 

Saxenda also has not proven to be as effective as semaglutide or tirzepatide. Weight loss for Saxenda users is typically around 8% after one year of use.^[6] Users also report slightly higher nausea rates, possibly due to the daily exposure. 

Older GLP-1s (Trulicity, Byetta, Bydureon)

Some of the first GLP-1s to be improved by the FDA were dulaglutide (Trulicity) and exenatide (Byetta and Bydureon).

These older GLP-1s are primarily approved for type 2 diabetes because of their effects on glucose control. However, they are less favored for primary weight loss due to modest weight-loss effects. For example, in the SUSTAIN-3 trial, people on exenatide lost around 1.9 kg versus 5.6 kg with semaglutide.^[7]

Which GLP-1 Helps You Lose the Most Weight?

The winner is clear: Tirzepatide (Zepbound) leads the pack. 

Clinical trials showed up to about 21% average body-weight loss over 72 weeks at the highest dose. Semaglutide (Wegovy) followed with up to 15%.

Real-world studies show similar trends. People using tirzepatide were about 3x more likely to lose 15% or more compared to semaglutide users.

Keep in mind that individual results vary. Factors like dose tolerance, consistency, stress, sleep, and underlying health issues can all affect outcomes.^[8]

Additionally, your doctor has to take considerations other than average weight loss into mind before issuing a prescription, including your health history, activity levels, and potential side effects.

Medication	Average weight loss	Time frame
Zepbound (tirzepatide)	15%–21%	72 weeks
Wegovy (semaglutide)	15%	68 weeks
Saxenda (liraglutide)	8%	56 weeks

How Side Effects Compare Across Medications

Since all GLP-1s work pretty much the same way, side effects are similar from one to the next.

The most common side effects are nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and fatigue. These tend to be dose-related and improve over time.

More serious side effects are far less common but include pancreatitis, kidney issues, and gallbladder problems. Discuss all potential side effects with your doctor before committing to a medication.

An excellent way to compare side effects between medications is to look at the dropout rate for each drug. Users can quit using a medication for other reasons, such as costs or effectiveness, but in the chart below we’ve narrowed it down to those who dropped out due to the most common gastrointestinal issues. 

Medication	Nausea rates	Dropout rates (GI Issues)
Zepbound (tirzepatide)	25%–29%	2%–4%
Wegovy (semaglutide)	44%	4%
Saxenda (liraglutide)	39%	3%

There are a number of strategies to reduce side effects, including eating smaller meals, staying upright after eating, avoiding greasy foods, and gradually ramping up the dose. Some users find ginger chews or peppermint tea helpful. In the case of constipation, increasing your water and fiber intake while using a GLP-1 can be very helpful.

Real-World Considerations

When choosing your GLP-1, you also have to look beyond the potential weight loss and take into consideration some practical issues.

Insurance and Cost

First and foremost, cost is a big factor. If your insurance does not cover your GLP-1 medication, you could easily be paying more than $1,000 per month out of pocket. The good news is, there are ways to get GLP-1 medications at a more affordable price.

Even if you do have good insurance, some policies don’t cover GLP-1s unless they are being used to treat diabetes, so make sure you check your individual policy. 

Most clinics do accept HSA (Health Savings Account) and FSA (Flexible Spending Accounts), so if you’ve been putting money aside for health purposes, this could be a good time to use it. 

If you do have to go out of pocket, telehealth clinics like the online GLP-1 programs we’ve ranked often offer the best prices with the convenience of seeing a doctor from your home. 

Brand vs. Compounded

One way many people are tempted to cut costs is by going with compounded GLP-1s. Theoretically, these compounded medications are facsimiles of name brands, such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, but there are some significant differences. 

Compounded GLP-1s are produced by any number of compounding pharmacies around the country, which means you often don’t know the source. Compounded pharmacies also face far less regulatory oversight. The FDA does not approve each compounding pharmacy’s version of GLP-1s like it does with the brand manufacturers. 

The result of this lack of FDA approval is that compounded GLP-1s may vary widely in terms of quality and efficacy, as well as safety.

If you decide to save money and go this route, make sure both the prescribing and manufacturing pharmacies are reputable and safe. Discuss this with your doctor before deciding if compounded GLP-1s are for you.

Availability and Shortages

The reason compounded GLP-1s became available in the first place is that manufacturers of name brands became overwhelmed with the drugs’ popularity and could not keep up with demand.

This meant that some patients had to abort or decrease treatment before they’d reached their weight-loss goals, as well as affecting those who take GLP-1s to manage type 2 diabetes.

In order to combat the shortage, the FDA temporarily allowed compounded pharmacies to do their thing, to mixed results. 

Although the FDA has now declared the shortages over, many compounded GLP-1s are still available as pharmacies look for legal loopholes to continue making them. This, however, poses another risk because your compounded GLP-1 could become unavailable for legal reasons.

At the same time, Novo Nordisk, which makes Wegovy, and Eli Lilly, which makes Zepbound, could still potentially run into future shortages as demand for both is still sky high. 

The bottom line is that you should check with your pharmacist about any potential shortages before you commit to one GLP-1 or another.

Who Prescribes What?

GLP-1s can be prescribed by a number of different types of clinicians, but it’s best to go with those who have prescribed GLP-1s in the past and have seen patients through a full course of treatment.

That usually means endocrinologists and obesity medicine specialists, but good primary care providers may also have enough experience with GLP-1s to make sure you get the best prescription for you.

Weekly vs. Daily Injections: Does It Matter?

Yes. Most patients prefer once-weekly shots like Wegovy and Zepbound for convenience. Daily injectables like Saxenda can feel more intrusive and harder to stick with long-term.

Some patients, however, feel more “in control” with daily injections and notice side effects are easier to manage in smaller doses.

If you’ve ever struggled with medication routines, the weekly option is likely your best bet. Not to mention, I can’t imagine many people want to inject themselves every single day.

Which GLP-1 Is Best for You?

Overall, most patients see the best results with Zepbound (tirzepatide), but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best GLP-1 for you personally. 

There are a lot of things to take into consideration when choosing your GLP-1. 

It’s a choice you should make with your doctor, but here are some common scenarios and which GLP-1 would typically work best for each one.

Scenario	Best GLP-1
Struggling with increased appetite/emotional eating	Zepbound or Wegovy
PCOS or insulin resistance	Mounjaro or Ozempic
Menopausal weight gain	Wegovy (with HRT if appropriate)
Type 2 diabetes + weight goals	Mounjaro or Ozempic
Prefer daily over weekly shots	Saxenda
Budget limitations or access issues	Check with insurance for Ozempic, which is the most commonly covered GLP-1; Zepbound, which may be the cheapest brand name; compounded meds from a state-licensed pharmacy
Allergy to inactive ingredients in branded versions or need for customized dosage	Compounded GLP-1 from a state-licensed compounding pharmacy

If you’re ready to experience some of the incredible weight-loss results that so many have seen from GLP-1 medications, you can get the guidance and prescriptions you need without even leaving your home.

---

FAQs

How fast do GLP-1s work for weight loss?

How fast GLP-1s work for weight loss depends on each patient’s physiology and habits. You might feel the effects of GLP-1s almost immediately, but significant weight loss still takes time. For some, appetite suppression kicks in right away and most people already start noticing changes within their first month of treatment. Significant weight loss builds over 3–6 months and tends to peak around 12–18 months. 

What’s the difference between Mounjaro and Ozempic?

The difference between Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Ozempic (semaglutide) is that Ozempic targets only GLP-1 receptors, while Mounjaro activates two hormone receptors (GLP-1 and GIP), leading to greater weight loss on average. That dual action makes Mounjaro more potent for many users. Mounjaro has proven more effective thanks to its doubled-up approach. 

Can I switch from one GLP-1 to another?

Yes, you can switch from one GLP-1 to another based on side effects, results, cost, or availability. This should not be done without the guidance of a doctor, who can guide a safe transition. Tolerance varies, and some patients do better on one over another.

Do I need to stay on a GLP-1 forever?

Patients see the greatest benefit by staying on GLP-1s for more than a year, but most do not stay on GLP-1s forever. Stopping often leads to at least some weight regain, particularly if you do it abruptly, so do not quit without guidance from a doctor. Using periodic “off cycles” might be possible for some to maintain their weight loss without continual treatment.

Can I combine a GLP-1 with other weight loss meds?

You can sometimes combine a GLP-1 with other weight-loss meds, but never without a specific okay from a doctor. Providers may pair GLP-1s with medications like metformin to lower insulin and blood sugar levels or bupropion-naltrexone in those who don’t respond well to GLP-1s.^[9] Another consideration is that GLP-1s reduce gastric emptying, so they can prevent the absorption of oral medications.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Missing a dose of your GLP-1 is not the end of the world. What you should do after missing a dose depends on the medication. For example, Zepbound can be taken within four days of the missed dose. If you’re on daily injections and you remember your dose late in the day, skip that dose to avoid double-dosing yourself the next day. Always follow your provider’s guidance to be sure.

---

This article is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always talk to your healthcare provider before starting or switching any weight-loss medication.

Author: NutritionNC GLP-1 Team

Sources

1. Raza, F. A., Altaf, R., Bashir, T., Asghar, F., Altaf, R., Tousif, S., Goyal, A., Mohammed, A., Mohammad, M. F., Anan, M., & Ali, S. (2024). Effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists on weight and cardiovascular outcomes: A review. Medicine, 103(44), e40364. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000040364
2. Wilding, J. P., Batterham, R. L., Calanna, S., Davies, M., Van Gaal, L. F., Lingvay, I., McGowan, B. M., Rosenstock, J., Tran, M. T. D., Wadden, T. A., Wharton, S., Koutaro, Y., Zeuthen, N., & Kushner, R. F. (2021). Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity. New England Journal of Medicine, 384(11), 989–1002. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa203218
3. Krajnc, M., Kuhar, N., & Koceva, A. (2025). Oral semaglutide for the treatment of obesity: A retrospective real-world study. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 16, 1593334. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2025.1593334
4. Jastreboff, A. M., Aronne, L. J., Ahmad, N. N., Wharton, S., Connery, L., Alves, B., Kiyosue, A., Zhang, S., Liu, B., Bunck, M. C., & Stefanski, A. (2022). Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity. New England Journal of Medicine, 387(3), 205–216. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2206038
5. US Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Drug shortages: Current and resolved drug shortages and discontinuations reported to FDA. https://dps.fda.gov/drugshortages/searchresult?type=liraglutide
6. Gasoyan, H., Pfoh, E. R., Schulte, R., Le, P., Butsch, W. S., & Rothberg, M. B. (2024). One-year weight reduction with semaglutide or liraglutide in clinical practice. JAMA Network Open, 7(9), e2433326–e2433326. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.33326
7. Ahmann, A. J., Capehorn, M., Charpentier, G., Dotta, F., Henkel, E., Lingvay, I., Holst, A. G., Annett, M. P., & Aroda, V. R. (2018). Efficacy and safety of once-weekly semaglutide versus exenatide ER in subjects with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN 3): A 56-week, open-label, randomized clinical trial. Diabetes Care, 41(2), 258–266. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc17-0417
8. Rodriguez, P. J., Cartwright, B. M. G., Gratzl, S., Brar, R., Baker, C., Gluckman, T. J., & Stucky, N. L. (2024). Semaglutide vs tirzepatide for weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity. JAMA Internal Medicine, 184(9), 1056–1064. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.2525
9. Naude, J., Zentner, A., Suresh, P., Bittman, J., & Khan, N. A. (2024). Effect of combined GLP-1 analogue and bupropion/naltrexone on weight loss: a retrospective cohort study. International Journal of Obesity, 48(8), 1118–1125. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-024-01526-2