Comparing GLP-1 Weight Loss Medications

You’ve probably heard of the explosive popularity of GLP-1 weight loss drugs lately. Brand names such as Ozempic and Zepbound have become commonplace words in conversations about weight management and diabetes.

Here at Catalyst Nutrition and Training, we regularly work with patients whose doctors have prescribed them a GLP-1 medication for managing their blood sugar or weight.

Because each GLP-1 drug can affect your body differently, we want to provide some general education on these medications from a nutrition perspective. The comparisons we make here should serve as a good introduction prior to you receiving more personalized guidance when working with our dietitians.

Get in touch with us, or schedule a consultation, if you have more specific questions!

What Are GLP-1 Medications?

GLP-1 drugs are prescription medications that replicate the effects of GLP-1, a natural hormone made in your body. GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, is released in the stomach when you eat. It serves multiple purposes, including to:

• Encourage the release of insulin from the pancreas, which lowers blood sugar.

• Slow the emptying of food from the stomach, increasing feelings of fullness.

• Tell the brain to reduce sensations of hunger.

GLP-1 drugs, usually given as injections, are enormously popular in the United States right now, with 13% of adult Americans having tried them as of 2024.

But with so many brand names on the market and new information available online, how can you know what’s healthy for you?

Trust the Catalyst dietitians to break down the heavy hitters below.

Ozempic

What it is: Semaglutide, a medication known as a GLP-1 receptor agonist that specifically targets the body’s GLP-1 receptors.

What it’s for: Managing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease.

How it’s administered: Weekly subcutaneous injections.

When it was FDA-approved: 2017 for type 2 diabetes management, 2020 for cardiovascular disease management, and 2025 for treating kidney disease.

Ozempic is technically only FDA-approved for managing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. But its off-label success with weight loss is well known.

Keep in mind that Ozempic, like all the medications we’ve listing here, can cause side effects that include nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation.

As dietitians, we’ll always recommend continuing to make dietary and lifestyle changes to lose weight, even if you’re taking Ozempic or a similar medication.

And there’s a practical reason for that: it’s possible that your body may come to rely on the new ecosystem the Ozempic has created in your dietary tract. That means your weight may plateau, or stop decreasing after reaching a certain point.

A healthy lifestyle would then be necessary to take you the rest of the way. Additionally–and crucially–getting into healthy habits now is vital, since coming off Ozempic can lead to rapid weight gain.

Wegovy

What it is: Semaglutide.

What it’s for: Chronic weight management for adults with a weight-related health condition such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, reducing heart disease risk.

How it’s administered: Weekly subcutaneous injections.

When it was FDA-approved: 2021 for chronic weight management, 2024 for heart disease risk reduction.

Just as the drug’s two FDA approvals suggest, Wegovy has shown enormous promise in helping adults lose weight, manage blood sugar, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Wegovy’s mechanism works the same way as Ozempic’s: by mimicking and amplifying the effects of the body’s natural GLP-1 hormones to help you feel fuller and ultimately eat less.

Wegovy works almost identically to Ozempic; the difference lies in Wegovy’s slightly different focus on weight loss specifically as compared to Ozempic’s FDA approval for managing type 2 diabetes.

And, just like with Ozempic, we’ll always recommend you make Wegovy part of a healthy lifestyle consisting of a nutritious diet and regular exercise.

Mounjaro

What it is: Tirzepatide, a synthetic polypeptide medication that mimics the functions of the body’s natural GLP-1 hormones and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptides, or GIP. Tirzepatides help manage blood sugar levels and contribute to more effective weight loss in some people than semaglutides.

What it’s for: Managing type 2 diabetes.

How it’s administered: Weekly subcutaneous injections.

When it was FDA-approved: 2022.

Mounjaro is the brand name for the drug tirzepatide, a GLP-1 medication as well as a GIP receptor agonist. That means it can interact with the body’s GIP receptors to lower your blood sugar in addition to the medication’s GLP-1 interactions.

All of these interactions together–slower gastric emptying, reduced appetite, and lowered blood sugar levels–make Mounjaro particularly effective for helping people to control their type 2 diabetes. And, as an off-label side effect, Mounjaro can simultaneously help people to lose weight.

Mounjaro and other tirzepatides, just like the semaglutides we covered above, can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation.

Finally, as with all the drugs mentioned here, we strongly recommend using Mounjaro as part of a healthy lifestyle that incorporates a sustainable diet and regular physical activity.

Zepbound

What it is: Tirzepatide, the same active ingredient in Mounjaro.

What it’s for: Chronic weight management, obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity.

How it’s administered: Weekly subcutaneous injections.

When it was FDA-approved: 2023 for chronic weight management, 2024 for obstructive sleep apnea.

Zepbound is also a tirzepatide and the exact same drug, on the molecular level, as Mounjaro. The difference lies in its official FDA approval for long-term weight management and obstructive sleep apnea as opposed to Mounjaro’s approval for controlling type 2 diabetes.

Like Mounjaro, Zepbound affects the body with slowed gastric emptying, increased feelings of fullness, and enhanced blood sugar management due to its interactions with GLP-1 and GIP receptors.

According to Zepbound, a 72-week study on adults without diabetes resulted in weight loss of 20.9% when using 15mg of the drug, with lower weight loss accompanying lower doses.

Our final word on Zepbound is to remind you once again that this medication is best taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Consult with Catalyst Nutrition and Training for All Your GLP-1 Weight Loss Needs in Northeastern Pennsylvania

The above list covers the major players you are likely to encounter in the world of GLP-1 medications.

If you’re looking to define a healthy lifestyle as you use a GLP-1, or if you’re coming off a GLP-1 and need help maintaining your weight loss or blood sugar levels, we are here for you!

Contact us, or schedule a consultation directly, to start benefiting from personalized nutrition that works for YOU.