Thinking of trying Saxenda? Perhaps you’ve tried reaching your health goals another way but haven’t had the results you wanted. If that’s you—we see you. It can be tough to lose weight from lifestyle changes alone.
But before you take the leap, it’s helpful to know what you can expect from using Saxenda weight loss injections. Read on—we’ve got you covered.
How long does Saxenda take to work?
The medicine will have an effect on your body as soon as you take it. But in terms of how quickly Saxenda works to drive results, it might be a few weeks or months before any weight loss is noticeable. Though some people may experience changes in appetite sooner.
But remember: losing weight sustainably is a long game—even when you’re using medication to help. Saxenda is meant to be taken alongside healthy lifestyle changes for at least a year. Your first few weeks are part of the journey, so try to be patient: if you stick to the plan, results will come.
Saxenda makes you feel full and keeps your cravings at bay by acting like the natural gut hormone GLP-1. It’s a type of medicine called a GLP-1 receptor agonist, just like Wegovy. Though it uses the active ingredient liraglutide, rather than semaglutide, and is taken daily instead of weekly.
Factors that affect weight loss outcomes
Weight loss medicines work very well, but they’re one of many factors that can influence your results. These also play a role:
- Your starting weight and metabolism
- Whether you eat a healthy, balanced diet
- How regularly you exercise
- How closely you follow the medicine’s dosing schedule (you should follow your doctor’s advice exactly)
- Your health and medical history, including if you have any other conditions
- Your stress levels
- How well you stick to your healthy routine
When it comes to weight loss, slow and steady wins the race. It’s not healthy to lose a lot of weight very quickly and we don’t recommend it. Instead, it’s best to form habits that last—this will help maintain your progress and keep the weight off.
How much weight can you lose on Saxenda in a month?
But how effective is Saxenda? Before we get into this, we want to remind you that everyone is different and that weight loss medicine is meant to be used long term. Again, your first month is just one stage of your journey, so if your numbers don’t match the below it’s no reason to give up. We know you’ve got this!
Okay, now let’s take a look at some Saxenda weight loss results from scientific research. After one month on the medicine, clinical trials suggest that most people will lose about 2-3% of their starting weight.
How much weight can you lose after a year on Saxenda?
According to one study, that figure is 7.4% of your starting weight. And per the clinical trial we mentioned earlier, people taking the medicine for 56 weeks had an average loss of 8% body weight.
Finally, we want to remind you that these results on Saxenda are averages—some people lost more and some lost less. Your journey is your own: don’t compare yourself to other people’s before-and-after Saxenda stories. It’s not a race, and you’ll reach your goals exactly when you’re meant to.
Enhancing weight loss results
We know we’re repeating ourselves here, but this really is important: weight loss medication should be used alongside a healthy lifestyle. This will help you get the most out of the medicine. Small changes add up over time, trust us!
Eating a balanced diet
You want to be eating foods that are nutritionally dense and that will fill you up, while being lower in calories. Fibre, wholegrain foods (like brown rice and pasta), lean protein (tofu, eggs, fish), and plenty of fruit and veg all fit the bill.
Drink enough water
Don’t forget to stay hydrated: this keeps your body working at its best but might also help make you feel full. Try to avoid high-calorie drinks like fizzy drinks and alcohol (enjoy in moderation, if at all!).
Move your body
Regular exercise supports weight loss by improving your metabolic health. For example, it can increase the amount of energy your body uses at rest. It can also make you feel good! Aim for two strength sessions and at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week.
Set realistic goals
Setting goals you can reach will go a long way in helping you stick to your routine. After all, if a goal seems realistic, you’re more likely to try and achieve it. Keep tabs on your progress and celebrate your wins, however small. You deserve it!
How many Saxenda pens do I need per month?
It depends on where you’re at in your dosing schedule.
Let us explain: when you first start taking Saxenda, you’ll be on the lowest dose (0.6mg) so your body can get used to the medicine and handle higher strengths down the line. Unless you get any side effects, your provider will gradually increase your dose each week. There’s five strengths in total: 0.6mg, 1.2mg, 1.8mg, 2.4mg and 3.0mg.
One pen contains 18mg of Saxenda. So, during your first few weeks when you’re following that dosing schedule, your first pen should last around 17 days. Once you’re on the 3mg dose, you can use one pen for 6 days—so you would need five pens per month.
Is Saxenda right for you?
For people who feel like they’re struggling to move forward in their health journey, weight loss medications like Saxenda can be a gamechanger. And they aren’t the only option: you can also get Wegovy or Mounjaro injections.
If you are wanting to try weight loss medication, we’re here for you—through our weight loss programme, we’ll post medication to you each month while giving you one-to-one support from our team of coaches and registered clinicians. We’ll help you create a personalised plan of action and will be on hand to answer all your questions (and cheer you on!).
You can take your next step right now. Fill out this short form to see if you’re eligible for the programme. Our clinicians will review and let you know.
¹Avishai, Aya, et al. “Setting Realistic Health Goals: Antecedents and Consequences.” Annals of Behavioral Medicine
, vol. 53, issue 12, 2019:1020-1031 https://academic.oup.com/abm/article-abstract/53/12/1020/5445382.
²Dennis, Elizabeth A., et al. “Water Consumption Increases Weight Loss During a Hypocaloric Diet Intervention in Middle-aged and Older Adults.” Obesity, vol. 18, issue 2, 2012:300-307 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2009.235.
³“Saxenda: Information For the Patient.” Electronic Medicines Compendium. www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.2313.pdf. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
⁴“Saxenda: Full Prescribing Information.” Food and Drug Administration. www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/206321s016lbl.pdf. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
⁵“Saxenda - Frequently Asked Questions.” Saxenda.com - Novo Nordisk. www.saxenda.com/support-and-resources/faqs.html Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
⁶Singh, Moradhvaj, et al. “Effect of Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise on Basal Metabolic Rate.” British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 44, issue supplement 1, 2020:i26 https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/44/Suppl_1/i26.3.
⁷Pi-Sunyer, Xavier, at al. “A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management.” The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 373, no. 1, 2015:11-22 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1411892.
