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Why am I not losing weight on Mounjaro or Wegovy?

GLP Guidebook teamUpdated 21 Oct 202610 sourcesWritten from published sources
What we checked10 sources, each one opened and linked to the sentence it supportsLast checked 21 Oct 2026 · Next review due 21 Oct 2027 · How we write
The short answer

Some people lose little on Mounjaro (tirzepatide) or Wegovy (semaglutide), and a starting dose or type 2 diabetes can slow loss. In the EU-label trials, 4 to 11 in 100 on Mounjaro and about 1 in 6 on Wegovy lost under 5% of their weight. Abu Dhabi's obesity standard continues treatment past 6 months only with at least 5% loss.

Before you go further
  • GLP‑1 medicines are prescription-only and should only be used under medical supervision, Abu Dhabi's Department of Health says.10 Your doctor decides your dose and whether to carry on.
  • Label facts here come from the European (EU) labels for Mounjaro and Wegovy. We didn't check the UAE label text.
  • We don't name, link or rank sellers, and nothing here is for sale.

How many people lose little or no weight?

In the main trials on the EU labels, 4 to 11 in 100 people on Mounjaro and about 1 in 6 on Wegovy lost under 5% of their weight.1,2

In SURMOUNT-1, 2,539 adults without diabetes had Mounjaro or a dummy injection (placebo) for 72 weeks. 89 to 96 in 100 on Mounjaro lost at least 5%, against 28 in 100 on the dummy.1

In STEP 1, over 68 weeks, 84 in 100 adults on Wegovy 2.4 mg lost at least 5%, against 31 in 100 on the dummy.2 For someone who started at 90 kg, 5% is 4.5 kg.

Could the dose be the reason?

A starting dose can be the reason, because both medicines step up over months and Mounjaro trial loss was larger on higher doses.1,2

  • Mounjaro starts at 2.5 mg for 4 weeks, then 5 mg, rising if needed in 2.5 mg steps at least 4 weeks apart. Maintenance doses are 5, 10 and 15 mg; 15 mg is the maximum.1 In SURMOUNT-1, average loss was 16.0% on 5 mg and 22.5% on 15 mg.1
  • Wegovy rises from 0.25 mg over 16 weeks to 2.4 mg, to reduce stomach side effects.2 Daman's GLP‑1 guideline allows 1.7 mg if 2.4 mg isn't tolerated.3 The EU label also allows 7.2 mg for some adults;2 see whether that dose is in the UAE.
  • Ozempic is semaglutide too, but Daman's guideline lists it for type 2 diabetes.3 See Is Ozempic for weight loss in the UAE?

What else can slow weight loss?

People with type 2 diabetes lost less on both medicines in the trials than people without it.1,2

In SURMOUNT-2, adults with type 2 diabetes lost 13.4% to 15.7% on Mounjaro, against 3.3% on the dummy.1 In STEP 2, they lost 9.6% on Wegovy, against 3.4%.2

Dubai's obesity guideline calls medicines a common cause of weight gain, including insulin, sulfonylureas (a type of diabetes tablet), steroid medicines and antipsychotics. It also lists an underactive thyroid, Cushing's syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as causes.5 Abu Dhabi's standard suggests thyroid tests for most people assessed for obesity.4

Injection site seems not to matter: both EU labels report similar blood levels from tummy, thigh or upper arm.1,2 On a Wegovy FlexTouch pen, forgetting to remove both needle caps means no medicine goes in, the EU leaflet warns.2

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What do UAE rules say if it still isn't working?

Abu Dhabi's 2025 obesity standard says to continue a GLP‑1 beyond 6 months only if you have lost at least 5% of your starting weight.4

If you were already on one, it counts from your pre-treatment weight to 3 months after reaching your highest tolerated dose.4 From 90 kg, that means 85.5 kg or less. See Abu Dhabi's GLP‑1 rules.

Thiqa's obesity programme checks at 4 months for more than 5% loss and an activity goal, with exceptions the doctor can apply, such as fluid build-up (oedema). Missing the targets after a further 3 months ends cover for the medicine.6

Dubai's guideline considers surgery from a BMI of 40, or 35 with a serious weight-related condition, when diet, exercise and medicine haven't met the goals.5 See surgery and other options.

What do people on Mounjaro and Wegovy report about slow or no weight loss?

From public patient forums: 12 Reddit threads in r/Zepbound, r/Mounjaro, r/OzempicForWeightLoss, r/MounjaroUK, r/WegovyWeightLoss and r/Wegovy, read in October 2026. Personal reports, not medical evidence.

What people describe

  • Matches the label Many say they felt little on the first doses and only noticed a change higher up. The EU labels set those first doses as steps on the way to a maintenance dose.1,2
  • Matches the trials A few replies say people with type 2 diabetes tend to lose less. SURMOUNT-2 and STEP 2 found the same.1,2
  • Not studied Many say semaglutide did little for them but tirzepatide worked; a few describe the reverse. SURMOUNT-5 compared the two medicines from the start in 751 adults; it didn't test switching after a poor response.7
  • Label says otherwise A few say changing injection site brought the effect back. Both EU labels report similar blood levels from the tummy, thigh or upper arm.1,2

Advice people share

  • Matches the labels Most replies say eating less is still part of it. Both EU labels list the medicine as an add-on to a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity, not a replacement for them.1,2
  • Matches Dubai's guideline Several say to ask about thyroid and hormone problems; a few also mention other medicines. Dubai's guideline lists these among causes of weight gain.5
  • Matches the leaflet A few say to check that the inner needle cap is off. The EU Wegovy leaflet says the needle has two caps, and both must come off.2
  • Label says otherwise Several posts describe counting pen clicks for in-between doses, splitting doses or adding extra ones. The EU Mounjaro label sets one dose a week, rising in 2.5 mg steps at least 4 weeks apart, to 15 mg at most. Its leaflet says to always use the medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you.1
RisksThe risks, in brief
  • Nausea is very common. In the EU Mounjaro weight trial it affected 24.6% to 33.3% of people, against 9.5% on a dummy injection, more often while the dose was going up.1
  • On Wegovy, nausea affected 43.9% of people over 68 weeks, against 16.1% on a dummy injection.2
  • An inflamed pancreas (acute pancreatitis) is uncommon, up to 1 in 100, on both EU leaflets.1,2 Gallstones were reported in 1.6% of people on Wegovy, against 1.1% on a dummy injection.2
Full detail in Guide 5: Side effects and risks →
Get help now: call 998 for an ambulance, or 999 for police,9 for severe stomach pain or pressure, severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhoea, trouble breathing, fainting, or swelling of the face, eyes or tongue. MedlinePlus, a US health service, lists these as emergency warning signs.8

Contact a doctor straight away if you inject more than your prescribed dose, the EU Mounjaro and Wegovy leaflets say.1,2

Read the full picture

Related questions

Does Thiqa cover weight-loss injections? Is Wegovy 7.2 mg available in the UAE? Is Ozempic for weight loss in the UAE? Who can prescribe Mounjaro in Abu Dhabi? How do I report a side effect in the UAE?
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Sources

  1. European Medicines Agency. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) product information: SmPC sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.8, 5.1 (SURMOUNT-1 Table 8; SURMOUNT-2 Table 10) and 5.2, and the package leaflet (section 3 on using the medicine as prescribed, and section 4). EU label; UAE label text not checked. Checked 21 Oct 2026. ema.europa.eu (PDF)
  2. European Medicines Agency. Wegovy (semaglutide) product information: SmPC sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.8, 5.1 (STEP 1 Table 4; STEP 2 Table 5) and 5.2, and the package leaflet (sections 2, 3 and 4, FlexTouch instructions on needle caps). EU label; UAE label text not checked. Checked 21 Oct 2026. ema.europa.eu (PDF)
  3. Daman (National Health Insurance Company). Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonist adjudication guideline, V5, effective 15 Jan 2023, revised 19 Apr 2026. Table 1: Ozempic "Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus"; Wegovy "A maintenance dose of 1.7 mg once weekly may be used if 2.4 mg is not tolerated". Checked 21 Oct 2026. damaninsurance.ae (PDF)
  4. Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Standard for Non-Surgical Management of Obesity, DOH/ST/HPS/Non-Surgical-MO/V1/2025, February 2025, section 3.4.2.2.1 (GLP-1 stopping criteria) and Appendix 1 (thyroid function tests "for most patients"). Checked 21 Oct 2026. doh.gov.ae (PDF)
  5. Dubai Health Authority. Clinical Guidelines for Virtual Management of Obesity, DHA/HRS/HPSD/CG-53, issue 2, effective 21 Apr 2024, sections 9.1.1 (medicines as "a common cause of weight gain"; secondary causes), 11.11 (bariatric surgery) and Appendix 2 (causes of obesity). Checked 21 Oct 2026. dha.gov.ae (PDF)
  6. Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Thiqa reimbursement policy for obesity medications, DoH/Policy/TRP-OMM/HPS/V1/2025, published 11 Jun 2025, sections 3.2.4 (effective treatment: ">5% weight loss", activity criteria, exceptions such as oedema) and 3.4.1 (4-month evaluation; opted out after a further 3 months). Checked 21 Oct 2026. doh.gov.ae (PDF)
  7. Aronne LJ et al. Tirzepatide as compared with semaglutide for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-5). N Engl J Med 2025;393:26–36. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2416394. PMID 40353578. Open-label; funded by Eli Lilly. Checked 21 Oct 2026. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  8. MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine). Recognizing medical emergencies, warning signs in adults from the American College of Emergency Physicians. Medical Encyclopedia, review date 1/8/2025. US source; we found no UAE equivalent page. Checked 21 Oct 2026. medlineplus.gov
  9. Department of Digital Ajman. Handling emergencies ("999 for Police", "998 for Ambulance", "while anywhere in the UAE"). Checked 21 Oct 2026. ajman.ae
  10. Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Circular 48/2026, 16 Mar 2026: GLP-1 receptor agonists "are prescription-only medicines and should only be used under medical supervision". Summarised, not reproduced. Checked 21 Oct 2026. doh.gov.ae (PDF)

Last checked 21 Oct 2026 · Next review due 21 Oct 2027 · Report an error

How this answer was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above, all checked on 21 Oct 2026. The 'What people report' section summarises public patient forum posts we read; it is not medical evidence, and we never pass on advice that goes against the label. We don't name, link or rank sellers, and nothing here encourages using a medicine outside its approval. It's general information, not medical advice. Talk to a UAE-licensed doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write