Everything people ask before they start

GLP-1 is a hormone your gut releases after you eat. It signals fullness to your brain, slows how quickly your stomach empties, and helps regulate blood sugar. In many people who carry excess weight, that natural signal runs weaker than it should.

GLP-1 treatment is a once-weekly injection that mimics the natural hormone more reliably. You feel full sooner and for longer, hunger settles, and the constant background thinking about food quiets down. Smaller portions start to feel normal rather than forced.

No. It is a medical tool that works best over months, alongside sensible eating and movement. The dose is increased gradually and meaningful weight loss usually becomes visible over three to six months, not in a single week.

Most patients lose between 5 and 20 percent of their starting body weight over a year. For someone at 100 kg, that is roughly 5 to 20 kg. The range depends on your starting point, your response, your dose, and how consistently you support it with habits.

It still reduces appetite on its own, but the best and most lasting results come when treatment is paired with protein-first eating and regular movement. Your coach helps you build those habits so the weight stays off after treatment.

Appetite tends to return toward your baseline within a few weeks of stopping. Without continued attention to eating, movement, and sleep, some regain is common. The patients who keep weight off use the treatment window to build habits that hold.

Older approaches mostly ask you to override hunger through willpower, which is exhausting and rarely lasts. GLP-1 treatment changes the underlying appetite signal, so eating less feels natural rather than like a constant fight.

It is generally appropriate for adults with a BMI of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher alongside a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, raised cholesterol, fatty liver, or sleep apnoea. Your doctor confirms eligibility after your bloods.

Yes. GLP-1 treatment is only available to adults aged 18 and over in South Africa. We are not able to treat anyone younger.

GLP-1 treatment is intended for clinical weight management, not cosmetic weight loss. If your BMI is below the clinical threshold, our doctor will likely advise that treatment is not appropriate and suggest other steps.

It is generally not suitable for anyone with a history of pancreatitis, certain thyroid cancers or related conditions, severe gastrointestinal disease, or anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding. Your doctor screens for these before starting treatment.

Often yes, and GLP-1 treatment may have additional benefits for blood sugar, but it depends on your full picture and any other medication you take. Your doctor reviews this carefully during your consultation.

The online checker is only an indication, not a decision. If you have specific health concerns, a consultation may still be worthwhile. Our articles can also help you understand your options.

You complete a short online assessment, do your bloods at your preferred lab, then consult a registered doctor online. If treatment is right for you, your prescription is issued within 24 hours and your coach checks in regularly from there.

From the first assessment to treatment in hand is usually four to seven days, depending mostly on how quickly you complete your bloodwork.

Only to do your bloods at a pathology lab and to collect your medication from a pharmacy. The assessment, consultation, and ongoing support all happen online.

Your coach checks in on your progress, helps you build steady eating and movement habits, answers day-to-day questions, and keeps you accountable through the parts that are hard. They know your plan and stay with you.

Yes. The programme is fully online and works the same wherever you are in South Africa. Your consultation is by video or secure message and your prescription is issued for you to fill at any local pharmacy.

Your doctor reviews your progress and bloods, then adjusts the plan. Some patients continue on a steady dose, others begin to step down. The focus shifts to maintaining your results with the habits you have built.

The programme is R299 per month and covers your eligibility screening, the doctor consultation, your treatment where appropriate, a lab form for your bloods, a dose plan, follow-up consultations and ongoing coach support. The medication and the blood test are paid for separately.

Pharmacy prices vary across South Africa, so bundling would mean paying an averaged price. Keeping it separate also means you can see exactly what the programme is worth and what the medicine costs, with no hidden markup.

It varies by pharmacy and by your dose. Your doctor will give you a realistic estimate during your consultation so you can plan ahead before committing.

Yes. Follow-up consultations, dose adjustments and coach support are all included in your R299 monthly programme. You only pay separately for your medication at the pharmacy and your bloods at the lab.

The eligibility checker is free. If you proceed and our doctor then decides GLP-1 treatment is not appropriate for you, you are not charged for treatment.

No. The programme is a simple R299 per month that you can cancel at any time, with no hidden charges. Beyond that, you pay only for your medication at the pharmacy and your bloods at the lab.

Most South African medical aids do not yet cover GLP-1 treatment for weight management, though coverage is slowly expanding. We can provide an itemised invoice to submit to your medical aid for consideration.

Usually yes, from your medical savings account. Many patients pay nothing out of pocket for their bloods because the lab claims directly from savings.

Your blood tests are generally claimable from medical savings. The consultation and medication may be claimable depending on your plan, so it is worth checking with your scheme directly.

We provide an itemised invoice that you submit to your medical aid yourself. This keeps the process transparent and lets you see exactly what is being claimed.

GLP-1 medicines have been used in clinical practice for many years. The safety profile is well understood. Most side effects are mild and settle in the first few weeks, which is exactly why a doctor screens you before starting treatment.

Nausea is the most common, usually mild and most likely in the day or two after an injection. Others include reduced appetite, mild constipation or loose stools, occasional reflux, and some fatigue in the first week or two.

For most people they ease within a few weeks of starting and after each dose increase. By the time you settle on a steady dose, many patients have few or no side effects.

Serious effects are uncommon but can include pancreatitis and gallbladder problems. Your doctor screens for risk factors beforehand and tells you the warning signs to watch for, so you know when to seek help.

Smaller meals, eating slowly, stopping when comfortably full, staying hydrated, and avoiding very fatty or very large meals all help. Most nausea is manageable with these simple changes, and your coach can guide you.

It can affect how some medicines are absorbed, and dose timing may matter if you take other treatments. This is why your doctor reviews your full medication list during the consultation.

GLP-1 medicines have a long track record in ongoing use. Your doctor monitors your progress with regular bloods and reviews, and adjusts or steps down treatment based on how your body responds over time.

It is a once-weekly injection just under the skin, using a pre-loaded pen. You inject your abdomen, thigh, or upper arm yourself at home on the same day each week. It is quick and nearly painless once you get used to it.

Most people find it nearly painless. The needle is very fine and goes into the fat layer just under the skin. Any sting is brief and mild.

Take it as soon as you remember if your next dose is more than 48 hours away. If you are within two days of the next dose, skip the missed one and carry on as normal. Never take two doses to catch up.

The same day each week is ideal for a steady level, but the exact time of day is flexible. Pick a day that is easy to remember and stick to it.

Most GLP-1 pens are kept refrigerated until first use, then can usually be stored at room temperature for a limited period. Your pharmacist and the product leaflet give the exact storage guidance for your medication.

Not necessarily. Some patients reach their goal and step down or stop while their habits hold the weight. Others stay on a lower maintenance dose. Your doctor decides with you based on your response.

Appetite often eases within the first week or two. Visible weight loss usually begins around weeks four to eight and settles into a steadier pattern after that. The mental change tends to come before the number on the scale moves.

Most patients lose a few kilograms in the first month, some of it water and a smaller digestive load. The bigger story early on is reduced hunger and feeling more in control around food.

Some muscle loss happens with any significant weight loss. Protein-first eating and a little resistance training protect muscle, and your coach guides you on both so more of what you lose is fat.

It usually continues at a sustainable pace and then flattens as your body reaches a new equilibrium. How much you lose overall depends on your starting weight, dose response, and habits.

A realistic target is steady, sustainable loss rather than crash-diet numbers. Your doctor will set expectations based on your starting point and health, and your coach helps you stay on track toward them.

If you have built solid habits, you can hold much of your progress. Without them, some regain is common as appetite returns. The treatment window is the time to lock in routines that last.

A doctor registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. They review your bloods, history, and goals before starting treatment, and remain accessible if a clinical issue comes up during treatment.

By video or secure message, depending on what suits you. Your initial consultation is usually 20 to 30 minutes. Follow-up check-ins through your coach are shorter.

Real medical care. Every patient sees a doctor, every set of bloods is reviewed, the dose is adjusted to your response, and your questions are answered by people who know your case.

Yes. Your coach handles day-to-day check-ins, and if something clinical comes up you go back to your doctor directly. You are not left on your own once treatment begins.

Yes. All personal and medical information is handled under the Protection of Personal Information Act. Records are stored on encrypted infrastructure and accessed only by the clinical team involved in your care. We never sell your information.

At any pharmacy in South Africa. Your prescription is issued so you can collect your treatment at Clicks, Dis-Chem, or your local independent pharmacy. There is no forced supplier.

Yes, switching is common and straightforward. Your doctor reviews your current treatment, dose, and any side effects during the consultation, then recommends an appropriate continuation plan.

Contact your doctor or coach promptly so they can advise. For any severe reaction or medical emergency, seek immediate medical care or call your nearest emergency facility.

Simply let your coach or our team know. There is no lock-in, so you can cancel your programme, pause, or stop, and your doctor can advise on the safest way to step down if needed.