Responses vary widely. Some notice major appetite reduction and less food noise within a day of the first dose, while others wait three to six weeks for full effects. Weight often starts dropping in week one even if hunger does not vanish completely. Most describe a useful middle ground of smaller meals, quicker fullness, and fewer cravings rather than total hunger elimination.
What this discussion establishesWhether hunger should be almost eliminated or whether some remaining hunger is preferable for long-term habits
Nothing here is advice.
I'm two weeks in at the 4 mg level. Daytime appetite has fallen sharply so I now have only lunch and dinner, both in sensible portions. Hunger is still there though. When did the medication really kick in for others, and does hunger go away completely or does some stay?
On the same medication it took roughly three weeks before the appetite suppression really impressed me. I started at 2.5 mg but results differ for everyone. Give it time.
I'm currently at 7.5 mg and have stayed there for about two months. This amount has reduced food noise by around 90 percent so I expect to remain on it for some time. Progress slowed for the first month at this dose, but adding gym sessions this month has helped. I've lost about 40 pounds over five months total.
It happened in the first week. We also began a lower-carb way of eating at the same time. I started at 2 mg ten weeks ago and have gradually increased to 5 mg, taking the first 5 mg dose this morning. Early on I had little desire to eat, but that eased so now we have very small meals and often just a protein shake at lunch. Major food thoughts have not been an issue for either of us.
What kind of hunger are you asking about? Did you deal with a lot of food thoughts before? I began with a very small dose to limit side effects, so my experience may not match. Subtle shifts appeared in the early weeks but could have been placebo. Real appetite control arrived around weeks four to six. The scale moved from week one though. Hunger is now minimal, food thoughts are almost absent, and I feel full sooner. Some hunger left is fine with me because otherwise I might skip eating for a whole day without noticing.
I notice the effects almost straight away and they work well. I started at 2 mg because of earlier experience with similar drugs and am now at 3 mg in week two. Occasionally I get a faint urge to eat, probably just habit, and it feels a bit odd when I realize I'm not actually hungry.
Reactions differ a lot between people. For me 2.5 mg stopped appetite on the first day. My sister needed to reach 5 mg before her appetite suppression became noticeable.
For me the change was clear the next day with a sharp drop in appetite, food thoughts, and cravings. Food finally felt peaceful. I've lost 19 pounds so far and am looking forward to more.
The medication affected my appetite, cravings, and food thoughts from the first day. Weight has come off steadily at about half a kilo per week on average, with a larger drop at the start.
Completely removing hunger usually leaves people feeling unwell. The goal is to feel satisfied with smaller meals, stay comfortable between them, think about food less, and have fewer urges for less healthy options. If you eat when hungry, the total intake supports steady weight loss without constant willpower battles, then it is working well. What you describe is fairly close to that. You may need to adjust the dose up or down over time depending on hunger levels, weight change, or side effects. Eating nutritious food and keeping protein reasonable helps.
After the first 1 mg dose I lost 2 kg in the opening week. Over eight weeks total I've dropped 16 kg. Doses stayed at 2.5 mg until I moved to 3 mg last Friday.
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