GLP-1 Weight Loss Calculator: How Much Can You Lose?
One of the most common questions I hear from patients considering GLP-1 medications is, “How much weight can I lose?” My GLP-1 Weight Loss Calculator uses your age, sex, current weight, medication, and dose to estimate your initial weekly weight-loss range. It provides a starting point for setting expectations and discussing your progress with your clinician.
GLP-1 weight-loss medications, including semaglutide and tirzepatide, help regulate appetite and fullness and may reduce recurring food thoughts, often called “food noise.” Clinical trials and real-world studies have shown substantial weight loss with these medications when combined with appropriate nutrition, exercise, and follow-up care, although individual responses vary.
Medications Included in the Calculator
The calculator includes weekly injections of:
- Semaglutide: Wegovy, Ozempic, and compounded semaglutide.
- Tirzepatide: Zepbound, Mounjaro, and compounded tirzepatide.
Oral medications are not included.
Calculate Your Personalized Weight-Loss Estimate
Enter your information below to see your initial weekly estimate and an illustrative 52-week projection.
Dr. Lipman's GLP-1 Expected Weight Loss Calculator
Calculate your estimated initial weekly weight loss and view an illustrative one-year projection based on your current weight, age, sex, medication, and dose.
The graph shows projected weight loss gradually slowing over time. It does not assume that the initial weekly rate continues unchanged for a year.
How Knowing What to Expect Can Help
An estimated weight-loss range can help you and your clinician discuss whether your progress is consistent with expectations, whether you need more time, or whether your dose or treatment plan needs review. Actual results depend on appetite, diet, activity, medication tolerability, diabetes, and other medical conditions or medications. A difference between your progress and the calculator’s estimate does not automatically mean your treatment is failing.
GLP-1 medications can be effective, but meaningful progress takes time. The aim is steady, safe weight loss under medical supervision. Realistic expectations can help you stay motivated, recognize progress, and avoid stopping treatment prematurely.
Regular follow-up also gives your clinician an opportunity to review whether your current dose remains appropriate, rather than leaving you on a dose that is too high or too low for your needs for months at a time. Any dose changes should be made with your prescribing clinician.
Background: The 3,500-Calorie Rule
In 1958, Max Wishnofsky described approximately 3,500 calories as the energy equivalent of a pound of body-weight change. This became a widely cited rule in discussions of weight loss. The rule provides historical context, but it does not reliably predict a constant rate of weight loss. Energy needs and the rate of weight change can shift during treatment, which is why an initial weekly estimate should not be extended unchanged over many months.
