by It’s not hard to understand the appeal of “Oatzempic,” a breakfast drink on TikTok that swears by it’s easy to make and helps them lose significant amounts of weight quickly.
The recipe is certainly simple: half a cup of oats, juice from half a lime, and a cup of water mixed in a blender. It gets its name from the oats and from Ozempic, the type 2 diabetes drug that can cause dramatic weight loss and is in the same family of medicines as the popular obesity treatments Wegovy and Zepbound.
A flurry of social media posts claim that starting every day with “Oatzempic” can help people lose 40 pounds in two months. On TikTok alone, #oatzempic has over 50 million views and counting.
“This drink is honestly Ozempic,” says TikTok user @ChurroKing in a video with more than four million views. “It’s like a meal suppressant in a freaking cup. This is cutting back on my cravings. This is cutting back on my hunger. It’s crazy to me!”
Why TikTok’s ‘Oatzempic’ Claims Are Suspicious
Despite its deceptive name, “Oatzempic” is not a drug and will not work at all like Ozempic.
Ozempic and the weight loss medicine Wegovy both have the active ingredient semaglutide. They are in a family of medicines called GLP-1 receptor agonists, which can help control blood sugar levels and reduce hunger. In clinical trials, semaglutide helped people with obesity lose about 15 percent of their body weight, which translates to 30 pounds for a 200-pound adult.
“First of all, it should be clarified that the ‘Oatzempic’ weight loss trend has nothing to do with the drug Ozempic,” says Katherine Basbaum, RD, a MyFitnessPal registered dietitian and clinical dietitian at the University of Virginia in . Charlottesville.
Besides, the weight loss claims people are making about “Oatzempic” sound too good to be true, says Basbaum.
“While drinking ‘Oatzempic’ in the morning may help with weight loss, losing 40 pounds in two months is unlikely,” says Basbaum.
How ‘Oatzempic’ Could Help You Lose Weight
Changing what you eat for breakfast may help with weight loss. The oats in “Oatzempic” explain why so many people on TikTok swear by this diet drink, says Amy Lee, MD, obesity medicine specialist and head of nutrition at Nucific, a company that sells supplements weight management.
“Actually, that’s pretty good for carb intake, and the extra fiber will help drive down the total number of carbs your body absorbs and probably keep you full,” says Dr Lee.
RELATED: 10 high fiber breakfast recipes for weight loss
How well “Oatzempic” works as a weight loss aid may depend a lot on the type of breakfast people were eating before trying this diet drink.
“If we’re talking about someone who was used to eating something equivalent to a bagel sandwich, eggs, sausage, pastries, and sugary coffee, and then switching to something like this, you’re probably going to take a significant calorie cut from proteins. and all fats that help one lose weight,” says Lee.
Anyone willing to drastically overhaul their breakfast routine could make other changes throughout the day that help with weight loss while drinking “Oatzempic,” Lee says. “I would predict that if one is doing this for breakfast daily, drinking more water and keeping caloric intake down for lunch and dinner, as well as exercising, one could lose between 15 and At least 20 pounds actually.”
How to Lose Weight Safely With ‘Oatzempic’
All of this comes with a big caveat: It’s generally not safe or sustainable to aim for weight loss of more than a pound or two a week. Trying to lose 40 pounds in two months with an “Oatzempic” might not be realistic, even if rapid weight loss can get used to it, says Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, author The Better Period Food Solution.
“If a person is drinking this drink as well as making radical changes to their current diet and overall food choices, increasing their physical activity, and most importantly, maintaining excess weight, it is not A 20-pound weight loss in one month is common. ,” says Lockwood Beckerman.
But while there is nothing inherently dangerous about the ingredients in “Oatzempic,” there are risks associated with this dietary approach. “[The ‘Oatzempic challenge’ is] promises unsustainable and probably unattainable weight loss that is no magic bullet,” says Lockwood Beckerman. “The smoothie is quite limited in nutrients.”
For people looking to lose weight without medication, it’s more realistic to set a goal of about 7 to 10 pounds over two months, Basbaum says. This works best when “Oatzempic” is part of a well-balanced diet that cuts calories without cutting out key nutrients, and when people exercise for at least 60 minutes three times a week , adds Basbaum.
“Losing weight can be hard, but keeping it off is even harder,” says Basbaum. “I always say to patients and clients, ‘The race is won slowly and steadily.'”
