How much weight a GLP-1 takes off, and what each pound costs
In each drug's main trial, people lost 11.1 to 20.9 percent of their starting weight on average. From 220 pounds, each pound lost cost $141 to $215 at the maker's own cash price. These are trial averages, not a promise.
Two cash programs to check.
No insurance needed.
- Strut Health$149 a month, with auto-refillcompounded semaglutideCheck price →Semaglutide shot or lozenge, then a health questionnaire
- Shed$199 a monthcompounded semaglutideCheck price →Every medication is listed with a starting price
At 220 pounds, drug by drug
| Drug and dose | Average lost | Each pound cost |
|---|---|---|
| Zepbound 15 mg | 46 lb (20.9%) | $171 |
| Zepbound 5 mg | 33 lb (15.0%) | $215 |
| Wegovy shot 2.4 mg | 33 lb (14.9%) | $180 |
| Wegovy pill 25 mg | 30 lb (13.6%) | $141 |
| Foundayo 17.2 mg | 24 lb (11.1%) | Pounds only |
Each pound cost is what the whole trial cost at the maker's price, divided by the average pounds lost. Pick your drug below for other starting weights.
Zepbound (tirzepatide, a weekly shot)
SURMOUNT-1, published June 4, 2022: people on 15 mg lost 20.9 percent of their starting weight on average over 72 weeks. The placebo group lost 3.1 percent.
At LillyDirect, 72 weeks is 18 four-week boxes, $7,882 in all: $299 for 2.5 mg, $399 for 5 mg, $449 for 7.5 mg and up.
| Starting weight | Average lost | Each pound cost |
|---|---|---|
| 180 lb | 38 lb | $207 |
| 200 lb | 42 lb | $188 |
| 220 lb | 46 lb | $171 |
| 240 lb | 50 lb | $158 |
| 260 lb | 54 lb | $146 |
| 280 lb | 59 lb | $134 |
| 300 lb | 63 lb | $125 |
On 10 mg the average was 19.5 percent, for the same $7,882. On 5 mg it was 15.0 percent, for $7,082, which is $215 a pound from 220 pounds. The $449 dose price holds only if you refill within 45 days.
Wegovy shot (semaglutide, a weekly shot)
STEP 1, published February 10, 2021: people on 2.4 mg lost 14.9 percent of their starting weight on average over 68 weeks. The placebo group lost 2.4 percent.
At NovoCare, 68 weeks is 17 four-week boxes at $349 each, $5,933 in all.
| Starting weight | Average lost | Each pound cost |
|---|---|---|
| 180 lb | 27 lb | $220 |
| 200 lb | 30 lb | $198 |
| 220 lb | 33 lb | $180 |
| 240 lb | 36 lb | $165 |
| 260 lb | 39 lb | $152 |
| 280 lb | 42 lb | $141 |
| 300 lb | 45 lb | $132 |
Averages hide a wide spread. In STEP 1, half the people on the drug lost 15 percent or more, and about 1 in 7 lost less than 5 percent.
Wegovy pill (semaglutide, a daily pill)
OASIS 4, published September 18, 2025: people on 25 mg lost 13.6 percent of their starting weight on average over 64 weeks. The placebo group lost 2.2 percent.
At NovoCare, 64 weeks is 15 thirty-day bottles, $4,235 in all: $149 for 1.5 mg, $199 for 4 mg, $299 for 9 and 25 mg.
| Starting weight | Average lost | Each pound cost |
|---|---|---|
| 180 lb | 24 lb | $176 |
| 200 lb | 27 lb | $157 |
| 220 lb | 30 lb | $141 |
| 240 lb | 33 lb | $128 |
| 260 lb | 35 lb | $121 |
| 280 lb | 38 lb | $111 |
| 300 lb | 41 lb | $103 |
Foundayo (orforglipron, a daily pill)
ATTAIN-1, published September 16, 2025: people on 17.2 mg lost 11.1 percent of their starting weight on average over 72 weeks. The placebo group lost 2.1 percent. Figures from the FDA label.
| Starting weight | Average lost |
|---|---|
| 180 lb | 20 lb |
| 200 lb | 22 lb |
| 220 lb | 24 lb |
| 240 lb | 27 lb |
| 260 lb | 29 lb |
| 280 lb | 31 lb |
| 300 lb | 33 lb |
Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide
Compounded semaglutide, a pharmacy-made version that is not FDA-approved and is not Wegovy or Ozempic, costs $149 a month, with auto-refill, at Strut Health. Compounded tirzepatide, a pharmacy-made version that is not FDA-approved and is not Zepbound or Mounjaro, costs $149 a month, with auto-refill, at Strut Health.
The clinical trials on this page tested the brand-name drugs, not compounded versions.
These pounds assume you stay on
In the clinical trials that took people off the drug, most of the weight came back within a year. What happens when you stop a GLP-1 has all three of those clinical trials, and what year one and year two cost on each drug.
Frequently asked questions
How much weight can you lose on Zepbound?
How much weight can you lose on the Wegovy pill?
What does it cost to lose a pound on a GLP-1?
Sources
Evidence checked September 28, 2026
Every figure above is taken from the document beside it, the FDA label or the trial that produced it, so you can read the source instead of trusting us. No clinician reviews these pages. What that means.
7 documents
- Zepbound, average loss at 5, 10 and 15 mg over 72 weeksSURMOUNT-1, Jastreboff AM et al. N Engl J Med 2022;387(3):205-216
- Wegovy shot, average loss at 2.4 mg over 68 weeks, and the spread behind itSTEP 1, Wilding JPH et al. N Engl J Med 2021;384(11):989-1002
- Wegovy pill, average loss at 25 mg over 64 weeksOASIS 4, Wharton S et al. N Engl J Med 2025;393(11):1077-1087
- Foundayo, the trial behind the labelATTAIN-1, Wharton S et al. N Engl J Med 2025;393(18):1796-1806
- Foundayo, average loss at 17.2 mg over 72 weeks, and its dose climbFDA prescribing information for Foundayo, Table 6, Trial 1 (DailyMed, August 2026)
- Wegovy shot and pill dose climbsFDA prescribing information for Wegovy, injection and tablets (DailyMed, revised June 2026)
- Zepbound dose climbFDA prescribing information for Zepbound (DailyMed, revised August 2026)
