If you’re unable to get hands on the pricey Ozempic diabetes shots that helped celebrities like Elon Musk and Oprah Winfrey shed weight, you might want to try the latest “Oatzempic challenge” going viral on TikTok.
“Oatzempic”, a combination of the words oat and Ozempic is a do-it-yourself (DIY) diet drink that’s believed to trigger remarkable weight loss result.
It involves a home blend of instant oats, water, and lime juice, which has been reported to help TikTok influencers lose 40 pounds in two months.
One content creator, Rénita, who believed it was possible, began her weight loss journey using the cocktail, weighing 176 pounds.
She claims to have lost four pounds in five days and has been experiencing high energy levels and a positive mood ever since.
Following the rise of this viral trend among digital dieters everywhere, experts weighed in on what they think of this drink.
The call-to-action suggests people consume oats daily for eight weeks to lose several dress sizes, but Massachusetts physician Tommy Martin warns against overestimating the weight loss potential of oats.
“Oatzempic as a trend is something I’m excited about because it’s getting people to eat a very healthy, nutritious breakfast food in a fun way,” said Martin, 32, of oatmeal.
He highlighted that oats are known for its metabolic benefits on diabetics, such as lowering A1C, cholesterol, inflammation, and blood pressure, but it’s not guaranteed to significantly reduce weight in a few weeks.
“That’s a lot of weight to lose,” said the doctor. “And unless you go from eating an extremely high-calorie breakfast to this Oatzempic drink, you’ll only see some weight loss but probably not 40 pounds.”
However, Martin suggests that consuming a low-calorie oat breakfast can cause a calorie deficit, leading to rapid fat loss, and that Oatzempic guzzlers may also lose some non-fat weight due to the sips.
“If you’re eating oatmeal and drinking more water, you might move your bowels more frequently,” said Martin. “Pooping more can help you lose some weight.”
While Martin has praised that drink, he suggests that dieters should replace processed foods with fruits and vegetables, get seven to nine hours of sleep, and engage in strength and cardio fitness training regularly to achieve sustainable weight loss.
