So, you’ve seen the ads. They’re everywhere. Glossy photos of people looking significantly lighter, sleek packaging, and the promise that weight loss doesn’t have to be a miserable slog through kale salads and 5 AM treadmill sessions. It’s Hims & Hers weight loss, a platform that has basically detonated the traditional doctor’s office model.
Is it just hype? Honestly, it’s a bit of both.
The company, led by CEO Andrew Dudum, has pivoted hard into the metabolic space. They aren't just selling hair loss pills anymore. They’re tackling the obesity epidemic with a mix of compounded GLP-1s and oral medications that have been around for decades. But before you hand over your credit card, you need to know how the gears actually turn behind that minimalist website.
The GLP-1 elephant in the room
Let’s get real. Most people clicking on Hims & Hers weight loss ads are looking for Ozempic or Wegovy. But there’s a massive catch.
Supply is a nightmare. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have been struggling to keep up with demand for years. To fix this for their customers, Hims & Hers started offering compounded GLP-1 injections. These aren't the brand-name pens you see on TV. Instead, they are custom-mixed medications made in specialized pharmacies.
It’s controversial. Some doctors worry about the lack of FDA "approval" for the specific compounded mixture, even though the FDA allows compounding when there’s a drug shortage. Hims & Hers claims they use high-quality ingredients and rigorous testing, but you’re essentially trusting their supply chain over a massive pharmaceutical giant's brand name.
Price is the kicker. While brand-name injections can run you $1,000 a month without insurance, the compounded versions through Hims & Hers start around $199. That’s a massive difference. It makes medical weight loss accessible to people who don’t have gold-plated health insurance or a spare mortgage payment lying around.
Why the oral kits matter more than you think
Not everyone wants to poke themselves with a needle every week.
Hims & Hers offers "Weight Loss Kits" that are entirely oral. These aren't new "miracle" drugs. They are clever combinations of older, FDA-approved medications used "off-label." We’re talking about drugs like Naltrexone, Bupropion, Metformin, and Topiramate.
Naltrexone and Bupropion, for instance, are the ingredients in the branded drug Contrave. By using the generic versions, Hims & Hers keeps the cost down. These drugs target the reward center of your brain. They stop you from thinking about that leftover pizza in the fridge at 11 PM.
It’s about "food noise." If you’ve ever felt like your brain is screaming at you to eat even when you aren't hungry, that’s what these oral kits aim to silence. They don’t work as dramatically as the shots, but for a lot of people, they’re a more sustainable, less invasive starting point.
The "Online Doctor" experience is... different
If you’re expecting a 45-minute deep dive into your childhood trauma with a physician, you’re going to be disappointed.
The process is fast. You fill out a questionnaire. You share your health history, your goals, and your current weight. A licensed provider reviews it. Sometimes there’s a follow-up message; sometimes you just get an approval.
It’s convenient. No waiting rooms. No awkward "weigh-ins" in front of a nurse. But the flip side is that you lose the nuance of an in-person physical exam. You’re responsible for reporting your own data accurately. If you lie about your heart rate or your history with certain conditions, you’re putting yourself at risk.
What the studies actually say about these meds
The science is pretty solid, but it’s not magic.
Metformin, often included in their kits, has been used for type 2 diabetes for decades. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that while Metformin is great for blood sugar, the weight loss is usually modest—maybe 5% of body weight over a year.
GLP-1s are the heavy hitters. Data from the STEP clinical trials for Semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic/Wegovy) showed people losing upwards of 15% of their body weight. But—and this is a big "but"—that was alongside lifestyle changes.
Hims & Hers tries to bake this in with their app. They offer tracking tools and educational content. However, the reality is that the medication is doing the heavy lifting. If you stop the meds without having fixed your relationship with food, the weight usually comes back. It sucks, but that’s the biological reality of how our bodies defend their "set point."
Side effects: The stuff they don't put in the big bold text
Let’s talk about the "Ozempic burp."
It’s real. GLP-1s slow down your digestion. Food stays in your stomach longer. This makes you feel full, but it can also lead to nausea, vomiting, and some truly legendary heartburn. Most people find these side effects fade after a few weeks as the body adjusts, but for a small percentage, it’s a dealbreaker.
The oral kits have their own quirks. Bupropion can cause jitters or insomnia. Topiramate is sometimes jokingly called "Dopamax" because it can cause a bit of brain fog in some users.
You have to be honest with yourself about your tolerance for discomfort. Are you willing to feel a bit nauseous for three weeks if it means losing 20 pounds over six months? For many, the answer is a resounding yes. For others, the "natural" route—as slow as it is—remains the better play.
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What about the "compound" controversy?
In 2024 and 2025, the medical community went back and forth on compounded GLP-1s. The CEO of Eli Lilly, David Ricks, has been vocal about the potential risks of compounded drugs, citing concerns about purity and dosage.
Hims & Hers countered by being transparent about their partner pharmacies. They use 503B outsourcing facilities, which are subject to higher FDA oversight than your local mom-and-pop compounding shop. It’s a middle ground. It’s safer than buying "research chemicals" from a shady peptide website, but it’s not the same as a brand-name, factory-sealed injector pen from a Tier 1 pharma company.
Making Hims & Hers weight loss actually work for you
If you decide to go this route, don't just pop the pills and wait. That’s a recipe for muscle loss and a "skinny fat" physique.
Protein is your best friend. When you’re on these medications, your appetite plummets. You might only eat 1,200 calories a day. If those calories aren't packed with protein, your body will start burning your muscle for energy. This wrecks your metabolism in the long run.
You also need to lift something heavy. Resistance training tells your body to keep the muscle and burn the fat. Hims & Hers provides the chemical assistance, but you still have to provide the physical stimulus.
Actionable Steps for Success:
- Get a baseline blood panel. Even if Hims & Hers doesn't require it for every kit, go to a local lab. Check your A1C, your fasting insulin, and your liver enzymes. Know where you're starting.
- Prioritize fiber. The constipation on GLP-1s is no joke. If you aren't eating veggies or taking a supplement, you’re going to have a bad time.
- Track your protein, not just calories. Aim for at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of your target body weight.
- Have an exit plan. Talk to the Hims & Hers provider via their messaging portal about how to taper off. These aren't necessarily "forever" drugs for everyone, but stopping cold turkey can trigger intense hunger rebounds.
- Check your insurance first. Even though Hims & Hers is affordable, your employer-sponsored insurance might actually cover brand-name Zepbound or Wegovy for a $20 co-pay. Don't leave money on the table.
Weight loss is finally being treated like a medical issue rather than a failure of willpower. Hims & Hers is a massive part of that shift. It’s not perfect, and it’s definitely a business looking to make a profit, but for the person who has tried every diet under the sun and failed, it’s a tool that actually moves the needle. Just go in with your eyes open to the costs, the side effects, and the work you still have to do yourself.