A Template Built Around Your Actual GLP-1 Week
A weekly injection sounds simple until you try to remember what you did four Sundays ago. Was that the 0.5 mg dose or the 1 mg step up? Right thigh or abdomen? Was the nausea on day two or day four? By week eight of titration, the answers blur. This template gives you one row per shot so you stop reconstructing the last six weeks from memory in a 15 minute appointment.
Memory fails on GLP-1 therapy because the drug effects stretch across a full seven-day window. Gastrointestinal side effects often peak 24 to 72 hours after the shot, and appetite changes can keep shifting all week. If you are on semaglutide or tirzepatide, the titration schedule adds another layer of moving parts. A paper or digital log is how you stop guessing.
It works the same whether you are on a GLP-1 for type 2 diabetes, for weight management, or off-label under a prescriber’s supervision. The drug behaves the same way; the data your prescriber needs to make the next decision is the same too. Many people on GLP-1s have been told their side effects are not a big deal, or that they should just push through the nausea. A written log is how you push back on that without having to argue from memory.
The template covers the first 12 weeks, which is where most of the titration happens and where side effects are most likely to change what comes next. Print it, fill in one row per injection, and bring it to every follow up.
Key Takeaways
- One row per weekly injection captures dose, site, time, and side effects in the place you will actually use it.
- Site rotation between abdomen, thigh, and upper arm reduces lumps and lipohypertrophy that can slow absorption.
- Logging the 72 hours after each shot tells you if nausea is escalating, stable, or resolving at each titration step.
- A filled log makes dose adjustments a 30 second conversation with your prescriber instead of a memory test.
- The same template works for semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide, and dulaglutide with only the dose column changing.
Why a Paper Log Beats Memory on GLP-1 Therapy
Titration is the part of GLP-1 therapy that gets the least attention and causes the most drop off. The standard semaglutide schedule moves from 0.25 mg to 0.5, then 1, then 1.7, then 2.4 mg, with four weeks at each step unless side effects say otherwise. Tirzepatide moves through 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, and 15 mg on a similar timeline. Each step up is a real pharmacological event, not a formality.
If you cannot tell your prescriber whether the nausea at week six was worse than week four, the next dose decision rests on a guess. A tracker removes that ambiguity. It also catches patterns that do not show up in a single snapshot, like a gradual return of appetite at the same dose, or a cluster of injection site reactions that points to a rotation problem rather than the drug itself.
What Each Column Captures
Date and Time
Pick a consistent injection day and time. Most people default to a weekend morning because it is easier to remember, but any pattern works as long as it is the same every week. Write the actual clock time, not “morning.” If you shift the day for travel, log the new day and note the gap in the Notes column.
Dose and Titration Step
Record the milligrams, not just the pen color. Pen colors change across manufacturers and between regions. The milligrams do not. Note if this is a new step (first week on 1 mg) or a repeat (holding at 0.5 mg because of side effects).
Injection Site
Rotate between abdomen (at least two inches from the navel), thigh (front, outer), and upper arm (back). The goal is to avoid hitting the same spot two weeks in a row. Repeated injections in the same centimeter of tissue can cause lumps, bruising, and in some cases lipohypertrophy, which changes how fast the drug absorbs.
Side Effects in the First 72 Hours
Nausea, early satiety, constipation, reflux, sulfur burps, and fatigue are the most commonly reported. Rate each one from 0 (none) to 3 (severe enough to change what you did that day). Add a free text note if you took an anti nausea medication or had to skip a meal. Do not skip this column even on easy weeks. A string of zeros is itself useful data.
Hunger and Fullness
This is the column that tells you if the drug is still doing what it should. Rate your hunger on day three after the shot on a 0 to 10 scale. Rate how quickly you feel full at your biggest meal. Rising hunger at the same dose is one of the earliest signals that you may be ready for a step up.
The Weekly Injection Log
| Week | Date | Dose (mg) | Site | Time | Side Effects (0-3) | Day 3 Hunger (0-10) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | __/__ | 0.25 | Abdomen L | ___ | Nausea 1, Reflux 0 | 4 | Mild nausea day 2 |
| 2 | __/__ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| 3 | __/__ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| 4 | __/__ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| 5 | __/__ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| 6 | __/__ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| 7 | __/__ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| 8 | __/__ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
The first row shows a sample entry so you can see what a complete log looks like. Fill in the rest as you go. Do not try to reconstruct past weeks from memory. If you missed logging a week, leave it blank and start again at the next injection.
How to Use This Log at Your Follow Up
Bring the sheet to every appointment, even telehealth visits. A prescriber deciding whether to advance your dose is asking three questions: are the side effects manageable, is the drug still reducing appetite, and are you tolerating the current step. Your log answers all three in one glance.
If you are experiencing side effects that are making daily life hard, the log is also your protection. “I had nausea rated 3 on day 2 and day 3 for the last two weeks, and I skipped lunch four times” is a conversation that leads to a dose hold or a step down. “It was pretty bad” is a conversation that leads to a shrug.
For a digital version, the GLP-1 Tracker App logs the same data with reminders for injection day and a rotation map that tells you which site is due next. If you also want to track weight alongside dose, the GLP-1 weight tracker template pairs with this log on the same timeline. Readers managing GLP-1 therapy alongside type 2 diabetes may also find the diabetes tracking resources useful for pairing injection data with glucose patterns.
What 30, 60, and 90 Days of Tracking Reveals
In the first 30 days, the log mostly shows you your baseline side effect pattern. By 60 days you will see whether the pattern is stable, resolving, or intensifying at each step up. By 90 days you have enough data to answer the questions that matter: whether the drug is still reducing appetite at this dose, whether site rotation is cutting down reactions, and whether certain days of the week consistently go worse than others. None of that is visible from memory alone.
Start with this week’s injection. One row is enough. After three or four entries you will already see things about your response to the drug that you could not see before, and your next prescriber visit will sound different because of it.
Medical disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Talk to your prescriber about any dose changes or persistent side effects.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do you take GLP-1 injections?
Most GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) are injected once weekly on the same day each week. Your prescriber sets the exact schedule.
What are the most common GLP-1 side effects to track?
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and injection site reactions are the most reported. Nausea typically peaks during the first 4 to 8 weeks and improves as your body adjusts to each titration step.
Should I rotate GLP-1 injection sites?
Yes. Rotate between your abdomen, thigh, and upper arm. Using the same spot repeatedly can cause lipodystrophy, which affects drug absorption.
Medical disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The content here is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with questions about your health or a medical condition. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or contact your local emergency services immediately.