GLP-1 Medications: How to Track Doses & Titration

GLP-1 medications (semaglutide, tirzepatide) are simple in theory — one injection a week — and surprisingly easy to get wrong in practice. The dose steps up over months, the schedule is weekly so it's easy to lose the thread, and the side effects are very real if you move too fast. A log keeps all of it straight and gives you and your prescriber something concrete to adjust from.

Three things tracking solves:

• Staying on the right phase. Titration means your dose changes every few weeks. Forgetting which phase you're on — or when the next step is due — is the most common GLP-1 mix-up.
• Not missing the weekly shot. Once a week sounds easy, which is exactly why it slips. A consistent day and a reminder keep levels steady.
• Managing side effects. Nausea and GI effects track closely with dose increases. Logged over time, they tell you (and your provider) whether to hold a phase longer before stepping up.

None of this needs a spreadsheet — it needs a record that takes seconds and keeps your dose, day, sites, and how you feel in one place.

GLP-1 medications are started low and increased in steps — titration — to let your body adjust and to keep side effects tolerable. Each step is a set dose held for a set number of weeks before the next increase, all under your prescriber's direction.

The reason it's done this way: starting at a full dose tends to cause far more nausea and GI distress. Ramping gradually trades a slower start for a much smoother ride. The exact steps and timing are individual — your prescriber sets them based on how you tolerate each phase, and it's completely normal to hold a phase longer if you need more time.

What that means for tracking: your "dose" isn't one number, it's a sequence of phases with dates. Knowing exactly where you are in that sequence — and when the next change is planned — is the whole game.

The single most useful thing to track on a GLP-1 is simply: what dose am I on, and since when? Get that right and everything else follows.

• Log the dose each week, not just "took my shot" — the amount is what changes across phases.
• Mark when a phase starts so you can see how long you've held it and when the next step is due.
• Note if you hold or repeat a phase — totally normal, but easy to lose track of without a record.

StackTrax handles titration directly: each phase has its own dose and duration, and your reminders follow the schedule so the right dose shows up on the right week without you doing the bookkeeping.

GLP-1 medications are dosed weekly, and consistency matters more than which day you pick. A few habits that keep it steady:

• Choose one day and stick to it. Same day every week keeps levels even and makes the routine automatic.
• Set a reminder. A weekly cadence is the easiest to forget precisely because it's infrequent.
• Know your provider's guidance for a missed dose. There's a standard window for taking a late dose versus skipping to the next scheduled one — follow your prescriber's instructions, and never double up to "catch up."

Logging the actual day you injected each week also makes it obvious if your schedule has quietly drifted.

GLP-1 medications are injected subcutaneously, into the fat layer with a short, fine needle. The standard sites:

• Abdomen — about two inches out from the navel.
• Front or outer thigh.
• Back of the upper arm.

Even at one injection a week, rotate — hitting the same spot week after week still invites irritation and lumps. Move across the abdomen, thigh, and arm, and alternate left/right. Recording the site each time is the only reliable way to actually rotate. (For the full breakdown, see our injection site rotation guide.)

Side effects are the main reason titration exists, so they're worth logging carefully — they're also your best signal for whether you're ready to step up:

• The common ones — nausea, reduced appetite, constipation or diarrhea, fatigue, and "sulfur burps." Most ease as your body adjusts to a phase.
• The pattern that matters — effects usually spike after a dose increase and settle over the following days. If they're not settling, that's useful information for your provider about holding the phase.
• When to flag it — severe or persistent vomiting, signs of dehydration, or severe abdominal pain are reasons to contact your provider, not tough out.

Logged next to your dose and phase, side effects become a clear timeline instead of a vague "I felt rough that week."

The scale is the headline, but it's a noisy, slow signal — judging a GLP-1 by a single weigh-in is a fast track to frustration. Track the fuller picture over weeks:

• Appetite and cravings — often the first thing to change, and a good early sign the dose is working for you.
• Weight trend — the direction over weeks, not any one day's number.
• Energy, sleep, and how food sits — quality-of-life signals that matter alongside the scale.

Tracked consistently, the trend tells you whether your current phase is doing its job — and gives your provider real data for the next decision.

• Rushing the titration. Stepping up before you've tolerated the current phase usually just means worse side effects. Patience beats speed.
• Doubling up after a missed dose. Follow your provider's missed-dose guidance; never stack to "catch up."
• Losing track of your phase. Without a record, "what dose am I on?" becomes a guess.
• Skipping site rotation. Once a week is still often enough to cause lumps if it's always the same spot.
• Judging it day to day. Weight and appetite move on a scale of weeks; track the trend.