Getting started
Nobody hands you a checklist.
Most people leave the appointment with a prescription and very little else. This is the practical list, what to confirm, what to expect, and what is worth tracking.
- Cost
- Free
- Time
- Ongoing
- Signup
- None
- Data
- Stays on device
The science
The four things that catch people out
01
Coverage is decided by indication, not by drug. A plan may cover a molecule for type 2 diabetes and exclude the identical molecule prescribed for weight management, so confirm which applies to you before the first fill rather than at the counter.
02
Protein intake falls before anyone notices it has. Appetite suppression is the point of the medication, but lean mass is what you lose when intake drops without a floor. Setting a daily target early is far easier than correcting later.
03
Side effects follow a repeating shape rather than arriving at random: strongest in the first days after an injection, easing across the week, returning briefly at each step up. Knowing that pattern removes most of the alarm from it.
04
Maintenance is a conversation to have before you need it. These medications manage an ongoing condition, so the plan for what happens at goal weight should exist well before you arrive there.
FAQ
Common questions
What should I ask before starting a GLP-1?
Whether your plan covers it for your specific indication, what happens if you need to hold a dose longer than four weeks, which symptoms warrant an urgent call, and what the maintenance plan looks like once you reach your goal.
What should I track on a GLP-1?
Injection dates and sites, side effects with their severity and timing, protein intake, and measurements beyond weight such as waist and how clothes fit. A symptom summary is far more useful at an appointment than trying to recall it.
How do I know if a side effect is normal?
The common gastrointestinal effects peak in the first one to three days after an injection and ease across the week, returning briefly at each step up. Effects that worsen across weeks rather than settling, or the specific red-flag symptoms in the prescribing information, warrant contact with your prescriber.
Where can I get GLP-1 support?
Your prescribing clinician is the first stop for anything clinical. For practical day-to-day questions, the tools on this site cover dosing arithmetic, schedules, costs and symptom tracking — but none of it replaces clinical advice.
VialClock
This page calculates. Your notes app forgets.
Every tool here is stateless by design. What it cannot do is remember that your vial was mixed eleven days ago, or that a step-up is due this week.
Browse all calculatorsThis tool performs arithmetic on figures you enter, or presents a manufacturer-published schedule. It does not know your protocol, will never suggest a dose, and is not medical advice. Dosing decisions belong with a qualified prescriber.