What to Track During Your First 30 Days

The starter dose of most GLP-1 medications is intentionally low. It's a titration dose — designed to let your gut adjust before the effect on appetite fully shows up. That means the first 30 days is less about dramatic weight loss and more about learning how your body responds.

Common early experiences include: reduced appetite (usually within days), mild nausea after doses, changes in bowel habits, slightly slower digestion, and a sense that food feels different — less rewarding, more filling.

The best tracker is the one you'll actually do. Every evening, jot down three things:

1. Energy today, on a 1–5 scale.
2. Protein hit: yes / partial / no.
3. Any notable symptoms (nausea, reflux, constipation, headache).

• Weight, if you weigh — otherwise, how clothes fit and any strength changes.
• Overall side-effect pattern: improving, steady, or worse.
• Sleep quality on a 1–5 scale.
• Mood or motivation shifts worth noting.
• Anything that made side effects better (specific foods, dose timing, hydration).

Most side effects in month one are mild and settle on their own. A short list should prompt a message or call to your clinician sooner rather than later:

• Vomiting that prevents you from keeping fluids down.
• Severe or persistent abdominal pain, especially with fever or radiating to the back.
• Signs of dehydration — dizziness, low urine output, dark urine.
• New or unusual yellowing of the eyes or skin.
• Any allergic reaction — hives, swelling, difficulty breathing.

Your first follow-up visit is often short. A little prep turns it into the most useful appointment of the year.

1. Your top three questions, written down.
2. A one-paragraph summary of the month — biggest wins, biggest struggles, patterns you noticed.
3. Anything you tried that helped (dose timing, food swaps, hydration).
4. Your goals for the next month, in your own words.