Go slow, eat small, lift twice a week, get protein at every meal and sip fluids steadily. Talk to your prescriber before any dose increase if side effects are getting in the way. Severe belly pain, especially into your back, means stop and get help.
Before your first dose
Know exactly what you're taking: name, strength in milligrams, how much to inject and where it's from. If it's compounded, know the concentration. Never go by "units" alone.
Review your history with your clinician: pregnancy plans, thyroid cancer or MEN2 in you or your family, pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, kidney disease, eye problems with diabetes, eating disorder history and any diabetes medicines.
Note your starting point beyond weight: blood pressure, energy, bowel habits, how strong you feel.
Stock easy foods: eggs, yogurt or cottage cheese, tofu, beans, fish or chicken, soups, fruit and cooked vegetables. Skip the pricey "GLP-1 supplements."
Days 1 to 30
Use the exact starting dose. No splitting pens, speeding up or microdosing because of a video.
Eat smaller, slower meals and stop at comfortable fullness. Big, greasy or boozy meals often make nausea worse.
Put protein and produce on your plate first.
Sip fluids through the day. There's no magic gallon, but watch for thirst, dark urine, vomiting or diarrhea.
Start two full-body strength sessions a week.
Track how you feel: nausea, bowel movements, fluids, dizziness.
Days 31 to 60
Increase only as prescribed and as tolerated. Call before the next step up if nausea stops you eating, vomiting comes back or constipation gets severe.
For nausea: smaller portions, eat slowly, bland and lower-fat foods for a while.
For constipation: fluids, add fiber gradually, move daily, and ask your pharmacist about a gentle laxative. Severe pain or bloating isn't routine constipation.
Progress your strength work. Add a little weight or one rep when it feels solid. One change at a time.
Days 61 to 90
Review with your clinician: side effects, how you're eating, strength, cost and goals.
The highest dose isn't automatically the goal. The right dose depends on your response and how well you tolerate it.
If you can't eat enough, feel weak, are shedding hair or keep getting dizzy, get assessed rather than adding supplements.
Plan for the long term, including what happens if you stop. Weight often comes back after stopping. That's biology, not failure.
About muscle
A 2025 analysis of 22 trials estimated about a quarter of weight lost on these medicines is lean mass, though that includes water and organs, not just muscle. Strength training and protein are the best-supported ways to protect it.
This page is for education, not medical advice, and it isn't a substitute for care from your own clinician. Treatment decisions belong to you and a licensed clinician who knows your history.
