Wegovy 0.25 mg: your first four weeks

Why the starting dose is small

Semaglutide stays active for days. A low start avoids a sudden jump in exposure and can make digestive effects easier to manage early on. You do not need dramatic appetite loss at this dose for treatment to count as working.

Some people eat smaller portions or snack less in the first week. Others notice little change. Neither pattern means the pen is faulty. Nausea is not a sign of a better response either. Wegovy should help you eat differently. Food should not become unbearable.

Before your first injection

Read the leaflet for the pen you were given, and ask for a demonstration if you need one. Check the name, strength, expiry date and how the liquid looks. Get a sharps bin and pick a weekly day you will remember. Write down the date you first use the pen, because the in-use storage limit starts then.

Make sure your prescriber knows about your other medicines, especially insulin or a sulfonylurea, and has given you any glucose advice you need. Raise pregnancy plans and any upcoming surgery. These matter before the first dose, even at a small starting amount.

Eating in the first month

Eat comfortable portions, slowly, and stop when you feel satisfied. Regular chances to eat help if your hunger signals become less reliable. A day of eating almost nothing is no achievement. Watch your energy, protein and fluid intake as well as the scale.

If nausea starts, notice whether large or rich meals make it worse. Smaller meals are often easier. Wegovy has no compulsory food list, and needless restriction makes good nutrition harder. Raise persistent symptoms with your prescriber. Eating less and less is no fix.

What to keep track of

Note injection dates, nausea or vomiting, bowel changes, how well you can drink, rough appetite changes and any trouble with the pen. Weigh yourself at regular intervals and under similar conditions. That way you can tell a real trend from normal swings in water or bowel contents.

Moving on to 0.5 mg

The usual next dose is 0.5 mg weekly after four weeks, if your prescriber agrees. Contact the service early if side effects are significant or you have missed doses. Do not inject extra 0.25 mg doses to speed things up unless you have a clear prescription to do so.

Use the first month to build steady habits and a realistic follow-up plan. If your supply is late, ask for advice. Never borrow someone else's pen. Your clinician can tell a short missed dose from a longer gap, which changes the safest way to restart.