GLP-1 Side Effects: A Simple Log to Bring to Your Doctor
If you're on a GLP-1 medication — Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, or a compounded version — you're probably familiar with the side-effect guessing game.
The nausea hit hard in week two. Or was it week three? You think the fatigue was worst after the dose increase. The constipation seemed to ease off, but you're not sure if you changed anything that week or if it just resolved on its own. By the time your next prescriber appointment comes around, the past twelve weeks blur together and the best you can do is "yeah, it was rough at first but it's better now."
That's not useful information for a dose decision. And GLP-1 treatment involves a lot of dose decisions.
A simple weekly log changes this. It doesn't have to be elaborate. What it does have to be is consistent: the same information, recorded the same way, every week. Here's what to include and why it matters.
Why Side-Effect Tracking Matters More Than You Might Think
GLP-1 medications are titrated — meaning your dose is increased gradually over weeks or months to reach your target dose. The speed and success of that titration often depends directly on how well you and your prescriber can read your side-effect pattern.
Nausea is the most common reason people stop these medications early. Most nausea is manageable and improves with time — but some requires a dose hold or a slower titration. Without a log, your prescriber is relying on your subjective impression at a single moment ("I felt pretty rough, but I think it's improving"). With a log, they can see that your nausea severity peaked at a 4 out of 5 in the second week after each dose increase and dropped to a 1 by week four — which is a predictable pattern that argues for continuing, not stopping.
The same is true for constipation, fatigue, reflux, and the subtler side effects that are harder to name. Documented trends are actionable. Impressions are not.
What to Record Each Week
You need seven data points. The whole thing takes five minutes.
1. Injection date and dose
Which medication, which dose, which day. If you take a weekly injection, note the exact date. If you're on a daily oral (rybelsus), note your daily dose. Dose changes should be flagged clearly — this is the variable that explains most side-effect shifts.
2. Injection site (if injecting)
Abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Rotating sites matters for consistent absorption — and if you're noticing more side effects on certain weeks, site might be a factor. Log it once and you'll have the data to see whether it's correlated.
3. Weight
Same day each week, same time, same conditions (morning, after bathroom, before food). GLP-1 weight loss is not linear — two to three week stalls followed by a drop are normal. Daily weighing tends to be discouraging because it captures water and food weight, not fat loss. Weekly data gives a cleaner trend.
4. Side effects, rated by severity (0–5)
For each side effect, score it 0 (none) to 5 (severe / affected daily functioning):
- Nausea — note whether it's worse on certain days of the week (often highest on injection day or the day after)
- Vomiting — yes/no; how many times this week
- Constipation — frequency and comfort
- Diarrhoea — frequency and consistency
- Fatigue or low energy — overall energy level this week
- Acid reflux or heartburn — frequency and severity
- Headache — frequency and severity
- Appetite level — how suppressed did your appetite feel? (This is useful to track separately from weight, because appetite suppression without actual intake reduction doesn't drive weight loss)
- Any other symptoms — a one-line free-text field for anything else
5. Injection-day timing and what you ate
For most people, side effects (especially nausea) are worst in the 24 to 48 hours after injection. What you eat during that window makes a real difference. Fatty foods and large portions are consistently harder to tolerate after a GLP-1 injection. A short note about what you ate on injection day — and whether you felt worse than usual — helps identify patterns you can act on.
6. A "what's working" note
One or two sentences on anything that helped this week. Smaller meals? A different injection time? Eating before the injection rather than after? These accumulate into a personal protocol that works for your specific response — and it's only recoverable if you've been writing it down.
7. Questions for your prescriber
Anything that came up this week that you want to raise. Log it when you think of it, not the night before the appointment.
The Mid-Week Check-In
For side effects that vary significantly across the week, a quick Tuesday note (assuming a Sunday injection day) is useful. Note your nausea and energy level on day two or three post-injection — this is typically when vasomotor and GI side effects are strongest, and capturing it mid-week gives your log more resolution than a single Sunday review.
A free weekly log template — covering all the categories above, with space for your prescriber questions — is available here:
Free GLP-1 weekly log — download, no sign-up required
This is an organisational tool, not medical advice.
What to Bring to Your Prescriber Appointment
Most prescriber appointments for GLP-1 medications run 15 to 20 minutes. You want to make the most of that time.
Bring a summary of the last four to eight weeks — not the full daily or weekly log, but a one-page version with your key trends. Specifically:
Weight trend
Start weight for the period vs. current weight, plus any notable stalls. If you've plateaued for three or more weeks, flag it specifically — this is a decision point.
Your worst side effects, severity and timing
Specifically: when in the week do they peak? How long do they last? Are they improving, staying the same, or getting worse? If nausea or constipation is limiting what you're able to eat, your prescriber needs documented severity, not a vague "it was bad."
Whether side effects are affecting your ability to maintain protein intake
This matters because GLP-1 medications reduce total calorie intake, and if that reduction is also cutting into protein, you risk losing muscle alongside fat. Your prescriber may want to adjust timing, dose, or give dietary guidance.
Your current injection site rotation
If you haven't been rotating, or if you've been using the same spot consistently, mention it.
Your top question
The thing you most want clarity on. Write it down before you go in.
For People Who Are Stalling
If your weight has stopped moving despite staying on the medication, a log is particularly useful because it helps you and your prescriber separate the possible causes:
- Has your appetite suppression actually decreased towards the end of the week? (Log your appetite day by day for two weeks.)
- Are you eating significantly more on days 5 to 7 of your injection cycle, when suppression fades? (Injection day vs. end-of-week food notes will reveal this.)
- Has your activity level changed? (One line in the weekly log covers this.)
- Has there been a dose change or a supply gap? (The dose column makes this obvious.)
Most stalls have a cause that shows up in the data before it becomes obvious from weight alone. The log is how you find it.
The Bottom Line
GLP-1 medications are a significant commitment — time, cost, and physiological adjustment. The people who get the most from them are the ones who come to their prescriber appointments with real information: documented side effects, a clear weight trend, and specific questions.
Five minutes a week is all it takes to build that record. Start with your next injection.
Download the free GLP-1 weekly log — tracks dose, weight, side effects, injection site, and your prescriber questions in one simple page. Printable, no sign-up.
If you want the full tracking system — auto-calculating protein and hydration targets, a side-effect heatmap, weight and measurement charts, and an auto-generating doctor visit summary — the complete Google Sheets tracker is here: GLP-1 Weight-Loss Journey Tracker — Everyday Trackers.
*This post is an organisational guide, not medical advice. GLP-1 medications are prescription treatments. All dosing and treatment decisions should be made with your prescribing healthcare provider.*