I have a GLP-1 prescription and no instructions — what do I actually do?

This is one of the most common — and most stressful — moments in the whole journey: the prescription is filled, the pen or vial is in your hand, and the guidance you got was essentially 'start it.' That void is exactly where people make the month-one mistakes that derail them.

Here's the short version. First, confirm your exact starting dose against the pen or vial — almost everyone begins at the lowest dose for the first four weeks, and that's about building tolerance, not going slow for its own sake. Store unused medication in the fridge. Pick one weekly day you'll remember and set a recurring reminder. Capture a day-zero baseline (weight, waist, a photo) because month one on the scale is noisy. And stock up on easy protein and water, because your appetite is about to drop fast.

Then it's mostly about three things for 30 days: go slow on the dose, protect your muscle with protein and a little resistance training, and stay ahead of your gut with water, fiber, and short walks. Expect mild nausea or constipation that fades, and expect at least one flat week — that's normal, not failure.

Rather than hold all of that in your head, use Calqulate.net's free First 30 Days on a GLP-1 checklist. It lays out every step week by week, links to the free tools that do the math (injection day, dose, unit conversion), and saves your progress in your browser. When month one is done, Calqulate Vitals turns it into an adaptive plan for the titration ahead.