Wegovy Dosage for Weight Loss: All You Should Know

Wegovy has been making the headlines because of its impressive weight loss results. If you’re looking to shed some pounds, you may have questions about whether it’d be suitable for you — especially if alternative treatments haven’t yielded your desired results.

One of the most common queries about Wegovy involves dosage and which is most effective. Like other weight loss injections such as Mounjaro and Nevolat, Wegovy works in stages, starting off at a low potency and gradually increasing to a suitable maintenance level. But how does this process work?

Whether you’re just starting your journey or thinking about switching from another treatment, this guide will explain everything you need to know about the Wegovy dosage schedule and its impact on weight loss. Let’s get started.  

How Does Wegovy Help You Lose Weight?

The active ingredient in Wegovy, semaglutide, works by mimicking the effects of a natural hormone released by the digestive system when you eat. Glucagon-like peptide-1, also known as GLP-1, is crucial for controlling your appetite and keeping you feeling satisfied for longer.

Wegovy’s effect on the body classifies it as a GLP-1 receptor agonist, alongside other treatments like Mounjaro and Nevolat. Targeting these receptors can be beneficial for weight loss in a number of ways, such as slowing down digestion, reducing food intake and cravings, and regulating blood sugar levels. 

What is the Wegovy Starting Dose?

The Wegovy starting dose is always 0.25 mg per week, whether this is your first time using it or you’re switching from another weight loss medication. Starting on a low strength gives your body the time it needs to get used to the active ingredient.

Over time, the dosage is increased, usually every four weeks, until you reach the maximum maintenance dose. However, not everyone can tolerate the highest potency or find that they are making good progress on a lower concentration and may not want to move up. This is perfectly fine, as everyone’s experience is different. 

What is Wegovy Titration?

Wegovy titration is simply the process of slowly increasing the dose you inject. Each strength is represented by a different colour pen, and most people will move up to the next strength every four weeks, depending on their tolerance and circumstances. 

Why Do You Have to Increase Wegovy Dose Slowly?

Gradually increasing the Wegovy dosage over time makes the medication more effective. In essence, the higher the strength, the faster and greater your weight loss is expected to be, but that’s not the only reason. As with all medications, Wegovy can cause side effects, so slowly upping the potency lowers the risk.

Common Wegovy side effects include:

• feeling sick
• being sick
• constipation
• diarrhoea

Because the side effects can be quite troublesome, allowing your body to get used to semaglutide in this way means you are more likely to stick to a treatment plan.

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What is the Wegovy Maintenance Dose for Weight Loss?

The usual maintenance dose for Wegovy is 2.4 mg per week, but some people choose to remain on a lower 1.7 mg strength. If you experience side effects or find that your current pen is effective for weight loss, you can discuss sticking to it, rather than titrating up, with your clinician.   

Wegovy Dosage Schedule

Wegovy doses follow a specific schedule and usually increase every four weeks. The starting dosage of Wegovy for everyone is 0.25 mg once a week. You’ll start on this strength even if you have taken other weight loss medications before, and keep increasing until you reach your preferred maintenance dose of 1.7 mg or 2.4mg per week.

You may decide to remain on your current Wegovy pen for longer than four weeks if you are happy with your weight loss progress, or you’re finding the side effects challenging to manage.

Wegovy Dosage Chart

The Wegovy dosage chart below visualises how your weight loss journey might look. However, it’s important to discuss your progress with your clinician to find out if you should follow this schedule or might suit a more personalised approach.

How Often Do You Take Wegovy?

Wegovy is injected once a week, ideally on the same day and at the same time for the best results. Creating a schedule that’s convenient for you and easy to stick to. You may find it helpful to set an alarm or use a medication tracking app to remind you.

Staying consistent with your injection day will ensure that you’re getting the right amount of medication to support effective weight loss, and can even help to limit the impact of digestive side effects.

How Many Wegovy Pens Will I Need?

To reach the standard maintenance dose, you will need a total of five pens. Each pen contains four doses, so once you are at the most effective strength for you, you will need one pen every month until your treatment finishes.

Find out more about how long a Wegovy pen lasts in our dedicated guide.

What Dose of Wegovy is Most Effective?

The most effective Wegovy dosage is 2.4 mg, but lower strengths are also impactful. A clinical trial found that the average weight loss on the strongest weekly dose was 15% over a 68-week period. The same study also revealed semaglutide’s efficacy versus a placebo, with 85% of participants losing at least 5% of their starting body weight after taking the treatment, compared to just 31.5% on the dummy medication.

A later trial found that a once-weekly injection of 2.4 mg of semaglutide resulted in an average weight loss of 15.2% over 104 weeks. This indicates that the significant impact of Wegovy on body weight can be maintained with continued treatment.

Weight loss is still possible at lower doses of Wegovy. After 6 months of treatment, those receiving either of the typical maintenance strengths, 1.7 or 2.4 mg per week, achieved an average weight loss of 12.1% compared to 9.2% on the lower 0.25, 0.5, or 1mg/week pens. It’s important to monitor your progress to see how your body reacts and find the right strength that’s effective and tolerable for you.

How to Use the Wegovy Single Dose Pen

Since Wegovy is a subcutaneous injection, it must be administered into the fatty tissue under your skin. There are three locations to choose from,  the stomach, thigh, or back of your upper arm, and it is recommended to rotate the injection site each week to prevent irritation and hard lumps from appearing under the skin.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use Wegovy, showing everything from how to prep the pen and needle to how to inject yourself safely.

Mounjaro vs Wegovy Doses: A Comparison

Mounjaro and Wegovy are similar because they mimic the GLP-1 hormone, which is responsible for controlling your appetite and how quickly you feel full after eating. Mounjaro, however, also mimics the GIP (gastric inhibitory polypeptide) hormone, making it a dual agonist. The biggest difference between the two is the dosing schedule.

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Both involve a gradual escalation over several weeks to allow the body to adjust to the new medication and limit the risk of side effects. Mounjaro can be titrated up to 15 mg weekly, while Wegovy reaches a maximum of 2.4 mg per week. It takes around 20 weeks to reach Mounjaro’s full titration, whereas Wegovy usually reaches its target dose by week 17. Individual dose adjustments can alter these timelines based on how well you tolerate your chosen injection. A comparison of Mounjaro vs Wegovy dosage schedules is shown in the table below. 

Why is the Wegovy Dose Lower than Mounjaro?

The Wegovy dose is lower than Mounjaro's because they contain different active ingredients or molecules. That means that they have different chemical structures, potencies, and interact with the body in slightly different ways, which makes it difficult to directly compare Wegovy and Mounjaro.

Because the two active ingredients, tirzepatide (Mounjaro) and semaglutide (Wegovy), are distinct from each other, the amount needed to produce the desired effect will be different. It’s a bit like comparing ibuprofen with paracetamol. They both relieve pain, but you can’t judge if one is stronger than the other just by looking at their milligrams because they work differently, are absorbed in different ways, and are available in different dosages. 

Wegovy Doses: FAQs

Still mulling over the best Wegovy dosage for you? You probably have a few questions before you start or continue your treatment, so we’ve answered all those niggling and burning queries you might have about the Wegovy doses below, so you can make an informed and appropriate decision. 

Can I Start Wegovy at 1.7 mg?

No, the recommended Wegovy starting dose is 0.25 mg for everyone. It’s important to follow the dosage schedule correctly to avoid or limit side effects and allow your body to adjust to the medication. Your body needs time to build its tolerance and following the right titration schedule will help you stick to your treatment plan.

How Long Can You Stay on Wegovy?

Wegovy is approved for long term use in obese and overweight adults with clinical trials reporting results after as long as 104 weeks. So, you can take it for as long as it remains effective and beneficial for you in terms of weight loss and maintenance.

Providing you are not experiencing any intolerable or serious Wegovy side effects, you should remain on the treatment for as long as you need to. 

When is the Best Time to Take Wegovy?

You can take Wegovy at any time of the day, it will be no more or less effective whether you choose to inject morning, noon, or night. However, it is important that you pick a day and time that is convenient for you, when you will have time, without distractions, to administer it.

To be most beneficial, you must take Wegovy at the same time each week. So, if you choose Tuesday afternoons, at 3pm, this will be your injection time for the duration of your journey. 

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• Weekly injection
• Reduces risk of heart attack & stroke

• Discreet delivery next working day
• Online prescription - No doctor visit

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How to Change Wegovy Injection Day

Changing the day you decide to inject Wegovy may be necessary due to lifestyle factors and can be done. You will need to wait three days from when you last injected, before you can switch the day. Once you have selected your new injection day, you can continue with it as normal.

Try to avoid changing your Wegovy injection day too often as this can reduce its effectiveness. 

Can You Split a Wegovy Dose?

No, you cannot split a Wegovy dose. Each pen comes pre-filled with the correct amount of the medication that needs to be injected every week. Splitting the dose would mean you're not getting the right amount of medication needed for effective weight loss and could increase the chance of side effects.

If you feel that your current pen is too strong for you, talk to your clinician about the possibility of titrating down.

What Happens if I Miss a Dose of Wegovy?

If you miss a dose of Wegovy and it has been:

• 5 or days or less since you should have injected it, take it as soon as you remember and then inject your next dose on your usual scheduled day
• more than 5 days, you should skip the missed dose and inject your next dose on your normal scheduled day.

Do not take a double dose to make up for one missed dose. 

Can You Increase Wegovy Dose Early?

No, it is not advisable to increase your Wegovy dose early because the schedule has been structured in a way that ensures your body has sufficient time to get used to the medication. By slowly increasing the amount of semaglutide your body is exposed to consistently every four weeks, you can reduce the chance of experiencing side effects. 

What if You Can’t Tolerate Your Wegovy Dose?

If you are finding your current Wegovy pen difficult to tolerate, you should contact your clinician for more advice. You may need to delay titrating up the usual schedule, or if you are on the 2.4 mg/week strength, you can stay on the lower 1.7 mg dose. If you are still unable to manage with Wegovy, your clinician may advise an alternative weight loss medication. 

Prescription Doctor: Making Weight Loss Easier 

Taking the first step towards losing weight is the most difficult, but partnering with a trusted and reliable online pharmacy like Prescription Doctor can make all the difference. Our clinicians are here to support you every step of the way, from approving Wegovy to providing expert care and advice throughout your treatment.

Our clinician will ensure you’re on the most appropriate Wegovy dosage for weight loss, share the resources you need to build a healthy meal plan, and even help you manage potential side effects. Our dispensing pharmacy is fully-regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), so you can rest assured you're in safe and trusted hands.

Start your Wegovy journey the right way with Prescription Doctor.

Authored By

Leanne Edermaniger

Medical Content Writer

Leanne is a science and health content writer focusing on human health and biology while utilising her solid academic background.

Published on: 06/06/2025

Reviewed By

Mohamed Imran Lakhi

MPharm - Lead Pharmacist

Imran Lakhi is the superintendent pharmacist and founder at Prescription Doctor. He has been at the core of our team.

Reviewed on: 06/06/2025