GLP-1 Dose Schedule Planner
Every GLP-1 weight loss injection starts low and steps up on a schedule written into its label. Pick your medication, enter the date of your first injection, and see the earliest date each step could begin, with the label's rules for missed doses and moving your injection day.
Free · printable · no sign-up or email · the label schedule, never a recommendation
GLP-1 dose schedule planner: the label steps on a calendar
Dose timeline
20 wk
from the first dose to the top dose; first maintenance dose at week 5
Zepbound dose schedule, earliest dates per the label
| Step | Dose | Weeks | Earliest start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.5 mg | 1 to 4 | week 1 | Starting dose; not intended for maintenance |
| 2 | 5 mg | 5 to 8 | week 5 | Maintenance-eligible; many stay here |
| 3 | 7.5 mg | 9 to 12 | week 9 | Step-up dose on the way to the next |
| 4 | 10 mg | 13 to 16 | week 13 | Maintenance-eligible; many stay here |
| 5 | 12.5 mg | 17 to 20 | week 17 | Step-up dose on the way to the next |
| 6 | 15 mg | 21 onward | week 21 | Maximum dose |
Dates are the minimum spacing in the label, laid on a calendar, not a recommendation to step up. Your prescriber sets the pace, and a step can be delayed or held at any dose, for example while side effects settle.
Get dose reminders and log each step in GlucoPal.
Free to download · No account required · iPhone
Quick answer: Zepbound and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) start at 2.5 mg once weekly for 4 weeks, then 5 mg, then may rise in 2.5 mg steps after at least 4 weeks on each dose, to a maximum of 15 mg; at that minimum pace 15 mg is reachable at week 21, and 5 mg (week 5) is already a maintenance dose. Wegovy (semaglutide) runs 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 1.7 mg for 4 weeks each, then 2.4 mg from week 17. The label sets minimums; your prescriber sets the pace.
Educational summary of the FDA label, not medical advice. The label sets the minimum time at each step; your prescriber sets your actual schedule, which can be slower at any point. Never change a dose or step up on your own.
What is the Zepbound dosage chart?
Zepbound (tirzepatide) starts at 2.5 mg once weekly and moves up in steps, each held for at least 4 weeks. At the minimum pace the label allows, the top dose of 15 mg is reachable at week 21, and the first maintenance dose at week 5.
| Step | Dose | Weeks (earliest) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.5 mg once weekly | weeks 1 to 4 | Starting dose for treatment initiation; not a maintenance dose |
| 2 | 5 mg once weekly | weeks 5 to 8 | A recommended maintenance dose |
| 3 | 7.5 mg once weekly | weeks 9 to 12 | Step-up dose |
| 4 | 10 mg once weekly | weeks 13 to 16 | A recommended maintenance dose |
| 5 | 12.5 mg once weekly | weeks 17 to 20 | Step-up dose |
| 6 | 15 mg once weekly | week 21 onward | Maximum dose |
What is the Mounjaro dosage chart?
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) starts at 2.5 mg once weekly and moves up in steps, each held for at least 4 weeks. At the minimum pace the label allows, the top dose of 15 mg is reachable at week 21, and the first maintenance dose at week 5.
| Step | Dose | Weeks (earliest) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.5 mg once weekly | weeks 1 to 4 | Starting dose for treatment initiation; not a maintenance dose |
| 2 | 5 mg once weekly | weeks 5 to 8 | A recommended maintenance dose |
| 3 | 7.5 mg once weekly | weeks 9 to 12 | Step-up dose |
| 4 | 10 mg once weekly | weeks 13 to 16 | A recommended maintenance dose |
| 5 | 12.5 mg once weekly | weeks 17 to 20 | Step-up dose |
| 6 | 15 mg once weekly | week 21 onward | Maximum dose |
What is the Wegovy dosage chart?
Wegovy (semaglutide) starts at 0.25 mg once weekly and moves up in steps, each held for at least 4 weeks. At the minimum pace the label allows, the top dose of 2.4 mg is reachable at week 17.
| Step | Dose | Weeks (earliest) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.25 mg once weekly | weeks 1 to 4 | Starting dose for treatment initiation; not a maintenance dose |
| 2 | 0.5 mg once weekly | weeks 5 to 8 | Step-up dose |
| 3 | 1 mg once weekly | weeks 9 to 12 | Step-up dose |
| 4 | 1.7 mg once weekly | weeks 13 to 16 | Step-up dose; maintenance option if 2.4 mg is not tolerated |
| 5 | 2.4 mg once weekly | week 17 onward | Maximum dose |
What does the Zepbound label say about missed doses and changing your injection day?
Take a missed Zepbound dose as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours) of the missed dose. If more than 4 days have passed, skip it and take the next dose on the regular day.
The day of the weekly injection can be changed if necessary, as long as at least 3 days (72 hours) separate two doses.
Strengths. Single-dose pens and single-dose vials in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, and 15 mg, each 0.5 mL.
What does the Mounjaro label say about missed doses and changing your injection day?
Take a missed Mounjaro dose as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours) of the missed dose. If more than 4 days have passed, skip it and take the next dose on the regular day.
The day of the weekly injection can be changed if necessary, as long as at least 3 days (72 hours) separate two doses.
Strengths. Single-dose pens in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, and 15 mg (0.5 mL each); in the UK and Australia also a multi-dose KwikPen holding four weekly doses of one strength.
What does the Wegovy label say about missed doses and changing your injection day?
If a Wegovy dose is missed and the next scheduled dose is more than 2 days (48 hours) away, take it as soon as possible. If the next scheduled dose is less than 2 days away, skip the missed dose and resume on the regular day.
The day of the weekly injection can be changed if necessary, as long as at least 2 days (48 hours) separate two doses.
If a dose is not tolerated during escalation, the label says to consider delaying the next step by 4 weeks. If the 2.4 mg maintenance dose is not tolerated, it can be lowered to 1.7 mg for 4 weeks, and 1.7 mg may be used as the maintenance dose.
Strengths. Single-dose pens in 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg. The 7.2 mg strength is sold separately as Wegovy HD with its own escalation schedule.
Why do GLP-1 doses step up instead of starting at the full dose?
The starting doses are not treatment doses. Their job is to let the gut adjust before the level climbs, which is why the labels call the first step a dose for treatment initiation and say it is not intended for maintenance. Nausea and other stomach effects track the speed of escalation more than the dose itself, so the four-week floors are there to keep each step tolerable.
The floors are minimums. The Wegovy label explicitly allows delaying a step by four weeks when a dose is not tolerated, and both tirzepatide labels say a step happens only after at least four weeks on the current dose, with no upper limit on how long that can be.
FAQ
How long does it take to reach the full dose of a GLP-1?
At the label minimums: Zepbound and Mounjaro reach 15 mg at week 21 (2.5 mg for four weeks, then five further four-week steps), and Wegovy reaches 2.4 mg at week 17 (four four-week steps). Most people move more slowly than the minimum, and many stop at a middle dose.
Do Zepbound and Mounjaro have the same dosing schedule?
Yes. Both are tirzepatide and both labels use the same ladder: 2.5 mg for four weeks, then 5 mg, then 2.5 mg increments after at least four weeks on the current dose, to a maximum of 15 mg. Which brand you have depends on the indication and country, not the schedule.
Are the dates in the planner a recommendation to step up?
No. They are the minimum spacing the label requires between steps, laid on a calendar from your first injection date. The label sets a floor, not a schedule: your prescriber decides whether and when you move up, and staying longer at any dose is allowed.
Is this dosage chart free, and do I need to sign up?
Yes, it is free, and no sign-up or email is required. Pick the medication, enter your first injection date, and the schedule updates instantly; there is a print button for the fridge or the clinic. The GlucoPal iOS app it comes from is also free to download.
Related tools
Zepbound dosage chart
The full ladder, maintenance doses, and the single-dose vials.
Wegovy dosage chart
The 16-week escalation to 2.4 mg and the 1.7 mg fallback.
GLP-1 half-life calculator
Why steps are spaced about a month apart: levels take that long to settle.
GLP-1 weight loss calculator
Trial averages by dose, mapped to your starting weight.
Sources
- Zepbound and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) FDA prescribing information, DailyMed
- Wegovy (semaglutide) FDA prescribing information, DailyMed
This free dosage chart is built and maintained by GlucoPal, the free iPhone app for tracking GLP-1 weight loss medications. Label dose strengths and vial presentations were read from the current FDA labels on DailyMed on 2 September 2026.
You take your GLP-1s. We'll take care of the rest.
