Morning or night? When to take Wegovy for optimal weight loss

Started using a Wegovy pen to jumpstart your weight loss efforts? You might be wondering whether the time of day you administer it makes a difference in its effectiveness.

Here’s what you should know about when and how to take Wegovy, plus a few tips for injecting it safely. 

Wegovy: A quick refresher

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already well aware of what Wegovy is and simply want to know when to take it. But if you stumbled on this guide and you’re a little unsure of how it works, here’s a quick refresher.

Wegovy is a prescription weight management medicine delivered in pen form, which gets injected subcutaneously (simply a fancy way of saying ‘under the skin’).

The pen administers semaglutide, a compound that works by mimicking GLP-1 (aka glucagon-like peptide-1), the hormone responsible for regulating hunger.

The goal of a Wegovy pen is to moderate appetite and food intake, making patients feel fuller for longer and helping them lose weight.

Wegovy is generally used alongside lifestyle changes like improved diet and increased exercise, and we offer it here at Juniper as part of our Weight Reset Programme. We like it because it can be an incredibly effective weight loss treatment.

In fact, several studies have demonstrated its powerful long-term weight loss potential.

One from 2021 found that participants who used semaglutide weekly in conjunction with lifestyle changes were able to lose nearly 15% of their body weight on average. Those taking a placebo lost an average of 2.4% [1].

Now that we’ve gotten the basics out of the way, here’s what you should know about taking Wegovy for weight loss.

How many doses are in a Wegovy pen?

Wegovy comes in 5 different strengths, ranging from 0.25mg to 2.4mg.

The idea is that you start with the lowest strength (0.25mg) and progressively move up to the highest strength (2.4mg), which is a ‘maintenance’ dose. 

You start at a lower dose to reduce the chances of experiencing side effects and to ensure your body can tolerate it.

If you reach the highest dose and start experiencing common Wegovy side effects (like nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea), your doctor may lower your maintenance dose to 1.7mg.

When you buy a Wegovy pack, you receive 4 pens — all with the same dosage. Each pen contains a single dose, meaning once you’re done with it, you discard it and use a new pen for your next injection. 

To make things a little easier, each dosage comes in a different-coloured pen. For instance, the lowest strength (0.25mg) is green and the highest one (2.4mg) is black.

How often do you need to inject Wegovy?

One of the main advantages of Wegovy is that it only needs to be taken weekly. It doesn’t matter what day of the week you choose to inject it, but it does have to be the same day each week.

So if you administer your first dose on a Sunday, you’ll take the remaining doses each Sunday after that — not Saturday or Monday. 

The way it works is that you complete 4 weeks of the lowest dose (0.25mg), then 4 weeks of the next dose and so on until you reach the highest dose. 

All up, the process takes about 4 months. Here’s what it looks like:

• Weeks 1-4: 0.25mg weekly for 4 weeks
• Weeks 5-8: 0.5mg weekly for 4 weeks
• Weeks 9-12: 1.0mg weekly for 4 weeks
• Weeks 13-16: 1.7mg weekly for 4 weeks
• Week 17 onwards: 2.4mg weekly

Once you reach week 17, you’re in maintenance mode. Wegovy is intended to be a long-term weight loss solution, so as long as your body can tolerate it, you’re able to take it on an ongoing basis.

In fact, there may even be good reason to continue taking it; a 2022 study showed that 1 year after semaglutide withdrawal, patients put on two-thirds of the weight they’d lost [2].

What is the best time of day to take Wegovy?

Now to the very reason you’re here: whether there’s an optimal time of day to take Wegovy. 

The good news is that there isn’t. You can take it in the morning, at midday or at night — whatever works best for your schedule.

You also don’t need to administer Wegovy with food, although you can inject it with a meal if you’d prefer. 

The time of day you take it and whether or not food is involved won’t change the medication’s effectiveness.

The most important thing is that you inject it on the same day each week — doing so will reduce the chances of side effects and help you get into a consistent routine.

Choosing the best injection site for Wegovy

When you take Wegovy, you have a choice of 3 injection sites: 

• Abdomen (as long as it’s at least 5cm away from your belly button)
• Upper legs (the front of your thighs)
• Upper arms

Each site is equally effective, so it really doesn’t matter where you choose to inject Wegovy.

You can even use the same injection site each week, as long as it’s not the exact same spot. This will reduce the chances of the injection site getting sore or irritated.

For example, if you inject Wegovy into your right upper arm in week 1, you might choose the left arm in week 2.

You should also steer well clear of muscles, veins, scars, stretch marks or patches of skin that are bruised, discoloured or painful.

When you take Wegovy, you'll need to press the pen firmly against your skin. During the injection, you'll hear 2 clicks. Don't remove the pen until the yellow bar in the pen window stops moving.

You'll know if it's a successful injection if there's minimal pain and blood at the injection site and no leakage from your skin after you remove the pen.

All up, the injection is pretty quick, only taking around 10 seconds.

Tips for injecting Wegovy safely

Here are a few tips for keeping your Wegovy use safe and effective:

Store your pens appropriately

When you get your Wegovy pens, ensure you store them properly so they’re in optimal condition.

• Keep the pens in the original box until you’re ready to use them — this will help protect them from light.
• Store them in the fridge and ensure the temperature is between 2-8°C.
• Never keep the pens in the freezer.
• Throw your pens away if they’ve been exposed to light or temperatures higher than 30°C, or if they’ve been frozen or outside the fridge for more than 21 days.

Check before you inject

Before you inject your Wegovy pen, make sure you’ve got the right one. Check you’ve got the right dose and look at the expiry on the back of the pen to ensure it’s not out of date.

While you’re at it, see how many pens you have left in the box.

If you’re running low — say you’ve only got 1-2 remaining — make an appointment with your doctor to either organise the next-highest dosage or get a maintenance dosage refill.

Set a weekly reminder

Taking your Wegovy on the same day each week is crucial, so set yourself a weekly reminder when it’s time to administer your next dose — whether that is 'Wegovy Wednesday' or whatever day is most convenient for you.

Pick a time when it’s easy enough to inject the pen — ideally when you’re at home so you don’t have to worry about it when you’re out and about. Many patients pick weekday evenings or weekends.

After you’ve injected your Wegovy, log the day and dosage so you can keep track of where you’re up to (and avoid second-guessing yourself if you think you might’ve forgotten a dose).

Rotate between injecting sites

We’ve already run through this point, but it definitely bears repeating. You can pick the same general injecting site each week, but ideally, not the same spot to avoid redness and pain.

Your doctor can work with you to figure out an optimal rotating schedule.

Dispose of your pens properly

Wegovy pens can’t go straight into your usual rubbish bin. Instead, they have to go in a dedicated sharps bin. 

You may be able to get one of these from your local pharmacy or GP with a prescription.

Some councils in the UK offer a clinical waste collection for sharps bins, or you could reach out to your GP to see if they’ll accept your bin.

Know how to change your day

If you ever choose to change your dosing day, ensure there are at least 2 days (48 hours) between your last dose and your new one.

For example, if you normally take Wegovy on a Sunday but want to change to a new day, you’ll need to wait until at least Wednesday for your next dose.

Be aware of the side effects

Side effects aren’t entirely uncommon when taking Wegovy, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe.[3] Some of the milder ones include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain or upset tummy
• Stomach flu
• Heartburn
• Bloating
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Belching or gas
• Runny nose
• Sore throat

If you’re experiencing any of these and it’s bothering you, chat with your GP for advice on how to manage your discomfort.

In some cases, Wegovy can cause more serious side effects, such as:

• Pancreatitis
• Kidney problems
• Gallbladder issues
• Vision changes in those with type 2 diabetes
• Increased hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) risk — particularly among those who take diabetes medication
• Serious allergic reactions, like swelling, breathing problems, severe rash and rapid heartbeat
• Sudden mood changes, including depression and suicidal thoughts
• Thyroid tumours, including thyroid cancer

If you notice any of these, contact your doctor straight away.

What if I miss a dose?

Sometimes life just gets in the way, and it can be very easy to miss your weekly dose. 

If you’ve accidentally skipped a dose and the next scheduled dose is more than 2 days (48 hours) away, take your missed dose as soon as you can.

If the next dose of Wegovy is less than 2 days (48 hours) away, skip your missed dose and inject the next one on your usual day.

If it’s been more than 2 weeks since you took your last dose, your best bet is to chat to your doctor who can help you get back on track.

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