Yes, Wegovy is a once-weekly injection. You take it on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without food. Each pen is single-use, meaning you use a fresh pen for every dose.
How the Weekly Schedule Works
You pick a day of the week that works for you and stick with it. The specific time of day doesn’t matter, so you can build it into whatever routine feels easiest. If you need to change your injection day, you can, as long as at least two days have passed since your last dose.
The reason Wegovy works as a weekly medication is that its active ingredient, semaglutide, is designed to stay active in your body for about a week. It mimics a natural gut hormone called GLP-1 that regulates appetite. By activating receptors in the brain that control hunger and fullness, semaglutide reduces appetite and slows how quickly food leaves your stomach, so you feel satisfied longer. That sustained activity is what makes once-weekly dosing effective.
The Dose Escalation Schedule
You don’t start on the full dose. Wegovy uses a gradual ramp-up over about 16 weeks to reduce side effects, especially nausea. The schedule looks like this:
- Weeks 1 through 4: 0.25 mg
- Weeks 5 through 8: 0.5 mg
- Weeks 9 through 12: 1 mg
- Weeks 13 through 16: 1.7 mg
- Week 17 onward: 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg for adults, 2.4 mg for pediatric patients
Each dose level comes in its own color-coded pen, so there’s no dialing or measuring involved. You simply use the pen that matches your current phase. The target maintenance dose for most adults is 2.4 mg, though some people stay at 1.7 mg if the higher dose causes too many side effects.
Where and How to Inject
Wegovy goes into the fatty layer just under the skin, not into muscle or a vein. The three recommended sites are your lower stomach (at least two inches from the belly button), the front of your thighs, or the outer upper arm. The upper arm is easier if someone else gives you the injection.
Rotate your injection site each week. Don’t use the same spot two weeks in a row, and avoid areas with scars, bruises, or hard skin. Before injecting, wash your hands and clean the site with an alcohol wipe. Let it dry completely.
The pen itself is straightforward. You remove the cap, press the pen firmly against your skin, and hold it there. You’ll hear a first click as the injection starts and a yellow bar will begin moving. Keep holding until you hear a second click, which means the full dose has been delivered. Wait a few seconds before pulling the pen away. Never inject through clothing, and dispose of the used pen in a sharps container, not the regular trash.
What to Do if You Miss a Week
If your next scheduled dose is more than two days (48 hours) away, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If your next dose is less than two days away, skip the missed one entirely and just take your next dose on your regular day. Then continue your normal weekly schedule from there.
Storing Your Pens
Keep your Wegovy pens in the refrigerator between 36°F and 46°F, ideally in their original carton. If you need to travel or can’t refrigerate them, the pens stay stable at room temperature for up to 28 days, as long as the temperature stays below 86°F. Don’t let them freeze, and keep them out of direct light. Once those 28 days pass unrefrigerated, the pen should be discarded even if it hasn’t been used.
Who Can Use Wegovy
Wegovy is FDA-approved for adults with a BMI of 30 or higher (which qualifies as obesity), or adults with a BMI of 27 to 29.9 who also have at least one weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. It’s also approved for adolescents aged 12 and older whose BMI is at or above the 95th percentile for their age and sex. In all cases, it’s meant to be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, not as a standalone treatment.