Sticking with the .25 dose?

Riley_58

Riley_58

Member
Hey everyone, I started Ozempic at 0.25 on January 17, 2026. I dropped about 8 pounds the first week, then 2 pounds the next, and just under a pound the week after that, so a total of almost 10 pounds.

I was supposed to move up to 0.5mg this Saturday, February 14, 2026, but at my one-month check-up, my doctor suggested I stay at 0.25mg until my weight loss slows down, and then increase the dose to 0.5mg.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Did you keep losing weight on 0.25mg?

I'm worried that the initial 8 pounds was just water weight and that it won't be effective for much longer.

*For context, I was prescribed Ozempic for inflammation and weight loss related to my PCOS diagnosis.
 
I've been on 0.25 since August 2025. It's been enough to reduce my appetite, which helps me with my fasting routine. I'm down about 75 pounds total. I'm a 42-year-old female, 5'6".
 
Yes!!! Staying on the lowest dose that works is the best approach. Remember to lift weights. Sculpted vegan has good GLP-1 info
 
I've been on .25 for about seven months and have lost approximately 45 pounds, which I'm happy with considering my age. I tried the .5 dose for a few weeks as prescribed but it made me feel terrible, so I went back to .25. I plan to stay on it. Besides the weight loss, Ozempic has really helped with my joint pain and gut problems, and I've been able to stop taking three other medications.

If you don't think .25 is working well enough, you could always try counting clicks to get to .38 a week.
 
I think it's a good idea to wait to increase your dose since you're having such a strong reaction to 0.25. You might experience unwanted side effects if you increase to 0.5 right now. I'd wait at least two more weeks before increasing the dosage.
 
Stick with it!

Your doctor and Reddit seem to agree.

If your weight loss stalls for a couple of weeks, you can always increase the dose.
 
I stayed at .25 for around five months and lost 25 pounds (though I was throwing up daily). I've gradually increased the dose and have lost 55 pounds in about two years.
 
I'm on a similar timeline: I had my first shot on 01/16 and was scheduled to take my first 0.5 shot this Friday. I haven't had any significant side effects so far, just occasional mild nausea that's been easy to manage (never threw up). I've lost around 12lbs. After reading comments here, I'm going to wait before increasing my dose and will continue on the same 0.25 dose for another two or three weeks.

I lost 5.4 lbs in week 1; 1.8 lbs in week 2, 1.5 in week 3, and 4.5 lbs in week 4.
 
My journey started similarly, and I also have PCOS! I lost most of my weight on .25. I still only take .25 for two weeks and then increase to .5 for two weeks each month (helps with hormonal cravings). I’ve dropped 35lbs and want to lose about 5 more. I’ve never had side effects.
 
Ozempic's official recommendation is to increase the dose now. Based on your weight loss, you'll likely stall next week. Your doctor's suggestion would make sense if you were losing 1.5 to 2 pounds a week or if you were at one of the key weight reduction doses of 1.0 or more. The 0.25 and 0.5 doses are primarily to help your body adjust to Ozempic. The manufacturer has done trials with tens of thousands of participants. Why wouldn't your doctor follow the standard dosing schedule so early on?

I'd go to 0.5 for your next dose. You've been responding well. Why risk losing momentum?
 
Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! It's helpful to hear what's worked for others. I'm leaning towards staying on the .25 for another couple weeks and seeing what happens. I think QuirkyKing has a good point about figuring out what I can control myself to help things along.
 
Riley_58 said:
I stayed in .25 for about five months and lost 25 pounds (though I was throwing up daily).
Click to expand...

That sounds rough, Riley. I'd take it slow also, if it was me. Vomiting every day would be my hard limit haha.
 
Yeah, I'm also trying to learn how to deal with that 'food noise' everyone talks about. Drinking water seems to help me too, like someone else mentioned on another thread. It's a good way to build healthy habits!
 
I won't pin anything new unless I know people from the same batch already did. Most folks are willing to share their experience on side effects. What you're planning is really smart harm reduction. Conventional wisdom is 0.5-1mg, enough to see any reaction but way below a therapeutic dose. Do it at home where you can monitor.
 
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