Semaglutide Dosage Chart for Weight Loss (mg and Units)

Semaglutide is started at a low dose and raised in steps over about four months. The low start gives your body time to adjust and makes stomach side effects less likely. This guide shows the standard week-by-week schedule, how to read your vial, how milligrams (mg) convert to syringe units, and what to do if you miss a dose.

Important: this chart is general information, not a prescription. Your provider decides your dose and when it changes. Always follow your provider's instructions and your prescription label.

Semaglutide dosage chart for weight loss

The schedule below comes from the FDA-approved prescribing information for Wegovy (semaglutide injection), the branded medication for chronic weight management. Doses are taken once a week, on the same day each week.

Standard semaglutide dosing schedule for weight loss (Wegovy label)

The early doses are for getting used to the medication. In March 2026, the FDA also approved a higher 7.2 mg dose (Wegovy HD) for adults who have tolerated 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks and need more weight reduction.

Once you reach your goal, your provider may lower your dose to find the lowest dose that keeps your weight stable. If you start regaining weight, your dose may need to go back up.

Compounded semaglutide is not FDA-approved, and there is no official dosing chart for it. Providers who prescribe it usually follow a similar gradual schedule, but doses and schedules can differ by pharmacy. Always follow your prescription label.

Weight loss dosing vs diabetes dosing

Semaglutide is also sold as Ozempic, which is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes, not weight loss. Its schedule starts the same way, at 0.25 mg weekly for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg. After that, the dose can go up to 1 mg and a maximum of 2 mg weekly. That's why charts online sometimes stop at 2 mg: they are showing the diabetes schedule, not the weight-loss one.

What the research shows at 2.4 mg

In the STEP 1 trial, adults with obesity or overweight took branded semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly for 68 weeks, along with diet and activity changes. They lost an average of 14.9% of their body weight, compared with 2.4% for people on placebo. These results come from the FDA-approved branded medication. There are no comparable trials of compounded semaglutide, and individual results vary.

How to read your vial label

Your vial label shows two different numbers, and mixing them up is the most common cause of dosing mistakes:

• Concentration is how much semaglutide is in each milliliter (mL) of liquid, for example 2.5 mg/mL. It describes the vial and stays the same for the whole vial.

• Your dose is how much semaglutide you take each week, for example 0.5 mg. It comes from your prescription and changes as your provider adjusts it.

You need both numbers to work out how many units to draw. The same 0.5 mg dose can be 20 units from one vial and 50 units from another, depending on the concentration.

What your medication should look like: a reddish color means your vial contains the B12 additive, and a clear liquid means it does not. Both are normal. If the liquid is cloudy, has particles, or doesn't match your prescription, stop and contact support.

Semaglutide mg to units conversion

You draw each dose with a U-100 insulin syringe, where 1 unit equals 0.01 mL. The formula is: units = dose in mg ÷ concentration in mg/mL × 100

Semaglutide mg to units on a U-100 syringe, by vial concentration

*More than one 100-unit syringe. Units are for a U-100 insulin syringe.

Example: if your vial says 2.5 mg/mL and your dose is 0.5 mg, the math is 0.5 ÷ 2.5 × 100 = 20 units.

Measure carefully. A small misreading can cause a large dosing error. FDA has received reports of patients drawing 50 units instead of 5. If you are unsure, ask your provider or pharmacist before injecting.

Why the dose starts low

Semaglutide slows how quickly your stomach empties and reduces appetite. The most common side effects are digestive: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation and stomach pain. They are most likely when you start the medication or move up a dose.

Increasing the dose slowly gives your body time to adjust, which is why the standard schedule spends at least four weeks at each step. If side effects are hard to manage, providers often keep you at your current dose for longer before increasing, or lower the dose for a while.

How long to stay on each dose

In the standard schedule, each step lasts four weeks. That's a minimum, not a deadline: some people stay at a dose for several months, especially if they are losing weight steadily and tolerating it well. The goal is the dose that works for you with manageable side effects, not the highest dose possible.

What to do if you miss a dose

The Wegovy prescribing information gives this guidance for a single missed weekly dose:

• If your next scheduled dose is more than 2 days away, take the missed dose as soon as you remember.

• If your next scheduled dose is less than 2 days away, skip the missed dose and take the next one on your usual day.

If you have missed 2 or more doses in a row, contact your provider before your next dose. If you have been off the medication for less than 4 weeks, you can usually resume the same dose. From 4 to 8 weeks, you would restart one dose step lower. From 8 to 12 weeks, you would restart at the second dose step. After more than 12 weeks, you would restart at the first dose step.

If you take too much

Extra medication most often causes mild stomach side effects. If nausea, vomiting or abdominal discomfort keeps getting worse, go to urgent care because this can be pancreatitis. Never double up on doses.

If you believe you took more than prescribed, contact your healthcare provider promptly. You may also contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. For severe or life-threatening symptoms, call 911 or seek emergency medical attention.

Handling and storing your vial

Use a new needle and syringe for every dose. Discard the vial by the date from your pharmacy or 28 days after first use, whichever comes first. If your medication arrives warm, contact the pharmacy or support before using it.

What about microdosing?

Microdosing means taking lower doses of a GLP-1 medication than the standard schedule. There is little clinical research on this approach, so talk to your provider rather than adjusting your own dose.

Important safety information

Do not use this medication if you or a family member has had medullary thyroid cancer, or if you have MEN 2. Do not use it during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, and stop at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy. Tell your provider if you use insulin or other diabetes medications, because they can increase the risk of low blood sugar.

Get emergency care for severe abdominal pain, especially pain that spreads to your back. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of your face, lips or tongue. Tell your provider right away about a neck lump, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or thoughts of harming yourself.

See the full Important Safety Information.

How dosing works at NativeMed

At NativeMed, a licensed U.S. provider reviews your intake and medical history and decides whether compounded semaglutide is appropriate for you. Before treatment, you'll be asked to give your consent to treatment with a compounded medication. If it's prescribed, the provider sets your starting dose and adjusts it over time based on how you respond.

Plans start from $149 a month, at the same price for any dose. If prescribed, your medication is prepared by a licensed U.S. compounding pharmacy and ships free. See compounded semaglutide plans.

Compounded medications are not approved by the FDA, and the FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are dispensed. Individual results vary.