The Mounjaro shot week
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is injected once a week, and most people describe a repeating weekly rhythm: appetite suppression strongest on days one and two after the shot, food and energy returning around days three to five, and hunger strongest on days six and seven before the next injection. Planning your hardest training and your biggest meals for the middle of that window tends to work better than treating every day the same.
Recompose is not affiliated with Eli Lilly, who make Mounjaro. This page describes patterns people commonly report, to help you plan your week. It is not dosing information, and it does not replace the patient information leaflet or your prescriber.
The week, day by day
| Day | Stage | Commonly reported | A reasonable plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0: injection day | Injection | Usually much like any other day; some people feel flat by evening | Eat normally, log the shot, keep movement easy |
| Day 1 | Suppression begins | Appetite drops noticeably; nausea and reflux most likely here | Protein first, small and often, fluids, light movement only |
| Day 2 | Suppression peak | The lowest-appetite day for many people; tiredness common | Aim for protein alone; skip the workout without guilt |
| Day 3 | Suppression easing | Food starts to appeal again; energy lifting | Return to your full protein target; a short session if you feel it |
| Day 4 | Return | Often the best day of the week: appetite and energy both back | Your hardest resistance session; a full day of eating |
| Day 5 | Return | Steady; normal eating | Second solid session; keep protein high |
| Day 6: pre-shot | Pre-shot | Hunger strongest, cravings more likely as the dose wears off | Structure, volume and protein: planned meals rather than improvised ones |
Practical planning
- Pick an injection day and keep it. A consistent day is what makes the rest of this predictable.
- Do your food shop and any batch cooking on a return day, when you can face a kitchen.
- Put your hardest resistance session on day four.
- Keep no-cook protein in the fridge for days one and two: yoghurt, tinned fish, shakes.
- Plan social meals for days four to six rather than day one.
After a dose increase
Stepping up a dose typically deepens the suppression stage for a week or two. Treat the week after an increase as a suppression-heavy week: protein floor rather than protein target, and no expectation of a hard session.
For what to actually eat across those days, see what to eat on Mounjaro. For the underlying pattern in general, see side effects day by day.
Common questions
How long does Mounjaro suppress appetite each week?
Most people describe the strongest suppression in the first two to three days after their injection, with appetite returning through the middle of the week and hunger strongest before the next dose. It varies between people and tends to be sharper after a dose increase.
What day should I inject Mounjaro?
That is a matter for you and your prescriber, but many people choose a day that puts the low-appetite days on a quiet part of their week and leaves their return days free for training and social meals.
Try Recompose
Answer two questions and see your own shot week mapped out: no account, no card.