Most peptide effects accrue gradually over 4-12 weeks. Without records, you can't tell:
- Whether you're getting the expected result
- Whether a side effect is new or always-there-but-now-noticed
- Whether to continue, adjust, or stop
- What to tell your doctor or your next protocol design
Without data, you guess. Guessing wastes vials.
The 5-minute daily journal
You only need 5 metrics, logged once a day. Total time: 60 seconds.
1. Sleep quality (1-10)
2. Energy through the day (1-10)
3. Mood (1-10)
4. Notable side effects (free text, 1 line)
5. Cycle phase if menstruating (day number)
That's it. Don't add more daily fields. The simpler it is, the more likely you'll do it.
The Pepdex Personal Stack journal tab does this — see /stack.
Weekly metrics (Sundays, 5 minutes)
Once a week, log:
- Weight (same time, same conditions — morning, post-bathroom, before food)
- Photos (front, side, back — same lighting, same outfit)
- Waist measurement (on GLP-1s)
- Lifts/runs/specific performance metric if training
- Specific symptom you're tracking (joint pain on healing peptides, libido on MT-2, etc.)
- Vial state (% remaining)
The photos matter more than the scale. Scale weight masks lean mass changes; photos don't.
Monthly metrics (first of each month)
- Bloodwork if you're due (8-12 weeks is a reasonable cadence on most peptides)
- DEXA scan or InBody if available (every 90 days max — body recomp doesn't move that fast)
- Blood pressure (if on MT-2 or any peptide with cardiovascular concern)
- Resting heart rate (Apple Watch or similar gives you trend data)
Photos: the underrated metric
If you take only one tracking action, take photos. Same lighting, same outfit, same poses, same time of day. Front, side, back. Once a week.
Three months in, scroll back to week 1. Body composition changes are slow and your eyes adapt — you genuinely don't see the changes happening day-to-day. The photos do.
What NOT to log daily
- "How I feel about my progress" — feelings change minute-to-minute and aren't actionable
- Heart-rate variability — high noise, low signal at this cadence
- Daily caloric intake — you'll burn out logging this. Track on weekly basis instead.
- Detailed water intake — just drink water and move on
- Mood granularity beyond a 1-10 scale — adds friction without insight
- Mole counts — track major moles photographically once a week if on MT-1/MT-2, daily is overkill
What's worth logging beyond the daily 5
For specific peptide classes:
GLP-1s:
- Days you experienced nausea (1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe)
- Hunger drift (1-10 daily, helps see if dose is wearing off)
- BMs per week (constipation tracking)
MT-1/MT-2:
- Photos of moles you can see (chest, arms, back if visible) — once a week
- Pigment level (just visually rate skin tone 1-10 vs baseline)
- Libido (1-10 daily for MT-2, weekly for MT-1)
GH-axis (CJC/Ipamorelin/MK-677/Sermorelin):
- Hand/wrist tingling (yes/no — early sign of carpal-tunnel symptoms)
- Sleep depth subjectively (already in daily 5)
- Recovery between training sessions (subjective 1-10)
- Glucose if wearing a CGM
Healing peptides:
- Pain at the target injury (1-10 daily)
- Range of motion if relevant (mobility test you choose, weekly)
- Sleep quality (already in daily 5)
You don't need a fancy app. Pick one:
- Pepdex Personal Stack journal — built into your account, integrates with stack data, free for members
- Notes app on your phone — date + 5 numbers + one symptom line, repeat
- Spreadsheet — Google Sheets with a template; good for visualizing trends
- Paper journal — works fine, but harder to scroll back and harder to spot trends
Whichever you pick, the rule is consistency > sophistication. The simplest tool you'll actually use beats the most powerful one you'll abandon in week 3.
How to actually use the data
Look at the data:
- Weekly: scan the last 7 days. Anything trending? Anything new?
- Monthly: scan the last 30. Plot the weight or key metric. Is the protocol working?
- End of cycle: scan the entire cycle. Is the result worth what you spent in time + money + side effects?
The questions you should be answering:
1. Is the primary outcome moving in the expected direction?
2. Are side effects manageable or escalating?
3. Is the protocol sustainable for the full duration?
4. What would you change next cycle?
What if nothing is moving?
If 4 weeks in nothing is moving on a GLP-1, your dose is too low or the compound isn't working for your body. Talk to your prescriber.
If 6-8 weeks in nothing is moving on a healing peptide for an injury, it's not the right intervention. Switch tactics — physical therapy, imaging, surgical consult.
If 12 weeks in nothing is moving on a GH-axis stack, your dose is too low, your sleep is poor, or your nutrition isn't supporting the protocol. Reassess the foundation.
The data tells you when to keep going and when to stop. Without it, you'll keep paying for a protocol that's not working — or quit a working one prematurely.
Practical takeaways
1. Daily: 5 numbers, 60 seconds.
2. Weekly: weight + photos + one specific metric.
3. Monthly: review the trend. Decide to continue, adjust, or stop.
4. Photos > scale weight. Same lighting, same poses, weekly.
5. Tools don't matter — consistency does.
6. The point of tracking is to make better decisions. If your tracking isn't changing decisions, simplify it.