What a cycle is in a log
In tracking terms, a cycle is a schedule with on periods, when doses are planned, and off periods, when none are. Some plans add a longer break after a set of periods, and some repeat while others end after one round.
A log only needs to capture that pattern accurately. Whether a pattern is right for you, and for how long, is a medical question for whoever prescribed or planned it.
Setting up the pattern
- Open Track and add a protocol, or edit an existing schedule. Set the Frequency and the Reminder time as usual.
- Under Cycle settings, open On / off periods and choose Days or Weeks. Period 1 has an On for and an Off for value; + Add period adds another pair.
- Weeks off after cycle adds a longer break once all periods have run.
- Repeat periods decides what happens next: the periods run in order from the start date, then start over. Leave it off and the schedule finishes after one round.
- Start date, End date (optional) and the Active switch complete the schedule. Nothing changes until you save.
How the app counts the days
Periods are counted in calendar days from the start date. Each on period begins with a dose, and the frequency you chose, such as every 3 days, starts again from the first day of every on period, so a break never shifts the pattern unexpectedly.
Off and break days have no scheduled doses, so no dose reminders are sent for them. An end date is included as the last day, and turning Active off pauses the schedule without deleting it.
Seeing where you are
- Week grid: off days are marked Off, separate from Missed or Skipped, so a planned pause never looks like a gap in your adherence.
- Cycles: one ring per schedule, with a state such as “On · 12d to off”, “Off · 5d to on”, “Break · 9d left”, “Starts in 3d”, Continuous, Finished or Paused. Tapping a ring opens the schedule.
- Reminders: the Program end & cycle breaks option sends a note the day before, such as “Break starts tomorrow” or “Back on tomorrow”.
- Chat: asking “How is my cycle going?” shows a cycle progress card built from your saved schedule. It is a record summary made on the device, part of the free app, not a recommendation.
Logging during a break
An off period changes what is planned, not what you can record. If a dose is taken on an off day, log it with its real time; the log sheet lets you record a dose that is not tied to a scheduled one. The cycle itself does not move.
Breaks are also a good time to keep the rest of the record going: side effects, energy, sleep and weight. A note written during an off period can be just as useful to your clinician as one written during dosing.
Vials across a cycle
The vial shelf shows how long a vial will last as days of use, the days on which you actually dose, rather than as a date on the calendar. Breaks and a start date still in the future are not part of that estimate, so during a cycle with off periods the vial will last longer on the calendar than the number of days of use suggests.
If you use the Low stock reminder, it is set about 3 days before the end of that estimate, counted from today. In a cycle with breaks it can therefore arrive earlier than the vial would really run out, which errs on the side of an early warning.
A pause in a prescribed medicine is not neutral
For prescription medicines, an off period is not simply a gap in the calendar. Several labels say what happens after a longer gap, and in each case the restart is set by the prescriber, not by the log:
- Wegovy® injection: after 2 or more weekly doses missed in a row, escalation starts again at a lower dose to reduce the risk of stomach and gut side effects; the Medication Guide asks patients to talk to their healthcare provider about restarting (section 2.4) [1].
- Saxenda®: if more than 3 days have passed since the last dose, treatment starts again at the initial dose and is stepped up again (section 2.1) [2].
- Victoza®: the same more-than-3-days rule, with the further escalation left to the healthcare provider (section 2.2) [3].
- Foundayo™ tablets: after 7 or more doses missed in a row, escalation restarts at a lower dose (section 2.3) [4].
Where a cycle pattern should come from
Many on and off patterns shared online concern peptides that are not approved medicines. The FDA lists several, including GHRP-2, ipamorelin and kisspeptin-10, among bulk substances that may present significant safety risks in compounding, citing concerns such as immunogenicity and, for some, little or no safety information for the proposed routes [5]. For athletes, the 2026 World Anti-Doping Agency list prohibits growth hormone releasing peptides such as GHRP-2, secretagogues such as ipamorelin, and, in men, kisspeptin, in and out of competition [6].
That is why PepLabo stays out of the pattern itself. It records the periods you enter, shows where you are and reminds you, and never suggests a peptide, a dose, a cycle length or a break.
Wegovy®, Saxenda® and Victoza® are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S. Foundayo™ is a trademark of Eli Lilly and Company. PepLabo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Novo Nordisk or Eli Lilly and Company.
When to get help
| Sign | Who to contact | How fast | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two or more weekly Wegovy® injections missed in a row | Your healthcare provider, about how to restart | Today | Wegovy® Medication Guide [1] |
| More than 3 days without a Saxenda® or Victoza® dose | Your prescriber, before the next injection | Today | Saxenda® and Victoza® labels, section 2 [2][3] |
| You want to add a break to a prescribed medicine | Your prescriber, before you change the schedule | At your next appointment | Labels, section 2 [1][2][3][4] |
| You are a tested athlete and a plan includes a peptide | Your anti-doping organisation or team doctor, before use | At your next appointment | WADA Prohibited List 2026 [6] |
