Key takeaways
- A record turns "I think" into "I can see".
- Self-monitoring is a long-studied idea in health behavior. We link sources below rather than quote figures.
- Reko makes no claim about how much a person will lose, or that tracking changes a result.
- A record is most useful when you bring it to your care team.
The idea in one paragraph
Memory is a poor logbook. By the end of a week, most of us cannot say which day we felt unwell, whether a dose was late, or how our weight moved. A record keeps those facts still while you get on with life.
What research says, and what it does not
Self-monitoring of things like weight, food and activity has been studied in behavior change for a long time. Some studies of digital programs also look at whether people who stay engaged do better than those who do not. These studies are usually observational. People who track may differ from those who do not in other ways, so they cannot show that tracking is the cause.
Reko does not run its own study and does not quote results. Where you want to read the evidence, start with the sources below.
Evidence
- A systematic review of 22 studies found that dietary self-monitoring, exercise self-monitoring and self-weighing were each linked to weight loss, and called for studies in more diverse groups and for work on how much self-monitoring is needed: Burke LE, Wang J, Sevick MA. Self-monitoring in weight loss: a systematic review of the literature. J Am Diet Assoc 2011;111(1):92-102.
- A retrospective study of 57,975 people on GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP medication in a UK digital weight service found that engaged users lost more weight at every point over 5 months (11.53% against 8% at month 5). The authors list the limits: more motivated people may engage more, there was no randomised comparison, weights were self-reported, and three of the six authors work for the service: Johnson H et al. Impact of digital engagement on weight loss outcomes in obesity management among individuals using GLP-1 and dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist therapy. J Med Internet Res 2025;27:e69466.
Why a record can help
You notice patterns
Doses, weight, symptoms, sleep and food in one place let you see how they line up. A rough day often makes sense when you look back at the week.
You catch mistakes early
A dose logged twice, a vial running low, a unit entered wrongly. Seeing the list makes these easier to spot.
Your appointments are better informed
"It was bad around the second week" becomes "here is the week". Reko can export everything as a file, or doses as a spreadsheet, to share with whoever looks after you.
It is kinder than relying on willpower
A record does not judge. It does not ask you to be perfect. A missed entry is just an empty day.
What to record
- Each dose: amount, time, injection site.
- Weight over time, in lb, st or kg.
- Side effects beside the dose they followed.
- Protein, water, food, sleep and training, if they matter to you.
- Lab results, scanned from a printed report and checked by you.
What a record cannot do
It cannot tell you what dose to take. It cannot replace advice from your prescriber. Reko's level curve is an estimate from published half-lives, not a blood test. Keep the record to see more clearly, then decide with your care team.
How side effect tracking works or get the app.
- Burke LE, Wang J, Sevick MA. Self-monitoring in weight loss: a systematic review of the literature. J Am Diet Assoc 2011;111(1):92-102.
- Johnson H et al. Impact of digital engagement on weight loss outcomes. J Med Internet Res 2025;27:e69466. Retrospective cohort service evaluation with no randomised control group; engagement may reflect motivation; self-reported weight; up to 5 months of follow-up.