Reta Results: Muscle Loss Real?

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Hormone_Havoc

Hormone_Havoc

Well-known member
Started on Reta late last year.

Week 1: 1mg
Week 2-4: 2mg
Week 5-8: 4mg
Week 9-12: 5mg

Started at 270lbs, with 74lbs of fat and 186lbs of lean mass. Body fat was 27%.

Now I'm at 230lbs, 55lbs of fat and 175lbs of lean mass. Body fat is down to 24%.

I'm in the gym 5 days a week doing heavy lifting. I'm happy about the weight loss, but not thrilled that about half of it was muscle. Lost about 19lbs of fat and 11lbs of muscle.

So much for retatrutide being some magic muscle preserver. I know my protein wasn't perfect due to appetite changes, but I can't imagine how much worse it would have been if I wasn't still lifting.

the reta dosing & sides thread has some discussion on muscle-loss reports too
 
Jumping up that fast and not eating enough? What did you expect? You dropped like 40lbs in a couple months!
 
I hear you, Lil_AF. I bumped the dose up when I didn't feel the appetite suppression anymore. Didn't feel much effect after week 4 and week 8, so I increased it.

My main point is just that Reta isn't a guaranteed muscle saver, even compared to other GLP-1s. Losing about half of it still seems like too much, especially with my lifting schedule.
 
Good point and thanks for sharing your experience. Think about it, you're carrying around 40 less pounds. Even though you're hitting the gym a few times a week, you don't need as much muscle to move around the rest of the time.
 
Okay, assuming the DEXA scans are accurate:

You dropped 40lbs in about 70 days, which is 15% of your original weight in a little over two months, about 4lbs a week. That's like ten weeks of a 1000+ calorie daily deficit with not enough protein.

Maybe basing your dosing on how you *felt* instead of actual data wasn't smart, especially when you knew your protein was suffering.

I'm down about 30lbs in 80 days (11%). I'm paying attention to food noise more than appetite. I started lifting recently and exercising last month. I'm taking HMB and thinking about TRT to help preserve muscle.
 
Yeah, echoing what others have said, over 3lbs a week is FAST. And you kept titrating up aggressively which tanked your calories. Unless you were using other hormones, I'm not sure why you thought you'd keep muscle.

There are different ways to approach this, but following the trial titration schedules or basing it on weight loss instead of "feelings" would probably work better. I agree it's not magic, so expecting those results is unrealistic.
 
That sucks, I want a shot that makes me thin AND jacked. I never did a dexa scan so I don't have data but I bet I lost a ton of muscle. I lost weight super quick and didn't lift so I assume it's bad. I still prefer being skinny fat over just fat though.
 
I only lose about a pound a week, but I'm getting stronger and adding muscle. The key is to not have a huge calorie deficit and eat enough protein. I've been taking 3mg of retatrutide every 5/6 days for 3 months.
 
I've been on for 4+ months, just now at 3.5mg, and only lost 20lbs. I lift 4 days a week and try for 100g protein daily, so I hope I'm not losing much muscle. I'm a 50s male and have another 15lbs to lose. A lot of people on Reddit are spreading misinformation that Reta spares muscle.
 
Lean mass includes water and glycogen, so it depends on your diet and inflammation. It might not be as bad as it looks. Keep it up!
 
Dexa scans are sensitive to water changes. Less water, glycogen, and inflammation from the Reta can cause big drops in water retention.

That's why it's good to look at other things like your lifts and body measurements.

Protein is critical. I still eat 200g protein on Reta. Usually high protein, low carb, moderate fat. And I train hard.

Get your testosterone checked too. Mine was low before Reta, and I'm trying to get treatment as it messes with muscle building.
 
Carnivore diet. Slow-cooked beef, like 2 pounds of it, is 200g+ protein for 2000 calories.

I'm doing 0.5mg every 3 days, keeping the dose low. Might up it, I had an ice cream incident the other day.
 
Ouch. What's your plan? I bet most of that muscle will come back once you hit your goal and maintain, but it still sucks.
 
I like this approach. Any advice on when to get a DEXA scan? Never had one. I've been on low dose (1mg/wk) Reta for a month. Noticed appetite and alcohol suppression. I was really surprised by the alcohol thing. I'll make a drink and barely finish it, and don't want another. My drinking is definitely down.
 
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