Rate/percentage of loss for weight, muscle mass, etc.

Hey everyone,

I'm wrapping up week 6 on Reta and I've been dropping about 3LB per week (which stayed true even through a 3 week vacation, which is wild). SW ~220 CW ~200

Overall I feel really good, though around week 4 I got a bit worried because the loss seemed too fast (about 4LB/week), so I've been struggling to get more food in.

My main question: I realize that while shedding weight on Reta, muscle loss is almost a given. According to my smart scale, I've dropped 18.8 lbs total, and 4.4 lbs of that was muscle mass — that works out to roughly 23% of my weight loss (side note, how much do people trust these scales to be accurate?).

That happened despite fairly solid protein intake but almost no gym or exercise because of the vacation. Given that rough situation, does that sound typical or "acceptable" compared to what others here have gone through? Should I be hauling ass to the gym right away?

While I'm posting, are there other important markers a smart scale tracks that I should be watching closely? (I'm getting labs done this week, so I'm only asking about body composition stuff).

Thanks everyone!

Yeah, when the pounds come off quickly, dropping muscle like that is definitely a real possibility. For my part, I'm running TRT plus gh and I train daily — 21 heavy sets, along with 1-2 hours of cardio. Over 9 weeks I've dropped 27.4lbs, but oddly I've actually put on a little muscle, which most people won't experience. Once another 10-12lbs comes off I'll be at a full six pack; I'm getting shredded despite still weighing 251.4lbs. Going hard on weight training really does seem to pair well with Reta, though 225mg Test Cyp weekly and 5.5ius gh per day surely play a role too.

Between 3/15 and 7/15 I dropped 20 pounds, and from 7/15 to today I've shed another 7. My muscle started at 69lbs and now sits at 65.5lbs. That means out of the 27 pounds total, muscle accounted for 3.5lbs, or 13% of the loss. I'm quite pleased with how that turned out. Right now I'm at roughly 13% bodyfat.

For the first 4 months, my main strategy was hitting 1800 cals and 100g [of protein]. After that, I switched to a more intuitive eating approach just to see what would happen. Alongside that, I kept the muscle by doing bouldering/climbing 2 days, yoga 2 days, and weight machines 1 day each week.

Troposphere said:

Between 3/15 and 7/15 I dropped 20 pounds, and from 7/15 to today I've shed another 7. My muscle started at 69lbs and now sits at 65.5lbs. That means out of the 27 pounds total, muscle accounted for 3.5lbs, or 13% of the loss. I'm quite pleased with how that turned out. Right now I'm at roughly 13% bodyfat.

For the first 4 months, my main strategy was hitting 1800 cals and 100g [of protein]. After that, I switched to a more intuitive eating approach just to see what would happen. Alongside that, I kept the muscle by doing bouldering/climbing 2 days, yoga 2 days, and weight machines 1 day each week.

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Since I began Reta, getting anywhere near 1800 calories feels almost impossible to me. I'm quite reluctant to move up to 6mg or follow the Phase 3 trials, because right now even reaching 1500 is a real struggle. Realistically I'm probably nearer 1k, and I realize that isn't sufficient. I've been thinking about picking up some protein drinks that are especially calorically dense, or something along those lines.

glepnarb said:


I can hardly fathom eating 1800 calories since starting Reta. I’m pretty hesitant to follow the Phase 3 trials/move to 6mg because as it stands it’s TOUGH to hit even 1500. I’m prolly closer to 1k which I know is not enough. Considering getting some specifically calorically dense protein drinks or something.

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To reach those targets, protein bars and protein powder made a huge difference. My calorie tracking was mainly aimed at making sure I ate enough! It felt refreshing compared to tracking to avoid eating too much.

After I began adding GH, my appetite partially returned, so that or a secretogoblin might be something to look into.

edit: only just caught the secretgoblin easter egg!!!

Yeah, protein has played a HUGE role in how I eat, and even now I feel like the stuff I pick to manage my appetite is packed with almost too much protein haha

Nice progress! Pairing Reta with TRT really does seem to create something special…After 3 months on Reta I got an InBody done, my weekly dose never went past 2mg, and my TRT is 150mg divided into 2x/week…the InBody result was a 16pound drop with a 2 pound muscle gain. About 2 months back I also started GH, but I haven’t had another scan since.

With the right combo, building muscle while on Reta is absolutely achievable. Macros aren’t something I track, either—I simply prioritize protein, and pre workout I always have yogurt and fruit, while post workout it’s a 50g shake plus 2 rice cakes or a banana.

To be honest, I underwent weight loss surgery roughly 4 years back, so the medication definitely isn't the only thing I can thank for this lol. My overall weight reduction was largely driven by that surgery. Afterward, I kept focusing on lowering my weight further and reshaping my body composition. By now, I've dropped enough that excess skin has turned into one of the more noticeable issues. I'm genuinely considering skin removal surgery, since there's only so much I can do on my own to tighten things up.

Currently, my routine is tirzepatide 5 mg every Sunday plus reta 2 mg every Thursday. This combination has been working really well for me. My appetite remains manageable all week, and I'm clearly looking leaner. So far, I also haven't noticed any side effects. That said, this is just my own experience—everyone responds differently.

At this stage, I'm reaching a point where simply shrinking further isn't my goal. I'd like to add muscle, fill out my frame, and enhance my overall body composition. I'm already planning to start lifting, boost my protein intake, and introduce creatine. Has anyone here been through the muscle-building phase after significant weight loss while continuing GLP-1s? What approach worked best for you?