INTRO 🇩🇪 Hamburg calling! From 180kg (396lbs) to 86kg (189lbs)

Moin everyone (in northern Germany, that's our way of saying hi)!

I happened to find this forum just now, and it feels like I've landed among my own kind. I turned 40 not long ago, I'm based in Hamburg—a gorgeous city—and honestly, the whole of my life has been one long showdown with the heavyweight champion of problems: severe obesity.

Warning: spoilers ahead—I'm coming out on top at last.

But first, the unvarnished figures:

The Stats:

• Height: 186 cm (6'1")
  
• Peak Weight (Age 24): ~180 kg (396 lbs)
  
• Starting Weight (Jan 2025): 140 kg (308 lbs)
  
• Current Weight: 86 kg (189 lbs)
  
• Current Med/Dose: Mounjaro 10mg

The Yo-Yo Years

When I was at my very heaviest, around my mid-20s, the scale read 180kg. In time I managed to drag that figure down to 100kg, yet fate (and my hunger) decided otherwise. Come January 2025, the number staring back at me was 140kg.

The Grind & The Mounjaro Magic

Last year I made the call: no more messing around. I turned my whole way of living upside down and, through sheer stubbornness alone—no medication—I burned off a hefty 38kg (83 lbs). And then... I slammed straight into the wall everyone dreads: the plateau.

After teaming up with a nutritional physician, I began Mounjaro. For my metabolism, it was the exact unlock code required to smash through that wall. Right now I'm steady on 10mg and settled at 86kg.

Pumping Iron

One thing I'm genuinely proud of: over the past 16 months, I've been in the gym 3x per week. My goal was never to dissolve into a shapeless puddle—I wanted a real foundation. Because of the heavy lifting, it's not just mass that's gone; I've actually added and held onto solid muscle the whole time I've been in a deficit.

The Reta Plot Twist (Why I’m Here)

Mounjaro works wonders, but here in Germany, covering it yourself basically means selling a kidney on the side (which rather undermines the point of getting healthier).

My doctor—strictly off the record—pointed me toward Reta for off-label use. In his view, it could be the ultimate answer for my long-term maintenance plan, keeping my insulin levels rock steady without leaving me broke.

So I've come to absorb everything you all know about Reta, work out how to make the switch, and document my own path here with the community.

Thanks for the welcome—I can't wait to dive into the nerdy details with all of you!

was that written with AI? hahaha it turned out really nice!

from what I've gathered, tirz suppresses appetite more than reta does. my hubby was on 12mg tirz before we made the switch to reta, and he definitely noticed being hungrier. in the end, when he got to 10mg the hunger has been improving, but we're still planning to add a low dose of tirz for extra appetite suppression.

many of the "gym bros" prefer reta since it doesn't kill appetite as much, which lets them hit their macros.

on the flip side, it does raise your metabolic rate. I began reta at 0.5mg, 1mg, and now I'm at 0.8mg, and even at that low dose I can feel my heart rate is a little higher. (i wear a tracker all the time). sadly I can't ask my husband how he feels, he's kind of like taking a dog to the vet or a toddler to a pediatrician. he has no idea how to listen to his body

I think this has also given me more energy. i have thyroid issues and spent a few years struggling with exhaustion, after a few weeks on reta, i don't feel it anymore. I can hit the gym in the AM and then work and still have energy to cook something or do some laundry! before, it was really tough..... so i enjoy that reta gives me a bit more energy.

my tip, check the "what's new" every day even if it doesn't seem that relevant. there's always something to learn!

That's really motivating!! Plus, what a great doctor. Hold on to them.

Wishing you the best as you continue. I've only ever used Reta, but wow, it really seems like an amazing peptide!

That is amazing!

Really appreciate the friendly reception and all the thorough info! (Also, that remark about your husband cracked me up — I suspect plenty of us men are the same way when it comes to paying attention to what our bodies tell us ).

Katiushka said:

was that written with AI? hahaha it turned out really nice!

from what I've gathered, tirz suppresses appetite more than reta does. my hubby was on 12mg tirz before we made the switch to reta, and he definitely noticed being hungrier. in the end, when he got to 10mg the hunger has been improving, but we're still planning to add a low dose of tirz for extra appetite suppression.

many of the "gym bros" prefer reta since it doesn't kill appetite as much, which lets them hit their macros.

on the flip side, it does raise your metabolic rate. I began reta at 0.5mg, 1mg, and now I'm at 0.8mg, and even at that low dose I can feel my heart rate is a little higher. (i wear a tracker all the time). sadly I can't ask my husband how he feels, he's kind of like taking a dog to the vet or a toddler to a pediatrician. he has no idea how to listen to his body

I think this has also given me more energy. i have thyroid issues and spent a few years struggling with exhaustion, after a few weeks on reta, i don't feel it anymore. I can hit the gym in the AM and then work and still have energy to cook something or do some laundry! before, it was really tough..... so i enjoy that reta gives me a bit more energy.

my tip, check the "what's new" every day even if it doesn't seem that relevant. there's always something to learn!

Click to expand...

From what I've gathered, Reta tends to suppress appetite somewhat less than Tirz, so I'm eager to find out how it goes for me. I've already placed an order for R20 plus everything else I'll need. My current Tirz pen still has 3 shots in it, so those will get used up first, and then I'll make the change.

Katiushka said:

was that written with AI? hahaha it turned out really nice!

from what I've gathered, tirz suppresses appetite more than reta does. my hubby was on 12mg tirz before we made the switch to reta, and he definitely noticed being hungrier. in the end, when he got to 10mg the hunger has been improving, but we're still planning to add a low dose of tirz for extra appetite suppression.

many of the "gym bros" prefer reta since it doesn't kill appetite as much, which lets them hit their macros.

on the flip side, it does raise your metabolic rate. I began reta at 0.5mg, 1mg, and now I'm at 0.8mg, and even at that low dose I can feel my heart rate is a little higher. (i wear a tracker all the time). sadly I can't ask my husband how he feels, he's kind of like taking a dog to the vet or a toddler to a pediatrician. he has no idea how to listen to his body

I think this has also given me more energy. i have thyroid issues and spent a few years struggling with exhaustion, after a few weeks on reta, i don't feel it anymore. I can hit the gym in the AM and then work and still have energy to cook something or do some laundry! before, it was really tough..... so i enjoy that reta gives me a bit more energy.

my tip, check the "what's new" every day even if it doesn't seem that relevant. there's always something to learn!

Click to expand...

Still, I totally see why the gym bros are into it. Getting 200g of protein in every day is a never-ending battle for me. Whey shakes are a big help in getting there, but I do my best to keep it to no more than two per day.

Katiushka said:

was that written with AI? hahaha it turned out really nice!

from what I've gathered, tirz suppresses appetite more than reta does. my hubby was on 12mg tirz before we made the switch to reta, and he definitely noticed being hungrier. in the end, when he got to 10mg the hunger has been improving, but we're still planning to add a low dose of tirz for extra appetite suppression.

many of the "gym bros" prefer reta since it doesn't kill appetite as much, which lets them hit their macros.

on the flip side, it does raise your metabolic rate. I began reta at 0.5mg, 1mg, and now I'm at 0.8mg, and even at that low dose I can feel my heart rate is a little higher. (i wear a tracker all the time). sadly I can't ask my husband how he feels, he's kind of like taking a dog to the vet or a toddler to a pediatrician. he has no idea how to listen to his body

I think this has also given me more energy. i have thyroid issues and spent a few years struggling with exhaustion, after a few weeks on reta, i don't feel it anymore. I can hit the gym in the AM and then work and still have energy to cook something or do some laundry! before, it was really tough..... so i enjoy that reta gives me a bit more energy.

my tip, check the "what's new" every day even if it doesn't seem that relevant. there's always something to learn!

Click to expand...

I use a Whoop, and something pretty much the same happened to me when I began Mounjaro. My HRV jumped significantly and my recovery scores got clearly worse for a stretch. Luckily it all settled down and returned to baseline after roughly 6 weeks. Beyond that, I hardly had any side effects at all, which honestly had me scared before I started!

Thanks again for the advice!

I haven't even reached 1mg yet, and hitting 100g of protein is just not happening for me... It's tough! More shakes would probably help. My morning starts with green tea plus protein and collagen. That gives me a bit over 40g. Most days I land somewhere between 60 and 70. For a woman, that's not terrible, but I'd still like to push it up a bit.