Documenting my first time GLP-1

[VaguenessStaunch]

Hey everyone! I'm using this thread as a log for my research so I can revisit it down the road, and ideally pick up some useful advice from all of you wonderful people

My first reta shot went in yesterday evening, 7/7, which puts me at just under 24 hours since then. So far so good, no real side effects to speak of other than being quite tired. Hard to judge the food noise or fullness yet, since right now I'm actually feeling hungry as I type this

I began at 1mg, though after browsing a few other threads on here I'm wondering if 2mg would have been a better starting point. Right now I'm going back and forth on whether to follow my original plan of pinning 1mg/week for roughly 2 weeks before stepping up to 2mg. Or whether to jump to 2mg next Tuesday (I've got a flight the following Wednesday, so I'd rather avoid feeling unwell).

Each morning I also take electrolytes and 5g fiber, and I'm making a real effort to drink more water daily, with a target of 2-3 liters.

Starting weight: 136kg (299lbs)

Current weight: 136kg (299 lbs)

Goal weight: 100kg (220lbs)

 

[Nate2plate]

VaguenessStaunch said:

Hey everyone! I'm using this thread as a log for my research so I can revisit it down the road, and ideally pick up some useful advice from all of you wonderful people

My first reta shot went in yesterday evening, 7/7, which puts me at just under 24 hours since then. So far so good, no real side effects to speak of other than being quite tired. Hard to judge the food noise or fullness yet, since right now I'm actually feeling hungry as I type this

I began at 1mg, though after browsing a few other threads on here I'm wondering if 2mg would have been a better starting point. Right now I'm going back and forth on whether to follow my original plan of pinning 1mg/week for roughly 2 weeks before stepping up to 2mg. Or whether to jump to 2mg next Tuesday (I've got a flight the following Wednesday, so I'd rather avoid feeling unwell).

Each morning I also take electrolytes and 5g fiber, and I'm making a real effort to drink more water daily, with a target of 2-3 liters.

Starting weight: 136kg (299lbs)

Current weight: 136kg (299 lbs)

Goal weight: 100kg (220lbs)

Keep going with it. It accumulates in your body. See how it goes. There's no need to hurry things along.

Protein, fiber, water, lift weights, repeat.

 

[px1984]

0.5 was my starting point, and I stayed there for 4 weeks prior to bumping it up. Weight was coming off, so there's no reason to hurry — give your body time to adjust. My advice would be to remain at 1mg for a minimum of a few weeks, keeping an eye out for the typical side effects and how you personally tolerate them.

Pick up a scale and a tracking app, then step on it every morning and record the number. That way you've got solid data to guide dose increases once things level out or stop budging.

In those early days, electrolytes and fluids made all the difference for me. I never realized my eyes could get dehydrated until Reta showed up

Good luck bro.

 

[BNLFL]

If it were me, I'd jump straight to 2mg and then hold at one dose for 4 weeks. My own increases were 2mg each time. 4mg lasted 6 weeks since it was doing the job, after which progress slowed a bit. Then 6mg for 6 weeks until that same slowdown hit. Right now I'm in week 3 at 9mg. After #4 on Friday, I'm not sure what comes next. No need to be scared, people here are friendly. Though a few might bite.

 

[angeliquereta]

Glad you could join us. The only real advice is to go by how your own body reacts — some do great on smaller doses, while others need 6-8 mg to feel anything.

 

[Shittersfull]

If you're aiming for 2-3 liters of water daily, starting at 1mg was likely a smart move. That amount of water isn't much, particularly when you're also taking fiber. Responses vary from person to person, but out of the 5 others I know on reta along with myself, every one of us dealt with constipation. For 4 of us, it was manageable—just a few days of feeling uncomfortable. We added prunes for a few days and doubled our water intake, and always drink water alongside meals. The 5th person ended up in the emergency room. He had pizza on day one without giving it a second thought. 4 days of pain and no sleep before that ER trip.

 

[Shittersfull]

Also. The peptide itself isn't the point — what matters is the results YOU need. Some people have zero ability to control their eating. Others only need a small push. In my opinion, a lower dose gives you more upside than a big one.

 

[VaguenessStaunch]

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies!

px1984 said:

0.5 was my starting point, and I stayed there for 4 weeks prior to bumping it up. Weight was coming off, so there's no reason to hurry — give your body time to adjust. My advice would be to remain at 1mg for a minimum of a few weeks, keeping an eye out for the typical side effects and how you personally tolerate them.

Pick up a scale and a tracking app, then step on it every morning and record the number. That way you've got solid data to guide dose increases once things level out or stop budging.

In those early days, electrolytes and fluids made all the difference for me. I never realized my eyes could get dehydrated until Reta showed up

Good luck bro.

I'm leaning toward staying with what I originally planned and not speeding things up. This is a long-term thing, not something to fix overnight!

My meal prep is pretty repetitive: the same 2-3 foods show up at lunch and dinner all week, and breakfast barely changes either . Anything I eat outside of that still gets put on the scale and logged!

Best of luck to you as well!

BNLFL said:

If it were me, I'd jump straight to 2mg and then hold at one dose for 4 weeks. My own increases were 2mg each time. 4mg lasted 6 weeks since it was doing the job, after which progress slowed a bit. Then 6mg for 6 weeks until that same slowdown hit. Right now I'm in week 3 at 9mg. After #4 on Friday, I'm not sure what comes next. No need to be scared, people here are friendly. Though a few might bite.

Honestly, I think a few of your posts are what got me thinking about going to 2mg for my next injection haha. The vibe around here is mostly really friendly, so I'm not too worried about getting bitten

Shittersfull said:

If you're aiming for 2-3 liters of water daily, starting at 1mg was likely a smart move. That amount of water isn't much, particularly when you're also taking fiber. Responses vary from person to person, but out of the 5 others I know on reta along with myself, every one of us dealt with constipation. For 4 of us, it was manageable—just a few days of feeling uncomfortable. We added prunes for a few days and doubled our water intake, and always drink water alongside meals. The 5th person ended up in the emergency room. He had pizza on day one without giving it a second thought. 4 days of pain and no sleep before that ER trip.

I'm working on drinking more water! Replacing diet sodas with water, so it's still a work in progress. Thanks for the "warning"

 

[Seasonal1]

If no side effects show up, then next week I'd increase to 1.5mg, and the week after that to 2mg. Then see how things go. A number of people keep going until they reach 4mg each week, or they begin using a split shot dosing approach.

 

[BNLFL]

Seasonal1 said:

If no side effects show up, then next week I'd increase to 1.5mg, and the week after that to 2mg. Then see how things go. A number of people keep going until they reach 4mg each week, or they begin using a split shot dosing approach.

Staying on a dose for 4 weeks gives it time to accumulate in your body before you step up to the next one. That's how I see it, and plenty of other people feel the same.

 

[monkymate]

Welcome to the ride. I began at 1mg for 3 weeks, moved to 2mg for another 3 weeks, and I've been on 4mg for my most recent injections. No stalls so far. I'm dropping roughly 3-4 lbs weekly. I eat my BMR (2000cal) and log everything in MyFitnessPal. Protein is up to 200 grams, and I'm not avoiding carbs — lunch is usually salads and fruit. I'll likely remain at 4mg until I stall for 4 weeks or longer, since it's working. I don't want to go too high, and I don't appear to need more to respond.

There's a good spot for walking near me, and I aim to get out 3 times a week for a 2-3 mile walk at a 17:30 min mile pace. I do this 1st thing before eating anything.

In the evenings I do a bit of resistance work on the Bowflex and the rower. Nothing crazy.

Food noise is really curbed. This has let me make good choices and do much better than before. I know how to do it, I just never had the willpower. I have a Wyze scale (posted about it on here). It shows I'm keeping my muscle mass and have dropped 32.9 lbs in 7ish weeks? Or around 4-5 lbs a week.

 

[Shittersfull]

monkymate said:

Welcome to the ride. I began at 1mg for 3 weeks, moved to 2mg for another 3 weeks, and I've been on 4mg for my most recent injections. No stalls so far. I'm dropping roughly 3-4 lbs weekly. I eat my BMR (2000cal) and log everything in MyFitnessPal. Protein is up to 200 grams, and I'm not avoiding carbs — lunch is usually salads and fruit. I'll likely remain at 4mg until I stall for 4 weeks or longer, since it's working. I don't want to go too high, and I don't appear to need more to respond.

There's a good spot for walking near me, and I aim to get out 3 times a week for a 2-3 mile walk at a 17:30 min mile pace. I do this 1st thing before eating anything.

In the evenings I do a bit of resistance work on the Bowflex and the rower. Nothing crazy.

Food noise is really curbed. This has let me make good choices and do much better than before. I know how to do it, I just never had the willpower. I have a Wyze scale (posted about it on here). It shows I'm keeping my muscle mass and have dropped 32.9 lbs in 7ish weeks? Or around 4-5 lbs a week.

Nice work! The smartest approach is treating reta as a tool that supports proper nutrition and training. The weight loss is YOUR achievement, not reta's. Don't let up now.

 

[Nate2plate]

monkymate said:

Welcome to the ride. I began at 1mg for 3 weeks, moved to 2mg for another 3 weeks, and I've been on 4mg for my most recent injections. No stalls so far. I'm dropping roughly 3-4 lbs weekly. I eat my BMR (2000cal) and log everything in MyFitnessPal. Protein is up to 200 grams, and I'm not avoiding carbs — lunch is usually salads and fruit. I'll likely remain at 4mg until I stall for 4 weeks or longer, since it's working. I don't want to go too high, and I don't appear to need more to respond.

There's a good spot for walking near me, and I aim to get out 3 times a week for a 2-3 mile walk at a 17:30 min mile pace. I do this 1st thing before eating anything.

In the evenings I do a bit of resistance work on the Bowflex and the rower. Nothing crazy.

Food noise is really curbed. This has let me make good choices and do much better than before. I know how to do it, I just never had the willpower. I have a Wyze scale (posted about it on here). It shows I'm keeping my muscle mass and have dropped 32.9 lbs in 7ish weeks? Or around 4-5 lbs a week.

That's the whole point. Being a gym rat isn't required—just moving is!

My routine: lifting for 30 to 45 minutes, aiming for 10,000 steps. Eat well, and treat it as a tool so you make the right calls when they matter.

 

[BNLFL]

monkymate said:

Welcome to the ride. I began at 1mg for 3 weeks, moved to 2mg for another 3 weeks, and I've been on 4mg for my most recent injections. No stalls so far. I'm dropping roughly 3-4 lbs weekly. I eat my BMR (2000cal) and log everything in MyFitnessPal. Protein is up to 200 grams, and I'm not avoiding carbs — lunch is usually salads and fruit. I'll likely remain at 4mg until I stall for 4 weeks or longer, since it's working. I don't want to go too high, and I don't appear to need more to respond.

There's a good spot for walking near me, and I aim to get out 3 times a week for a 2-3 mile walk at a 17:30 min mile pace. I do this 1st thing before eating anything.

In the evenings I do a bit of resistance work on the Bowflex and the rower. Nothing crazy.

Food noise is really curbed. This has let me make good choices and do much better than before. I know how to do it, I just never had the willpower. I have a Wyze scale (posted about it on here). It shows I'm keeping my muscle mass and have dropped 32.9 lbs in 7ish weeks? Or around 4-5 lbs a week.

Watch out about that. If you don't trust me. Check out this thread.




Is Losing Weight Too Fast Actually Bad?



While I was growing up, I kept hearing that dropping weight too quickly can actually harm you. I'd figure at some point, for instance 10 pounds per week, yeah that's likely not good, but where's the line between too fast and fast yet not dangerous? Or does it even cause harm over the long run...

GLP1Chat.com

 

[monkymate]

If slowing down were possible, I would. Given how I’m currently approaching it, though, I’m sticking to what I ought to be doing. My concern is what this could do to my gallbladder, and whether I might develop gallbladder disease. Still, when I weigh that against my diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, fatty liver, and obesity, I think that if gallbladder disease happens and I end up losing my gallbladder, I’ll be OK.

 

[BNLFL]

monkymate said:

If slowing down were possible, I would. Given how I’m currently approaching it, though, I’m sticking to what I ought to be doing. My concern is what this could do to my gallbladder, and whether I might develop gallbladder disease. Still, when I weigh that against my diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, fatty liver, and obesity, I think that if gallbladder disease happens and I end up losing my gallbladder, I’ll be OK.

Far as I can tell, tapering down to 3 or 2mg for a stretch isn't a big deal. Honestly, what you choose to do is your business, but this is just a pointer from somebody who's been at this longer than you have. Since the start of January, I've been dropping an average of 2.2lbs per week.

 

[emerald]

VaguenessStaunch said:

Hey everyone! I'm using this thread as a log for my research so I can revisit it down the road, and ideally pick up some useful advice from all of you wonderful people

My first reta shot went in yesterday evening, 7/7, which puts me at just under 24 hours since then. So far so good, no real side effects to speak of other than being quite tired. Hard to judge the food noise or fullness yet, since right now I'm actually feeling hungry as I type this

I began at 1mg, though after browsing a few other threads on here I'm wondering if 2mg would have been a better starting point. Right now I'm going back and forth on whether to follow my original plan of pinning 1mg/week for roughly 2 weeks before stepping up to 2mg. Or whether to jump to 2mg next Tuesday (I've got a flight the following Wednesday, so I'd rather avoid feeling unwell).

Each morning I also take electrolytes and 5g fiber, and I'm making a real effort to drink more water daily, with a target of 2-3 liters.

Starting weight: 136kg (299lbs)

Current weight: 136kg (299 lbs)

Goal weight: 100kg (220lbs)

I began on that same dose, and food noise didn't really come under control for me until I hit 2mg — though if the scale is moving, that's the part that counts. I chose to titrate up slowly rather than quickly, since I was told your body's tolerance can't really be walked back.

 

[monkymate]

BNLFL said:

monkymate said:

If slowing down were possible, I would. Given how I’m currently approaching it, though, I’m sticking to what I ought to be doing. My concern is what this could do to my gallbladder, and whether I might develop gallbladder disease. Still, when I weigh that against my diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, fatty liver, and obesity, I think that if gallbladder disease happens and I end up losing my gallbladder, I’ll be OK.

Far as I can tell, tapering down to 3 or 2mg for a stretch isn't a big deal. Honestly, what you choose to do is your business, but this is just a pointer from somebody who's been at this longer than you have. Since the start of January, I've been dropping an average of 2.2lbs per week.

Glad things are working out for you. According to the trials, 4mg is the lowest dose that isn't classified as a starter dose. That's the level I'm on, and I plan to remain there unless I hit a 6-week plateau. (meaning no change in average weight and nothing notable on my Wyze scale) Things moved quickly at first, but now it's down to 2-3lbs per week. If someone truly couldn't care less, they probably wouldn't click your name, scroll through your old posts, and note how often you comment — yet you do exactly that, and you come across as though you believe you know what's right for every clueless newcomer.

I haven't been around here long, and you're drawing a lot of conclusions from 1 or 2 posts. My doctor and the weight loss team at the VA are overseeing what I'm doing. They run a program for weight loss called MOVE. There are thresholds that flag excessive weight loss, and I weigh myself every day on a 4g lte telehealth monitor, so they receive my daily weights. I log every meal, all my activity, and my blood sugar. According to them, I'm doing great. They can see my exercise, food, and blood sugar. Next week I go in for labs to check my liver AST and ALT, which were elevated, and an ultrasound showed fatty liver plus a few small stones in my gallbladder going back 10 years. They're monitoring that. My sleep apnea has improved to the machine's lowest pressure setting of 4. My fasting morning blood sugar used to average as high as 140 and is now around 85. The one thing I haven't told them is that I'm taking Reta rather than the Zepbound they gave me 4 weeks ago. I spent over 2 years looking into all of this before finally taking the leap. I don't consider myself uninformed. Having come from Nuclear Navy and Submarines, I'd say I know a thing or two about researching a subject.

So as I said, I'll continue doing what I'm doing and follow my doctors' instructions. Best of luck on your journey.

 

[HouseCat]

monkymate said:

BNLFL said:

monkymate said:

If slowing down were possible, I would. Given how I’m currently approaching it, though, I’m sticking to what I ought to be doing. My concern is what this could do to my gallbladder, and whether I might develop gallbladder disease. Still, when I weigh that against my diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, fatty liver, and obesity, I think that if gallbladder disease happens and I end up losing my gallbladder, I’ll be OK.

Far as I can tell, tapering down to 3 or 2mg for a stretch isn't a big deal. Honestly, what you choose to do is your business, but this is just a pointer from somebody who's been at this longer than you have. Since the start of January, I've been dropping an average of 2.2lbs per week.

Glad things are working out for you. According to the trials, 4mg is the lowest dose that isn't classified as a starter dose. That's the level I'm on, and I plan to remain there unless I hit a 6-week plateau. (meaning no change in average weight and nothing notable on my Wyze scale) Things moved quickly at first, but now it's down to 2-3lbs per week. If someone truly couldn't care less, they probably wouldn't click your name, scroll through your old posts, and note how often you comment — yet you do exactly that, and you come across as though you believe you know what's right for every clueless newcomer.

I haven't been around here long, and you're drawing a lot of conclusions from 1 or 2 posts. My doctor and the weight loss team at the VA are overseeing what I'm doing. They run a program for weight loss called MOVE. There are thresholds that flag excessive weight loss, and I weigh myself every day on a 4g lte telehealth monitor, so they receive my daily weights. I log every meal, all my activity, and my blood sugar. According to them, I'm doing great. They can see my exercise, food, and blood sugar. Next week I go in for labs to check my liver AST and ALT, which were elevated, and an ultrasound showed fatty liver plus a few small stones in my gallbladder going back 10 years. They're monitoring that. My sleep apnea has improved to the machine's lowest pressure setting of 4. My fasting morning blood sugar used to average as high as 140 and is now around 85. The one thing I haven't told them is that I'm taking Reta rather than the Zepbound they gave me 4 weeks ago. I spent over 2 years looking into all of this before finally taking the leap. I don't consider myself uninformed. Having come from Nuclear Navy and Submarines, I'd say I know a thing or two about researching a subject.

So as I said, I'll continue doing what I'm doing and follow my doctors' instructions. Best of luck on your journey.

No reason to make it personal. Stick with whatever your doctor and you have worked out—your body, your call—but when someone joins a new community, being respectful is the way to go.

 

[maayws]

monkymate said:

Welcome to the ride. I began at 1mg for 3 weeks, moved to 2mg for another 3 weeks, and I've been on 4mg for my most recent injections. No stalls so far. I'm dropping roughly 3-4 lbs weekly. I eat my BMR (2000cal) and log everything in MyFitnessPal. Protein is up to 200 grams, and I'm not avoiding carbs — lunch is usually salads and fruit. I'll likely remain at 4mg until I stall for 4 weeks or longer, since it's working. I don't want to go too high, and I don't appear to need more to respond.

There's a good spot for walking near me, and I aim to get out 3 times a week for a 2-3 mile walk at a 17:30 min mile pace. I do this 1st thing before eating anything.

In the evenings I do a bit of resistance work on the Bowflex and the rower. Nothing crazy.

Food noise is really curbed. This has let me make good choices and do much better than before. I know how to do it, I just never had the willpower. I have a Wyze scale (posted about it on here). It shows I'm keeping my muscle mass and have dropped 32.9 lbs in 7ish weeks? Or around 4-5 lbs a week.

This is all new to me as well. There was plenty in your post for me to mull over. Thanks for posting it!