Keeping Muscle While Using Reta

can_pep

can_pep

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Hey,

My partner and I began Reta yesterday.

We intend to push protein and water as high as we can, and to work in fiber whenever possible.

Right now we're focused on the eating side of things, trying to map out a solid approach.

My goal is to hold onto my muscle mass. I'm figuring that some time in the gym plus sufficient protein will do the trick. I'm also thinking about stacking MOTS-C roughly a month from now. At the moment I'm just looking into it and want to first see how Reta treats me.

Is there anything else we ought to be looking into that could be of help?
 
can_pep said:

Hey,

My partner and I began Reta yesterday.

We intend to push protein and water as high as we can, and to work in fiber whenever possible.

Right now we're focused on the eating side of things, trying to map out a solid approach.

My goal is to hold onto my muscle mass. I'm figuring that some time in the gym plus sufficient protein will do the trick. I'm also thinking about stacking MOTS-C roughly a month from now. At the moment I'm just looking into it and want to first see how Reta treats me.

Is there anything else we ought to be looking into that could be of help?
Click to expand...
Muscle protein synthesis, Myofibrillar Hypertrophy, Satiety Index, GNC Wheybolic Alpha, plus ephedra, epicatechin, Type 2b muscle fibers, and then Andy Galpin, Gelusil, modafinil, NO preworkout, as well as Anastrazole, Anavar, overcoming isometrics, Charles Poliquin-time under tension, plus Cloma Pharma Asia Black-25, Blackstone labs Euphoria, Enclomiphene, tamoxifen
 
Sleep matters. Your sleep can get disrupted by Reta. Begin now to build solid sleep habits. After roughly 3 months on Reta, I've at last settled into a reliable sleep routine. Because you're taking in more fluids, protein, and fiber, you may find yourself getting up 1 or 2 times each night to urinate.

Your plan sounds solid. Don't skip resistance training either. Letting your body know the muscles are being used and are needed will support keeping that muscle.
 
can_pep said:

Hey,

My partner and I began Reta yesterday.

We intend to push protein and water as high as we can, and to work in fiber whenever possible.

Right now we're focused on the eating side of things, trying to map out a solid approach.

My goal is to hold onto my muscle mass. I'm figuring that some time in the gym plus sufficient protein will do the trick. I'm also thinking about stacking MOTS-C roughly a month from now. At the moment I'm just looking into it and want to first see how Reta treats me.

Is there anything else we ought to be looking into that could be of help?
Click to expand...

Also, regarding sleep — Hypnos by Adera. And above all else, look into RippedWhite AF, also known as @CharlieBrown
 
Getting enough protein is a smart move. And even though the low carb crowd will push back on this, making sure you eat a decent amount of healthy carbs will make a real difference; when you're on reta, in a caloric deficit, and eating low carb, it's going to be hard to perform in the gym, and you're going to lose some muscle no matter what.

Sadly, Mots C doesn't do much for anabolism or sparing muscle. The best approach is GH/test combined with a good diet and training program.
 
Happy to help, though I can't say for sure whether this falls under research. Could you share your age, sex, current weight, and training background?
 
Each morning, plus ahead of each meal, I take a heaped teaspoon of psyllium husk. It has been a huge help for my bowel movements — no issues at all.
 
can_pep said:

Hey,

My partner and I began Reta yesterday.

We intend to push protein and water as high as we can, and to work in fiber whenever possible.

Right now we're focused on the eating side of things, trying to map out a solid approach.

My goal is to hold onto my muscle mass. I'm figuring that some time in the gym plus sufficient protein will do the trick. I'm also thinking about stacking MOTS-C roughly a month from now. At the moment I'm just looking into it and want to first see how Reta treats me.

Is there anything else we ought to be looking into that could be of help?
Click to expand...

According to a series of DEXA scans, across the thirty-something pounds I've dropped, the lean mass I've lost has stayed in the single digits as a percentage of total mass.

On the occasions when I made protein the priority, the lean mass I shed was even smaller than during the periods when I didn't.

The supplements I take that are, in theory, "anti-catabolic/lean sparing to varying degrees" are

TRT

Reta

HMB-FA

Creatine

Glycine

Taurine

Combined with protein and lifting, that stack, in my case, would in practice nearly halt the loss of actual contractile fiber.

During the early phase of weight loss, the different types of water weight (glycogen, inflammation, and so on) that drop off fast in the first weeks register as lean mass on a DEXA, yet where muscle preservation is concerned, that doesn't matter.
 
Protein intake is non-negotiable. My current dose is 2.5mg every 3.5 days, and when I fall short on protein I notice reta's side effects hit me harder — nausea and fatigue especially. Dehydration brings on nausea for me too.

Before starting I was on keto, but these days I make certain I'm getting plenty of both insoluble and soluble fiber to keep constipation at bay. Psyllium husk powder, ground chia seeds and pear juice have made a huge difference for me. Lately, a bit of generic miralax powder each day has really helped keep things moving.
 
The fundamentals behind building and/or preserving muscle through strength training don't change here. Provided you put the same effort into your gym sessions as you do into fine-tuning what you eat and drink (and I'll assume—and hope—you're fully committed on that front), you're unlikely to mess things up. You can hold onto your muscle, or perhaps even add more quality tissue. Whatever stress you expose your body to is what it will adjust to. Spend more time on the couch than under a flat bench, and you'll end up soft. 😉
 
can_pep said:

Hey,

My partner and I began Reta yesterday.

We intend to push protein and water as high as we can, and to work in fiber whenever possible.

Right now we're focused on the eating side of things, trying to map out a solid approach.

My goal is to hold onto my muscle mass. I'm figuring that some time in the gym plus sufficient protein will do the trick. I'm also thinking about stacking MOTS-C roughly a month from now. At the moment I'm just looking into it and want to first see how Reta treats me.

Is there anything else we ought to be looking into that could be of help?
Click to expand...
Fellow gym rat here,

Electrolytes

Water

Plenty of protein

Lift weights

Don’t overdo cardio (incline walks rather than sprints)

If you want, I can share my meal plan so you get a rough idea of what you could be eating.

I’d also suggest either a re feed day (basically a cheat meal) — more along the lines of salty food to top your glygocen levels back up. That helps your muscles look fulle. Or you could begin taking creatine every day, since it does the same thing and helps clear up the flat look.

On Reta I noticed that although you can hold onto muscle, you may look flat sometimes, so a solid way to make them appear pumped is creatine.
 
Is anyone else dealing with strong urges to eat sweets when taking RETA? A few months back I did a cycle, and ever since I came off it, I have not been able to shake cravings for junk food. I began again roughly 3 weeks ago at 1mg, and today I increased to 1.5mg. Even so, I consumed an entire bag of gummy snacks, around 40 pieces, plus a sleeve of cookies, roughly 16. This sort of impulse never used to happen to me — occasionally, sure, but not every day.
 
Stayinalive said:

Is anyone else dealing with strong urges to eat sweets when taking RETA? A few months back I did a cycle, and ever since I came off it, I have not been able to shake cravings for junk food. I began again roughly 3 weeks ago at 1mg, and today I increased to 1.5mg. Even so, I consumed an entire bag of gummy snacks, around 40 pieces, plus a sleeve of cookies, roughly 16. This sort of impulse never used to happen to me — occasionally, sure, but not every day.
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My experience has been the reverse. Never before have I had lasting freedom from an intense craving for sweets. In the past, the only thing that helped was glutamine powder. These days, carrying both of them with me, I'm able to stroll by those horribly sugary junk foods and give them a smug little smirk.
 
I gave glutamine a shot in the past, but it ended up collecting dust on my shelf for months — I simply couldn't stand taking it, and each dose left me backed up for a week. Perhaps I should give it another go, this time combining it with psyllium husk fiber so things keep moving. I've read that what we think of as sugar cravings may really be protein cravings seeking a fast solution. The internet is full of conflicting claims, so it's hard to know what's true.
 
Stayinalive said:

Is anyone else dealing with strong urges to eat sweets when taking RETA? A few months back I did a cycle, and ever since I came off it, I have not been able to shake cravings for junk food. I began again roughly 3 weeks ago at 1mg, and today I increased to 1.5mg. Even so, I consumed an entire bag of gummy snacks, around 40 pieces, plus a sleeve of cookies, roughly 16. This sort of impulse never used to happen to me — occasionally, sure, but not every day.
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While taking Reta, I occasionally find myself wanting sugary foods. Lately it's been sour Skittles and some banana raisin cookies I made at home (sweets aren't usually a big part of my diet). I probably could have finished half the bag, but I caught myself, put everything away, and had no trouble avoiding other snacks for the rest of the evening. In the past, that scenario would turn into a 2-4 hour mental fight that I'd lose 20-50% of the time, ending with me heading to the kitchen at 1am and going to sleep feeling let down by myself.
 
Has anyone come across Sigumir before? I looked through the forum and found nothing at all. I was certain somebody here would have brought it up, since it appears to help cartilage regrow, yet there is zero discussion about it in this community.
 
My mornings typically kick off with a solid serving—20+g or more—of hydrolyzed creatine peptide sourced from grass-fed sources. While this isn't a complete protein and has limited BCAA content, it still supplies protein, pairs nicely with the GHK-CU I also take, and lets me begin the day without triggering an insulin spike. For the remaining meals, I make protein from actual food the priority—everything from beans and lentils through to eggs and white meats.

Cardio isn't really part of my routine (sauna sessions aside), but I do lift weights to preserve and grow muscle.

As for cravings, they're far easier to handle while on Reta, and whenever I do cave in, I cut myself off much sooner than I would have in the past.

Wishing you the best!
 
Florus2026 said:

My mornings typically kick off with a solid serving—20+g or more—of hydrolyzed creatine peptide sourced from grass-fed sources. While this isn't a complete protein and has limited BCAA content, it still supplies protein, pairs nicely with the GHK-CU I also take, and lets me begin the day without triggering an insulin spike. For the remaining meals, I make protein from actual food the priority—everything from beans and lentils through to eggs and white meats.

Cardio isn't really part of my routine (sauna sessions aside), but I do lift weights to preserve and grow muscle.

As for cravings, they're far easier to handle while on Reta, and whenever I do cave in, I cut myself off much sooner than I would have in the past.

Wishing you the best!
Click to expand...
You mentioned taking a "hydrolyzed creatine peptide" — could it actually be a [Keratin] peptide instead? When I looked up "hydrolyzed creatine peptide," the results pointed to keratin, and I hadn't come across the other one until now.
 
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