Reta and Bloating: Anyone Else?

[R0cK50LiD]

Is bloating something others have run into while using reta?

I've been using reta for 2 months now. At the beginning, my 6 pack was visible, but these days there's so much bloat that no 6 pack shows at all. Constipation isn't the issue since I use the toilet regularly. For years I've stuck to a keto diet, yet my bodyfat has always hovered near 20%. Being in my late 40s and on medication that appears to stop further weight loss is what led me to try reta.

During a recent holiday, the bloat made me look terrible, but once I returned (having skipped reta for more than a week), my 6 pack was visible again and I appeared fairly lean. A few days after restarting reta, though, the bloat returned and once more no 6 pack can be seen. My stomach appears distended.

From what I've read, people often bring up enzymes, probiotics and berberine, so I've bought all 3 and will begin them tomorrow.

TBH, knowing it's bloating rather than fat gain brings some relief, but it still worries me.

My reta protocol is 2mg/week (1mg Mon/Thurs).

 

[Redz]

At 20% body fat most people can't see their abs anyway. For what it's worth, Reta gave me zero bloat. What else are you running?

 

[sheilarae74]

The only bloating I ever experience happens when sulphur gas accumulates in my stomach. Ever since I started a daily probiotic, that problem has stopped.

 

[CNCCurrency]

R0cK50LiD said:

Is bloating something others have run into while using reta?

I've been using reta for 2 months now. At the beginning, my 6 pack was visible, but these days there's so much bloat that no 6 pack shows at all. Constipation isn't the issue since I use the toilet regularly. For years I've stuck to a keto diet, yet my bodyfat has always hovered near 20%. Being in my late 40s and on medication that appears to stop further weight loss is what led me to try reta.

During a recent holiday, the bloat made me look terrible, but once I returned (having skipped reta for more than a week), my 6 pack was visible again and I appeared fairly lean. A few days after restarting reta, though, the bloat returned and once more no 6 pack can be seen. My stomach appears distended.

From what I've read, people often bring up enzymes, probiotics and berberine, so I've bought all 3 and will begin them tomorrow.

TBH, knowing it's bloating rather than fat gain brings some relief, but it still worries me.

My reta protocol is 2mg/week (1mg Mon/Thurs).

From what I understand, glp's are recognized for lowering inflammation, but that hasn't been my experience.

 

[R0cK50LiD]

Redz said:

At 20% body fat most people can't see their abs anyway. For what it's worth, Reta gave me zero bloat. What else are you running?

Even at 30% bodyfat, my abs were still visible. At 20% bodyfat, you'd be amazed at how lean I appear.

 

[R0cK50LiD]

sheilarae74 said:

The only bloating I ever experience happens when sulphur gas accumulates in my stomach. Ever since I started a daily probiotic, that problem has stopped.

With any luck, the berberine, enzymes, and probiotics will ease the bloating.

 

[R0cK50LiD]

CNCCurrency said:

R0cK50LiD said:

Is bloating something others have run into while using reta?

I've been using reta for 2 months now. At the beginning, my 6 pack was visible, but these days there's so much bloat that no 6 pack shows at all. Constipation isn't the issue since I use the toilet regularly. For years I've stuck to a keto diet, yet my bodyfat has always hovered near 20%. Being in my late 40s and on medication that appears to stop further weight loss is what led me to try reta.

During a recent holiday, the bloat made me look terrible, but once I returned (having skipped reta for more than a week), my 6 pack was visible again and I appeared fairly lean. A few days after restarting reta, though, the bloat returned and once more no 6 pack can be seen. My stomach appears distended.

From what I've read, people often bring up enzymes, probiotics and berberine, so I've bought all 3 and will begin them tomorrow.

TBH, knowing it's bloating rather than fat gain brings some relief, but it still worries me.

My reta protocol is 2mg/week (1mg Mon/Thurs).

From what I understand, glp's are recognized for lowering inflammation, but that hasn't been my experience.

My guess is that this comes down to gastric emptying slowing down, plus food fermenting, which lets gas accumulate inside the gut.

It has nothing to do with inflamation.

 

[sheilarae74]

R0cK50LiD said:

sheilarae74 said:

The only bloating I ever experience happens when sulphur gas accumulates in my stomach. Ever since I started a daily probiotic, that problem has stopped.

With any luck, the berberine, enzymes, and probiotics will ease the bloating.

Over the weekend I skipped my probiotic dose, and for 3 days afterward I had sulfur burps.

 

[Atlas27]

Acid reflux kicked in for me around week 2. Pickled red cabbage turned out to be a big help. I prepare it at home using ACV, water, sugar, and red cabbage. The acid reflux has cleared up, but now I'm dealing with bloating, which isn't ideal for beach season

 

[quicksilver80]

Every time bloating hit me, it traced back to insufficient bathroom visits. On glp1s, Miralax becomes your ally. It makes things less thick, so nothing accumulates inside you. And if you're not taking in at least a gallon of water daily, chances are your urination is also too infrequent.

 

[Mochizuki0124]

Bloating from reta only happened to me in these situations:

1. Consuming lactose (I am lactose intolerant)

2. My meals contained too much oil

If you're judging bloating by whether your abs show or not, that points more toward water retention than bloating.

When abs are visible, bloating would simply push your belly out while the abs remain visible. In my opinion, abs disappear only because of fat accumulation and water retention, not bloating.

 

[BNLFL]

For a few weeks I dealt with feeling bloated, plus heart burn on the night of my shot. Both of those have completely disappeared now. Honestly, those were the only side effects I ever experienced.

 

[R0cK50LiD]

sheilarae74 said:

R0cK50LiD said:

sheilarae74 said:

The only bloating I ever experience happens when sulphur gas accumulates in my stomach. Ever since I started a daily probiotic, that problem has stopped.

With any luck, the berberine, enzymes, and probiotics will ease the bloating.

Over the weekend I skipped my probiotic dose, and for 3 days afterward I had sulfur burps.

Probiotics are now part of my routine, and there's already some improvement. That said, I'm also on enzymes and berberine.

 

[R0cK50LiD]

Atlas27 said:

Acid reflux kicked in for me around week 2. Pickled red cabbage turned out to be a big help. I prepare it at home using ACV, water, sugar, and red cabbage. The acid reflux has cleared up, but now I'm dealing with bloating, which isn't ideal for beach season

I get what you mean.

When it comes to beach season, this bloating is the worst. I'm dealing with it right now.

 

[R0cK50LiD]

quicksilver80 said:

Every time bloating hit me, it traced back to insufficient bathroom visits. On glp1s, Miralax becomes your ally. It makes things less thick, so nothing accumulates inside you. And if you're not taking in at least a gallon of water daily, chances are your urination is also too infrequent.

Going to the bathroom for number 1 or 2 isn't an issue for me.

My guess is that it's gas accumulating from fermentation, caused by gastric emptying being slow.

 

[R0cK50LiD]

Mochizuki0124 said:

Bloating from reta only happened to me in these situations:

1. Consuming lactose (I am lactose intolerant)

2. My meals contained too much oil

If you're judging bloating by whether your abs show or not, that points more toward water retention than bloating.

When abs are visible, bloating would simply push your belly out while the abs remain visible. In my opinion, abs disappear only because of fat accumulation and water retention, not bloating.

Water retention doesn't seem likely to me, since the swelling is limited to my midsection while the rest of me is getting leaner.

Fat isn't the explanation either — this shift happened over just 2-3 days (going from lean to bloated). I drink roughly a gallon of water daily and take electrolytes, and my urination is regular (normal).

Gas buildup is my leading theory, though I'm not dismissing other possibilities.

 

[quicksilver80]

R0cK50LiD said:

quicksilver80 said:

Every time bloating hit me, it traced back to insufficient bathroom visits. On glp1s, Miralax becomes your ally. It makes things less thick, so nothing accumulates inside you. And if you're not taking in at least a gallon of water daily, chances are your urination is also too infrequent.

Going to the bathroom for number 1 or 2 isn't an issue for me.

My guess is that it's gas accumulating from fermentation, caused by gastric emptying being slow.

You might want to give soluble fiber sources and prune juice a shot. The sorbitol that occurs naturally usually speeds up transit through my system. The shorter the period it remains in your gut, the less likely I'd guess it would bring that on?

 

[R0cK50LiD]

quicksilver80 said:

R0cK50LiD said:

quicksilver80 said:

Every time bloating hit me, it traced back to insufficient bathroom visits. On glp1s, Miralax becomes your ally. It makes things less thick, so nothing accumulates inside you. And if you're not taking in at least a gallon of water daily, chances are your urination is also too infrequent.

Going to the bathroom for number 1 or 2 isn't an issue for me.

My guess is that it's gas accumulating from fermentation, caused by gastric emptying being slow.

You might want to give soluble fiber sources and prune juice a shot. The sorbitol that occurs naturally usually speeds up transit through my system. The shorter the period it remains in your gut, the less likely I'd guess it would bring that on?

That's a fair point. Finding a quality fibre option to pair with my meals is something I ought to explore.

 

[Mochizuki0124]

R0cK50LiD said:

Mochizuki0124 said:

Bloating from reta only happened to me in these situations:

1. Consuming lactose (I am lactose intolerant)

2. My meals contained too much oil

If you're judging bloating by whether your abs show or not, that points more toward water retention than bloating.

When abs are visible, bloating would simply push your belly out while the abs remain visible. In my opinion, abs disappear only because of fat accumulation and water retention, not bloating.

Water retention doesn't seem likely to me, since the swelling is limited to my midsection while the rest of me is getting leaner.

Fat isn't the explanation either — this shift happened over just 2-3 days (going from lean to bloated). I drink roughly a gallon of water daily and take electrolytes, and my urination is regular (normal).

Gas buildup is my leading theory, though I'm not dismissing other possibilities.

Water retention doesn't have to be all over — it can show up in isolated spots. For some people it's the stomach, for others it's the feet or the face. That's the reasoning I landed on, since you mentioned your abs are visible and then it fades. Bloating doesn't behave that way. When your abs are visible, they stay visible, because bloating sits internally. Think of it like having abs and then eating a large meal — the abs don't vanish, they just push outward.

 

[R0cK50LiD]

Mochizuki0124 said:

R0cK50LiD said:

Mochizuki0124 said:

Bloating from reta only happened to me in these situations:

1. Consuming lactose (I am lactose intolerant)

2. My meals contained too much oil

If you're judging bloating by whether your abs show or not, that points more toward water retention than bloating.

When abs are visible, bloating would simply push your belly out while the abs remain visible. In my opinion, abs disappear only because of fat accumulation and water retention, not bloating.

Water retention doesn't seem likely to me, since the swelling is limited to my midsection while the rest of me is getting leaner.

Fat isn't the explanation either — this shift happened over just 2-3 days (going from lean to bloated). I drink roughly a gallon of water daily and take electrolytes, and my urination is regular (normal).

Gas buildup is my leading theory, though I'm not dismissing other possibilities.

Water retention doesn't have to be all over — it can show up in isolated spots. For some people it's the stomach, for others it's the feet or the face. That's the reasoning I landed on, since you mentioned your abs are visible and then it fades. Bloating doesn't behave that way. When your abs are visible, they stay visible, because bloating sits internally. Think of it like having abs and then eating a large meal — the abs don't vanish, they just push outward.

In the past, when I dealt with water retention, the places it showed up most obviously were my neck and face.

I'm not dismissing water retention as a possibility, and I appreciate the idea.

Still, my guess leans toward gas bloating. There's a constant full feeling, and I can sense food sitting in my stomach/upper abdomen.

Maybe it's both things at once.

I should dig into this more.

Thanks for the suggestion.

EDIT:

After talking it over with ChatGpt, the combination it proposed was:

1. Food and fluid lingering in the stomach/upper GI tract.

2. Gas playing a role (from fermentation).

ChatGpt also told me that systemic water retention (which was my own theory) or fat accumulation are unlikely.