What are you all eating while on reta?

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Jaylar

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Hey everyone, I'm new to rets and I've got some on the way. I was just wondering what kinds of food are okay for me to eat, or what you'd suggest. Would white rice and pasta be fine, as long as I add some kind of protein? Thanks, everyone.
 
Lol.

You’ll get tons of conflicting advice from different people. For me, low carb is what works, and even a tiny bit of rice or pasta stalls me right away. Meanwhile, over in another thread, plenty of folks say they’re eating high-carb and still dropping weight. Ultimately, it comes down to what you need to work out for yourself, depending on your goals and the body composition you’re aiming for.
 
Welcome! With Reta, your appetite shifts — a small amount of food is enough before your body signals STOP. Push past that and you'll feel sick; there's no leeway.

A typical approach: lead with protein, follow with vegetables, and save carbs for last. Carbs aren't the enemy, but they don't contribute to the protein targets you need for preserving muscle and staying healthy when your overall intake is low.

When I want something effortless, I grab a bagged salad kit from the store and add air-fried salmon or chicken. A bit more work: rice as a base, steamed broccoli or another veg, plus whichever meat is discounted. Frozen veggie steamer bags work, or just put water in a bowl, cover with a paper plate, and microwave the vegetables. If I'm in the mood to cook properly, I whisk together a stir fry sauce (I can't post a link, but search for "Real Chinese All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce"). Bagged quinoa and similar items also make a good foundation for a protein bowl.

On the fast food front, chicken wraps from McD or BK work fine, and regular burgers are okay in a pinch. Since you'll fill up fast, ask for burgers in a lettuce wrap. My usual takeout picks are Poke and Pho with 2x protein, though I leave some noodles behind. Wings and BBQ are fine occasionally, but the sauce carries a lot of sugar, so treat it as an indulgence.

The day before your injection (assuming weekly dosing), you'll manage a bit more food. If eating becomes impossible, think about reducing your dose for a few weeks. It's all about balance.
 
Meat-based protein at supper each night, along with good carbs. Steamed veggies, tomatoes, sweet potato — those work, and there are lots of other solid choices too. Nothing fried, nothing frozen and processed. For breakfast: a simple protein plus a good carb. Fast food along the lines of McDonald’s is probably okay every now and then, though it’s been at least 20 years since we’ve had any — that’s just our own decision. On Reta your appetite ought to be much smaller, with a nearly full sensation. People say you can eat whatever you like, and to some degree you really can.
 
My diet is the same as before. I only monitor calories and macros, and I cut back on the “bad” items.
 
Net: eating carbs now takes deliberate effort for me.

Context: my habits were so steeped in low-carb thinking that when the reta started working, eating them never even occurred to me. I'm reintroducing them gradually, hoping they'll power my workouts and keep muscle breakdown to a minimum.
 
My diet isn't very restricted, though I do attempt to reduce carbs and sugar whenever possible. I avoid foods that lead to excessive sulfur gas buildup, and lately that seems to include just about any protein source. Before starting reta, eggs were a big part of my diet, but now I can't handle many of them. Hunger doesn't hit me until the evening. Breakfast has never been my thing, but I aim for a protein shake with collagen powder mixed in, typically around 1:30. Getting sufficient protein is tough due to the sulfur problem. I suppose I'm a super responder, since I can eat anything I want at any time and still shed pounds. Will that shift eventually? Most likely.
 
For breakfast I usually rotate between a few options: an omlete, an oikos pro yogurt protein drink, or I'll just eat lunch early. Midday I have a prepped meal consisting of chicken, brocolli and potatoes. Dinner tends to be light and changes a lot - a protein bar, a protein shake, or just a smaller plate of whatever dinner is, etc..

Whenever hunger hits during the day, I'll also down a sparkling water (perrier, or the kirkland flavoured sparkling ones too) and that typically makes me feel completely full - I realize carbonated drinks on Reta probably aren't most people's thing, but the fullness I get from them works for me lol. Honestly I'm likely not eating enough calories either, though it's only month 2 so I'm still fired up about my goals ahah
 
Hey Jaylan!

Truthfully, white rice and pasta are fine to include; that said, while on R I believe my outcomes improve when protein comes first and carbs stay in check.

Time for cooking is tight for me at the moment, so here’s what I’ve landed on:

  • Morning meal: Costco egg whites + 3 corn tortillas + salsa
  • In between meals: Costco Premier Protein shakes, which help me reach my protein targets
  • Evening meal: Chicken + veggies (keep it simple)
  • Prior to sleep: One more protein shake or a serving of cottage cheese
  • Water water water
  • Electrolytes
  • Water
  • Water
  • &…water

For me, the plan is protein first, with carbs added around it. Reta appears to deliver better results once your diet is dialed in; Not just eating whatever.

That said, everybody responds a little differently, so you’ll work out your own formula pretty quick 👍

Beast luck on your journey, Friend. I’m excited to hear what works out best for you!

Best,

Danger1212
 
Reta and Tirz appear to push you toward better food choices overall

Breakfast—never used to do breakfast, but I'm making an effort to eat it now. Most days I whip up a batch of protein pancakes in the Kodiak style, using sourdough starter (a banana is the only sweetener that goes in) plus whatever low-carb protein powder I happen to be using. Other times just a piece of fresh sourdough

Lunch—a chicken wrap dressed with a protein sauce I mix up from Greek yogurt (flavor switches based on what I'm in the mood for); the wrap itself is low carb on some days, not on others. Or I'll do a salad with apples and a T of nuts (chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans, or a combination), assorted mixed lettuce, and a homemade dressing—I rotate through miso, ginger, strawberry or balsamic

Snack—when I want one, maybe a C of smartfood popcorn or the Aldi version, or fruit such as strawberries when they're fresh. As a treat, something like strawberries with a dollop of cool whip

Dinner—never the same twice: jerk chicken with potato salad, protein chicken pasta (buffalo, Alfredo, etc.), Korean-style ground turkey over rice with a veggie like green beans, mapo tofu with ground turkey, a lighter butter chicken (Greek yogurt and coconut milk)—whatever it is, it has to taste good

If I haven't eaten enough or haven't hit my protein goals, I'll add a shake with protein, collagen and flax seeds

Once in a while, a piece of dark chocolate

This is only an idea—I don't eat all of this every day, I just make sure I get in enough food/protein
 
Mr Tortilla low carb tortillas are a go-to for me. I'll add a small amount of meat or plant-based meat, diced cucumbers, a bit of chopped onion, and a little avocado. Most of my meals end up being spins on that same formula: the tortilla, the protein, some non-starchy vegetables, and a little avocado.
 
If you're aiming for simplicity, put whole foods first. Focus on individual ingredients instead of a prepared dish from somewhere, and figure out which ones you enjoy, how you prefer to prepare them, what goes well together, then pick a sauce (ideally lowcal) or build your own using yogurt or blended cottage cheese, perhaps a bit of oil plus spices or a pre made flavor packet.

My dinner is pretty much identical every day: 250g cooked meat, one bag of steamer veggies, and a 90second microwave rice pack. After that I blend cottage cheese with cheese powder to make a higher protein cheese sauce. Combine everything with seasoning and hot sauce, spoon it into a couple fiber tortillas, and boom easy dinner everyday. When boredom hits, I rotate the meat, change the veggies, pick a different rice flavor, grab the fancier flavored fiber tortillas, or test new hot sauces. Just mix and match to your hearts content.

Also, be sure you're getting the fiber.. I have no experience with reta but if I don't get like 45+grams of fiber on my tirz im literally shitting brinks
 
My diet hasn't changed—I just consume far smaller portions. The only extras I focus on are staying hydrated and keeping constipation at bay (prunes plus Metamucil daily.)
 
What about stuff like frozen dino nuggets, hot pockets, Mt. dew, and Ramen? I've never put much effort into weight loss and the way we eat is pretty bad. From all the posts I read, it looks like people were already being careful about their food before starting. I'm a 6ft male, 250lb, fairly active but I don't work out.
 
Powerslide said:

What about stuff like frozen dino nuggets, hot pockets, Mt. dew, and Ramen? I've never put much effort into weight loss and the way we eat is pretty bad. From all the posts I read, it looks like people were already being careful about their food before starting. I'm a 6ft male, 250lb, fairly active but I don't work out.
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all you need to do is trade a few things out for simpler choices.

nuggets made from real good chicken.

lean pockets? not sure whether any of the options here are genuinely decent

mnt dew zero.. personally i've got 20+ 12 packs of mnt dew zero piled up

protein ramen, low carb ramen and so on — noodles come in plenty of varieties and you can always prepare your own.

another trick i use: whenever i'm about to eat something i know i shouldn't have much of, i first force down a bag of steamed veggies, or a can of veggies when there's no steamer around, and only then have the "normal" meal.

small stuff
 
Jaylar said:

Honestly, I'm clueless about food and which things I should be consuming to keep myself going.
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Should white rice be on your plate, stick it in the fridge overnight first so it turns into resistant starch.

Beyond that, hit your protein target—1-1.2gms for every kg you weigh. My pantry and freezer hold canned tuna, canned chicken, frozen chicken thighs and pork chops. Sushi is a favorite of mine too; I'll prepare a salad and mix in cubed raw tuna that's been sitting in a soy-based marinade. Darigold fit milk, which packs more protein, is what I drink, and low/no fat cottage cheese is something I eat.

When you're stuck on what to make, a protein source plus a vegetable and possibly rice works fine. As for me, I'm boring—a steak or a couple chicken thighs alongside a few oz of broccoli, green beans, or a tomato/cucumber salad with vinegar-based dressing. On days my appetite is missing, I'll combine unflavored protein, carnation instant breakfast high protein and milk, then blend it.
 
I aim for no less than 150g of protein as my floor, and once that's in, I'm normally too full for anything more. Most days it turns into OMAD, plus a protein shake when I need it.
 
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