What reta dosage and calorie deficit are you currently using?

N Sharp said:

lastresort said:

Responses to diet and medication vary from person to person, but I'm curious how well reta paired with a calorie deficit works versus either reta or a deficit by itself.

If you're willing, could you share your age, gender, reta dose, and deficit?
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I realize this has come up before, but I want to throw in my 2 cents since it's crucial that anyone reading this gets it (and doesn't assume they're the exception):

Weight loss only happens when you take in fewer calories than you burn.​

Medications like reta work so well for losing weight because they naturally cut down how many calories we crave and consume. That said, everyone's dietary needs differ based on their goals, where they're starting from, and so on... so my suggestion is to search for a TDEE calculator to establish a baseline comparing your current intake with what your goal weight would require.

Once you have that, set a moderate deficit (or surplus, depending on your goals) relative to your current caloric intake and watch the weight come off - typically you'll see about 0.5-2lbs lost per week if you're tracking calories accurately (yes, a food scale IS worth it - no, deficits >500 are NOT worth it).

Extra credit if you add strength training and macro tracking (especially protein) to steer clear of any "skinny-fat" situation

I'm petite (5ft) and went from 135lbs to 105lbs on Tirz over the course of 1yr - my weight loss really only took off at month 3 once I began tracking calories.
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This is pretty much spot-on guidance. Just stay straightforward and truthful regarding what you take in and what you burn. Simple as that.
 
Aside from the fact that Retatrutide raises your basal metabolic rate on its own—something you have no real way to track by yourself—how could you possibly pin down your precise "calorie" expenditure, particularly when Hashimoto's is in the picture?
 
51-year-old guy. 2mg for 3 weeks now. My intake sits near 1400 calories. I've dropped a bit under 15 lbs. I figure the bulk of that has to be water weight.
 
lastresort said:

Aside from the fact that Retatrutide raises your basal metabolic rate on its own—something you have no real way to track by yourself—how could you possibly pin down your precise "calorie" expenditure, particularly when Hashimoto's is in the picture?
Click to expand...
The exact size of that effect isn't clear, though. That's why basing things on your typical BMR and then treating any extra Reta benefit as a bonus seems reasonable, right? In my view, plenty of people make it more complicated than it needs to be. Whenever the scale isn't moving, it's almost always because you aren't in a deficit. Change things to match.
 
50M here

Right now I'm taking in roughly 1,370–1,390 calories daily, which in my view counts as a moderate deficit.

According to a TDEE calculator, my ceiling is about 2,400 / day, enough for 2-4lbs / week of loss, but so far that hasn't materialized. As for training, I do weights + rowing on M, W, F, and only rowing on Tues/Thurs.

Over almost 6 weeks I've dropped -4.8lbs / -2kg, averaging -1lb/week ( -0.45kg / wk), and honestly it's maddening.

Dosing-wise

  • Week #1: 2mg
  • Weeks #2-5: 4mg
Starting Week #6, I'm moving up to 6mg to gauge the impact (no adverse effects so far, and appetite is firmly in check).
 
27-year-old guy, went from 236 to 210lbs, 9 weeks in on reta, right now taking 4.66mg weekly of Reta (2mg every 3 days), deficit sits at 1000-1500 calories, only doing cardio, protein comes first but I don't track it.

Hawk_recon said:

lastresort said:

Aside from the fact that Retatrutide raises your basal metabolic rate on its own—something you have no real way to track by yourself—how could you possibly pin down your precise "calorie" expenditure, particularly when Hashimoto's is in the picture?
Click to expand...
The exact size of that effect isn't clear, though. That's why basing things on your typical BMR and then treating any extra Reta benefit as a bonus seems reasonable, right? In my view, plenty of people make it more complicated than it needs to be. Whenever the scale isn't moving, it's almost always because you aren't in a deficit. Change things to match.
Click to expand...
Repeat that. A whole month with no weight loss? Cut your intake. Were you dropping weight but now it's stalled despite a deficit? Do a refeed for a week, then slash it hard.

muhvugga said:

50M here

Right now I'm taking in roughly 1,370–1,390 calories daily, which in my view counts as a moderate deficit.

According to a TDEE calculator, my ceiling is about 2,400 / day, enough for 2-4lbs / week of loss, but so far that hasn't materialized. As for training, I do weights + rowing on M, W, F, and only rowing on Tues/Thurs.

Over almost 6 weeks I've dropped -4.8lbs / -2kg, averaging -1lb/week ( -0.45kg / wk), and honestly it's maddening.

Dosing-wise

  • Week #1: 2mg
  • Weeks #2-5: 4mg
Starting Week #6, I'm moving up to 6mg to gauge the impact (no adverse effects so far, and appetite is firmly in check).
Click to expand...
Man, that's rough. Are you sure your calorie counting is accurate, including every bit of oil you use? I deliberately overestimate my intake so I don't get confused.

You're really old, could hormones be involved somehow? Are you on reta or tirz?
 
birdwhacker said:

27-year-old guy, went from 236 to 210lbs, 9 weeks in on reta, right now taking 4.66mg weekly of Reta (2mg every 3 days), deficit sits at 1000-1500 calories, only doing cardio, protein comes first but I don't track it.

Hawk_recon said:

lastresort said:

Aside from the fact that Retatrutide raises your basal metabolic rate on its own—something you have no real way to track by yourself—how could you possibly pin down your precise "calorie" expenditure, particularly when Hashimoto's is in the picture?
Click to expand...
The exact size of that effect isn't clear, though. That's why basing things on your typical BMR and then treating any extra Reta benefit as a bonus seems reasonable, right? In my view, plenty of people make it more complicated than it needs to be. Whenever the scale isn't moving, it's almost always because you aren't in a deficit. Change things to match.
Click to expand...
Repeat that. A whole month with no weight loss? Cut your intake. Were you dropping weight but now it's stalled despite a deficit? Do a refeed for a week, then slash it hard.

muhvugga said:

50M here

Right now I'm taking in roughly 1,370–1,390 calories daily, which in my view counts as a moderate deficit.

According to a TDEE calculator, my ceiling is about 2,400 / day, enough for 2-4lbs / week of loss, but so far that hasn't materialized. As for training, I do weights + rowing on M, W, F, and only rowing on Tues/Thurs.

Over almost 6 weeks I've dropped -4.8lbs / -2kg, averaging -1lb/week ( -0.45kg / wk), and honestly it's maddening.

Dosing-wise

  • Week #1: 2mg
  • Weeks #2-5: 4mg
Starting Week #6, I'm moving up to 6mg to gauge the impact (no adverse effects so far, and appetite is firmly in check).
Click to expand...
Man, that's rough. Are you sure your calorie counting is accurate, including every bit of oil you use? I deliberately overestimate my intake so I don't get confused.

You're really old, could hormones be involved somehow? Are you on reta or tirz?
Click to expand...
Great progress so far!
 
birdwhacker said:

27-year-old guy, went from 236 to 210lbs, 9 weeks in on reta, right now taking 4.66mg weekly of Reta (2mg every 3 days), deficit sits at 1000-1500 calories, only doing cardio, protein comes first but I don't track it.

Hawk_recon said:

lastresort said:

Aside from the fact that Retatrutide raises your basal metabolic rate on its own—something you have no real way to track by yourself—how could you possibly pin down your precise "calorie" expenditure, particularly when Hashimoto's is in the picture?
Click to expand...
The exact size of that effect isn't clear, though. That's why basing things on your typical BMR and then treating any extra Reta benefit as a bonus seems reasonable, right? In my view, plenty of people make it more complicated than it needs to be. Whenever the scale isn't moving, it's almost always because you aren't in a deficit. Change things to match.
Click to expand...
Repeat that. A whole month with no weight loss? Cut your intake. Were you dropping weight but now it's stalled despite a deficit? Do a refeed for a week, then slash it hard.

muhvugga said:

50M here

Right now I'm taking in roughly 1,370–1,390 calories daily, which in my view counts as a moderate deficit.

According to a TDEE calculator, my ceiling is about 2,400 / day, enough for 2-4lbs / week of loss, but so far that hasn't materialized. As for training, I do weights + rowing on M, W, F, and only rowing on Tues/Thurs.

Over almost 6 weeks I've dropped -4.8lbs / -2kg, averaging -1lb/week ( -0.45kg / wk), and honestly it's maddening.

Dosing-wise

  • Week #1: 2mg
  • Weeks #2-5: 4mg
Starting Week #6, I'm moving up to 6mg to gauge the impact (no adverse effects so far, and appetite is firmly in check).
Click to expand...
Man, that's rough. Are you sure your calorie counting is accurate, including every bit of oil you use? I deliberately overestimate my intake so I don't get confused.

You're really old, could hormones be involved somehow? Are you on reta or tirz?
Click to expand...
Still kicking. Nobody rang the bell for me...😆

On the calorie tracking side, sure, mistakes can happen, but my routine is roughly this: plain black coffee, 2 protein shakes daily (one at breakfast, one mixed pre-workout), 2-3L water and electrolytes only now and then, vegetables (mostly steamed broccoli or uncooked stuff like green / red peppers, etc.), supper is chicken or steak with a mild seasoning rub (sometimes a tablespoon of olive oil goes in the pan), and then I blow it all out by treating myself to 1-2 little squares of dark chocolate (80% dark, low sugar).

Yeah, it's been a real pain. Still, I've got my next moves mapped out, and that includes giving a different batch from a different supplier a shot.

Edit: Pointing the finger at the batch is simple when you've got nothing else to go on, so I figure some hormonal or hereditary stuff is also at play behind the scenes, but I'm not giving up on pushing through it.
 
muhvugga said:

birdwhacker said:

27-year-old guy, went from 236 to 210lbs, 9 weeks in on reta, right now taking 4.66mg weekly of Reta (2mg every 3 days), deficit sits at 1000-1500 calories, only doing cardio, protein comes first but I don't track it.

Hawk_recon said:

lastresort said:

Aside from the fact that Retatrutide raises your basal metabolic rate on its own—something you have no real way to track by yourself—how could you possibly pin down your precise "calorie" expenditure, particularly when Hashimoto's is in the picture?
Click to expand...
The exact size of that effect isn't clear, though. That's why basing things on your typical BMR and then treating any extra Reta benefit as a bonus seems reasonable, right? In my view, plenty of people make it more complicated than it needs to be. Whenever the scale isn't moving, it's almost always because you aren't in a deficit. Change things to match.
Click to expand...
Repeat that. A whole month with no weight loss? Cut your intake. Were you dropping weight but now it's stalled despite a deficit? Do a refeed for a week, then slash it hard.

muhvugga said:

50M here

Right now I'm taking in roughly 1,370–1,390 calories daily, which in my view counts as a moderate deficit.

According to a TDEE calculator, my ceiling is about 2,400 / day, enough for 2-4lbs / week of loss, but so far that hasn't materialized. As for training, I do weights + rowing on M, W, F, and only rowing on Tues/Thurs.

Over almost 6 weeks I've dropped -4.8lbs / -2kg, averaging -1lb/week ( -0.45kg / wk), and honestly it's maddening.

Dosing-wise

  • Week #1: 2mg
  • Weeks #2-5: 4mg
Starting Week #6, I'm moving up to 6mg to gauge the impact (no adverse effects so far, and appetite is firmly in check).
Click to expand...
Man, that's rough. Are you sure your calorie counting is accurate, including every bit of oil you use? I deliberately overestimate my intake so I don't get confused.

You're really old, could hormones be involved somehow? Are you on reta or tirz?
Click to expand...
Still kicking. Nobody rang the bell for me...😆

On the calorie tracking side, sure, mistakes can happen, but my routine is roughly this: plain black coffee, 2 protein shakes daily (one at breakfast, one mixed pre-workout), 2-3L water and electrolytes only now and then, vegetables (mostly steamed broccoli or uncooked stuff like green / red peppers, etc.), supper is chicken or steak with a mild seasoning rub (sometimes a tablespoon of olive oil goes in the pan), and then I blow it all out by treating myself to 1-2 little squares of dark chocolate (80% dark, low sugar).

Yeah, it's been a real pain. Still, I've got my next moves mapped out, and that includes giving a different batch from a different supplier a shot.

Edit: Pointing the finger at the batch is simple when you've got nothing else to go on, so I figure some hormonal or hereditary stuff is also at play behind the scenes, but I'm not giving up on pushing through it.
Click to expand...

Huh. That's rough.

Actually, I was just going to ask about your source, since jumping to 4mg in week 2 sounds like it would hit way too hard. My own weekly amount is 4.66mg, and after 5 weeks at that level, I'm still feeling ill on injection day and the day after.
 
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