Reta 12mg - Sloooooow Motion

[Draculawless]

First part first - personal Specs



44 year old Male: Moderately handsome, but not dashing



Current weight: 278



Starting weight in Feb 2026: 295



Exercise: weights 3 times a week if I find the time. During my lunch break I walk approximately 2.5 miles as fast as I can. Usually in like 35 to 40 minutes.



Calories: counted via cronometer. Current at 1950 per day.



Reality:



I think I'm a slow responder. I'm currently at 12mg of reta and .75 of cag per week. My weight has been hanging around 280 for a month or so. I can still eat, although less, but still get hungry. If I drop down to 1500 calories I get HUNGRY.



So what gives? Do I increase the reta above the trial limit of 12mg or add more cag? Wait it out? Has anyone stalled at the apex of their dosing?

 

[woundcarping]

Did you have previous GLP experience?

It's interesting you've had some response but relatively little response.

How many calories are you eating? In general it's roughly as simple as CICO, Reta's GCGR may give that a 100-300 calorie daily increase.

Walk us through your reconstitution and measuring methodology... assuming you have a known quantity of Reta in the vial.


I'm beyond trialed dosing, but not taking cagri. No sides, no problems detected.

 

[Draculawless]

Did you have previous GLP experience?

It's interesting you've had some response but relatively little response.

How many calories are you eating? In general it's roughly as simple as CICO, Reta's GCGR may give that a 100-300 calorie daily increase.

Walk us through your reconstitution and measuring methodology... assuming you have a known quantity of Reta in the vial.


I'm beyond trialed dosing, but not taking cagri. No sides, no problems detected.

30mg reconstituted with 2ml for 80 units per https://cellgenic.com/peptide-calculator/

Calories yesterday were 1985 with an expenditure of 3756 per fitbit and cronometer (this second number is bunk, I know. I don't even pay attention to it and do not eat back calories) I need to be more religious with counting, however. Some days I just get busy. I wouldn't mind doing omad again, I just try to hit my macros and omad and weight lifting on top of all the other stresses of life are tough.

I also take a blood pressure med (losartan hydrochlorothiazide) Wellbutrin, and buspar for the occasional anxiety. From what I've read, none of those really affect weight loss. I was taking Lexapro but I weaned off of that thankfully. I discovered that one of my other blood pressure medications was causing me to get dizzy and give me anxiety. It's been a fucking process and I'm not disappointed with the results. My blood test came back stunning for the first time in my life and I'm getting off medications. It just seems like the weight loss is slow going.

 

[Pep_Hobbyist]

I wouldn’t personally jump above trial dosing just because the scale has been flat for a few weeks. You’re already at a pretty aggressive point with 12mg reta plus cag, so before changing compounds or doses, I’d probably audit the boring stuff first.


A few things I’d look at:


Your loss from 295 to around 278 is still solid progress. A stall after dropping almost 20 lbs is not unusual, especially if training, water retention, sodium, carbs, constipation, or inflammation are moving around.


Also, 1950 calories may or may not be as low as it feels depending on tracking accuracy, weekend variance, sauces, oils, bites/tastes, and Cronometer entries. Not saying you’re doing it wrong, just that this is usually where the hidden calories show up.


The other thing is hunger does not always mean the meds “aren’t working.” At 278, walking 2.5 miles fast plus lifting 3x/week can make 1500 calories feel brutal. That may be too aggressive to sustain, and it could make adherence worse.


Personally, I’d probably hold steady, tighten tracking for 2 weeks, look at weekly average weight instead of day-to-day weight, make sure protein/fiber/electrolytes are solid, and maybe add steps before touching the dose. If nothing moves after that, then it may be worth reassessing with more experienced people or a clinician.


I’m fairly new to Reta. I was using Tirz before and the food noise suppression was higher. With that said, I’d be cautious about assuming “more dose” is the answer when the current dose is already high.

 

[DjJoshua]

First part first - personal Specs



44 year old Male: Moderately handsome, but not dashing



Current weight: 278



Starting weight in Feb 2026: 295



Exercise: weights 3 times a week if I find the time. During my lunch break I walk approximately 2.5 miles as fast as I can. Usually in like 35 to 40 minutes.



Calories: counted via cronometer. Current at 1950 per day.



Reality:



I think I'm a slow responder. I'm currently at 12mg of reta and .75 of cag per week. My weight has been hanging around 280 for a month or so. I can still eat, although less, but still get hungry. If I drop down to 1500 calories I get HUNGRY.



So what gives? Do I increase the reta above the trial limit of 12mg or add more cag? Wait it out? Has anyone stalled at the apex of their dosing?

Solid progress so far, man Dropping 17 lbs since February as a 44-year-old guy while lifting and power-walking is legit. You're doing the hard parts right.
A month-long stall around 278-280 on 12mg reta + 0.75 cag isn't unusual, especially if you're strength training. You could be recomping (losing fat, holding/gaining some muscle), which the scale won't show. Track waist measurements, photos, or how clothes fit too?

1950 cals with lingering hunger suggests your body is fighting back a bit (metabolic adaptation is real on these meds). Dropping to 1500 sounds miserable and unsustainable. Some guys find success by Prioritizing high protein (aim 180g+) More volume eating (veggies, fiber)Occasional refeed days Instead of slashing cals hard.

Some people on reta hit a wall right at the 12mg trial max. Options people discuss:
Wait it out, Plateaus often break after 4-8 weeks if you stay consistent.
Slight reta increase, Some go 15mg+ off-label, but that's beyond trial data and side effects (GI, etc.) can ramp up. Only do this if you're tolerating 12mg well.
Tweak cag, Bumping the cagrilintide portion can help appetite more for some in combos.
Not sure if you're a "slow responder" you've already lost weight and built habits. Keep logging in Cronometer, stay hydrated, sleep well, and manage stress. The walk + weights combo is gold long-term.
Hang in there. A lot of guys break through these stalls and keep dropping. What's your target weight?

 

[Sid the SeaGull]

With all your doing it could be a case of your body creating more muscle , thus your not loosing weight . Obviously a good thing . As above have mentioned stick to your dose. Keep the intake strict for a few weeks and increase exercise and protein.

We all have stalls it's part of the journey. 12mg is heavy already , increasing from here is diminishing returns , until new data tells us otherwise.

 

[Rolltide61]

First part first - personal Specs



44 year old Male: Moderately handsome, but not dashing



Current weight: 278



Starting weight in Feb 2026: 295



Exercise: weights 3 times a week if I find the time. During my lunch break I walk approximately 2.5 miles as fast as I can. Usually in like 35 to 40 minutes.



Calories: counted via cronometer. Current at 1950 per day.



Reality:



I think I'm a slow responder. I'm currently at 12mg of reta and .75 of cag per week. My weight has been hanging around 280 for a month or so. I can still eat, although less, but still get hungry. If I drop down to 1500 calories I get HUNGRY.



So what gives? Do I increase the reta above the trial limit of 12mg or add more cag? Wait it out? Has anyone stalled at the apex of their dosing?

I think I might be able to help you. I was in the same exact situation except I'm extremely handsome. Ask anyone.

I posted where I took 12mg reta, 10 tirz and 1 mg of Cagri and never even burped. Zero effect on me and then I found something.

I was swearing my thyroid was jiggy. My doc said the bloods looked good. However after researching several hours a day I came to the conclusion that I needed iodine. So I started taking 2 drops of Lugols every morning in my coffee w/ 8oz of water w/ a pinch of Baja Gold Sea Salt. Worked my way to 5 drops.

Bam! Weight started coming off and I was getting better hunger supression w/ my reta. My energy was thru the roof and my old man pains went away. No more brain fog. It has changed my life.

I never said anything about it until one day @Airborne Daddy made the statement that he heard that thyroid problems could effect how reta works. He was right (and 6 months late 🙂 ) but it verified my suspicions.

Maybe this will help you to but everyone is different. Good luck.

 

[lastresort]

First part first - personal Specs



44 year old Male: Moderately handsome, but not dashing



Current weight: 278



Starting weight in Feb 2026: 295



Exercise: weights 3 times a week if I find the time. During my lunch break I walk approximately 2.5 miles as fast as I can. Usually in like 35 to 40 minutes.



Calories: counted via cronometer. Current at 1950 per day.



Reality:



I think I'm a slow responder. I'm currently at 12mg of reta and .75 of cag per week. My weight has been hanging around 280 for a month or so. I can still eat, although less, but still get hungry. If I drop down to 1500 calories I get HUNGRY.



So what gives? Do I increase the reta above the trial limit of 12mg or add more cag? Wait it out? Has anyone stalled at the apex of their dosing?

What is your exact macro?

 

[woundcarping]

People, he's not building muscle fast enough to offset fat loss running a 1k+ calorie daily deficit. That's not a thing. Building meaningful muscle fiber in general while in an aggressive cut is also not really a thing

15lb in ~4 months is absolutely not solid progress. He likely dropped 10lb of that in the first weeks. That's a 5% reduction in a third of a year.

Occam says something is wrong in the numbers and methodology, not something wrong metabolically... but so mething is certainly not correct.

30mg reconstituted with 2ml for 80 units per https://cellgenic.com/peptide-calculator/

That math checks, 30mg/2ml*.80ml= 12mg.

Side note, if .8ml is more than I care for, nothing wrong with it. I'd do 1ml for a .4ml injection, although I split dose so it would be .2ml 2x week for me (also fits in my more commonly used .3ml syringe).

Calories yesterday were 1985 with an expenditure of 3756 per fitbit and cronometer (this second number is bunk, I know. I don't even pay attention to it and do not eat back calories) I need to be more religious with counting, however. Some days I just get busy. I wouldn't mind doing omad again, I just try to hit my macros and omad and weight lifting on top of all the other stresses of life are tough.

Something isn't right, the obvious suspect is the numbers. Calories in are easier to "accurately" track compared to calories burned... but calories are easy to hide in food, especially as a big'n. I'm 40, my starting weight in December was 282lb and I've dropped 60lb in that time.

I also take a blood pressure med (losartan hydrochlorothiazide) Wellbutrin, and buspar for the occasional anxiety. From what I've read, none of those really affect weight loss. I was taking Lexapro but I weaned off of that thankfully. I discovered that one of my other blood pressure medications was causing me to get dizzy and give me anxiety. It's been a fucking process and I'm not disappointed with the results. My blood test came back stunning for the first time in my life and I'm getting off medications. It just seems like the weight loss is slow going.

Drug interaction isn't my forte, so without doing research to sound more knowledgable than I am, I'll accept your statement that there's likely not an interaction.

It definitely is a process and you're definitely making progress. Solid bloodwork is a great feeling. Have you checked your thyroid, testosterone, and vitamin levels? There's nothing wrong with trying to figure out why things are going slower than typically seen.

 

[orenkaid]

My question is what are the foods you are eating? Until I started keto and eating clean whole foods, I had ridiculous carb cravings for things like pizza and fried foods and such due to the dopamine addiction to them. You can be hungry and lose weight, but if the food you are eating is addictive for your brain, that hunger might be breaking through that way. This is the reason why I don't do cheat days even on Reta.

 

[CNCCurrency]

First part first - personal Specs



44 year old Male: Moderately handsome, but not dashing



Current weight: 278



Starting weight in Feb 2026: 295



Exercise: weights 3 times a week if I find the time. During my lunch break I walk approximately 2.5 miles as fast as I can. Usually in like 35 to 40 minutes.



Calories: counted via cronometer. Current at 1950 per day.



Reality:



I think I'm a slow responder. I'm currently at 12mg of reta and .75 of cag per week. My weight has been hanging around 280 for a month or so. I can still eat, although less, but still get hungry. If I drop down to 1500 calories I get HUNGRY.



So what gives? Do I increase the reta above the trial limit of 12mg or add more cag? Wait it out? Has anyone stalled at the apex of their dosing?

How is your thyroid levels?

 

[randompersonrandom]

Solid progress so far, man Dropping...
Wait it out, Plateaus often ...
Not sure if you're a "slow responder" you've ...

Wanna know how I know you always use dark mode on your browser?

 

[Prodigy217]

I am not having any results so far with Reta, below is my journey...What gives? Any thoughts or help would be appreciated.

Wk1 - 1mg - 278lbs
Wk2 - 2mg - 278lbs
Wk3- 2mg - 280.4lbs
Wk4- 2mg - 277.6lbs
Wk5- 3mg - 280lbs
Wk6- 3mg - 280lbs
Wk7- 4mg - 280lbs
Wk8- 4mg - 280lbs
Wk9- 6mg - 280lbs
Wk10- 6mg - 278lbs
Wk11- 6mg - 276.4lbs
Wk12- 8mg - 278lbs

 

[Airborne Daddy]

I may

I think I might be able to help you. I was in the same exact situation except I'm extremely handsome. Ask anyone.

I posted where I took 12mg reta, 10 tirz and 1 mg of Cagri and never even burped. Zero effect on me and then I found something.

I was swearing my thyroid was jiggy. My doc said the bloods looked good. However after researching several hours a day I came to the conclusion that I needed iodine. So I started taking 2 drops of Lugols every morning in my coffee w/ 8oz of water w/ a pinch of Baja Gold Sea Salt. Worked my way to 5 drops.

Bam! Weight started coming off and I was getting better hunger supression w/ my reta. My energy was thru the roof and my old man pains went away. No more brain fog. It has changed my life.

I never said anything about it until one day @Airborne Daddy made the statement that he heard that thyroid problems could effect how reta works. He was right (and 6 months late 🙂 ) but it verified my suspicions.

Maybe this will help you to but everyone is different. Good luck.

I may try this cuz at max doses i never lost more than 20lbs. Just began trying to cut my drinking 90% so well see.

 

[woundcarping]

I am not having any results so far with Reta, below is my journey...What gives? Any thoughts or help would be appreciated.

Wk1 - 1mg - 278lbs
Wk2 - 2mg - 278lbs
Wk3- 2mg - 280.4lbs
Wk4- 2mg - 277.6lbs
Wk5- 3mg - 280lbs
Wk6- 3mg - 280lbs
Wk7- 4mg - 280lbs
Wk8- 4mg - 280lbs
Wk9- 6mg - 280lbs
Wk10- 6mg - 278lbs
Wk11- 6mg - 276.4lbs
Wk12- 8mg - 278lbs

That’s less “surprising”, a portion of the trial population (~10%) were non responders.

The first thing to rule out could be if your Reta wasn’t Reta.

 

[nkresho]

I vote calories in are being under counted.

In the end, it's just pure numbers. If you burn more than you eat, you will lose weight.

Reta will help you consume less, for sure, it may even help you burn a bit more in terms of increasing resting metabolic rate, but at the end of the day, week, month, if you're not losing weight you are consuming too many calories compared to what you're burning.

condiments, small snacks, beverages, it could be anything, but i'm confident there's something not being counted toward your daily intake

Dropping to 1500 is a bit extreme and if you can't stick with for an extended period, it it's not even worth trying because you'll rebound hard

I'd say if you're currently counting 1,950 daily, drop that to 1850-1800 (strict) and watch the scale.

Remember a pound of fat is like 3,500 calories. You'd need to be at a 500 calorie deficit for 7 days straight to lose one single pound. If you go over your cals one or two days, you could throw the whole week away.

 

[woundcarping]

Remember a pound of fat is like 3,500 calories. You'd need to be at a 500 calorie deficit for 7 days straight to lose one single pound. If you go over your cals one or two days, you could throw the whole week away.

A pound of weight loss is rarely a pound of fat, the lean tissue loss reduces the calorie count per pound.

 

[Hawk_recon]

I am not having any results so far with Reta, below is my journey...What gives? Any thoughts or help would be appreciated.

Wk1 - 1mg - 278lbs
Wk2 - 2mg - 278lbs
Wk3- 2mg - 280.4lbs
Wk4- 2mg - 277.6lbs
Wk5- 3mg - 280lbs
Wk6- 3mg - 280lbs
Wk7- 4mg - 280lbs
Wk8- 4mg - 280lbs
Wk9- 6mg - 280lbs
Wk10- 6mg - 278lbs
Wk11- 6mg - 276.4lbs
Wk12- 8mg - 278lbs

Are you tracking calories in/out? If you’re not losing, you’re eating too many calories. That’s the undeniable rule of the game.

 

[Draculawless]

Man, all you guys are wonderful. Truly. I'm glad I have a place here to discuss these things!

 

[Draculawless]

That’s less “surprising”, a portion of the trial population (~10%) were non responders.

The first thing to rule out could be if your Reta wasn’t Reta.

It is from a reputable source that always has people post positive test results. Does that mean mine isn't reputable? Maybe, but probably not.

 

[Draculawless]

I vote calories in are being under counted.

In the end, it's just pure numbers. If you burn more than you eat, you will lose weight.

Reta will help you consume less, for sure, it may even help you burn a bit more in terms of increasing resting metabolic rate, but at the end of the day, week, month, if you're not losing weight you are consuming too many calories compared to what you're burning.

condiments, small snacks, beverages, it could be anything, but i'm confident there's something not being counted toward your daily intake

Dropping to 1500 is a bit extreme and if you can't stick with for an extended period, it it's not even worth trying because you'll rebound hard

I'd say if you're currently counting 1,950 daily, drop that to 1850-1800 (strict) and watch the scale.

Remember a pound of fat is like 3,500 calories. You'd need to be at a 500 calorie deficit for 7 days straight to lose one single pound. If you go over your cals one or two days, you could throw the whole week away.

Are you tracking calories in/out? If you’re not losing, you’re eating too many calories. That’s the undeniable rule of the game.

I am but ultimately it's not thorough enough. Im

My question is what are the foods you are eating? Until I started keto and eating clean whole foods, I had ridiculous carb cravings for things like pizza and fried foods and such due to the dopamine addiction to them. You can be hungry and lose weight, but if the food you are eating is addictive for your brain, that hunger might be breaking through that way. This is the reason why I don't do cheat days even on Reta.

I can maybe eat 2 slices of pizza before I feel like I'm dying. Usually that process would take at least twice as much. So there are changes taking place, it's just trying to get things moving.

 

[Draculawless]

Are you tracking calories in/out? If you’re not losing, you’re eating too many calories. That’s the undeniable rule of the game.

And that's probably my problem. I don't want to weigh food, but it's time.

 

[Prodigy217]

That’s less “surprising”, a portion of the trial population (~10%) were non responders.

The first thing to rule out could be if your Reta wasn’t Reta.

I have sourced from 3 different sources to try. I did get some mild appetite suppression from it when I moved to 6mg. I've also used Semaglutide and Tirzepatide in the past. Both of those worked for me. My problem with those was insurance and consistency. Then when I decided to go this route, I thought why not try Reta with all the rave reviews. But I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels now. 12 weeks in and no results to show for it. I am thinking of just going back to Tirz but through gray where its actually affordable. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Prodigy217]

Are you tracking calories in/out? If you’re not losing, you’re eating too many calories. That’s the undeniable rule of the game.

No, I don't track calories, I don't really feel like i eat much either. But who knows. The thing is when I was on Sema and Tirz in the past, I never had to track calories and I started losing within the first couple of weeks with both. I assumed the same would be true for Reta...Nope.

 

[Prodigy217]

And that's probably my problem. I don't want to weigh food, but it's time.

Exactly, I know, its lazy, but i didnt think id have to since I didnt with the others. And this supposedly the king of the GLPs I thought it would just work like the others did for me.

 

[Hawk_recon]

No, I don't track calories, I don't really feel like i eat much either. But who knows. The thing is when I was on Sema and Tirz in the past, I never had to track calories and I started losing within the first couple of weeks with both. I assumed the same would be true for Reta...Nope.

Reta is different for sure. I personally have no appetite suppression on Reta and it literally stopped working for me after a few weeks. Tirz has been better for me. Anyway, always the first line of thinking for anyone not losing though should be meticulous tracking (including any sauces, dressings, etc.) for a few weeks. 100% that will reveal the issue.

 

[Draculawless]

I have sourced from 3 different sources to try. I did get some mild appetite suppression from it when I moved to 6mg. I've also used Semaglutide and Tirzepatide in the past. Both of those worked for me. My problem with those was insurance and consistency. Then when I decided to go this route, I thought why not try Reta with all the rave reviews. But I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels now. 12 weeks in and no results to show for it. I am thinking of just going back to Tirz but through gray where its actually affordable. 🤷‍♂️

I had been on gray sema as well up to 2.4 and I definitely felt it. This kind of just feels "meh." I know it's not a miracle drug but so far it's been less of an effect than the sema I was on. Once again all of the reviews for the source are stunning and backed by tests. Maybe it just doesn't work for me. Maybe tirz would make more sense.

 

[Prodigy217]

Reta is different for sure. I personally have no appetite suppression on Reta and it literally stopped working for me after a few weeks. Tirz has been better for me. Anyway, always the first line of thinking for anyone not losing though should be meticulous tracking (including any sauces, dressings, etc.) for a few weeks. 100% that will reveal the issue.

I appreciate your insight. I think I will just go back to Tirz.

 

[Prodigy217]

I had been on gray sema as well up to 2.4 and I definitely felt it. This kind of just feels "meh." I know it's not a miracle drug but so far it's been less of an effect than the sema I was on. Once again all of the reviews for the source are stunning and backed by tests. Maybe it just doesn't work for me. Maybe tirz would make more sense.

Its a bummer for us, but at least I now know I'm not alone. lol.

 

[JoonyO]

No, I don't track calories, I don't really feel like i eat much either. But who knows. The thing is when I was on Sema and Tirz in the past, I never had to track calories and I started losing within the first couple of weeks with both. I assumed the same would be true for Reta...Nope.

Reta DOES NOT "work" the same as those two and from every indication from previous users it was "RETA IS GREAT!": they had NEVER used either Tirz or Sema. "Why isn't Reta working for me!?": they HAD USED one or the other or both.