Greetings from the San Luis Obispo County Airport and hour…I’ve lost count…of delays and waiting.
Coming up on the new year which means resolutions and mostly like fitness / weight loss goals, and wasted gym memberships for some 
In that vein, I wanted to share my recent experience with Retatrutide, which is a next gen GLP-1 that’s not yet been approved by the FDA it’s in Phase 3 trials (I think) and the results were so remarkable that they ended the placebo group early.
Summary from Grok:
Retatrutide (Reta) – 300-word summary
Retatrutide is Eli Lilly’s investigational triple-agonist peptide targeting GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors, currently in Phase 3 trials for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic disorders. It is widely regarded as the most powerful weight-loss compound ever tested in humans.
Mechanism of action: GLP-1 and GIP strongly suppress appetite, delay gastric emptying, promote glucose-dependent insulin secretion, and markedly improve insulin sensitivity. The distinguishing glucagon receptor agonism directly triggers lipolysis (breakdown of stored triglycerides), significantly increases resting energy expenditure by 200–400+ calories per day, and promotes browning of white fat tissue. This triple synergy produces exceptional body recomposition: 90–94% of lost weight is pure fat, with dramatic reductions in visceral fat (the dangerous fat surrounding organs) and liver fat (up to 82% resolution of metabolic-associated steatohepatitis in trials).
Phase 2 results showed average 24–26% body weight loss at 48 weeks (12 mg dose), with many participants achieving 30–34% total loss—substantially outperforming semaglutide (~15–20%) and tirzepatide (~20–22%).
Beyond scale victories, retatrutide delivers profound improvements in lipid panels: triglycerides often drop 30–50%, HDL cholesterol rises, and overall atherogenic profiles improve dramatically, reducing cardiovascular risk. These cardiometabolic benefits, combined with visceral fat clearance, contribute to reversal of metabolic syndrome features.
User experiences: The most frequently highlighted effect is the near-total elimination of “food noise”—persistent thoughts about eating, cravings, and meal planning frequently disappear within days, creating an unprecedented mental quiet and freedom around food. Many report sustained energy, elevated mood, effortless dietary adherence, and a sense of metabolic optimization.
Still not FDA-approved (expected 2026–2027), available only as research peptide. Retatrutide offers unmatched potential for rapid, fat-specific weight loss, visceral/liver fat reduction, improved lipid profiles, and lasting cognitive relief from food obsession.
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I started on Oct 31st at 193lb and weighed in last week before our trip to SLO at 178.6lb. Guessing I’m at 176-177lb. I didn’t necessarily “need” to lose weight, as I was about 17.3% BF per a body comp scale at home, 15.6% at last weigh in.
I just started this as an experiment, to see what would happen. The results and experience have been rather profound, IMO
Notes:
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The two most notable effects are the “quieting” of food noise in my head and the slowing down of gastric processes. The net is that I haven’t actually been “hungry” since I started, nearly always feeling some level of stomach fullness. And the reduction in food noise is wild. I’ve done similar or much greater weight cuts for racing, etc and it required nearly constant food, calorie tracking and logging discipline. This time…a fraction of a fraction of that has been required. In fact, I’d characterize it as nearly effortless.
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With all of these GLP-1 drugs, but perhaps less so with Retatrutide due to it’s fat burning qualities, you MUST have strict resistance training and protein intake goals in order to maintain lean muscle mass. I can’t stress this enough. As I have very consistent exercise habits (6-7 days per week as 4-5x lifting and 4-5x cardio sessions), I can put up absolutely massive daily calorie deficits on this stuff. But the lack of food noise and the gastric slow down means that I have to REALLY focus on getting .75-1g of protein per lb of body weight, daily.
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If you search around you’ll find many reports of people using these drugs to drop massive amounts of weight…but without good exercise and eating habits. As a result, they’re (1) not learning to how to live a healthier lifestyle and (2) a good percentage of their weight loss is from loss of muscle mass and, more scarily, connective tissue.
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That said, if someone is carrying 40lb+ of extra weight, you could argue that the downstream health and longevity costs of that are likely greater?
I’ll stay on the train until I get to about 168-170lb, then titrate down to a maintenance dose. I’m also going to do a full blood panel, especially lipids and liver function, to see the changes from a similar test last year. My lipids have always been crazy high, despite diet and body comp, and I saw improvements on a statin earlier this year. But the side effects sucked so I stopped. Curious to see the numbers on Reta vs a statin.
Anyway, TONS of conversations out there about these drugs, their potential, etc. Just sharing my personal experience and perspective, as someone who was in the endurance coaching space for decades.
Happy to answer any questions you may have.
