Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, medical professional, or healthcare provider. Nothing in this article should be considered medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or a recommendation to use any peptide. This content is based solely on my personal research experience. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions regarding your health.
When I decided to start Retatrutide (GLP-3), I was honestly excited. After struggling with my weight for years and trying countless approaches, I finally felt like I was taking control of my situation.
For my research, I ordered a 10 mg vial of Retatrutide and used a 0.5 mL syringe for administration. I started at the lowest recommended dose and planned to increase slowly over time if needed.
One thing I want to mention right away is that when you're first starting, the amount can look incredibly small. I remember looking at that syringe and thinking, “There's no way this tiny amount is enough.”
I was wrong.
My first week at the lowest dose was more than enough.
The biggest thing I noticed during my first week was that the food noise was practically gone.
If you've dealt with food noise before, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The constant thoughts about food, planning meals, wondering what's next to eat, and feeling mentally consumed by it throughout the day.
Within the first week, that had noticeably changed.
There were days where I would go most of the day and suddenly realize I hadn't even thought about food. Usually by evening my appetite would return and I would feel hungry, but the constant mental chatter around eating was significantly reduced.
Because of how effective the lowest dose felt for me, I personally don't think there's any reason to rush into higher doses when first starting. I believe it's important to give your body time to adjust whenever introducing something new. I also want to mention while doing my research the people that are reporting crazy side effects are almost always the ones that started off at a higher dose or are taking way too much.
One of the first side effects I experienced was a mild headache during the first couple of days after my weekly pin.
After doing some research, I found that many other people reported similar experiences. While everyone is different, dehydration seemed to be a common factor people discussed.
To combat this, I started carrying around a large cup filled with electrolytes and made hydration a priority, especially during the first few days after pinning.
For me, this made a huge difference.
One of my biggest takeaways from these first six weeks is that hydration is absolutely non negotiable.
Another thing I noticed during the first couple of days after my weekly dose was that I felt colder than usual. And actually has saved me some money on my electric bill lol. I use to only be able to sleep with my place at 69 degrees and now that is insane to me. I sleep now with my thermostat off some nights or nothing lower than 72 degrees.
I've seen many other researchers mention this as well, and it was something I experienced and am still experiencing at week 12.
This might be a little TMI for some people, but if you've followed my content for a while, you know I like being transparent.
In my research I've heard that women are significantly more fertile while researching on Reta. I also noticed increased “wetness” 🙂 compared to normal during these first 6 weeks.
I don't hear many women talk about this aspect of their experience, but since this blog is documenting my real journey, I felt it was worth mentioning.
One thing I think is important to discuss is the temptation to brag about how little you're eating.
When the food noise disappears and your appetite decreases, it can feel exciting but I don't think that's the right mindset.
Just because you're less hungry doesn't mean your body suddenly stops needing nutrition.
Your body still needs protein, vitamins, minerals, and adequate calories to function properly. Throughout this process, I learned that fueling my body with quality foods was incredibly important.
The goal isn't to starve yourself. Even before I started my peptide journey I always ate clean, I do not eat processed foods, fast foods etc. My problem was I think my body was just is fight or flight or high stress for such a long time that it was just storing fat. Or my hormones were out of whack.
The goal is to create a healthier relationship with food while still giving your body what it needs.
One side effect I researched before starting was constipation.
Many people reported digestive slowdowns while using Retatrutide, and I frequently saw discussions about constipation online.
Personally, I never experienced this.
My digestion remained fairly normal throughout my experience.
Of course, everyone's experience will be different, but this was one side effect that never showed up for me.
One topic that gets discussed a lot in peptide communities is anhedonia, which is basically a reduced interest in things that normally bring you enjoyment.
I honestly don't know if I experienced this from Retatrutide or from everything else happening in my life at the time.
During my second week on Retatrutide, I left my job.
Instead of focusing on my workouts, I suddenly found myself fully committed to building this website, creating content, and pursuing UGC opportunities.
At the same time, I completely lost interest in working out and socializing.
Before starting Retatrutide, I had a fairly strict workout schedule and was consistently exercising four times per week.
After leaving my job, I found myself sitting at my computer for hours every day trying to figure out my next move.
I honestly never wanted to leave my desk.
Even when I forced myself to go to the gym, it didn't feel the same. I wasn't excited to be there, and my motivation was noticeably lower.
Was that Retatrutide?
Or was it the stress and uncertainty of leaving my job without another one lined up?
I genuinely don't know.
That's why I don't feel comfortable blaming the peptide for it.
One experience that definitely wasn't Retatrutide's fault happened during a workout class.
I was trying to use the last few credits on my ClassPass account before canceling my subscription due to my income situation.
During the class, I almost fainted.
The reason?
I had barely eaten that day.
Looking back, it was a huge lesson.
Just because your appetite is reduced doesn't mean your body doesn't need fuel.
Since reaching Week 12, I've made a conscious effort to prioritize protein. Even if that means having a protein shake, I've found that getting enough protein dramatically improves how I feel.
Another thing I noticed during the first few days after pinning was scalp sensitivity.
This was a little concerning because naturally my mind immediately went to hair loss.
After researching the topic, I found that some people have reported hair shedding while losing weight rapidly.
What I learned is that in many cases, this isn't believed to be a direct reaction to the medication itself. Instead, rapid weight loss can trigger a temporary shedding condition known as telogen effluvium.
The good news is that many people report their hair eventually returning once their body stabilizes.
Some even claim their hair came back thicker than before.
Personally, I have not experienced any hair loss.
The only thing I noticed was temporary scalp sensitivity.
Since I'm documenting these weeks from memory, I can't give exact numbers, but I'm comfortable saying I lost roughly 3 pounds per week during my first six weeks.
Looking back, these first six weeks were when I noticed the biggest changes in my appetite, hunger cues, and overall relationship with food.
The reduced food noise was by far the most noticeable effect.
If I had to summarize my first six weeks on Retatrutide in three points, they would be:
Retatrutide may reduce appetite, but your body still needs fuel.
Looking back, the people who reminded me to stay hydrated and focus on nutrition were giving some of the best advice I could have received.
As I continue documenting this journey, I'll be sharing what happened next, including the plateau I hit around Week 6 and the additional peptides I later introduced into my research protocol.
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These are the syringes I personally use for my peptide research.Â
The disposable gloves I use to help maintain a clean research environment.
A convenient storage solution for keeping research materials organized and protected.
A simple research essential I use for preparing pinning sites and supplies.
Weeks 6–11 of my peptide journey brought my first weight loss plateau, the addition of MOTS-C and GLOW, unexpected cycle changes, and a lesson in making sure I was eating enough while on Retatrutide. Here's what I experienced and what I learned along the way.
Reta can make food noise disappear so much that sometimes I genuinely forget to eat. After rollerblading at the beach all day on an empty stomach, my body reminded me very quickly why nourishment still matters.
For the past few years, I genuinely felt like my body was stuck in survival mode.
What a lot of people do not realize is that weight gain is not always about being lazy, overeating, or “not trying hard enough.” Sometimes your body is carrying stress that never fully left your system. And I truly believe that is what happened to me.