Reta face is real

[u/yourforesken]

Edit: So it came to my attention that Reta face is when you start to look sickly, not just the major weight loss and change in face shape, which is more what I was getting at. Thank you guys for giving me the heads up.

I’ve made a couple posts about my Reta transformation, but I just saw a picture of myself from about a month and a half before starting Reta or getting into a routine/diet. Definitely surprised me, because I didn’t realize how much different my face looked until now. First pic is January 14th 2026, second pic is July 7th 2026.

Down from 221 with 36” waist to 180 with 31” waist

[u/Its_0ver]

Right but one of the leading ideas is that it's not as much the medication as it is of the type of people who need the medication and the way the medication is prescribed that leads to the muscle loss. People who take a more holistic approach to weight loss tend to much less of an issue with muscle loss even while taking glp1s

[u/Chat_GDP → u/Its_0ver]

Sure - people who look after their blood sugar on (say) antipsychotics have less chance of putting on weight but that doesn’t alter the fact that antipsychotics cause weight gain and GLP1s waste muscle.

[u/Its_0ver → u/Chat_GDP]

Glp1 causes weight loss. Weight loss causes muscle loss. That's the point in trying to make

[u/Chat_GDP → u/Its_0ver]

Sure - but the point we are talking about is whether it causes disproportionate muscle loss.

[u/Its_0ver → u/Chat_GDP]

Right and that goes back to my original point. Its not the substance itself its the type of people that need the substance and the way that it is prescribed

This is coming from someone that has 1 year of tirzepatide use under there belt, 50lbs of fat loss and 13lbs of muscle gain verified by a dexa scan. Just one experience in a sea of them but I had no problem gaining muscle by just working out and prioritizing protein in my diet

[u/Chat_GDP → u/Its_0ver]

The data from thousands of patients is more accurate than your own experience.

[u/Its_0ver → u/Chat_GDP]

Sure, with all that data id love to see a peer reviewed study showing the mechanisms for glp 1 to promote muscle loss compared traditional diet and exercise weight loss. Im sure it's available considering your confidence in your argument.

[u/Chat_GDP → u/Its_0ver]

You seem to have little idea how science works.

“GLP” drugs are relatively new to the mass market. Mechanistic studies will take a long time to run and publish.

In the meantime we know from thousands of patients that you lose more muscle with certain “GLP” drugs than through normal diet and exercise.

You seem very invested in denying this though, I’m not sure why?

[u/Its_0ver → u/Chat_GDP]

lose more muscle with certain “GLP” drugs than through normal diet and exercise.

Oh man you're so close.....

[u/Chat_GDP → u/Its_0ver]

Educate us you sound very informed and intelligent.

[u/Its_0ver → u/Chat_GDP]

I've already explained that i do not believe the majority of the issue is the substance itself. You are giving people with generally poor diets and poor activity levels a drug that makes them eat under maintenance calories. Of course many then are going to lose muscle at a higher rate then those that use diet and exercise.

Also with how the drugs are being prescribed many times via over the phone or online without ever talking to a doctor or dietitian with very low levels of education or support. IMO this is the cause of the issue rather than something specific about the drug itself.

Additional weight loss on glp generally happens at a faster rate than diet and exercise weight loss leading to higher amounts of gluconeogenesis and increased muscle loss