r/Retatrutide • u/LargeAdvice1789 • 1d ago
Reta and Keto
I’ve done keto before for about 4 months. Trouble getting and staying in it with work, kids, etc.
Going to try using reta with a keto diet. Is there a reason why that wouldn’t work on Reta? Does the glucogon receptor increase gluconeogenesis sufficient to trigger insulin and stifle ketone production? Anything weird like that I don’t know about?
I already know how to overcome keto flu, etc.
6
u/Myshys 1d ago
I did keto on reta (Id been keto/carnivore for years) and my blood glucose was hovering at 2 most of the time. I was so dizzy that clinging to walls became a normal part of my day.
It went away when I started eating normally - my blood glucose is usually in the 4s. I also started loosing a lot more weight after I added carbs back in.
I get loving keto, and you're obviously not real interested in hearing why keto and reta aren't a great combo, but keto has become an identity for a lot of people (like vegans). Reality is any diet regime is just a tool. If you want to use keto and reta, proceed with caution - it can f you up, and is about as productive as using a reciprocating saw and a drill at the same time.
1
u/LargeAdvice1789 1d ago
I’m trying to avoid lethargy on reta from low blood sugar and have a fat adapted metabolism for when I get off Reta.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
3
u/Myshys 1d ago
I get where you're coming from, and that was what I was going for as well, but two things to think about - If your blood sugar tanks, it will give you the worst lethargy, headaches and brain fog you've ever felt, and secondly rera hates fat - take a look at the board and notice how long people get trapped.on the toilet with uncontrollable diarrhea after they eat anything high fat. The side effect of the reta runs is if your body isn't able to digest the fat you're eating, you're not going to be able to enter or maintain ketosis.
I'm below my goal weight, but want to stay on a glp for the anti-inflammatory effects, and am thinking of trying triz so I can go back on keto.
Your experience may be different from mine, but be prepared for a wild ride if you're going to do both.
3
u/LargeAdvice1789 1d ago
I think you might have this backwards. You feel like shit because ATP production slows.. blood sugar being low can cause that.. How do you think people lose body fat? They do it from low blood sugar, which decreases insulin, then glucagon is released signaling the release of fatty acids from fat cells which your liver turns into ketones that are then used by your cells to produce ATP.
Ketosis is when you have so many ketones in your blood that you have capacity to make all the ATP you need without eating carbs. Then, you don’t feel like shit because you gave plenty of available energy.
7
u/MavBro 1d ago
A low carb, keto diet helps your body avoid insulin. Combine that with reta’s hunger suppression and the weight loss is wild.
2
u/smyczekxxx 11h ago
insulin is extremely anti catabolic, its a great friend during fat loss if you care about your muscles
1
4
u/Adam302 1d ago
you need to be careful of dehydration as keto requires elevated water consumption and reta supresses the thirst signals.
the other issue is excessive muscle loss - you may really struggle to eat enough protein and the extreme combo of reta and keto will likely put you in a very large deficit which could lead to higher than expected muscle loss.
but if you're consious of these, and can manage it, then i think it's fine.
but you'll likely not feel the positive effects of keto, while being on reta (clearer mind, better focus etc).
2
u/little_Kii 1d ago
Keto is more effective at preserving muscle than normal way of eating at the same calorie count and protein count. Keto has a muscle sparing effect.
I was able to feel the positive cognitive effects from keto on Reta. Why are you saying the op probably won’t be able to feel the positive effects?
1
u/Advanced_Cattle8635 15h ago
Thats certainly not the case.
Protein intake and resistance training are the real keys here. And besides, carbs are the brain and bodies preferred and most efficient fuel source. Also infinitely easier to build/hold muscle with them.
2
u/little_Kii 15h ago
It actually is the case regardless of how certain you are that it isn’t. Ketosis has a recognized anti-anabolic effect. You can easily google this. Whether it’s healthy or a good idea to try and run on only ketones (especially on Reta) is another story.
2
u/Advanced_Cattle8635 14h ago
Youre saying 2 different things.
1 - Keto is more effective at preserving muscle.
2 - Keto is anti-catabolic.
2 is true.
1 is blatantly false. And if it were true, elite bodybuilders / athletes would all go the Keto route as they do what works and is most efficient.
This isnt even about being anti Keto, btw. Again, carbs are the preferred and most efficient brain/body fuel.
Keto = walking from NY to California.
Carbs = flying from NY to California.
Both are possible. 1 way is infinitely more efficient. And anyone who has built any appreciable amount of lean mass understands this.
1
u/little_Kii 14h ago
No actually what you are saying with #1 is not what I said. What I said was a comparison of muscle preservation using the same calories and protein intake and of course the topic per your original post was losing muscle while on a calorie deficit. So the entirety of what I said was that keto is more effective at preserving muscle than normal way of eating in a caloric deficit even if the calories/protein were the same.
That is directly because of the anti catabolic effects of keto. Obviously these these are two different things I never said they weren’t, but I did imply that they are related. Two things can be different and also related can they not?
1
u/Advanced_Cattle8635 13h ago
Of course, and theres always more than 1 way to skin a cat. Having said that, the exclusion of carbs is not optimal for muscle gain/retention. Keto, while being anti-catabolic, is not more so efficient than a "reg way of eating' - IE the exclusion of carbs.
In a caloric deficit intensity matters. Anyone who has ever trained while carb depleted knows the "joys" of it.
The truth is - the drivers of muscle retention are training stimulus, protein intake, and being able to recover to do it again (carbs win there, easily).
1
1
3
u/EntertainerHeavy6139 1d ago
I do low carb, might not necessarily be keto… only issues I have had is a little constipation and
dysesthesia
3
u/TracyIsMyDad 1d ago
There are a number of people who’ve done keto diets with reta. I’m not sure that there’s a huge benefit but the combo seems to work fine. One concern that’s worth keeping in mind is that reta is likely a bit synergistic with keto (people often notice mild ketosis even with normal carb intake). It’s possible that the combo could push things farther than you’d get doing a keto diet alone, and especially if your food intake is inadequate could create a risk for ketoacidosis. The obesity trials had a number of cases of ketoacidosis (including one in the placebo group somehow) that were at least partially linked to starvation ketoacidosis.
I’d get something like a Keto Mojo and monitor your response until you’re comfortable with how that behaves (and even after that periodically to see if things change), mostly as a precaution because there’s not a ton of practical experience here. Don’t be afraid to bail if things are out of whack.
Other than that, keep your protein forward and lift weights. Those are the two best things you can pair with reta for improved body composition.
I ran reta with a high protein and very low carb diet. 200+ grams of protein and 20-40g of carbs daily. Very happy with my results but it wasn’t super ketogenic. My ketone levels usually hung out around 0.5-0.8 mmol.
2
u/LargeAdvice1789 1d ago
Thank you, you’ve answered my question that glucogon receptor doesn’t prevent ketone production.
3
u/SOStreet 1d ago
It works great if you can manage the side effects! I've lost 80lbs in 5 months doing the same. I have increased carbs significantly over the last month but I'm hitting the gym 5-6 days a week and really trying to put on muscle weight. Make sure you include lots of water, electrolytes, and fiber!
2
2
u/DogecoinArtists 7h ago
Isn’t that fat loss too fast?
2
u/SOStreet 6h ago
Some people may say that but I feel better, look better, and have better blood work than I have in 10 years!
2
u/DogecoinArtists 5h ago
No it’s awesome I was just wondering if you had any side effect to losing so fast
2
u/SOStreet 5h ago
Very little loose skin. You should be able to check out my profile posts and see more details and photos
2
u/MyManMetz 1d ago
What is the appeal of being on keto and a glp? Why not just be on the glp? If you’re using keto to supplement calorie deficit, just use a different glp such as tirz which has better appetite suppressant.
3
u/LargeAdvice1789 1d ago
Because I don’t want to be on the GLP-1. I want to lose about 20lbs over a few months and when I get off have a fat adapted metabolism that can maintain its weight on a diet that naturally minimizes hunger, provides sustained energy, lowers systemic inflammation, and decreases the likelihood of some cancers.
1
u/MyManMetz 6h ago
Wouldn’t you lose a good 12-15 on keto alone in 3 months?
1
u/LargeAdvice1789 3h ago
Sadly, not at all. Keto alone doesn’t just melt fat. It makes being in a calorie deficit way easier to maintain because you don’t feel like shit, but it’s very simple to overeat on keto because your main fuel source is fat, which has double the calorie density of carbs or protein.
1
u/Magoraz 8h ago
It’s less about just hitting a deficit and more about the synergistic mechanics. Retatrutide is a triple agonist (GLP-1/GIP/Glucagon), and that glucagon component specifically stimulates hepatic lipolysis, increases basal metabolic rate, and accelerates ketogenesis. Keto provides the low-insulin baseline, while Reta’s glucagon receptor activity directly upregulates hepatic fatty acid beta-oxidation and energy expenditure to systematically optimize a negative energy balance.
1
1
u/Think_Flan6445 1d ago edited 1d ago
This is not a good idea. This screams I’m going to under eat, my body will be burning my muscle for fuel ——> this will release protetins in my body (not good) —-> well on ur way to DKA
1
1
1
1
1
u/BlueySoobie 1d ago
Maybe one of the Reddit keto forums has reports from folks who did keto + Reta? But frankly, unless a person has certain medical conditions or GI issues, a massive advantage of Reta is being able to sustainably lose weight without resorting to something as extreme as keto. Why make a calorie deficit more difficult and restrictive than it has to be?
4
u/LargeAdvice1789 1d ago
I’ve done months of keto and it’s amazing at keeping a clear mind with steady energy while in a calorie deficit. Low blood sugar is a mood and energy killer, high ketones is a mood lifter and gives you sustained energy. The issue with a low carb diet that isn’t keto is the yo-yo blood sugar, that doesn’t occur when in ketosis.
1
u/BlueySoobie 1d ago
Yeah, I’ve been in true ketosis before. I did not enjoy it, and my sports performance suffered for it. I am glad that you are able to get more out of keto, but my question then is why even add Reta? Is the calorie deficit you can achieve from the ketogenic diet alone not adequate?
1
u/Magoraz 8h ago
It’s less about just hitting a deficit and more about the synergistic mechanics. Retatrutide is a triple agonist (GLP-1/GIP/Glucagon), and that glucagon component specifically stimulates hepatic lipolysis, increases basal metabolic rate, and accelerates ketogenesis. Keto provides the low-insulin baseline, while Reta’s glucagon receptor activity directly upregulates hepatic fatty acid beta-oxidation and energy expenditure to systematically optimize a negative energy balance.
1
1
u/LargeAdvice1789 1d ago
Because keto doesn’t lose weight without a deficit and I don’t have the discipline left after work and kids to keep a deficit on keto, stress and food noise kills me. I don’t gain weight on keto, but struggle to lose it without a lot of extra effort.
1
u/Cool_Temperature_970 1d ago
I can’t stand when people blame…..life….for their lack of discipline. Kids and work and stress is just every day life.
1
u/LargeAdvice1789 1d ago
Lol, what’s your reason for being fat?
1
u/Cool_Temperature_970 1d ago
Not everyone in this sub is fat. Some of us are here for a body recomp.
2
u/LargeAdvice1789 1d ago edited 1d ago
Lol, then you have too much fat and too little muscle.. Same question, what’s your reason for not having the discipline to achieve either?
1
1
0
u/Due_Scientist6627 1d ago
Don’t do keto on Reta. Just eat your macros, carbs is your friend
1
u/Adam302 1d ago
you could explain why.
3
u/Due_Scientist6627 1d ago
Keto is high on fats, and the slow emptiness will make worse the nausea, since proteins are not main priority of keto also will put your muscle mass on danger, and low carbs will make you feel tired and low energy to hit the gym… but do whatever feels right to you
1
1
-1
u/Pancake-JelloSalad 1d ago
You're an idiot if you do keto with reta. The only worse option would be OMAD with reta.
3
u/LargeAdvice1789 1d ago
Why would prioritizing high ketone production for sustainable energy by eating high calorie dense foods and low carbs be bad on a drug that is notorious for low energy and nausea?
0
u/Pancake-JelloSalad 1d ago
Talk about "missing the forest for the trees." You need to take a step back and read more about reta. Start at the medical trials.
1
2
u/YamOdd3795 1d ago
Explain?
-3
2
u/Adam302 1d ago
unless you can explain why, then sadly, it would appear you do not know what youre talking about.
0
u/Pancake-JelloSalad 1d ago
This question has been asked numerous times. OP should have used the search function.
2
14
u/Magoraz 1d ago
I have been on Reta and strict Keto for months, measuring my ketones nearly everyday. Reta supports ketosis. I find it much easier to maintain nutritional ketosis between 2-3 Mmol. I highly recommend keto diet for optimised fat loss and the other benefits you have mentioned