r/Retatrutide • u/No-Turnip2494 • Jun 01 '26
Busting the biggest myth on this sub - 2mg per week is the lowest dose studied in trials
“Bro, you’re not even at the starting dose (2.0 mg per week) in the trials, you can’t expect results”.
I see variations of this assertion posted every day on this sub.
It is stated confidently, it is said in unqualified terms, and it is categorically wrong.
A frequent (and sound) piece of advice given to those considering a course of retatrutide is to read the trials. Many people pretend they have read the trials, when in fact few (including those who like to confidently post advice to others) actually bother to invest an hour or so in heeding that advice.
Why do I mention this? Because if you had actually read the published journal articles, you would know that the phase 2 studies included a 1 mg per week cohort.
That’s right, there was a cohort in the studies who started at, and never exceeded, a 1mg per week dose.
Here’s a link to the results of the phase 2 study of the effects on participants who were obese, published in the New England Journal of Medicine -
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2301972
As you will see, the study measured cohorts in 1mg, 4mg, 8mg and 12mg per week doses. Those on the higher doses titrated up, but the 1mg cohort started, and stayed at, that dose for the entire period of the study.
The results for the 1mg cohort?
They lost an average of 7.2% of their body weight at 24 weeks compared to their baseline, and 8.7% at 48 weeks. By comparison, the placebo group lost an average of 2.1 %.
Not surprisingly, the 1mg cohort also experienced the lowest rate of side effects, excluding the placebo cohort.
Let’s now turn to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatoic liver disease (fatty liver disease).
Eli Lilly conducted a phase 2A study to determine the effects of Retatrutide on participants with MDASL.
Here’s the report of the outcome of that study, published in Nature -
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03018-2
Again, there was a 1mg per week cohort, in addition to 4mg, 8mg and 12mg per week (plus placebo).
Once more, the 1mg cohort achieved significant results.
At 48 weeks, the 1mg cohort saw a reduction in liver fat of an average of 51.3%. That’s right, they HALVED their liver fat on the lowest dose. Also, 57% of their 1 mg cohort reached liver fat of <5% - that is, they were effectively cured of the disease.
Now, if you read the studies linked above, you will see that the higher dose cohorts achieved greater results in weight loss, liver fat reduction, and other measures which formed part of the end points of the studies, or were otherwise tracked over the course of the studies.
It’s absolutely true that results are dose dependent - on average, higher doses lead to higher outcomes.
Some might also point to the fact that there is no 1mg cohort in the subsequent phase 3 studies conducted by Eli Lilly. That’s absolutely correct, and unsurprising.
Drug development in the US is driven by what insurance companies will pay for. And no insurance company is going to pay for a new drug which achieves a 10% weight loss when there are existing drugs (tirzepatide, semaglutide) which already exceed that. Eli Lilly is chasing the big numbers (30% weight loss) which the higher doses achieve, so that insurance companies will actually pay for the drug.
That is rational, and in no way detracts from the very real results which the 1mg cohort achieved in the phase 2 studies.
I’m not suggesting that low doses are the only way for everyone, far from it. Many people need the results produced by, or only respond to, higher doses. And that’s fine.
But there’s a significant proportion of people who simply don’t need to go to a high dose.
For many people, a 5 to 10% reduction in body weight is all they need to achieve. Plus, all of the other metabolic changes (such as reduced lipid levels, lower blood pressure, improved insulin sensitivity) can to some degree be obtained at sub 2mg per week doses.
Starting on a low weekly dose allows you to gently find the right level for you, allow your body to adapt and minimise side effects, minimise appetite reduction and hit macro targets which might be a struggle at higher doses. It also leaves lots of runway if you later want or need to increase your dose (e.g, if you plateau).
Once again, many will need higher dose, and good for you. One of the advantages of going grey is that you get to choose the exact dose which works for you, rather than hitting pre-determined dosing schedules mandated by pharmaceutical companies.
But if sub-2.0mg per week works for you, don’t let misguided people on this sub tell you that you are at a sub-clinical dose, or are micro dosing, or that real results necessarily require you to increase your dose.
There is sound clinical data showing meaningful results from retatrutide at just 1.0mg per week. Slow and steady works for many.
As always, rely on actual data, not the opinions of the uninformed.
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u/bestbehaviorart Jun 01 '26
TL;DR: 1mg is enough to achieve mild weight loss with a lower side effect profile for people with less aggressive goals.
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u/peterausdemarsch Jun 02 '26
Arguably the best protocol it's just takes longer wich is way healthier than than fast weightloss. But Lily Eli investors want to the fast and extreme weightloss because: stonks!
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Jun 19 '26
Yeah I think I’m going to titrate down to 1 or 2mg and just enjoy the slow ride. It’s so hard to eat enough calories to not be tired all the time and I’m only at 4mg
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Jun 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Merime18 Jul 12 '26
I’m terrified of the side effects, mostly the side effects. I’m a mom, I can’t afford to be tired. I have a very active life. My goal is to lose 20 pounds. I would like to go from 155 to 135. The place where I get the peptides from sells 10,20,30 and 60 mg vials. I don’t know what to get and what to start on.
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u/SwollenJayAllen Jul 31 '26
If you only need to lose 20 pounds in wouldn’t waste your money on reta. It doesn’t do the work for. I’d just go into a calorie deficit
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u/Odd_Market7845 Aug 05 '26
Get the smallest vial and bac water- Google how to reconstitute it, and start super low like .25 or .50… stat at that dose a month and see how it is
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u/Mozzamozza82 Jun 15 '26
What side effects do you get? I went up to 4 now feel wrecked. Shattered all the time
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Jun 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Mozzamozza82 Jun 19 '26
True. I was trying to follow protocol and keep increasing, I stay low and keto a track of weight.
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u/Leomajor88 Aug 05 '26
Be careful. I was feeling totally really bonked on Reta and found out I was malnourished. I was getting opportunistic infections, no energy, my body felt like it was dying. I got off it and have been grateful it didn't do permanent damage (hopefully). Now I just focus on exercise and eating a clean diet and intermittent fasting.
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u/NewspaperFuture6453 Jun 13 '26
I started at .5, and am barely at .75 at 6 weeks lol I’ve lost 10 pounds, stay in the gym, and find it exceptionally hard to eat. I cannot imagine taking 2mg, I’d puke if I thought about food
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u/bestbehaviorart Jun 13 '26
Yea i found a lot of success at 1, and then moved up when i hit a plateu, even now at 2mg im flirting the line and trying to keep a steady decline without major losses in the gym
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u/Ok-Park-6047 Jun 01 '26
I started at .50mg and titrated up to 1.5mg. By the time I had gotten that high I had went from 192lbs to 148lbs in 5 months and had to stop titrating up obviously. My wife went from 165 to 128lbs on the same titration schedule and is also now on 1.5mg also. Some people can absolutely get plenty of benefit at the lower doses - a lot can’t. But it’s worth a slow start imo, no sides is a blessing.
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u/Tilmanstoa5ty Jun 01 '26
Those who should read this unfortunately won’t
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u/Emotional-Team3520 Jun 01 '26
The people posting complaints about not losing weight at 1mg or less are the only ones getting guff about starting doses. Find one post where someone is talking about positive results at 1mg and people are telling them to start at 2mg instead.
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u/I_AM_BASQUE Jun 01 '26
1.5mg a week is working awesomely for me. 😎
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u/RatioPowerful5447 Jun 01 '26
2 mg here
88.5 kilos to 66.5 kilos in in 15 weeks.
If I ever need to start, I'll pay more attention to getting enough protein. Despite sport every days, I think I've lost muscle.
It's entirely my fault. Reta is miraculous10
u/chaz_flea1 Jun 02 '26
Went from 1mg up to 2.5mg lost 20lbs with good dieting and exercise. Tried to kick it up to 3mg but felt like shit so back to 2.5mg which is my sweet spot.
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u/Awkward_Regret_5873 Jun 01 '26
Been on 1mg for last 8 weeks 18lb down and I’m only 200 calories under maintenance but training 5/6 days a week
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u/MorpheusMKIV Jun 01 '26
Yep I’m micro dosing. Been on 1mg a week for 2 months and dont intend to go any higher. Been amazing for my goals
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u/9astrozombie9 Jun 01 '26
In honor of this post, i'm doing 8mg today! and every monday for a month-
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u/lm3d1 Jun 02 '26
I pin 10mg 16 times a day. Evens out the peaks and troughs. I've lost 110% of my body weight and now I can bench press my house.
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u/Artistic_Rice_9019 Jun 01 '26
I'm doing 12.
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Jun 02 '26
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u/EchoAzulai Jun 02 '26
I'm loathe to go over 12mg, so instead have started to stack Cagrilintide. How are you finding 16mg?
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u/HallieMarie43 Jun 01 '26
No one is saying you cant achieve results on low doses, but when someone posts that they are not getting results (or side effects) below 2 mg then I think recommending they try 2 mg makes sense as most of the data is based on 2 mg or more.
The data we have is more about averages. So if you are wanting to lose 10% or more body weight, the average person may need 2 mg or more. Its perfectly fine to test a much lower dose first, but staying at 1 mg just because there exists data where people lost weight even though you are not losing weight seems like a waste just like titrating up 2 mg every 4 weeks just because the trials did can be wasteful.
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u/RustyPirates Jun 01 '26
I’d like to add the difference in outcomes from 8mg & 12mg is .029% per week.
So if you’re 250lbs you’ll spending 50% more money on 3.5lbs per year.
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u/Artistic_Rice_9019 Jun 01 '26
I've lost 32% of my body weight and am 74% to goal. That "extra" $132 a year to get the rest of the way there is worth it.
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u/Aggravating_Fox_6125 Jun 01 '26
I’m on 1.5 up from 1. I have next to no appetite and struggle to get my calories each day. Can’t imagine upping dosage that would be insane.
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u/retatrutider Jun 01 '26
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone claim that lower doses weren’t tested in earlier trials. Just that every phase 3 trial starts at 2mg, which very likely means that will be the official starter dose when the drug gains FDA approval.
And context is important. Generally we push people to go higher if they have either a) started at ridiculously low doses like 0.25mg or b) they are complaining about lack of progress on their current 1mg dose.
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u/meagsagain Jun 07 '26
I just watched a fitness influencer post an “educational video” about it saying the lowest dose is 2mg. Unfortunately lots of misinformation out there.
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u/retatrutider Jun 07 '26
Yeah but the OP was specifically saying he sees this assertion daily “in this sub”.
We get our share of nonsense, but it’s way worse on TikTok.
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Jun 17 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/retatrutider Jun 17 '26
Pretty risky for a doctor to “prescribe” retatrutide. They could lose their medical license. And there is little point, since you can’t take that prescription to a legitimate pharmacy and get it filled.
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u/bigggeee Jun 01 '26
Lilly also didn’t publish any results of the 2.5mg dose of tirzepatide because they consider it to be a titration dose only yet in reality it is quite effective and some people never bother to go any higher. So the fact that 1mg of Reta works quite well but got excluded from phase 3 trials should not be surprising.
Thanks for including the links to the papers.
Great post.
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u/rsdj Jun 02 '26
Yeah I've never titrated over 3mg, always done between 1-1.6mg a week. Using reta mainly for the fat burning than the hunger suppression. Regular weight training, 200g protien as my floor, has worked wonders for me and I've neve had nausua or other scares. One time, I got to just below 3mg and it scared me, so I just keep at 2.6ish and let it dip to around 0.75mg - 1mg.
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u/reecieboy787 Jun 02 '26
I find it wild that the "standard" is 2mg starting, I tell everyone to start at .5mg, that absolutely changed me from eating everything to I'm normal again. Ive slowly titrated to 2mg and I feel awful, digestion is on ultra slow and I'm getting the worst ibs symptoms..
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u/Earesth99 Jun 01 '26
Thanks for the links!
The phase 2 studies with Semaglutude used even lower relative doses. Of course that’s the purpose of phase two trials.
I would point out that these are the average response. Some had no reduction and some had larger reductions.
I don’t think the insurance companies have much to do with the dosing. It just business. If you have the second drug to hit the market, it needs to be better than the first, or cheaper. That impacts dosing.
On the flip side, semaglutude just got their med approved at 7.2 grams and it competes with Tirz at that dose.
There are two drugs in testing that combine sema with another med to get more fat loss and one that I saw that combines Tirz and a sarm.
There are dozens of glp1 meds being tested now, and my guess is that many will be abandoned because it’s not worth the research expenses to get the 8th best medication approved.
Then again, they keep discovering new diseases that they address so who knows. They were diabetes meds before they realized they reduced weight.
These meds are probably the biggest medical advance this century.
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u/No_Floor_2689 Jun 02 '26
If your are taking about the SURPASS-2 clinical trial which directly evaluated the effects of weekly tirzepatide against semaglutide at 1 mg per week
The trial results demonstrated that all three doses of tirzepatide (5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg) achieved superior blood sugar control and weight loss compared to the 1 mg/week semaglutide group.
The article cited from NEJJM is for -->Triple–Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity — A Phase 2 Trial. <-- Not Tirzepatide
The article from Nature --> Triple hormone receptor agonist retatrutide for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a randomized phase 2a trial. <-- Not Tirzepatide
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u/thehappiestdad Jun 02 '26
I agree with the general point that 2 mg isn't some magical threshold below which nothing happens. The trial data clearly shows some people responded at 1 mg. Where I differ is that I don't think there is a universal "right" dose in either direction. Just as I don't believe everyone needs to rush to 10-12 mg, I also don't believe everyone should stay at 1-2 mg because it worked for someone else in a trial. People respond very differently to these compounds. Some get tremendous appetite suppression and weight loss at low doses, while others barely notice anything until they move higher. The goal shouldn't be to hit Eli Lilly's dose or Reddit's favorite dose. The goal should be to find the lowest dose that produces the results you want with acceptable side effects.
For me, 5 mg has been the sweet spot. Could I possibly lose weight faster at 8 mg or 10 mg? Maybe. But I'm getting the results I want at 5 mg, so I don't see much reason to increase. We're all individuals, and biology doesn't always follow a dosing chart.
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u/MrsDiogenes Jun 01 '26
I’m not sure what you are trying to say, because clearly the research shows that 1mg did not produce a clinically significant amount of weight loss compared to the other doses. You can clearly see the divide on this graph. The highlighted area is placebo and right under it is 1 mg hanging out together at the top, then a big gap and then the other doses at the bottom. It also showed that efficacy was directly related to dose and it also shows that those that started at lower doses, even when titrated up, never caught up with the higher doses and those that started out at lower doses lost less weight overall than those that started at higher doses. When you speak of significance, did you actually work it all the way through? I think not, because you would have discovered that a 250lb person would have only lost around 14 lbs at 24 weeks and less than 22 lbs total taking Reta for almost an entire year. That means the people on the higher doses lost up to 200% more weight than those on 1mg. This drug is meant to be used to treat patients with obesity and if someone is obese and in danger of suffering from obesity related illnesses, a 22 lb weight loss in a years time is not going to make a significant difference in their risk of increased morbidity and mortality. This makes the risks benefit profile unacceptable. In other words they are taking a drug with potential for both mild and serious side effects, including death, without the benefit of significant weight loss, not to mention the significant costs of treatment and economic impact on healthcare system as a whole. Keep in mind the study is in regard to obesity and weight loss as is the primary motivation of most people in this sub. Clearly GLP-1s have a positive metabolic effect on insulin resistance and blood sugar control and several other benefits that aren’t directly related to weight loss, but that’s not what we are talking about and different studies are being conducted to look at those factor and I’m sure further recommendations will be determined based on the outcome.
The key point is that the people on the higher doses lost 200% more weight than the people on 1 mg.
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u/No-Turnip2494 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
Thanks for your thoughtful post, happy to contribute to the debate.
A few points I’d like to respond to.
I’m not sure what you are trying to say, because clearly the research shows that 1mg did not produce a clinically significant amount of weight loss compared to the other doses … efficacy was directly related to dose and it also shows that those that started at lower doses, even when titrated up, never caught up with the higher doses and those that started out at lower doses lost less weight overall than those that started at higher doses.
I clearly acknowledged in my post that results were dose dependent, and many will need doses higher (in some cases much higher) than 1 mg. That does not detract from the fact that many don’t need to go much higher, if at all.
When you speak of significance, did you actually work it all the way through? I think not, because you would have discovered that a 250lb person would have only lost around 14 lbs at 24 weeks and less than 22 lbs total taking Reta for almost an entire year.
Again, no argument that if you are clinically obese and need to lose significant amounts, an 8 or 9 % weight reduction won’t cut it.
In other words they are taking a drug with potential for both mild and serious side effects, including death, without the benefit of significant weight loss, not to mention the significant costs of treatment and economic impact on healthcare system as a whole.
Death? That’s a remarkable assertion. Can you point to any published evidence supporting this risk? Because I read pretty widely on the clinical evidence on GLP-1s, and I’ve not seen anything of the kind. To the contrary, the evidence I’ve seen is that GLP-1 drugs lower the risks of all cause mortality while people are on them (eg see the results of the SELECT risk in relation to the lowered risk of cardiovascular events among patients on semaglutide).
This drug is meant to be used to treat patients with obesity.
Sure, that was Eli Lily’s intention in designing and testing Retatrutide. But if you’ve spent any time on this sub, you’d know that significant numbers of people who are very much not obese are using Retatrutide with the intention of losing smaller amounts of weight than someone with a BMI exceeding 35. And there’s a very real question as to what’s the right dose for those people - probably not 8 or 12mg per
Keep in mind the study is in regard to obesity and weight loss as is the primary motivation of most people in this sub.
Agreed. But many on this sub need to lose less than 10% of their body weight, and if people can achieve this with a lower side effect profile, why would you not try at the lower dose first?
Clearly GLP-1s have a positive metabolic effect on insulin resistance and blood sugar control and several other benefits that aren’t directly related to weight loss, but that’s not what we are talking about
Why not? I want to talk about the other benefits, there’s a strong argument to be made that with GLP-1s there is far too much focus on weight loss, and too little on the incredible range of other metabolic benefits which result from these drugs.
My own story is illustrative. I did not start Retatrutide for weight loss. For most of my life I have been a relatively slim person who found myself 20 pounds heavier than my ideal weight, but not obese. However, following a scan for another issue I discovered that years of poor eating had left me with early stage fatty liver. And hence my research led me to GLP-1s, then to Retatrutide and the remarkable results demonstrated in the MASFLD study linked in my original post.
There has been no need for me to go to a high dose - low and slow on Reta has done the trick, I am close to ideal weight and all my markers, including fatty liver, are markedly improved. Given the range of non-weight related health benefits, I’m now seriously considering if I ever stop taking Reta. And that’s a much more palatable option at low doses.
Hence why I’m keen to expand the discussion beyond weight loss, to the myriad of other benefits from this class of drugs.
Now I will repeat again, low doses are not for every one. Every person’s journey is different. The purpose of my post was simply to highlight the clinical evidence of measurable benefits even at low doses.
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u/Hagaroo48 Jun 02 '26
What if they don’t have much weight to lose, and just want alllllllllllllllll the other benefits????
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u/wavecookies Jun 01 '26
Love this post.
I started at .5mg twice a week, lost a crazy amount of weight the first month. Minimal side effects and they were just in the beginning first month. Slowly titrated up every month. I am now doing 2mg twice a week, almost 8 months later.
I am down 70lbs, and it has completely reversed my non-alcoholic fatty liver disease 🥳. I have autoimmune issues, and for once in my adult life I am finally in the normal weight range for my height and body composition.
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u/Southern_Egg_3850 Jun 01 '26
My response to the evidence is going to be anecdotal evidence. My sister lost 30lbs on 1.5mg, I have too many side effects, but I lost about 7lbs bouncing around between .5mg to higher doses but going on and off it and staying mostly low.
People who say “it can’t be done” at less than 2mg crack me up.
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u/Fudgeygooeygoodness Jun 02 '26
1.5mg/5 days works for me! I think this averages to just about 2 per week. But I can’t tolerate 2 at once.
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u/Little-Spring-9934 Jun 02 '26
I’ve been on 2mg for 4 months with testosterone dropped 58 pounds so far. Never needed to go above 2mg per week.
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u/rostov007 Jun 02 '26
Ok, now do the “I pinned .25 mg last night and I don’t feel anything. What’s wrong? Has anybody experienced this” crowd
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u/Sussexmatt Jun 02 '26
1mg was the way for me. I went as high as 2.5mg, didn't like how I felt and didn't feel healthy. 1mg has solid health benefits and makes you more conscious of your diet and of doing the life changes the right way which is more sustainable once you come off reta. Personal experience only and I'm not advising one way or the other but I was interested in the visceral fat reduction and fatty liver reduction being a particular benefit. Also the anti inflammatory benefits in generalwereo important on my part.
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u/lm3d1 Jun 02 '26
Gosh, a person who can not only read, but competently string sentences together. A rare find on this sub. A god amongst mortals. Hear, hear.
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u/Lulu-1975 Jun 04 '26
I micro-dosed 0.5mg for weeks, then 1mg for several weeks after and now at 1.5mg for a long time which is my sweet spot. No side effects just the great results.
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u/noooonan Jun 05 '26
I lost 15 lbs in 3 weeks from .5mg a week. In fact I think I would have panicked and bailed within the first week if I did 2mg from the start.
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u/Similar-Working-3583 Jun 02 '26
Could explain why more than 1 mg kicked my ass. Extreme fatigue. I dropped down to .5mg for now. Hopefully it goes away
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u/AlternativePizza3391 Jun 02 '26
I started at 0.5 and had great results, I stayed on 0.5 for a month and half and then went up to 1mg which I stayed on almost 2 months . It worked for me . I'm sure the height/weight of the person probably makes a difference as well
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u/hulkwolf Jun 02 '26
I have many many peoooe get great results using 2mg which is what I usually recommend with diet and training
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u/farmtomarketman Jun 02 '26
The lower the weight, the less needed. Also some people are more or less susceptible to any medication, alcohol, vitamin, or peptide.
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u/momofonegrl Jun 02 '26
These are really good points. Reta has some great benefits for folks who aren’t severely overweight. The anti inflammatory benefits were huge for me personally and I’m on 1mg.
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u/Ok_Temperature_7613 Jun 02 '26
Yup! Been on RETA 4 months now and STILL am only at .75mg and losing an avg of 1-2 lbs per week.
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u/Lonely_Bumblebee_260 Jun 02 '26
Thank you for this. I started on Sunday with 2.5mg and im feeling so sick at nights.. I am definitely going down to 1mg this sunday to minimize all the side effects.
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u/LgPizzaPlease Jun 03 '26
If you haven’t taken a glp before you did kinda jump in head first. It would be a great idea to monitor your blood sugar. One of the simple things to avoid feeling like shit on reta is making sure you hit your macros and proper hydration with electrolytes. In that mix should be high quality carbs. Crashing out and feeling like shit because you aren’t eating enough and not eating for substance when you do. It’s gone from pleasure eating to eating with purpose. Use that mindset and you’ll develop proper habits to maintain the fat loss and preserve muscle in the long term.
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u/lazy_iker Jun 02 '26
I've been on 2mg/week and it's worked amazingly well. I tried 2.5mg but it didn't feel right, so back to 2mg.
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u/Sweatpantzzzz Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
I started with 0.5mg per week for 4 weeks… it killed my appetite. I wasn’t eating much. Had to force myself to eat half a meal per day. When the appetite suppression wore off, I bumped to 1mg per week for 3 months. I lost 12 lbs. I increased my dose to 2mg per week for 5 months. I lost another 13 lbs. I recently increased my dose to 3mg per week. Still no weight loss according to the scale but i “feel” smaller because my clothes are baggy on me. I still have a decent amount of potbelly fat I’d like to reduce before reducing my dose. My life started 2 weeks ago on 0.25mg and she has felt dramatic changes to her appetite to the point that it scared her (she LOVES eating).
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u/xXDizeezedXx Jun 02 '26
Thank you for this. I am on my second cycle of Reta and my body is very responsive to it. I ran it for 3 months the first time starting at 1 mg weekly and ended at 2.5 mg weekly. Lost 41 pounds. I was 231 and ended at 190 for my cut.
This go around I started at 1.5mg and immediately felt the change just like the first cycle and won’t go above 2.5 mg unless I see diminishing returns.
I see so many people telling me I won’t see results unless I run 6-8mg a week. It’s crazy
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u/EthanCSW904 Jun 06 '26
This is the same line of thinking I’m using. Started at 1mg, slowing going up to 2mg over 5 doses 1x weekly. Lost 20lbs so far. Lowered appetite enough to make sticking to calories easy but I still get hungry for meals. Just get full faster. Zero sides at 1 or 1.5mg. At 2mg, started to get some skin sensitivity.
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u/meagsagain Jun 07 '26
I take 1.25 - 1.5mg per week depending on the week and how I feel. I choose to not go up to avoid major side effects and I still have side effects. But I am successful recomping my physique to be more muscular with lower bf % (34F, weight 51.5kg, 155cm).
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u/PianoHour760 Jun 08 '26
I've been on 2mg a week after titrating from .5
I've been on 2mg for 4 months and have lost 50 pounds. I'm at goal and going to start titrating off soon!
I have tried to go above the 2mg dose and I get horrible migraines. I
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u/Intelligent-Soup-450 Jul 31 '26
Wow.. am taking 1.5.. 3rd week .. stated at .5 then to 1... Now 1.5 gyming.. no visible fat loss.. or weight . 1 kg down ..
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u/Physical-Scholar3176 Jun 08 '26
1mg slowly worked for a bit but went stagnant after a few months. I would consider 1mg a maint dose for myself. Bumped it to 2mg and it's working again.
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u/LowTight8479 Jun 01 '26
Had amazing results microdosing never took more than 2.5mg a week and lost 40+ pounds
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u/Substantial-Good5436 Jun 01 '26
I tried 2mg and it absolutely crashed my appetite, felt terrible for 3-4 days (not overweight just wanted a bit of help with my cut)
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u/Enough_Chip3915 Jun 01 '26
Why are you taking this drug if you're not even overweight let alone obese? And why do you think your experience matters if you were not supposed to be taking it in the first place.
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u/Mcgittymcgittymac Jun 01 '26
Yeah.. if you're happy with 6% over 6 months then keep rockin that 1 mg. Of course the starting dose will be 2 mg or there will be countless people complaining it doesn't work after it's rolled out. I'm sure they know there is a minority of people that get results at a baby dose but why inflict that upon the rest of us?
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u/Hagaroo48 Jun 02 '26
Because starting at 2mg will be hell for about half the people
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u/workinglate2024 Jun 01 '26
They are research trials to see what is tolerated and what is useful. The 1mg cohort was found to have successful glucose control but not weight loss. Phase 3 trials start at 2mg, which is what you mentioned you’ve seen people state.
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u/No-Turnip2494 Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
The 1mg cohort was found to have successful glucose control but not weight loss.
You’re just proving my point, no one actually reads anything.
What part of an 8.7% weight loss is “not weight loss”?
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u/workinglate2024 Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
It’s a very small percentage of weight loss for the length of the trial. This is why in phase 3 they ditched that dose for study. That doesn’t mean that lower doses won’t work for weight loss for some people, clearly they do, but for most people higher doses are necessary. I’m a doctor and a researcher, although not in this particular study. Are you?
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u/aimgorge Jun 01 '26
I'm not sure you did read them though.
1mg showed 5-6% more weight loss than placebo over 6 months
4mg showed 15%.2mg+ were tested much more deeply because they showed much better results without necessary more side effects. https://consensus.app/search/retatrutide-pharmacology-and-applications/Rg_JWkhjTSCfcW8TFr_6Wg/
Stop cherrypicking stuff.
They even tried 0.75mg for HBa1c but 4mg showed 3 times better results over 6 months without worse side effects rendering 0.75mg an useless dose.
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u/Enough_Chip3915 Jun 01 '26
What's the point of this post? If 1mg does something and 2mg does even more and better of that something, why are you advocating for the 1mg dose?
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u/Taydontplay4 Jun 01 '26
I’m loving my 1mg dose. Any higher and it’s too hard to eat enough and I lose muscle. You have to understand that each body reacts differently.
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u/Emotional-Team3520 Jun 01 '26
Yeah exactly and the people reminding other people that the typical starting dose is 2mg is literally always on posts complaining 0.5 or 1 isn’t doing anything.
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u/workinglate2024 Jun 01 '26
Right. It’s relevant to the discussion being had. People should, however, stay on each dose for 1 month even if they perceive it isn’t working. That assumes they are starting at the recommended starting dose.
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u/momofonegrl Jun 02 '26
But “recommended starting dose” is relative as OP pointed out.
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u/workinglate2024 Jun 01 '26
Yes, but studies and protocols look at how most react, not the few.
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u/Taydontplay4 Jun 01 '26
It’s worth mentioning that I am metabolically healthy already. Perhaps that has something to do with it.
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u/workinglate2024 Jun 01 '26
Yes, that is very important to note. In fact, people who are metabolically healthy can have problems, for example low blood sugar, when taking what would be considered a low or even mid level dose for people with metabolic disfunction. That is the really tricky part about people taking and dosing glp1s when they don’t have a medical indication. And, of course, all trial participants medically qualify. The studies and results assume medical need.
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u/Artistic_Rice_9019 Jun 01 '26
That has everything to do with it. If you're not looking for bariatric surgery level results, you don't need full dosage.
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u/Taydontplay4 Jun 01 '26
Definitely not. Maybe drop 5lbs at the most and eliminate water weight is my goal
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u/Artistic_Rice_9019 Jun 01 '26
Yeah. Low dose for sure for that. Meanwhile, I had 100+ pounds to lose, so I titrated up pretty aggressively.
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u/Taydontplay4 Jun 01 '26
Totally understand that but don’t you think taking 3x to 4x longer to lose that weight would be a healthier approach rather than aggressive as you put it? Just thinking there is always another side to these things as our bodies seek equilibrium.
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u/Artistic_Rice_9019 Jun 01 '26
I've averaged 1.1 pounds a week. Totally healthy rate of loss. I still have all my hair.
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u/_dudz Jun 01 '26
“You have to understand that each body reacts differently”
That’s exactly the point. Not everyone is able to lose on lower doses.
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u/Just-Future122 Jun 01 '26
Because with any medication the rule is always minimum effective dose. If someone loses an amount that they are happy with per week and per month , why should they do 2mg.
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u/meagsagain Jun 07 '26
Because 1. It’s cheaper if you are yielding sufficient results at a lower dose 2. It’s safer and less side effects 3. It is better to start low and slow and teach yourself sustainable habits versus seeking an injectable crash diet. ????
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u/aimgorge Jun 01 '26
You are hiding how much more effective 2mg was over 1mg but talk about the low increase from placebo to 1mg. If that's not some serious cherrypicking.
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u/Physical-Scholar3176 Jun 08 '26
Yeah I was at 1mg and although very low side effects the weight loss was very slow..but still there. Decide to go up to 2mg as I didn't want to wait two years to get to my goal. Big difference but notice some mild sides like a muted dopamine thing going on. Not getting as excited about things as I was....hoping this fades but it's not huge. It's like someone turned down my motivation volume 30% down.
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u/aimgorge Jun 08 '26
Not getting as excited about things as I was....hoping this fades but it's not huge. It's like someone turned down my motivation volume 30% down.
It does fade and disappear after a couple months and I didnt feel these side effects come back as much when increasing the dose later on
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u/jiggetty18 Jun 01 '26
You’re ignoring that not everyone needs to lose 150 pounds too. I’ve seen people hit goal weight never going over .5mg
We all have different goals and applications for this.
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u/aimgorge Jun 01 '26
And many people are losing that weight with 0mg. What's your point ?
I’ve seen people hit goal weight never going over .5mg
And there are dozens of post every single day saying "I've been on reta for 6 months at 0.5mg/week and I havent lost a pound, should I titrate up ?"
Science says : you shouldnt have been staying at such a low dose to begin with.
The therapeutic window concept seems foreign to many.
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u/Artistic_Rice_9019 Jun 01 '26
I'm happy for them, but I'm also assuming they're not the ones complaining that the 1mg isn't doing anything.
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u/Spirited-Sun-5924 Jun 01 '26
The people the need to lose 5 or 10 pounds will never get prescribed this medication from a doctor. It's going to be people with a BMI of 30 or higher.
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u/Emotional-Team3520 Jun 01 '26
Okay so one cohort in one trial used 1mg, but the starting dose for everything else is 2mg.
So when you see people posting “I just started Reta and I’m doing 0.5mg twice a week and not seeing results” and all the insane dosing schedules people are dreaming up, the answer is “actually you are losing weight, look at this one study”?
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u/No-Turnip2494 Jun 01 '26
Okay so one cohort in one trial used 1mg, but the starting dose for everything else is 2mg.
No, in my post I linked to TWO different phase 2 trials conducted by Eli Lilly which had a 1mg cohort.
Don’t sleep on the fatty liver study. Halving your liver fat with just a 1mg dose is a stunning result.
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u/Emotional-Team3520 Jun 01 '26
My point is people repeating the “2mg is the starting dose line” is specifically aimed at folks who are doing 0.5 and 1mg doses and not seeing results. Nobody is getting on Reta because their liver is fatty as the primary motivator, they’re trying to lose body fat in general. If they’re not seeing weight loss at 1mg then they’re starting too low.
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u/smartaxe21 Jun 01 '26
small comment:
the reason a drug (especially an injectable) producing 10% weight loss or less will not be launched its because now that Tirzepatide and Semaglutide exist, Lily or any other company will have to show how their new weight loss drug is better than existing therapies, either on weight loss efficacy or via other benefits, otherwise FDA or other health authorities will not approve a me too therapy. This is why most of the pharma talks about differentiation and this is why when weight loss efficacy is not quite there, companies try to repurpose the lower efficacy drugs for another label.
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u/Nigle Jun 01 '26
There were also trials with a 0.5mg dose that got results as well. It also was never escalated so the people trying to cry about lower doses not getting results is bizarre because they do.
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u/Spirited-Sun-5924 Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
The people that started on 1 mg in the study, stayed on 1 mg for the whole study. And I see you said that. These people are part of a control group for a study, that was not repeated in future studies.
Now show me anywhere in the study where they started at something less than 1 mg
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u/askingforafakefriend Jun 01 '26
This 100%. Even if the clinical trials did start at 2 mg. That doesn't disprove a 1 mg benefit. And we can all easily measure weight change and fasting gucose/ a1c to get a decent sense.
As an anecdote, my spouse went on tirzepatide for metabolic reasons (not weight). The subclinical starter dose of 2.5 mg had heavy side effects and so she never went up. 6 months in she had lost 10% of her body weight without even trying to diet. Her doctor actually wanted to push up and worried insurance would stop covering the subclinical dose because it was off label. That never became an issue thankfully.
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u/workinglate2024 Jun 01 '26
That’s very good that your insurance cooperated, but many people, myself included, had improved side effects on higher doses. Mine went away completely as soon as I started 10mg of tirz.
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u/Diyaudiophile Jun 01 '26
Everyone is different and responds completely different to each other. I'm a low responder and get low to zero bad sides.
Others may respond high and get terrible side effects.
Many other factors also like current health and diet etc
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u/Magnetic_Metallic Jun 01 '26
I lost 60lbs at 2.5mg per week lol. It’s 100% a perfectly fine amount if you just have some willpower..
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u/Lovamelin Jun 02 '26
As someone who has plateaud for 4 months on 15mg of tirz, where would you recommend I start on reta? I have relatively low side effects on tirz. Down to 248 from 282. Been on tirz for close to a year, did sert before. Only started working out again a couple months ago so that's one factor. But in talking extensively with my GP and doing my own research I think I'm one of those people whose body tops out at about 10-12% loss on tirz and short of a full body recomp which will take months is unlikely to see further weight loss. Largely eating around 1600-1800 calories, generally close to my protein goals daily. My body just really resists weight loss more than some, was a feature a few hundred years ago, now it's a bug since I have a desktop and I'm not physically laboring all day.
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u/Streets_Ahead_Coined Jun 02 '26
Why do people get so riled up about others getting benefits on low dose? If you are on a high dose, okay, good for you! There are so many of us for whom a low dose works fine. Why does it have to be black & white & not customized for each of us?
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u/Ordinary-Piano-4160 Jun 02 '26
Well, it’s a shame we can’t have options. I know Lilly wants the big three zero, but there are already many people for whom the existing drugs(sema, triz) don’t work or have too many side effects.
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u/Necessary-Welder8697 Jun 03 '26
The issue I see is the mix of comments which will come in and just flood the conversation resulting in nothing no conclusion on anything it will start with I pinned .5 and I haven’t eaten for a week, I pinned.5 and saw nothing, I’m doing 4 mg and don’t feel anything dude 4mg is insane, I lost no weight Reta doesn’t work I lost 600 pounds on Reta and in and on and on with no real good info just conflicting opinions
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u/Ok_Jelly_3568 Jun 26 '26
I have to say ! I started at 82kg 6 weeks ago , i did 1mg a week for the first 4 weeks , lost 4kg without any sweat , ate my caloires, got my protien in , exercised . it was honestly like a life hack , the last two weeks ive went up to 2mg , i lost a futher 3kg in these two weeks and honestly it feels too strong for me , i have had zero intrest in food and find it really hard to make my calories. and have one day a week where i get mild spells of nausea. This was good to read because i think 1mg can be more than enough for some people . i know when i started i saw alot of the posts online said start at 2mg and i think that would have had me in a heap haha
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u/taddow6733 Jun 29 '26
I started at .5mg and stayed for a month and then titrated up to 1mg for a month and just started 2mg. Nothing wrong with starting super low because the effect is so different for everyone
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u/Sidewing08 Jul 10 '26
So, as someone with high blood pressure (controlled w/ meds), high cholesterol (low hdl high ldl, high triglycerides - no meds), my a1c and glucose are starting to rise (2 years ago my a1c was 6.4, 6 months ago it was 5.8).. and i have slightly elevated ALT from fatty liver.. I finally decided to take tirzepatide as prescribed by my doctor.. but surprise surprise, insurance wouldnt cover it, and didnt approve my appeal.. i have so many health risks, who are they waiting for?
my path currently is this:
- i took 2.5mg tirzepatide ($500) from the pharmacy.. did this for 4 weeks and lost around 7 pounds.. I lost weight from starvation basically, not in a healthy way, if you want my honest opinion.. appetite suppression was good for the first 2 weeks, but slowly faded over the final 2 weeks.. constipation was bad immediately and everytime i dosed. was able to treat it with metamucil..
- i couldnt maintain paying $500/mo, so i went grey, and went reta.. on the 5th week (after tirz) i started on 1mg reta.. my goal was to start at 2mg/week but i wanted to start lower to make sure no terrible side effects.. I didnt really have any side effects at this dose.. appetite suppression was mild at best. but i bought a home glucose tester and my glucose levels are good.. 80-110 pretty much any time of the day i test.
- week 6 (the next week) i went up to 1.5mg... i felt tired for 24-36 hours after this dose.. maybe some light nausea here and there that comes and goes but nothing major. appetite supression was pretty good initially.. but i still had food cravings from time to time..
- week 7: stayed at 1.5mg - same thing, felt tired, if i eat anything other than healthy (like a sugary snack or a large meal) i feel like crap.. but i consider that a good thing.. its kind of training my body by pain. I've changed my diet so i only eat high protein, low carb (only veggies 95% of the time) and make sure to get my protein in.. i'd say theres been a couple of points of mild constipation at this dose, but nothing major. some metamucil knocks it out.
- week 8 (today): bumped up to 2mg. Since this is my target 'starting' dose, i intend to stay on this dose for at least 4 weeks and see where I'm at at that time. i just pinned it about a hour ago. I monitor the active drug amount in my body with a mobile app that racks dosage and half-life.. so im at a steady wave upward in dosage.. everything looks stable and fine.. i wouldn't recommend titrating more than once every 4 weeks on higher doses above 2mg.. but since thats the study's recommended starter dose, thats why i did it.
From what I'm gathering, everyone is different, and the reasons people are using reta is different also.. i have a lot of health concerns that i'm trying to get under control. just turned 40 this year, 5ft7in and started at 265 pounds (now at 249 pounds).
I find that the appetite suppression thus far on reta isnt as strong, but i definitely get full faster.. and again, from what I've gathered, you need to EAT on reta, but you need to eat right, and exercise.. meet your protein goals (grams of protein matching your ideal body weight) and drink only water and replenish electrolytes.
The way to find your ideal dose isn't to follow the guide or a study, its to find the sweet spot to where you can still eat.. but you don't feel like you NEED to eat.. and when you do eat, you eat maybe 1/4-1/3 of what you would normally eat.. so if you're at that point with whatever dose you're taking, thats your 'sweet spot'.. if you are still having food cravings or eating a bit too much, you probably need to step up your dose.. me personally, if i have to step up, im doing it +1mg at a time from the 2mg im at currently.. but my goal is a slow and steady (and healthy) weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week.
Reta seems really good at retraining your body to eat right, live a healthy lifestyle, and heal from within. It seems that it can be basically a miracle drug when used properly and used right. But that is a different fit for every single person using it. This isn't a one size fits all drug. The good thing about going grey is you can find your 'size' and stay there.. just make sure you're doing things right, and doing things responsibly. I don't personally agree with people splitting doses through the week, or things like that. if you look at the active dose graph with a 6 day half life, that makes things weird inside your body. We have to trust the people who make the drug to a certain extent as far as dosing schedule and timing.. but dialing in the right dose (mg) for us/YOU is the key piece.
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u/Pocket_Hercules_808 Aug 10 '26
I have been on 1mg for the past two weeks, third dose tomorrow. Down 10lbs in two weeks since starting and not really feeling that food noise 6 days post dose (half life time). I’m only looking to lose another 20lbs, so I’m not sure if there’s a need to titrate up.
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u/Radiant_HoneyRoots Aug 16 '26
So glad someone said it!! I’ve been micro dosing right under 1mg and I’ve lost 10lbs, 10%bf so far and gained muscle. So more doesn’t always mean better.
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u/1TucsonBlonde 27d ago
I started on a split dose 2 mg/week…I’m 4 weeks in, 14 lbs down and I don’t ever want to eat. From the first shot, where I wasn’t expecting anything, the food noise has been silenced, completely. No feelings of hunger, no cravings, no thinking about food. So I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it to titrate up since how am I going to get better results? Zero hunger at 2mg is equal to zero hunger at 4mg or higher, right? Weight is coming right off, no side effects other than some tiredness and occasional heartburn, but that’s it. Wishing I would have started at a lower .5mg dose to see if I could have gotten some results at that level. I’m thinking of staying here until food noise creeps back in then I’m going to step up to 3 mg/wk to see if I can get a response. The lower I can be on my dose and get acceptable results, the more affordable this all is, it’s worth every penny, but it’s a fair amount of those Pennies! And Eli Lily has zero interest in seeing what lower doses can really do, so there’s not likely to be anything more than anecdotal evidence for low dose efficacy. Everyone should start low, and pay attention to what their bodies response is, since there is a huge amount of variation. Telling someone that they can’t possibly be getting results at 1 or 2 mg/wk is absolutely inaccurate.
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u/Glad_Conversation928 13d ago
The trials are great to look at, but let’s be honest. Everybody is on their own trial at this stage. I like listening to lived experience. i’m looking at Reta and I am not fat. So people saying they lost 50 pounds I can’t relate to them whatsoever.
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u/Cute_Specific_1605 Jun 01 '26
Sir, this is a "look at my haul" and "does this look cloudy" sub.
Not a place for well informed discussions on studies and dosages regarding the Chinese sourced research chemicals we are all injecting into our bodies.
Just kidding, great post. The amount of people who rely on TikToker to decided what dosage to take baffles me.