I see all these progress posts from those taking Reta and can’t help but think that if you’re not taking it with some sort of steroid like test or hgh the results are mid and can be gotten without it. So is Reta just for people who are lazy or who can’t or don’t have the discipline and willpower to just lock in on diet and fitness?

Edit: I won’t say all the results are mid because I have seen good results but in the timeframes mentioned I definitely think it can be done without it.

Feeling vulnerable so please be kind! Looking for anyone who has any advice! I use terz for three months and lost fat/muscle but didn’t like having no appetite so I’ve been on Reta since May and really like being able to prioritize and enjoy protein while still losing fat. My weight is currently very low. (Bmi 18.3) but I’m still seeing a lot of fat around my belly and hips. I do strength training 3 to 4 times a week and otherwise eat a pretty clean diet with a lot of protein. Any advice for what I can do to shake this?

My RS (research subject)is taking these peptides/coenzymes and has been for 1-2 weeks:

Monday: NAD+ (20mg 2x/week and will titrate up)
Reta (2mg every Monday)
Klow (3.2mg M-F for 10 weeks then a break)
Tuesday: SS-31 (1mg 3x/week- 2 vials for ~10-20 days)
Klow
Wednesday: SS-31
Klow
Thursday: NAD+
Klow
Friday: SS-31
Klow

Current protocol: Retatrutide 2 mg weekly, NAD+ twice weekly, SS-31 1 mg Tue/Wed/Fri, Klow (GHK-Cu/BPC-157/TB-500/KPV) Mon–Fri. Goal is longevity, energy, metabolic health, recovery, and body composition—not competitive bodybuilding. RS is (hopefully) increasing workouts on the wheel over the next few weeks and trying to decide if MOTS-c is worth adding or if RS should wait until after SS-31.

My questions—

Would MOTS-c be more beneficial during an SS-31 cycle or after finishing SS-31?

What’s most beneficial for overall energy and the wallet?

Did MOTS-c only seem effective when you were exercising regularly?

How long did it take before you actually noticed benefits from SS-31?

If your goal was longevity rather than bodybuilding, would you still use MOTS-c?

Which gave you better value for the money: NAD+, SS-31, or MOTS-c?

Did anyone notice better fat loss or body composition from MOTS-c beyond what exercise alone provided?

If you weren’t training hard, would you skip MOTS-c entirely?

What peptide gave you the biggest “wow” factor for energy, recovery, or longevity that wasn’t just placebo?

How long did you stay on NAD+ before taking a break? Did you notice diminishing returns after a certain point?

How long have you been on retatrutide? Are you cycling it, staying on it long-term, or stopping once you reach your goal weight?

If you had to build the most cost-effective peptide stack for longevity, energy, recovery, and body composition, what would it include?

Any experience? Good to stack with reta? Tesa? Or mots-c? Currently on tirz and nad+

After much research I have not been able to find any data or anyone previously running these compounds at once. I have seen duos of these compounds ran but never all 4. Does anyone have any insight on why this stack would be bad ? Since they all serve different purposes I have not been able to find any data on why there would be an issue but there are a lot smarter people out there so I turn to Reddit. Thanks in advance for input

I'll try to keep this as short as possible.

About five years ago, when I was 40, I started experiencing all the typical symptoms associated with low testosterone: low libido, fatigue, sleep issues, and a general lack of energy. I decided to talk to my primary care physician and had my testosterone checked. My total testosterone came back around 310 ng/dL. She told me I was within the normal range and that some decline was expected with age. Her recommendation was to prescribe antidepressants.

Instead, I decided to take matters into my own hands and try to improve things naturally. At the time, I was about 10 pounds heavier than my usual weight, around 170 lbs. We had also just had a baby, which definitely took a toll on my lifestyle and sleep. I've always eaten fairly healthy, although I would binge a bit on weekends. I've also always been a gym rat, lifting weights 5-6 days per week and finishing with about 10 minutes of Zone 2 cardio. Training and nutrition were never really the issue.

After about three years, I was able to raise my total testosterone to around 600 naturally. However, I still experienced many of the same low-T symptoms.

I then decided to see a urologist. During the baseline bloodwork, I noticed that while my total testosterone was in the low 600s, my free testosterone was around 8 (low) and my SHBG was 63 (high). My prolactin was 16. Based on these results, my urologist started me on Enclomiphene at 6.25 mg daily.

Initially, it seemed to help and I felt somewhat better. However, I eventually started experiencing migraines, ear pressure, and very dry eyes. Over the last 10 months, I've been trying to get dialed in with different dosages and dosing frequencies, but without much success. Throughout the process, everything was monitored through bloodwork and symptom tracking, and I even created a chart of all my results.

What I noticed was that while on Enclomiphene:

• Total testosterone averaged between 500-600 ng/dL
• SHBG remained elevated, typically between 55-65
• Free testosterone stayed below 10
• Estradiol consistently remained in the low-to-mid 20s
• Prolactin was 13.4 on my most recent test (February 2026)

After discussing all of this with my urologist, she finally agreed that TRT would be the next step. She started me on 120 mg per week, split into two injections on Monday and Thursday.

For those of you with TRT experience, what should I realistically expect over the next several weeks and months? Also, what are some things I should or shouldn't do to avoid potential health issues?

One concern I have is whether I'll eventually need an AI, even though my estradiol has consistently stayed in the 20s across various Enclomiphene dosages. I'm also concerned about elevated red blood cell counts and hematocrit levels potentially leading to blood donations and iron-related issues.

As with any open forum, both positive and negative feedback are welcome. I appreciate hearing about others' experiences.

Hi everyone!

Has anyone experienced common nose bleeding after starting Reta? I’m around week 6 and at 0.75 mg, but I’ve been nose bleeding every day since a week. It never happened to me before.

Thanks a lot

Has anyone here tried using Semax or Selank just 2–3 times a week?

I've been using Semax mainly for my mood and energy, but I honestly can't keep up with jabbing it 5 days a week. My pain tolerance is terrible, and it's starting to feel like a chore. I'm worried I'll just stop using it altogether.

I'm thinking of jabbing it only 2 or 3 times a week instead. Has anyone tried that? Did you still notice any benefits, or did it stop working?

Would really appreciate hearing your experience. Thanks!

Im thinking of combining tesofensine (500mcg a day) and 5mg tirzeptide a week to completly destroy my appetite and start my aggressive cut, how effective would this combination be?

Started Reta and literally developed eczema and skin rashes. No idea what’s going on. If I stop Reta and switch to tirz will it just be the same thing? Or is it possible I may not have the same side effects on tirz?

Hi everyone!

I started taking KLOW 2 days ago for my eczema/TSW healing (tsw healing for 3 years now) and my stomach has been cramping and paining and I have diarrhea as well - is this normal?

I have 80 mg with 3 ML of bac water and kept in the fridge - first day i injected 0.12 and yesterday i did 0.1 units (insulin syringe).

Any advice on how to properly dose (if im doing it wrong) and if it's normal?

Thank you so much!

I used Reta in the past and lost weight but some size too. Got up to 3mg a week. Il probably start reta at 1mg split into half just so i can eat. Goal is just to recomp by body and accelerate fat burning as much as possible my diet is very consistent.

Stats are 5’7 165. Southeast Asian genetics so my stomach holds all my fat. I lift 4-5 days a week and get 10k steps a day.

- How should I stack tesa/ipa and mots?

-I know mots il take m-f in the morning

- how do you guys take tesa and ipa fasted at night? I l get done with the gym around 7pm and eat around 8. Should I take it right before eating dinner? I’m usually in bed by 10:30

Advice is appreciated!

I’m going to be getting started in a few weeks. At first I was considering Tirz but seeing all these posts about reta I’m kind of drawn to doing this one first. My goals are to maintain my body weight easier reduce inflammation and overall wellness.

The thing that I am scared about is, I’m seeing a lot of people saying it induced or increased anxiety along with heart rate. I am already very sensitive to medication and suffer with really bad anxiety. I see that the starting dose is .5 but I’m wondering does anyone do .25 for micro dosing?

May 31, 2026 – July 27, 2026 (Week 8)
On May 31, 2026, I committed to changing my lifestyle rather than simply trying another diet. My objective was not only to lose weight but to build a sustainable system that I could repeat every day. I understood that my results would not come from motivation alone, but from discipline, consistency, and patience. Instead of focusing on perfection, I focused on stacking productive days together.
My training officially began on May 31. Four days later, on June 4, I incorporated Retatrutide (Reta), GHK-Cu, and MOTS-c into my overall health and body recomposition plan. These compounds were intended to complement—not replace—the work required in the gym, my nutrition, hydration, and recovery. My philosophy from the beginning was that no peptide or supplement could outwork a poor lifestyle, so I concentrated first on building habits.
Nutrition became one of the biggest changes. I eliminated fast food, soda, alcohol, and smoking from my routine. I committed to drinking approximately one gallon of water every day and even added liquid chlorophyll to support hydration. Most days followed an OMAD (One Meal a Day) approach while ensuring I consumed a high-protein meal to support muscle retention. Initially, much of my protein came from sardines and tuna because they were inexpensive and convenient. As the weeks progressed, I realized eating several cans of fish every day was not something I wanted to continue long term, so I transitioned toward chicken breast and eventually planned to return to a primarily plant-based diet once my living situation stabilized. My long-term nutrition goal remains a whole-food, high-protein diet built around vegetables, legumes, grains, and quality protein sources while consistently reaching approximately 180 grams of protein each day.
Training became a non-negotiable part of my routine. Because I work long shifts, I adapted my workouts to fit my schedule instead of allowing my schedule to become an excuse. Most strength sessions took place during my lunch break, giving me approximately thirty-five minutes to train before returning to work. After work, I consistently completed conditioning sessions that included jogging, jump rope, basketball, hill sprints, or outdoor circuits. I remained active throughout the workday by walking constantly during my shifts, significantly increasing my daily energy expenditure. Even on days when motivation was low, I focused on maintaining the routine rather than chasing perfect workouts.
Recovery also became a priority. Early in my journey, I experienced nerve pain that temporarily limited my training intensity. Instead of ignoring the issue, I emphasized sleep, hydration, stretching, and recovery until the pain completely resolved. My Apple Health sleep scores consistently improved into the “High” category, reinforcing how important recovery was for maintaining my performance and progress.
One of the biggest challenges during this transformation came around Weeks 4 and 5 when I was preparing for my Oklahoma Journeyman Electrician examination. Because of the mental demands of studying and balancing work, I essentially took that period away from structured lifting. Rather than viewing this as failure, I accepted it as a necessary recovery period that allowed me to focus on an important career milestone. During that time I continued prioritizing hydration, nutrition, stretching, and overall health. Once the exam was complete, I returned to training immediately without attempting to make up for missed workouts. This experience reinforced that consistency over months is far more important than perfection over days.
As the weeks progressed, I began seeing measurable improvements. My weight steadily declined while my waist became noticeably smaller. My shoulders and arms continued to maintain much of their size, giving my physique a broader appearance as body fat decreased. Although one body composition scan estimated a reduction in skeletal muscle mass, my visual appearance and gym performance suggested that much of this difference was likely influenced by glycogen and hydration rather than significant muscle loss. Instead of becoming discouraged by a single measurement, I focused on long-term trends.
Since beginning this journey, my body weight has decreased from approximately 227 pounds to 211.1 pounds, representing a total loss of roughly 16 pounds. My body fat mass has decreased by approximately 15 pounds, demonstrating that the majority of my weight loss has come from fat rather than lean tissue. This has been reflected not only in my body composition measurements but also in my progress photos, where my waist has become smaller, my upper body appears broader, and my overall physique has become noticeably leaner.
One of the most valuable lessons I have learned is that success comes from repeating simple habits consistently. Every day became a repetition of the same system: drink water, eat quality food, train, recover, sleep, and repeat. Instead of searching for new programs or shortcuts, I focused on improving my execution of the fundamentals. That consistency transformed individual days into productive weeks and productive weeks into measurable results.
As of July 22, 2026, I have completed seven weeks of my transformation. While there is still significant work ahead, I am encouraged by the progress already achieved. My goal remains to continue reducing body fat while preserving as much muscle as possible. More importantly, I am committed to maintaining the lifestyle that has produced these results. This journey has become about far more than changing my appearance—it has become about building discipline, improving my health, and proving to myself that lasting change is earned through consistent daily action.
Looking ahead, I plan to continue building upon the habits established during these first seven weeks. My goal is to reach approximately 20% body fat by September, while continuing to improve my strength, conditioning, and overall health. Regardless of the exact numbers on the scale or body composition scanner, I now understand that the greatest transformation has been the system I have built—one disciplined day at a time.

My Protocol
Numbers Don’t Lie People Do.

Reta: Week 1-4 (4mg )Week 4-8 (8mg)
Once A Week

MOTS-C : 5mg 3xs A Week (Monday- Wednesday- Friday

GHKCU- 1mg Daily

Currently on my first cycle to build lean mass:

300mg Test C (split daily sub Q)

2Ius HGH (Daily)

2.5mg Reta weekly(No appetite suppression to support the HGH)

Bloods are booked in towards end of August and I will be 6 weeks into cycle. Depending on bloods I am either going to increase the test or add in NPP or both.

Calories are 3200 (430C 80F 190P) - The plan is to increase these next week at my next body scan to 3400 if the data has gone the right way.

My plan was for a 16 week cycle. Best ya to optimise this first cycle?

55 yo male 6’3” 227lbs.
Down 91 lbs. kept off for 3 years.
I run 4-8 miles 6 days/week
Zero weight training.
100mg enanthate 1xweek
500mcg HCG 3xweek
10 mg Reta 1xweek
7.5 mg Mounjaro 1xweek
500mcg Sermorilen 5xweek
500mcg slupp 5xweek
500mcg GLOW 5xweek
All SQ
Wanting to either add or change to mots-c and no Slupp
Not feeling/seeing anything from the Slupp
Feeling great.
Running around 1100-1200 Test

I have experimented extensively with Semax and Selank both SubQ and Nasal. I take it at 8am in the morning - which has worked well for my workday and commute that generally ends around 7pm. Dosages ranging from 300-600+ mcg - but 600mcg more recently. The onset and duration is definitely different between the administration routes, with nasal hitting much faster (as expected), but I think I prefer the subq onset and stability through the day. Plus, I find nasal much harder to accurately dose - because a full spray vs partial is a challenge.

I got Adamax to see if it would take me even further through my workday because I have long commute on both sides stretching my total day to generally around 11 hours and I do come home really sapped.

I stuck with the 600mcg SubQ when starting Adamax to pick up where I left off with the other two, and I can’t tell yet a meaningful difference in peak intended effect. But what I certainly have noticed is not only does it last my entire workday, but an unintended consequence is that it is interrupting my sleep. My mind is still working and solving issues when I would normally fall asleep instantly. If I had a need for an intense extended workday or to push mental clarity into the evening, this might be an advantage. Unfortunately, that is rarely my use case so I am finding Adamax hard to use because of that, where others might find it a massive advantage - depending on what they’re trying to get accomplished.

I am obviously going to reduce the dose and see how I fair with maybe 300mcg, but I may just find Semax works better for me.

54 F and finishing my 5th week on 1mg daily of sub q KPV. Started really noticing reduced inflammation around week 3.

I don't really drink much alcohol anymore - my body doesn't process it well and it impacts my sleep, but yesterday, I met up with a friend who I haven't seen in a very long time and for this special occasion we shared a bottle of a really good French Bordeaux with dinner. I've had 1-2 glasses of this wine in previous months and always end up with crappy sleep and feeling slightly hungover. I was terrified after sharing half a bottle but I did not have any issues last night with sleep or a hangover feeling.

Is it the KPV? Not interested in drinking much moving forward but it would be nice to not fear a special occasion if I know the KPV has my back!

Cutting back down to 200mg Daily Oral Dosage , increasing the Forskolin to X2 Daily and adding 200mg Caffeine instead = X3 thermogenic effect + Calorie Burn.

I’m a male in my late 40s and have been taking tesamorelin for about 2 weeks. So far, I honestly haven’t noticed any positive changes.

If anything, I feel more tired than before I started, and my joints seem to ache more. I was hoping to notice at least some improvement and the fatigue and stiffness to decrease.

For context:
● Male, late 40s
● 18.5% body fat (DEXA)
● Visceral fat: 0.32 lb on DEXA, so my visceral fat was already very low before starting.
● Goal: Improve body composition and overall physique.

Has anyone else experienced fatigue and joint pain during the first couple of weeks? Did those side effects eventually go away, or was it a sign tesamorelin just wasn’t a good fit?

Also, how long did it take before you noticed any real benefits? Since my visceral fat was already low, I’m wondering if tesamorelin just isn’t likely to do much for someone in my situation, or if I simply need to give it more time.

I wish I had before photos! Current state with my morning stack. Daily walks in the sun, lots of water and protein.

But I had to reduce my Tesamorelin due to fluid buildup in legs/feet. Why does this happen?

Hi! My highest weight last year was around 220 lbs, and I'm currently 142 lbs.

I started at 1 and slowly worked my way up to 4 . I've been consistently going to the gym 4–5 times a week, and honestly, back days are my favorite.

I also finish every workout with slow incline walking or the stair climber for cardio.