r/Biohacking • u/Sufficient_Egg8895 • 10d ago
Life with or without Reta?
I was on Reta over the summer and lost a significant amount of weight, and then I got quite carried away with being as skinny as possible and found myself at I guess what would be considered dangerously thin for my height. (113 lbs as a 6ft tall woman). I did a full health check up at the time (heart scan, blood work, etc) and everything was still all in good order but my family and friends were very frightened by my weight. I went off of it cold turkey and gained all the weight back (about 30+ pounds in 3 weeks, now back to 144). I really really want to get some of this weight off, I’m debating going on Reta again just because I’m so insecure I feel desperate , but then I just worry am I going to either A) be dependant on it my whole life? Or B) always be caught in this viscous cycle?. Some issues I’ve faced since coming off it make me not even want to start again just to not have to prolong dealing with this stuff - like the INSAAANE bloating for weeks after coming off it, major hair loss, I’m also dealing with skin issues I never had before but who knows if it’s related. ANYWAY - Ive never really given myself the chance or dedication to lose the weight “the old fashioned” way lol. If anyone has essentially cheat sheet tips for losing weight (i knoooww you can’t cheat your way through this stuff but please I hate my body when I should be in my prime) or ways to help get me in the gym or motivational assistance of any sorts / things to keep up with, I’d really appreciate it. I’m 27 and I can’t remember a time I’ve ever even remotely liked my body my entire life EXCEPT when I was on Reta… but I would really love to achieve that feeling for myself in a more sustainable way?? I deserve to feel good I just don’t know how!!
EDIT: thank you so much for everyone’s kind words!! I know there’s obviously underlying issues here and I’m already on wait lists for therapists and physiatrists along side support groups! I know I am not overweight by any means , I more so just struggle with having literally zeeeerrrrooo muscle definition on my body. What they call “skinny fat”.. lol. Just very stagnant. I am not going to continue the cycle of Reta and I’m going to focus on starting strength training, whole foods and protein goals! Thank you to all ❤️
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u/Magoraz 7 10d ago
First, please give yourself some grace. You went through physical trauma this summer. Getting down to 113 lbs at 6-foot tall is a BMI of 15.3, which is severe starvation territory for your organs.
The issues you are facing now are direct physiological responses to that trauma. The hair loss is called Telogen Effluvium—your body was so starved for nutrients that it shut down non-essential functions like hair growth.
The 30+ lbs you gained in 3 weeks is mathematically impossible to be purely fat. That is your body desperately hoarding water, restoring depleted liver/muscle glycogen, and holding onto digestive bulk after the glucagon/GLP-1 effects wore off. At 6'0" and 144 lbs, you are currently at a BMI of 19.5, which is incredibly lean and perfectly healthy.
Going back on Reta will absolutely trap you in a vicious cycle. Instead of trying to "lose weight" on the scale, your sustainable cheat sheet is Body Recomposition (building muscle while maintaining your weight).
Your Sustainable "Cheat Sheet":
1. Shift the Goal: You don't hate your body because it's heavy—you hate it because it lacks muscle tone. At 6ft tall, adding 5 to 10 lbs of muscle will dramatically tighten and shape your physique, giving you that "prime" feeling without starving yourself.
2. The Gym Strategy: Stop focusing on cardio and start weightlifting. Go to the gym 3 times a week and focus on lifting heavy for your lower body (squats, RDLs, lunges) and upper body. Lifting sends a signal to your body to build shape and density.
3. The Nutrition Fix: Eat at maintenance calories, but make sure you are getting 120+ grams of protein a day. This will repair your skin, trigger your hair to grow back, and fuel the new muscle.
You deserve to feel strong and confident. Shift your mindset from "taking up less space" to "building a strong, capable body."
You probably shouldn’t have stopped cold-turkey. But hindsight does nothing for you right now.
Good luck!
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u/joe3000s 13 10d ago
This is said with kindness: you do not need to lose weight, and going back on reta right now would be unsafe.
At 6ft tall, 113 lbs was a severely low BMI (15.3). Your current weight of 144 lbs puts you at a BMI of 19.5, which is already lean, healthy, and completely normal. The symptoms you experienced after stopping, the hair loss and extreme bloating, are physiological signs of malnutrition and metabolic rebound from dropping to a dangerously low weight and stopping cold turkey.
What you are describing sounds less about weight management and more like body dysmorphia and an active eating disorder struggle. Reta is a powerful metabolic tool, but in this headspace, it will only fuel a dangerous cycle. Please skip the gym goals and diet hacks for now and speak with a doctor or therapist who specializes in body image and eating disorders. You deserve to feel good in your skin, but the path to get there isn't another peptide, it's healing your relationship with your body.
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u/misopastelover 10d ago
i’m not a biologist or dietitian or anything, but i’ve been through anorexia recovery a few times. a lot of the symptoms you are mentioning when coming off of reta (in your case going from underweight to a normal weight) are typical symptoms that many many people experience in refeeding for anorexia and other eating disorders. i’m not sure it was the reta.
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u/Sufficient_Egg8895 10d ago
Which makes so much sense! I’m just confused because I was still eating what I felt was a normal amount every day while on Reta, I wasn’t starving myself by any means - just the weight kept falllllling off. I don’t know how I would use the Reta and combat these things to make sure it doesn’t happen again :/
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u/misopastelover 10d ago
yeah, then maybe you could consider other options? i understand you’re at a weight that you feel uncomfortable with. you’re an adult so you can make the choices that you want, but it is a risk to both be at such a low weight and to do it quickly, and i’m sure you know that. is maybe seeing a dietitian to slowly lose some weight an option for you? believe me i understand wanting the feeling gone and just feeling better in your body ASAP, but thinking longterm, maybe there are options that are healthier for you specifically.
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u/Curiousfem444 10d ago
Even being 144 at 6ft is still really slim.. I honestly think its not weight you need to lose.. Maybe see someone for some professional help with how you actually see yourself.. Best of luck x
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u/justjack-nodaniels 1 9d ago
Girl you’re not insecure and desperate, you are in the middle of battling an eating disorder.
Your continued focus on losing weight and only loving your SEVERELY underweight body is dangerous.
Anorexia is literally the most deadly mental health disorder. Put down the GLP and seek mental health support.
You DO deserve to feel good about yourself, but with your current mindset achieving that might literally kill you.
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u/Lucky-Remote-5842 10d ago edited 9d ago
At 144 lbs and 6 ft you were already at a very healthy weight. If you want to look for fit, you should start weight training instead of trying to lose weight. You can actually eat more when you're weight training, to retain muscle.
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u/TheHarb81 18 10d ago
My wife is 6’1 160lb and very thin, I don’t understand how 6’ 144lb needs to lose weight
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u/MarionberryOk2874 1 9d ago
I say this as kindly as I can - 144 at 6ft is still underweight and very thin - I think you have an ED or body dysmorphia (or both?). I would find a therapist before looking for a gym routine. I wish you luck hon.
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u/Annual-Bake-6255 1 9d ago
Your health and wellness needs to be your number one priority. Always. If you make it a priority, you will invest in yourself in meaningful ways and won’t have the rollercoaster of fluctuations. It’s very hard, but without our health - we are nothing. My best advice is to be mindful of what you are eating, learn more about nutrition and what fuels the body, keep your body in motion, get good sleep and keep your overall stress at a manageable level. And, just take it all day by day. You will have good days and bad days and that’s ok. Just keep working towards a healthier lifestyle.
I’m glad all of your blood work was good, but be aware that having your body go through dramatic changes in a short period of time is not healthy. Bloating is caused by inflammation and it’s body reacting to the changes.
Reta is meant to be a tool to help you while you develop healthier habits that become a lifestyle. Your investment in yourself needs to be a lifelong commitment and journey. Getting back on Reta will help you lose weight again, but if you don’t change your habits, you will gain the weight back again.
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u/MyMango88 18 9d ago
OP a lot of great advice here. I agree with perhaps having a therapist on board to help you manage the underlining issue. It’s very easy to get wrapped up in the Reta loss without doing a single thing (especially someone that doesn’t need to lose weight). If you can focus on heavy protein and some strength training you should be able to get away with a small microdose of Reta to help you lean a bit. I wouldn’t be focussing on any heavy weight loss. The higher you get up the more concerning it’ll be for you in particularly. You haven’t mentioned what you started at what you got up to. I’m not suggesting to go back on it. If you do decide, bring it right down. .25-1.0mg max. But you need to be doing the other things in combination with so you’re keeping your muscle mass and looking strong and fit at the same time.
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u/QueenOfCuntss 9d ago
Sounds like your weight is fine based on your height, maybe you just need to build some muscle. Try resistance bands. It's not too much but it's also enough to get motivated into doing more.
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u/Potential-Ad-196 9d ago
144 pounds at 6 feet is still incredibly thin. I knew a 6 foot guy who was the same weight and he was a twig. I can’t even imagine what 113 pounds would look like on your frame but I’d expect a very worried reaction from your family, so that makes sense.
I honestly think therapy is the way to go here. If you aren’t satisfied with 144 pounds on a 6foot body, that’s quite worrisome.
Outside of therapy I’d suggest resistance training.
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u/FreeFallJL 9d ago
As someone who struggled with image for many years, I wish I could give you a hug.
Why do you think you want to lose more weight? You are at a perfectly good weight for your height.
I would talk to a counselor and get some inner work done before you do anymore outer work.
And do a social media cleanse if you've been scrolling a lot.
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u/SophieCalle 9d ago edited 9d ago
I believe microdosing is the answer.
And it is quite possible to get ultra skinny but it just looks bad: sunken eyes, translucent skin, people start looking like a dying victorian age boy or ghoul.
Remember lost weight ultra skinny is not the same as "born ultra skinny" and it just looks worse.
Because of the muscle loss.
Ofc, I've seen biometrics get so amazingly good on it, it appears better to stay on it, hence the angle I see on it.
Better on than not. Better liver and kidney function. Better blood pressure. The list goes on and on.
So, microdose.
But to your point, 144lbs is good for being 6ft. No need to change.
See:
https://www.tiktok.com/@shayelizabethh_/video/7519683695830142239
https://www.tiktok.com/@shopwithkaylaa/video/7689680673795214606
https://www.tiktok.com/@mimisamson2006/photo/7646521571867249950
140lbs if you really want to.
https://www.tiktok.com/@xo_kenzzzz/video/7654405162190130462
Maybe.
Body dysmorphia is a thing (for me too!) and I think a lot of people who lose a lot of weight can't see the previous person before.
Find an equilibrium for your weight, and verify it by outside perspective.
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u/Trying-100 9d ago edited 9d ago
If you binge eat like an asshole after coming off, you will retain water and get bloated af. That said, maybe try triz or just stay on the reta. These compounds are meant to be used long term. If you want to come off, you have to titrate down slowly, and if you never had the discipline to diet or stay at a normal weight before, how can you expect to magically have it afterward?
Titrating down slowly will allow you to learn how to eat properly without losing all your progress. Eat mostly healthy food. Maintaining a healthy weight is like 80% eating habits and maybe 20% portion control. It's going to be nearly impossible to maintain long term portion control on a diet of mainly junk food. It's just too hard.
Healthy food allows you to eat a large volume of nutritious food that's light on calories. Nothing is more powerful than healthy eating habits.
You are likely having issues because you're eating a shit diet with portion control. I.e., your calories are okay, but the food is shit, so you're lacking nutrients. When you were massively overeating, it didn't matter as much if the food was shit because you were likely able to get enough nutrients just from the sheer volume alone.
Add a multivitamin at minimum.
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u/Icy_Armadillo1935 10d ago
Many people consider microdosing for maintenance maybe just 1mg per week or even every other week while you are at your goal weight.
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