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Reta is a perimenopause miracle.

15 replies8 peopleMay 2, 2026☆ Follow
Summary

Does retatrutide help with perimenopause weight gain that won't budge on HRT, diet, and training?

One woman in her 50s lost 18.6 lb in 5.5 weeks on 1 mg weekly reta while continuing HRT, keeping her lifting numbers intact though long hikes became harder to recover from. Several others echo the weight-loss success and note they no longer need HRT, while one user reports severe anhedonia, anxiety, and dread that may force her to stop. Newer users are still waiting to see movement after a couple of weeks.

What this discussion establishesWhere people disagree

Whether reta is universally helpful or whether mood-related side effects make it unusable for some people.

Still open

How long the weight loss and any side effects last once dosing continues or stops.

Nothing here is advice.

15 replies · 8 people
RustKettle12archiveopening postMay 2

I'm 50, 5'10", and dropped 160 lb back in 2016 with low-carb eating, lifting, and hiking. Kept it off until perimenopause started late last year and added almost 20 lb even though nothing else changed. HRT with an estradiol patch plus low-dose test-c fixed most symptoms but not the scale. Went from around 140 up to 157-162 and nothing I used to do would move it. After five and a half weeks on reta at 1 mg a week split into two shots I'm down 18.6 lb. Strength is fine, same maxes on bench, squat and deadlift, but the big Saturday hikes are tougher to bounce back from so I've cut them back. Easy bike rides fill the other days. Resting heart rate and HRV barely moved. Sleep is still only six or seven hours and the 4 a.m. wake-ups continue.

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IronLedger65archiveMay 2

Nice work getting back down to where you feel comfortable.

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RustKettle12archiveMay 2
↳ replying to @IronLedger65

Appreciate it. It was getting annoying to keep adding muscle only to have it covered by the peri-puff.

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SlowSignal40archiveMay 2
↳ replying to @RustKettle12 (opening post)

Saw the picture too. Were you built by Cyberdyne for Skynet?

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RustKettle12archiveMay 2
↳ replying to @SlowSignal40

Shhh, don't tell anyone.

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IronLantern24archiveMay 2

Same here. It's let me drop weight faster than I ever expected and I don't even need HRT. Wish I'd started sooner instead of fighting it alone for a year.

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SlowSignal40archiveMay 2
↳ replying to @RustKettle12

Gulp! I read that first line as "Give me your clothes, boots, and your motorcycle." Almost handed them over until I remembered I don't own a Harley. Might try to grab the exercise bike from the gym instead. Do you practice the "I'll be back" line in the mirror?

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SlowSignal40archiveMay 2
↳ replying to @RustKettle12

That's different. I figured the look would be useful. Makes me curious what the goal is with all that muscle, especially at your level. If I had forearms like that scaled to my size I'd be wearing a crown.

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PatientAlder89archiveMay 2

You're doing really well. I can tell you've put in serious work. Would love to hear what you're eating too, since it clearly takes a lot to stay in that kind of shape.

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RustKettle12archiveMay 2
↳ replying to @SlowSignal40

When I met my husband twelve years ago he was powerlifting in a gritty gym with some tough people. Once I started losing weight I got jealous and joined the same coach. Got hooked right away. After ten years I just enjoy the training, we lift together so I always have a spotter, and I like being strong as I age. Osteoporosis and obesity run in my family and I decided that wasn't going to be me.

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RustKettle12archiveMay 2
↳ replying to @PatientAlder89

My food is pretty plain. Meat, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, whey, bone broth, cottage cheese, and low-fiber vegetables because of two small bowel resections. Reese's cups used to be my treat but I haven't wanted them at all since starting reta.

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SlowSignal40archiveMay 2
↳ replying to @RustKettle12

All right, fine, I'm jealous. There, I said it. No shame. I'll just go hide in a mustard seed. Well done.

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PatientAlder89archiveMay 2
↳ replying to @RustKettle12

All solid choices. Garlic and seasonings make them taste good. I turn the yogurt or cottage cheese into sauces and dressings with spices, sometimes vinegar or jalapeño juice. Are you low-carb? My setup is similar but I add a little rice and wraps and keep fiber a bit higher. Still have a ways to go though.

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BlueBeacon34archiveMay 2

Wish it worked that way for me. Reta, and tirzepatide to a lesser degree, leaves me with bad anhedonia. Reta also seems to bring anxiety, panic, and a constant sense of doom. I'm fairly sure it's the reta. It's bad enough that I'm almost ready to just stay heavier since everything else is already dialed in.

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WryAlder28archiveMay 10

Good to see. I'm 46 and just starting peri. Stuck around 152 plus or minus a few pounds and want to get back to 137 where I feel best. I train regularly, the muscle is there but so is the extra layer. Only two weeks and three shots in and nothing has moved yet even with a solid deficit and daily exercise. Hitting protein targets. Just going to keep going and check again in a month or two.

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NorthMeadow44archiveMay 14
↳ replying to @BlueBeacon34

Male or female, and roughly what age? Just looking for a bit more context.

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