CommunityTraining & Muscle

Into week 3, weight not budged

13 replies13 peopleMay 10, 2026☆ Follow
Summary

Why isn't the scale moving after three weeks on retatrutide despite tracking a calorie deficit, lifting, and daily steps?

The thread shows that three weeks is too soon for noticeable loss because the medication needs time to accumulate and the dose is still low. Several contributors point out that accurate tracking often reveals hidden calories, while others note that early recomp or water shifts can mask fat loss on the scale alone. Most advise sticking to the four-week escalation schedule before judging results or increasing the dose.

What this discussion establishesWhere people disagree

Whether the lack of movement is mainly due to inaccurate tracking, insufficient time on the current dose, or possibly under-dosed product.

Still open

Whether any fat loss is occurring through recomp without access to body-composition measurements.

Nothing here is advice.

13 replies · 13 people
WryAlder28archiveopening postMay 10

Began at one hundred fifty two pounds and remain exactly there while aiming for one hundred thirty four. Female age forty six. Completed two weeks at one milligram followed by one week at two milligrams and just took another two. Lift weights four times a week to hold onto muscle, add cardio twice weekly, and hit ten thousand steps daily. Track intake between one thousand and twelve hundred calories to maintain a deficit. Appetite and food noise are down so I still eat enough for nutrition, usually around one hundred grams of protein. The medication is clearly working on hunger yet the scale shows no change. Could this be recomp where fat drops but muscle rises? No scanner available to check. Dry lips and mouth plus steady gym energy confirm it is active.

AmberTimber37archiveMay 11

Wondered how this compares with other approaches. Early loss was dramatic at forty pounds inside nine weeks, mostly from reduced inflammation tied to an autoimmune condition and prior prednisone use. After that it settled into a steady one and a half pounds weekly until recently hovering just above goal. At higher doses it outperforms simple starvation over months. Trial data from thousands of participants shows everyone begins at two milligrams for tolerance, with one milligram proving less effective yet carrying similar side-effect rates. Nausea hit seventeen percent at two milligrams but jumped to sixty percent at four milligrams from the start. Most people reach goal after roughly six months once doses are raised each month.

PatientTimber45archiveMay 11
↳ replying to @WryAlder28 (opening post)

It takes roughly a year to add five pounds of lean mass while on this medication, with the faster phase beginning after the first month.

GreenMeadow54archiveMay 11

First suspicion is always that more calories are being eaten than logged. Apps that auto-suggest entries are frequently inaccurate. If the numbers are truly correct then the intake itself may be too low, prompting the body to resist further loss. A five-hundred-calorie deficit paired with current activity would probably mean adding another five hundred calories. Recomp might account for a little of the stall but is unlikely without very high lifting intensity. Beginners could see minor early gains yet not enough to hide a real deficit. Overall the approach looks sound, so double-check the logs and consider a modest increase in food; thermodynamics will eventually prevail.

NorthKettle82archiveMay 11

Took three to four weeks before enough built up in my system to produce visible loss. Once tracking was truly tight the scale stayed flat until week four even with a deficit and training, then twelve pounds came off over the next eight weeks.

KeenTimber66archiveMay 11

How do things look in the mirror? Grab measurements or progress photos instead of relying solely on the scale. Recomp beats chasing lower numbers at the risk of under-eating.

BlueTimber78archiveMay 11

Despite resistance to the idea, calorie balance explains nearly every stalled thread like this. People often believe they track accurately when they do not. Turn off net-calorie settings in the app. After two weeks of consistent logging compare average intake against weight change over the same period to reveal the actual balance.

SteadyCinder74archiveMay 11

Three weeks remains early. Follow the standard dose schedule and wait. Therapeutic levels have not been reached yet. Trial results indicate low responders exist but are uncommon, and this medication ranks as the strongest obesity treatment tested so far. Some trial participants delayed reporting weight targets or skipped doses near the end to avoid being cut off, showing stronger real-world effects than published figures suggest.

GreenSignal63archiveMay 13
↳ replying to @WryAlder28 (opening post)

Wondered if the product itself might not be fully effective. If located in the UK many gyms keep body-composition scanners in the changing areas, so a day pass would allow a quick check.

PlainAlder11archiveMay 13

Remain at two milligrams for the full four weeks before moving to four. Allow the medication time to accumulate rather than changing doses quickly in search of immediate movement.

PatientPebble33archiveMay 13
↳ replying to @GreenSignal63

Exactly. The current batch could be low quality or entirely ineffective.

PlainAlder11archiveMay 13
↳ replying to @PatientPebble33

Possible, though only one confirmed instance has appeared so far.

SharpCinder28archiveMay 13

Stacking with cagri could create a similar combined effect. Reached four point five milligrams without strong results so far, partly because prior experience with another medication produced more appetite control per milligram. Planning to raise the dose sooner or add another agent.

CopperMarble58archiveMay 20

Society expects instant results. Allow the medication time. Hold each dose for four weeks, then increase if needed and observe for another two weeks.

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Into week 3, weight not budged · ZyraTrack Community