Week four is a wrap, and holy shit, 4mg retatrutide is a completely different experience. I knew stepping up from 2mg would be more intense, but I wasn't prepared for how dramatically the appetite suppression would change. We're talking about legitimate disgust with food some days. Here's what actually happened during my first week at the higher retatrutide dose. ## Week 4 Weight Update **Starting week 4:** 314.4 lbs **End of week 4:** 309.9 lbs **Week 4 loss:** 4.5 lbs **Total loss:** 26.7 lbs in four weeks Another solid week of progress. The 4mg is definitely doing its job. ## The 4mg Retatrutide Injection Experience I started week 4 on July 25th with my first 4mg injection the night before (July 24th). Moving from 25 units to 50 units in one shot meant double the volume, and yeah, there was some site discomfort from the larger injection. Nothing terrible, but definitely noticeable compared to the 2mg shots. ## Retatrutide Side Effects at 4mg: The Good and the Rough **The headache situation:** First morning after the 4mg injection, I woke up with a mild headache and had poor sleep quality the night before. The headache hung around until mid-afternoon, which was annoying. **The pattern:** I had headaches every morning until Wednesday, when they finally stopped. The insomnia seemed to stop by Monday and I was able to get good sleep without melatonin for the first time in weeks. **Energy levels:** Despite the headaches and appetite issues, I have no lack of energy. I actually feel great throughout the day. ## Unexpected Benefit: Zero Alcohol Cravings Here's something I wasn't expecting at all. I was a very heavy drinker for years and stopped just a few weeks before starting retatrutide. What's incredible is that this peptide seems to prevent any urge at all to drink. Not only is it amazing for appetite control and weight loss, but the complete elimination of alcohol cravings is an unexpected bonus that I wasn't prepared for. The "drink noise" is just as gone as the food noise. ## Retatrutide Appetite Suppression: Next Level Intensity By Tuesday, the lack of interest in eating became intense. I'm talking zero urge to eat. Not just "I'm not hungry" I genuinely don't want food. **The struggle:** I'm trying to eat the same style meals I've been doing the last few weeks, but I get a feeling of disgust when eating. It's hard to finish my planned meals. Some days I way under ate my planned calories and didn't hit my protein macros most of the week. **Today was different:** This evening was a bit of an exception. I was able to eat multiple meals without feeling sick, so I got a few extra calories in since my body would actually tolerate it. This level of appetite suppression is no joke. It's effective, but you have to be smart about making sure you're still getting adequate nutrition. ## Back to the Gym: Building the Habit I'm back in the gym this week, every other day Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Planet Fitness is basically the only gym close to my house, and I already have a membership, so that's what we're working with. **The routine:** I get up at 4:30am to prep and go. I was seriously lacking motivation and wasn't getting to sleep at a good hour to support that timing, but I went anyway. **My approach:** Easing into it because in the past I've overdone it when "getting in shape" and usually end up burned out or injured. Right now I get in and do 4-5 movements on machines, including Smith machine for chest and squats. I finish with a 10-minute incline walk on the treadmill. **The goal:** Build the habit of just showing up and making little progress. After years of doing nothing, it's going to be a shock to my body no matter what. ## Blood Data: Same Patterns Continue My glucose and ketone readings are basically the same as last week: - **Morning:** 100-109 glucose, 0.5-0.6 ketones - **Evening before eating:** 87-101 glucose, 0.9-1.4 ketones This shows I'm in moderate ketosis most days. Still getting knocked out of ketosis overnight, which continues to puzzle me. ## Progress Photos: Same as Last Week? ::gallery[{"images":["https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/d0e03ca6-2f41-4be8-be0f-dfa13176dd61.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/ec82b981-95fc-4b73-b0b4-6512d319d2a5.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/a4dc5f83-f978-446e-8b4c-6ab8fa1dc9e7.png"],"captions":["","",""]}] To me, these basically look the same as last week's photos, but I'll include them every week for consistency. Sometimes changes are more obvious to others or become apparent over longer time periods. ## Still Intermittent Fasting by Default I'm still having no issues not eating until 4-5:30pm timeframe. As mentioned above, I actually had a hard time eating much of anything this week and way under-ate my planned calories most days. The natural intermittent fasting continues to be effortless on retatrutide. ## Week 4 Observations **What's working:** - Consistent weight loss continues - Energy levels remain high - Gym habit building is going well - No major injection issues - Zero alcohol cravings **What's challenging:** - Morning headaches (until Wednesday) - Appetite suppression almost too strong - Under-eating calories and protein - 4:30am gym motivation struggles ## The 4mg Retatrutide Reality Check Moving to 4mg is definitely a step up in intensity. The appetite suppression goes from "I'm not that hungry" to "food is kind of disgusting." If you're considering this dose increase, just be aware that you might need to actively work to eat enough calories. The best way I can describe it: when I was a little kid and would eat the same thing over and over again for weeks, I could have been fine with it for lunch yesterday, but today a single bite would hit my tongue and I'd instantly know I couldn't eat this anymore or I'd throw up. It was like that all week with the exception of Thursday. **Important note:** The food noise didn't creep back in toward the valley of the dose cycle like it did at 2mg. It stayed very much at bay throughout the entire week. The appetite suppression at 4mg seems much more consistent. This peptide continues to amaze me with its effectiveness, but 4mg is no joke. The tool is powerful you just have to be smart about how you use it. --- **Still waiting on those Finnrick testing results!** Hopefully we will see these results soon. Check back for part 2 of that post. **Disclaimer:** This documents personal experience with research peptides and is not medical advice. Always consult healthcare providers for guidance.