Retatrutide Week 21: 264.4 lbs - Scale Goes Up, Not Panicking

## YouTube Summary Subscribe at https://www.youtube.com/@Dark.Rebuild if you prefer video format. ::youtube[{"videoId":"NaEQ_8CSmIQ"}] ## Current Stats - **Week 21 Weight:** 264.4 lbs - **Weekly Change:** +2.2 lbs - **Total Progress:** -72.2 lbs - **Retatrutide:** 12mg (Split dosing Monday and Thursday) - **HGH:** 4iu daily (AM fasted before gym) - **Testosterone Cypionate:** 150mg weekly (3x 50mg) - **SLU-PP-332** 5mg daily - **GHK-Cu:** 2.5mg daily ::gallery[{"images":["https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/2f2b8307-6cc1-4a14-bdd9-e9a54492413b.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/013aa07b-d65d-4446-8e93-a16fb3c2f48f.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/7ce80814-2f69-4ca6-9bfc-afe0eab9dcfe.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/fb69733b-2f01-4231-a50b-bcf8504986e5.png"],"captions":["","","",""]}] Yes, the scale went up this week. No, I'm not panicking. After 19 weeks of low carb, I made a strategic decision to reintroduce carbs to support my increased training frequency and recovery. I documented the full diet change in my [What I Eat in a Day on Retatrutide](https://retatrutidelog.com/posts/what-i-eat-in-a-day-on-retatrutide-week-21-23day-232g-protein) post. The short version: 1 cup of plain white rice daily, split between breakfast and dinner. ## Why I'm Not Freaking Out Here's the thing about carbs: 1 gram of carbohydrates can cause 3-4 grams of water retention. When you reintroduce carbs after a long low carb run, your body uses them to refill glycogen stores in your muscles, and glycogen binds with water. This is basic physiology, not fat gain. My DEXA scans and RENPHO reports have consistently shown zero lean mass loss throughout this entire cut. The diet and activity level were clearly working for fat loss. But I was feeling flat in the gym, and after increasing my training frequency from 5 to 6 days a week, I wanted to restructure my diet to support that better. Normally I'm very anti-carb when losing weight. Even back in my military days when I needed to cut, I would jump on low carb and it always worked. This was one of, if not the longest, low carb runs I've ever done at 19 weeks. It felt like the right time for a smart reintroduction. ## The RENPHO Report This Week The scale shows 264.4 lbs with 77 lbs of fat mass. Last week it was 262.2 lbs with 76 lbs of fat mass. So according to the scale, I gained 1.1 lbs of fat in one week. Let's think about this logically and not emotionally. Given my calorie intake and activity level, gaining over a pound of actual fat in one week is basically impossible. That would require a surplus of roughly 3,850 calories above maintenance for the week, which absolutely did not happen. This is where I start to really question the accuracy of bioelectrical impedance scales. Yes, I took this scale to my last DEXA scan and it was reasonably close, but it clearly struggles when variables like hydration and glycogen change significantly. The reality: my body is restoring glycogen into my muscles and I pulled in water this week. Simple as that. ## Staying the Course I'm not going to knee-jerk react to this and rip carbs back out of my diet. I planned for this bump. I'm going to stay the course with the changes I want to implement, keep my training intensity up, and give my body a couple weeks to adjust. If in 2 weeks I'm still stuck or the scale is still going up, I'll reassess then and likely make diet adjustments. But for now, this is expected and I'm not changing anything. Running my hands on my gut, it actually feels smaller, especially after training or waking up in the morning. I don't feel bloated. The mirror and the way my clothes fit tell a different story than the scale this week. ## Thanksgiving: First Real Cheat Meal in 20 Weeks Thursday was Thanksgiving, and I had my first true cheat meal in 20 weeks. The menu: fried turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and a couple rolls. For dessert I had some homemade peanut butter cookies and a handful of chocolate covered pecans. Overall I think I kept it on the rails thanks to retatrutide. Because I'm on 12mg split dosing, I pin Mondays and Thursdays, so it lined up nicely to give me a little extra appetite suppression right on Thanksgiving day. The big thing: I consumed no alcohol. I still have zero desire to drink. Still amazed by this effect. If you haven't read it, here's my detailed post about [retatrutide killing my 8-year whiskey habit in one week](https://retatrutidelog.com/posts/retatrutide-killed-8-year-whiskey-habit-one-week). ## RENPHO Scale Report: Week 21 Body Composition  The [RENPHO smart scale](https://amzn.to/47unhTA) continues to track trends, but this week is a good reminder that these scales have limitations. When you make significant changes to carb intake, the numbers get wonky. The fat mass reading is almost certainly inaccurate this week due to hydration changes. I'm watching the long-term trend, not the weekly fluctuation. One week of glycogen refeed doesn't erase 21 weeks of consistent fat loss. ## StepUp Challenge: Still 7 Strong If you'd like to join our group, you can use the [direct group invite](https://join.thestepupapp.com/zW07S5) or read about [why I started this challenge](https://retatrutidelog.com/posts/my-step-count-is-trash-started-a-group-to-fix-it). ::subscribe[{"variant":"default"}] --- **Disclaimer:** The information provided on this site is for **educational and informational purposes only** and reflects my **personal experiences and opinions**. It is **not** intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Retatrutide is an **investigational drug** that is **not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration** for any use outside of clinical trials. Always consult a licensed healthcare professional before making any decisions regarding medications, supplements, or medical treatments. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this site may be affiliate links.