Week 7 marks a significant milestone in this journey - not just because I'm now at 6mg retatrutide, but because I've added [Tesamorelin]{card:tesamorelin} to target something that's been haunting me since my DEXA scan results: visceral fat. Oh, and there's this: **299.3 lbs**. Back in the 200s for the first time in years. Just barely, but I'll absolutely take it. ### Current Stats - **Week 7 Weight:** 299.3 lbs - **Weekly Loss:** 2.7 lbs (a slowdown from previous weeks, but still solid progress) - **Total Progress:** -37.1 lbs - **New Addition:** 2mg Tesamorelin daily - **Milestone:** Back in the 200s! ::gallery[{"images":["https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/49fa9e08-e3d3-4bc3-b314-a212fbe9c98f.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/46a321cd-a472-430b-8339-464b2d53c204.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/1b76c902-760c-4e85-aa24-45c1a32c96a9.png"],"captions":["","",""]}] ## [Retatrutide]{card:retatrutide} at 6mg: Smooth Sailing with Expected Deceleration The step up to 6mg has been remarkably smooth. After experiencing some constipation for the first few days post-Thursday injection, everything cleared up by Saturday morning. At this point, I'm convinced retatrutide agrees with my system better than any medication I've ever taken. **The weekly numbers:** 2.7 lbs this week represents a natural slowdown from the aggressive losses of weeks 1-6. This is expected - as you get leaner and your body adapts, the dramatic early losses inevitably moderate. What matters is that the progress continues consistently. **Side effects at 6mg:** Essentially none. The initial constipation resolved quickly, and I continue to experience that same clean energy and appetite control that's defined this entire journey. **Appetite suppression:** Still incredibly effective. Food noise remains at near-zero levels, making meal planning and portion control effortless. ## Myth vs. Reality: The Fasting Requirement Deep Dive One thing that's become clear in my research: the peptide community has created a lot of "requirements" that aren't actually requirements. **The Egrifta prescribing information** (Tesamorelin's FDA-approved brand name) says nothing about fasting. Clinical trials measured efficacy without controlling for meal timing. The drug was designed to work regardless of when you eat. **Community protocols** insist on fasting because of theoretical mechanisms: - Natural GH release happens during sleep - Tesamorelin triggers additional GH pulses - Fasting might enhance GH sensitivity - Combining all three should maximize effect **The problem:** GH physiology is adaptive, not additive. Artificial spikes often blunt natural pulses rather than stacking with them. And since no controlled trials have compared fasted vs. fed Tesamorelin administration, the entire fasting protocol is educated guesswork. **My approach:** I'm following the community protocol for now, but treating it as an experiment rather than gospel. If fasting doesn't provide clear benefits after a few months, I'll test fed administration. The goal is results, not ritual compliance. ## Protocol Adjustment: The Fasting Question Adding Tesamorelin meant confronting one of the most persistent myths in the peptide community: the supposed requirement to inject while fasted. ### The Official Story vs. The Bro Science **What the FDA label actually says:** Inject 2mg subcutaneously once daily. That's it. No mention of fasting, timing, or meal coordination. The clinical trials that got Tesamorelin approved? They didn't control for fasting status. **What peptide forums say:** "Always inject fasted to maximize GH release" and "time it with your natural nighttime GH pulse for synergy." **The reality:** This fasting requirement is pure community speculation. The theory goes that since Tesamorelin triggers growth hormone release, injecting during your natural nighttime GH surge while fasted should create some kind of synergistic effect. Sounds logical, but there's zero clinical data supporting it. ### Why I'm Following the Community Protocol Anyway Even though the fasting requirement is likely unnecessary, I decided to adjust my eating schedule to accommodate it. Here's why: 1. **It doesn't hurt:** Maintaining a fasting window before injection is easy to implement 2. **Community consensus:** When thousands of users report following this protocol, there might be something to it 3. **Personal optimization:** My eating window was already restricted, so the adjustment was minimal 4. **Future comparison:** If I ever want to test fasted vs. fed injections, I'm establishing a baseline But let's be clear - this is personal experimentation, not medical necessity. ### New Daily Schedule: - **Morning:** Fasted gym session (4:45-5:30 AM) - **Post-workout:** Breakfast (around 6:00 AM) - **Lunch:** Meal-prepped food (12:00-1:00 PM) - **Final meal:** Protein shake by 5:00 PM - **Tesamorelin injection:** 10:00 PM (5-hour fasted state) ### My Daily Protein Shake (Meal Replacement): **The "Simple Nutrition" Shake:** - 2 cups Darigold FIT 2% Milk - 2 scoops [Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey](https://amzn.to/473mLwh) - 1 tablespoon [PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter](https://amzn.to/4fQvbcH) **Total macros:** ~528 calories, 78g protein - works perfectly as a meal replacement that fits my eating window and clears my system in time for the evening Tesamorelin injection. ![1000001499.jpg](https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/6f8cdc89-2bdb-46ba-a248-4c7b3dcb5a48.jpg) ### Why I'm Moving Away from OMAD Previously, I was doing a more traditional One Meal a Day (OMAD) approach, but I'm shifting to this spread-out eating pattern for practical reasons. With some social events and later evenings coming up over the next few months, the rigid OMAD schedule could become problematic. If I'm out late and miss my single eating window, I'd either have to break protocol or go hungry. This new three-meal approach gives me flexibility while still maintaining the fasting window needed for Tesamorelin. Since I'm eating strict carnivore/keto anyway - foods that don't cause insulin spikes - spreading meals throughout the day shouldn't impact the metabolic benefits I was getting from OMAD. **The logic:** Better to have a sustainable protocol I can stick to 90% of the time than a "perfect" one I break regularly due to life circumstances. ## Blood Labs and Testosterone Check Monday brought my first comprehensive blood panel since starting this protocol. I hit LabCorp for a full workup including testosterone (total and free). **Strategic timing:** I skipped the gym Monday morning to avoid any exercise-induced fluctuations in testosterone readings. The goal is to get baseline data on how the protocol is affecting my hormonal profile. **Results are in:** Based on the blood work, I'm adding targeted support supplements to optimize what the labs revealed. More details on the specific numbers and rationale coming in a dedicated post, but here's what I'm adding: **The Stack:** - **[Earth Elixir Fadogia Agrestis + Tongkat Ali](https://amzn.to/41g82uh)** - **[Nature's Bounty Zinc 50mg](https://amzn.to/41NvPBP)** - **[Nature's Bounty Selenium 200mcg](https://amzn.to/4mRyt1u)** - **[Nature's Bounty Magnesium 400mg](https://amzn.to/4fLzK7S)** **Makeup plan:** Hitting the gym every day this week to compensate for Monday's missed session. The routine needs to stay consistent, especially with Tesamorelin potentially affecting growth hormone levels. ## First Tesamorelin Experience **Monday 10:00 PM - First 2mg injection** After maintaining a 5-hour fast (following community protocol rather than FDA requirements), I administered my first Tesamorelin dose. The fasting window felt unnecessarily long, but I wanted to follow established community wisdom for this initial trial. ### Injection Experience: - **Administration:** Subcutaneous, similar technique to retatrutide - **Initial reaction:** Injection site stung for about 5 minutes post-injection - **45 minutes later:** Notable drowsiness kicked in - took this as my cue for bed - **Sleep quality:** Fell asleep easily without needing my usual melatonin - **Morning after:** No residual effects, felt refreshed ## The Science Behind the Combination **Retatrutide** continues handling appetite suppression and overall weight loss through its triple-agonist mechanism (GLP-1, GIP, glucagon receptors). **Tesamorelin** specifically targets growth hormone release, which should: - Increase lipolysis (fat breakdown) - Specifically target visceral adipose tissue - Potentially improve muscle preservation during weight loss - Enhance recovery from training The combination should create a synergistic effect: retatrutide manages the caloric deficit effortlessly while Tesamorelin optimizes body composition changes. ## Week Ahead: Full Protocol Implementation **Training:** Daily gym sessions to make up for Monday's lab work **Nutrition:** Maintaining the adjusted eating window to optimize Tesamorelin timing **Monitoring:** Tracking any changes in energy, sleep, or body composition **Data collection:** Continuing glucose/ketone monitoring to see if Tesamorelin affects metabolic markers ### What I'm Watching For: - Changes in recovery between gym sessions - Any shift in energy levels or mood - Sleep quality improvements (if any) - Injection site reactions or tolerance issues ## The Bigger Picture Seven weeks in, this protocol continues to exceed expectations. The seamless addition of Tesamorelin feels like a natural evolution rather than a complication. **Key insight:** Starting with a solid retatrutide foundation made adding Tesamorelin straightforward. The appetite control and eating schedule were already dialed in, so adjustment was minimal. **Looking ahead:** The next 3 months will tell the real story. That follow-up DEXA scan will provide objective data on whether this combination delivers the body composition changes the research suggests. ::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 (FDA)** for any use outside of clinical trials. Do not attempt to obtain or use this compound without proper legal authorization. Always consult a licensed healthcare professional before making any decisions regarding medications, supplements, or medical treatments. The author does **not** sell or distribute any pharmaceutical products. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this site may be affiliate links.