## Week 5 Weight Update **Current weight:** 302 lbs **This week:** -3.4 lbs **Total down:** -34.4 lbs Six weeks down and honestly things are still going really well. The weight keeps coming off, I feel good, and I'm about to add something new to the mix starting Monday. ## Made the Switch to Chinese Source This Week Well, this week I finally pulled the trigger, hours before getting the results from [Finnrick see post here](https://retatrutidelog.com/posts/chinese-retatrutide-99-percent-purity-finnrick-test). I needed to reconstitute a new vial anyway and figured instead of waiting another month to try it, might as well just go for it. First thing I noticed, this stuff mixed way better. Like noticeably better. I added the bac water, let it sit for 30 minutes and came back to crystal clear solution. No waiting around, no cloudiness, just clean mixing. Those headaches I've been getting on weeks 4 and 5? Gone. Completely gone. Woke up feeling fine instead of that slightly off feeling I'd been having. Now I know I'm probably overthinking everything right now. When you switch sources your brain goes into this hypervigilant mode where you're analyzing every little thing. Is my appetite suppressed as much? Do I have the same energy? Any weird cravings sneaking back in? I realize this is kind of silly because by looking for differences I'm probably more likely to notice stuff that was there the whole time anyway. So I'm trying to just go with the flow and see how it plays out over the next few weeks. ## Appetite Changes - Actually Getting Hungry Now The complete zero appetite thing from the first few weeks has shifted a bit. I wouldn't say I get actual hunger pains but I do get hungry now. Or at least signals that I'm hungry - stomach grumbling and that kind of stuff. But here's the thing, I can ignore these super easily. Still zero food cravings which is amazing. But I can actually eat more now if I want to, and I'm hearing normal hunger cues at meal times. This actually feels like progress instead of that weird complete appetite shutdown from early weeks. ## Preparing for Tesamorelin - Monday Launch Speaking of eating more regularly, I've been transitioning my eating window a bit because Monday I'm starting tesamorelin. [Here's why I'm adding it](https://retatrutidelog.com/posts/evolving-beyond-retatrutide-tesamorelin) if you missed that post. The thing with tesamorelin is it needs to be taken fasted for at least 90 minutes. So I'm planning to stop eating around 5pm and take the injection around 10-11pm. This means moving away from my natural OMAD pattern that retatrutide created. Initial plan is 3 months, 5 days a week, 2mg dose. Should help with body composition and fat distribution. Also had to solve the labeling problem since I'll be managing multiple peptides now. [Wrote about that whole situation here](https://retatrutidelog.com/posts/the-problem-i-didn-t-see-coming-why-i-need-a-labeling-system) - basically needed a system so I don't accidentally mix up vials. ## DEXA Scan This Saturday Getting my first DEXA scan Saturday morning to get baseline body composition data before starting the tesamorelin. Want to have actual numbers on muscle mass, bone density, fat distribution, not just scale weight. I'll do a full post on Saturday walking through the whole process and what the numbers look like. Should be interesting to see current body composition even after loosing 34 lbs I still have so much to lose. ## The Reality Check: Scale vs Mirror Going to be honest here, the end of this week was a bit of a mental challenge. The scale keeps moving in the right direction, my clothes fit completely different (literally need a belt for every pair of pants and shorts I own now), but when I took progress photos this week... not much difference from week 5. ::gallery[{"images":["https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/89da3a7b-2433-4ec4-a383-77651984d402.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/46a92f44-1738-4db0-8abf-c844378457ff.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/90551fb7-6291-4ef5-bd68-b9667ddd0f3b.png"],"captions":["","",""]}] That's frustrating. You want to see that dramatic visual progress every week, especially when you're putting in the work and the numbers are moving. But I'm learning that's just not how this works once you get past those first few dramatic weeks. The scale dropped 3.4 pounds this week. My belt is on a tighter notch. My shirts fit looser. Those are real changes even if the mirror doesn't show them as obviously. The fat is coming off somewhere, it's just not always where the camera can capture it best. This is probably why so many people give up on weight loss - the visual changes slow down even when real progress is happening. The scale doesn't lie though. 34+ pounds is gone, even if this week's photos don't show it dramatically. ## Overall Week 6 Thoughts The Chinese source seems to be working well based on the better mixing and no side effects. Weight is still dropping consistently. Energy is good, sleep is good, still zero alcohol cravings. The systematic approach is definitely paying off. Having data, tracking everything, making methodical changes, it's working way better than any of those extreme crash diets I used to do. Even when the mirror is being discouraging. Next week should be interesting with adding tesamorelin to the mix. We'll see how the combination works and if it accelerates things, especially body composition changes that might show up better in photos. ## Quick Affiliate Links Some stuff that's been helpful this week: - [Etekcity Smart Scale for Body Weight Fat ](https://amzn.to/3Jg2VnA) - [NIIMBOT D11 Bluetooth Label printer](https://amzn.to/419Ta0q) - [KETO-MOJO Glucose & Ketone Meter](https://amzn.to/45hBlyT) Alright that's it for week 6. Monday we add tesamorelin and see what happens. Should be fun. ::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.