What I Eat in a Day on Retatrutide – Week 21 ($23/Day, 232g Protein)

**TL;DR:** 2,055 calories, 232g protein, and the same boring meals I've been eating for 18 weeks straight. Here's the actual food with photos. --- ## The Boring Truth About Fat Loss Eating I've been asked a lot about what I actually eat on this protocol. People expect some complicated meal plan or secret foods. The reality? I've eaten essentially the same thing for 18 weeks. That's not a typo. Same meals. Same timing. Minor swaps on protein sources. That's it. This week I'm sharing the full breakdown with actual photos of my food. No staged Instagram plates – just paper plates on my kitchen table. --- ## The Numbers | Metric | Daily Total | |--------|-------------| | **Calories** | ~2,055 kcal | | **Protein** | 232g | | **Carbs** | 96g | | **Fat** | 82g | **Current Stack:** Retatrutide, TRT, HGH, 5-Amino-1MQ **Training:** 6 days/week lifting --- ## One Change at Week 20: Adding Rice Back For the first 18 weeks, I kept carbs minimal. Mostly just what came naturally with my protein sources and the occasional rice cake. Now that I'm lifting 6 days a week, I've slowly added white rice back into a couple meals. Not a lot – maybe a cup total split between breakfast and dinner. The goal is better recovery without blowing up my calories. **My expectation:** I'll probably hold a bit more water and might see the scale stall for a week or two. That's fine. I'm playing the long game here and I'd rather recover properly than grind myself into the ground for slightly faster scale drops. --- ## The Actual Meals ### Pre-Workout (4:15 AM) • 1 [White Monster Ultra](https://amzn.to/4io4KfN) • 5g [Creatine](https://amzn.to/43VLccC) Nothing fancy. Just enough to get moving for the gym. The creatine goes in whether I feel like it or not. --- ### Meal 1 – Post-Gym Breakfast (~6:30 AM)  • 4 whole eggs (scrambled) • ½ cup white rice • ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese • Black coffee (sometimes a tablespoon half and half) This is my biggest meal of the day and it hits right after the gym when I actually have an appetite. The cottage cheese was a game-changer – easy protein that doesn't require cooking. --- ### Meal 2 – Mid-Morning Snack  • 1 [Fairlife Core Power Elite](https://amzn.to/48kSisC) (42g protein) • 1 Coke Zero The Core Power Elite shakes are the MVP of this cut. 42 grams of protein in a bottle that actually tastes good. I buy these by the case from Sam's Club. --- ### Meal 3 – Lunch  • 6 oz Sam's Club Italian Herb grilled chicken • ½ can [green beans](https://amzn.to/43QEapE) • 1 Babybel Light cheese The pre-cooked chicken from Sam's Club is another shortcut I rely on. Is it as good as fresh grilled? No. Does it get the job done without me having to cook at work? Yes. --- ### Meal 4 – Afternoon Snack  • 3 oz rotisserie chicken • 1 Babybel Light cheese • ~8-15 Goldfish crackers • 1 [Quaker White Cheddar Rice Cake](https://amzn.to/4adBvdl) • 1 Coke Zero Yeah, there's Goldfish on my plate. Sometimes you need a little crunch. 8-15 crackers isn't derailing anything. --- ### Meal 5 – Dinner  • 4 oz 80/20 ground beef • ½ cup white rice • 1 tbsp shredded cheddar • 1 tbsp light sour cream • Taco Bell mild sauce This is the meal that keeps me sane. It tastes like actual food. The Taco Bell sauce is zero calories and add real flavor. --- ### Meal 6 – Evening Shake 1 [Fairlife Core Power Elite](https://amzn.to/48kSisC) (42g protein) Same shake, different time. By this point I'm usually not hungry, but I need the protein to hit my target. This goes down easy even when food sounds unappealing. **Alternative:** When I need more protein or want some variety, I swap this for a homemade shake:  --- ### Throughout the Day I also drink a second [Monster Ultra](https://amzn.to/4io4KfN) in the afternoon and usually a third Coke Zero. These add another $2.44 to the daily total but zero calories. --- ## What This Actually Costs **Pro tip on the chicken:** I buy the Italian Herb grilled chicken from Sam's Club when it's yellow-tagged (30% off). That drops it from $9.98/lb to $6.99/lb. The chicken cost is usually the biggest variable in my daily spend. --- ## How I Actually Track This I don't weigh my food every day. That's not sustainable for me. Here's my actual system: **Calibration phase:** When I start a new meal plan, I weigh everything for a few days. Get the portions locked in visually. **Eyeball phase:** Once I know what 6oz of chicken looks like on my plate, I stop weighing and just portion by eye. **Spot checks:** Every week or so, I'll snap a photo of my plate and run it through ChatGPT to verify my portions. "Does this look like 4oz of ground beef?" This catches drift before it becomes a problem. The risk with eyeballing is that portions creep up over time. Your "4oz" becomes 5oz, then 6oz, and suddenly you're not in a deficit anymore. The AI spot-check keeps me honest without the tedium of daily weighing. I'll be eating this exact menu for at least the next 8 weeks. Same meals, same portions, same timing. The only exception is Thanksgiving – that's a controlled cheat meal with family. I'm not going to be weird about it, but I'm also not going back for thirds. --- ## Why This Works (For Me) **Simplicity over optimization.** I'm not optimizing micronutrients or rotating through elaborate recipes. I found meals that hit my protein target, keep me in a deficit, and don't require a ton of prep. Then I just repeat. **Protein is the priority.** 232g might seem high, but when you're in a deficit and lifting 6 days a week, you need it. The retatrutide kills my appetite, so without intentional protein sources I'd end up eating way less than I should. **Boring is sustainable.** I know people who rotate through 30 different meal prep recipes. Good for them. I'd rather eat the same thing and not think about it. --- ## The 18-Week Pattern **What stayed constant:** Core Power Elite shakes (2x daily), eggs for breakfast, some form of chicken or turkey at lunch, ground beef or similar for dinner, Coke Zero throughout the day. **What varied:** Protein source at lunch (chicken, turkey, sometimes fish), dinner protein (ground beef, steak, pork), and the rice which is new as of week 19. That's the whole system. Not exciting, but it's taken me from 336 to where I am now. --- ## Products I Actually Use *These are the specific items in my photos:* [**Fairlife Core Power Elite**](https://amzn.to/48kSisC) – The 42g protein version, chocolate flavor **Babybel Light** – Cheap, portable, tastes fine **Sam's Club Italian Herb Grilled Chicken** – Buy it yellow-tagged for 30% off **Sam's Club Rotisserie Chicken** – For afternoon snacks [**Quaker Rice Cakes**](https://amzn.to/4adBvdl) – White cheddar flavor [**White Monster Ultra**](https://amzn.to/4io4KfN) – Pre-workout and afternoon caffeine [**Del Monte Green Beans**](https://amzn.to/43QEapE) – 12-pack, half can per lunch [**Nutricost Creatine**](https://amzn.to/43VLccC) – 100 servings for $18 --- ## What Happens Next With the rice added back, I'm watching two things: **Scale weight:** Expecting a temporary stall or slight increase from water retention **Gym performance:** Should see better recovery and strength maintenance If the scale doesn't move for 2-3 weeks, I won't panic. Water weight from adding carbs back is predictable and temporary. What matters is the trend over weeks, not daily fluctuations. --- *Week 20. Same food. Still works.* ::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.