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<strong>📄 Archived:</strong> 2025-09-05 12:40:14 UTC
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<strong>🔗 Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/30-days-of-retatrutide">https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/30-days-of-retatrutide</a>
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url: 'https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/30-days-of-retatrutide',
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archivedAt: "2025-09-05T12:40:14.410431+00:00Z",
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timestamp: 1757076014410
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<h1>30 Days of Retatrutide</h1>
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<html><body><div><div><p id="block0">I've had trouble maintaining my weight since high school. If I eat "normally", I slowly gain weight, and if I eat nothing but <a class="LinkStyles-link" href="/posts/bSTFqJ7rxZJu3oG89/lazy-hasselback-pommes-anna">a specific potato casserole</a>, I slowly lose weight.</p><p id="block1">Recently, I hit a new high-record weight and decided it was finally time to do something more serious about it, so for the last month I've been taking the standard CICO diet advice. I finally realized that I should eat healthier, and eat significantly less. I work out slightly more. I cut out most high-fat foods and became strict about not eating after 6 pm.</p><p id="block2">Anyway, this is a post about my experience with retatrutide.</p><p id="block3"><i>This is not a how-to article, so I'm not going to talk about where to get peptides or how to safely use them. See </i><span><span><a href="https://www.cremieux.xyz/p/how-to-get-cheap-ozempic"><i>this article</i></a></span></span><i> if you're into that sort of thing.</i></p><h1 id="The_Experiment">The Experiment</h1><p id="block4">Retatrutide is a GLP-1 agonist similar to semaglutide (Ozempic), but which seems to cause more rapid <span class="InlineReactHoverableHighlight-highlight"><span></span>weight less</span>.</p><p id="block5">It isn't FDA-approved yet, but you can buy it for experimental purposes. I forgot to pre-register my experiment, but my hypothesis was that if I took 2 mg of retatrutide per week, I would lose weight.</p><p id="block6">I also failed to register this experiment with an IRB. My doctor told me that losing weight would improve several of my health conditions, but GLP-1 drugs are only indicated with a BMI 0.5 units higher. The standard of care is to not treat the underlying condition and to instead take a fistful of drugs every morning.</p><p id="block7">So, I guess my experiment was highly unethical. Luckily it was privately funded and the subject is unlikely to sue me.</p><figure class="image image_resized"><img alt="Obi Wan saying "Well, of course I know him. He's me."" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/n9h7dveruggbmytqxlwx" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/zcwipj7p14pwnyjxopni 80w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/qcw1hxmh6xdef5qq8xkx 160w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/kdcrxuckuansaygjnjg4 240w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/mpwxpaykxhhr5dp3mc3p 320w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/zzjh7ht6gwjrpdqnchrn 400w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/lpocx4pllrhpnlweoqta 480w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/ddt66rwswk7mln1phxgf 560w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/incn6xy5wlny2spvvf3j 640w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/e4gxefmxcrwhqsyasrfv 720w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/otr1ylkfinxoft637l2w 800w"/></figure><h1 id="Effects">Effects</h1><p id="block8">For a few days after my first injection, pretty much all food repelled me. I tried to take 50 g of <span><span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01DMU8YDY">protein powder</a></span></span> every day to limit muscle loss, but found it very difficult to stomach.</p><p id="block9">Food has become less repellent over time, and I mostly get through my protein powder now, but I still find it hard to eat more than 2/3rds of what I used to.</p><p id="block10">In terms of <a class="LinkStyles-link" href="/posts/biEw7j8okGj7ZqBCh/four-axes-of-hunger">Axes of Hunger</a>, I have much less of an <a class="LinkStyles-link" href="/posts/biEw7j8okGj7ZqBCh/four-axes-of-hunger#Appetite">appetite</a>, sometimes experience minor / easily ignored <a class="LinkStyles-link" href="/posts/biEw7j8okGj7ZqBCh/four-axes-of-hunger#Hunger_Pangs">hunger pangs</a>, and don't seem to experience much <a class="LinkStyles-link" href="/posts/biEw7j8okGj7ZqBCh/four-axes-of-hunger#Emotional_State">emotional distraction</a> from being hungry. I intellectually know when I should probably eat a meal, but can trivially ignore it if I'm busy and want to blog more.</p><p id="block11">I also find fatty food and alcohol much less tempting, although this might be because they exacerbate the <a class="LinkStyles-link" href="/posts/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/30-days-of-retatrutide#Heartburn">side effects</a>.</p><p id="block12">Over the first 30 days, I lost about 10 lbs and went down one belt size.</p><figure class="image image_resized"><img alt="Graph showing steady weight around 180 lbs up to the point where retatrutide was started, then steadily dropping to about 170 lbs after a month." src="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/sqvvsdjethzu5n39bnzu" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/iej4aseyfhwsucaixnjz 100w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/fqbqf5pwhjzj1zus80wh 200w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/ja1r5wj7ds5yq6lpakry 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/wjsw4z9eij0cuzdn6elk 400w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/pck06i9pjd5ypsjpngnd 500w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/njcbhfwikmvimzjymjk1 600w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/m9bkycvjbqlz7tr2cff8 700w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/nqlz87c8okcooqp3o7lw 800w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/y4awu6reca9rzr0jeuxq 900w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/fgobmcbf4zp8ybevvh8p 959w"/></figure><p id="block13">I was losing weight so fast initially that it was actually kind of concerning, so I forced myself to eat more. I assume the rapid weight loss was glycogen ("water weight"), since I still don't eat very much but weight loss has dropped to a less-concerning 1.5 lbs per week.</p><h1 id="Side_Effects">Side Effects</h1><h2 id="Muscle_Loss_">Muscle Loss?</h2><p id="block14">I did some basic workouts to try to prevent muscle loss, including biking to work (3 days per week), a relatively hard 2 hour hike (once per week), two sets of ~15 pushups, and as many sets of 1-3 pullups as I remembered to do.</p><p id="block15">I don't track my workouts very well, and I don't have any objective lean mass data, but:</p><ul><li id="block16">I do around the same number of pushups as I could 30 days ago.</li><li id="block17">I can do more pullups (probably because they're 10% easier).</li><li id="block18">Biking feels about the same.</li><li id="block19">Hiking is terrible, but I think that's because of my <a class="LinkStyles-link" href="/posts/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/30-days-of-retatrutide#Heart%20Rate">heart rate</a> and not because of muscle loss.</li></ul><p id="block20">I doubt you could <i>gain</i> muscle with this much of a calorie deficit, but subjectively I feel just as strong as I was a month ago.</p><h2 id="Heartburn">Heartburn</h2><p id="block21">The most immediate side effect was heartburn, bad enough that I started taking <span><span><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/omeprazole-oral-route/description/drg-20066836">omeprazole</a></span></span>. It was a daily occurrence for about a week, and then became something that only seems to happen when I exercise really hard, eat late, or drink alcohol. I try to eat my last meal of the day around 5 pm so I have plenty of time to digest before bed, but 30 days in I can eat at normal times if I have to.</p><p id="block22">If I did this again, I would take omeprazole for the first week, then the morning after each injection for the second week.</p><p id="block23"><i>Note: You should not take omeprazole longer than 14 days since your body adapts to it.</i></p><h2 id="Heart_Rate">Heart Rate</h2><p id="block24">The most <span><span><a href="https://x.com/cremieuxrecueil/status/1960464334355882243">concerning</a></span></span> side effect was my resting heart rate jumping up and my heart rate variability dropping. I found it significantly more uncomfortable to do cardio like running or hiking (although I found it easier to motivate myself to do moderate workouts).</p><figure class="image image_resized"><img alt="Resting heart rate graph showing an increase from 70 bpm before retatrutide to 80 bpm after." src="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/eodx7pqlhmdoiag5pxav" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/odmucrz4xj9hwfuchdca 100w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/yvil5lhgxsfx3fvkni4c 200w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/glo1p1oejpidabahfsq2 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/e11zjvrjmtsmufxpzglr 400w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/betfilcikhe9dnrepxru 500w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/qqsamx1oxptgoi6w3adh 600w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/fjdvvxbhhf2vobbuyrzg 700w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/cdpqp8isc7dbkvoiah2o 800w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/izbeajm5d1554kssv8vl 900w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/mvyncavwzmebxj7fkfcu 960w"/></figure><p id="block25">If I did this again, I'd try tirzepatide, which seems to have less of an effect on heart rate.</p><h2 id="Skin_Sensitivity">Skin Sensitivity</h2><p id="block26">For the first few weeks I'd experience a "tickling", sort-of electric feeling from my clothes.</p><p id="block27">It was weird and occasionally distracting, but not really a problem, and went away by the end of the month.</p><h2 id="Chills">Chills</h2><p id="block28">I'm not sure if this was caused by the drug, or the rapid weight loss, but I've turned into a person who freezes in slightly cold rooms. I wear much warmer pajamas, use more blankets, and don't wear shorts as often.</p><p id="block29">Unfortunately, I didn't measure this before starting, but my core temperature is actually slightly high, hovering around 99° F.</p><figure class="image image_resized"><img alt="Graph of core temperature showing weekly values hovering around 99 degrees." src="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/hxqhho9loxkaoqupivaq" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/yb5ilojtnvhrmybs5gv3 100w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/lngaa2rl6pawrda2gmtg 200w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/j43axqbklk3d0ltgwfhl 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/u7ltoq3tjm247i6rbskh 400w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/vxr2d2vaum1njrvllfgy 500w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/vytyva4rnhzsuani2anv 600w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/o8sn3b19jwbloper6w2y 700w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/wk1lbtlgtftys5mjc6fj 800w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/la3sso8clauvbex6zfr7 900w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/hiydbeo55we14gxqnzni 960w"/></figure><h2 id="Injection_Site_Redness">Injection Site Redness</h2><p id="block30">Stabbing a needle into your body makes it upset[citation needed], so I usually get some redness and swelling the day after an injection.</p><p id="block31">For some reason I didn't get this for the first two weeks, but have had it consistently since. My symptoms are consistent with physical trauma and not infection, so it's annoying but not concerning. Being more careful and steadier with the needle seems to have helped.</p><h1 id="Splitting_Doses">Splitting Doses</h1><p id="block32">I had a suspicion that the <span><span><a href="https://glp1plotter.com/?medication1=retatrutide&offset_days1=0&dose1=2&from1=1&to1=12&frequency1=7&compare1=false&length=12&start_date=2025-09-04">wild swings in drug concentration</a></span></span> over the course of a week were making the symptoms worse, so I switched to 1 mg twice per week for the same total amount but <span><span><a href="https://glp1plotter.com/?medication1=retatrutide&offset_days1=0&dose1=1&from1=1&to1=12&frequency1=3.5&compare1=false&length=12&start_date=2025-09-04">more consistent</a></span></span> levels. This subjectively seems to help, although it's annoying that twice the injections means twice the redness and swelling.</p><h1 id="Other_Effects">Other Effects</h1><p id="block33">Some people think drugs like retatrutide have an effect on motivation, but I disagree. It's just a coincidence that...</p><p id="block34">..<span class="InlineReactHoverableHighlight-highlight"><span></span>I wrote 1/3rd of the LessWrong posts I've ever written in the last month</span>..</p><figure class="image image_resized"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/lum97gciis2euwzxda7w" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/whgus8cdrpu2ouwxlgwm 100w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/yp8pgqd4j0aazl4wa1ft 200w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/i7khqz5vk2z2t6nvbrfj 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/mcbigc7sd15yxj6jfjca 400w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/npeyi73oeu7cmjekrqgy 500w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/ya7he1y7kzpkotx5ayex 600w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/uic8to8pmjdbv3t9hceh 700w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/vvunxnyi5tj7nzj3nvkf 800w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/vvse2zbkaq8cunjssq7h 900w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/whoeoxbrw3rqb91kp18e 960w"/><figcaption>This list actually undersells my writing this month, since I also wrote two additional articles that I decided not to post.</figcaption></figure><p id="block35">..and started exercising slightly more consistently..</p><figure class="image image_resized"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/bes0uyg5a3wzoqahz1ti" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/ryixg3zqstvaehlonxvg 100w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/whb3xc4io5bealnmlugr 200w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/uzbnnqddlnnsxu93j8lx 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/jhdtovpboreke6xs8n6k 400w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/nldqoyqglr9abtptifn9 500w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/vonzmtpskthrapcqcyc2 600w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/eum7dehg4qr6sivn9mdn 700w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/zbkjmwe5u6dmxx0rs02f 800w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/hu4vbrgdlu8avjhgyto1 900w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/ldinogpfi2a4umqkzboa 959w"/><figcaption>I exercised 17 days in April and May and 13 days in June and July.</figcaption></figure><p id="block36">..and finally finished that annoying project I was putting off at work..</p><figure class="image image_resized"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/v1zpajmtignoqzavwsrt" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/itegtipwhdg08ukui7rp 120w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/zpfod0yvuofz49zzo1ry 240w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/pwrdl8gy1sqkkdcybych 360w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/yffehkeii9msplfhhalz 480w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/ssimkcez99rrhujaiknv 600w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/ulknmj4vtvskpy9ksd9g 720w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/fikired7k5ghroctowij 840w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/bkcf11xz5jkhzlzocvbb 960w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/qrghu1dv5gcwwvhd0hlu 1080w, https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/mirroredImages/mLvek6a9G86EnhJqH/hymh5ox8haw8ja0hti1t 1200w"/></figure><p id="block37">..and even caught up on my TODO list.</p><p id="block38">It's weird because I actually do have a good reason for why I suddenly did each of these things: I was inspired by <span><span><a href="https://less.online/">LessOnline</a></span></span> and <span><span><a href="https://www.inkhaven.blog/">Inkhaven</a></span></span>, it was nice out, and the midsummer planning/burnout season was over.</p><p id="block39">But it does seem kind of suspicious.</p><h2 id="A_Theory">A Theory</h2><p id="block40">If retatrutide did help, my guess is that the mechanism is removing distractions. Like I mentioned above, sometimes I'd be working on a post and notice I was getting hungry, then proceed to ignore it and continue writing for a few more hours.</p><p id="block41">I also find it easier to plan exercise. I don't like to exercise when I'm hungry, but I also don't like to exercise after a heavy meal. Conveniently, I'm never very hungry now, and haven't eaten a heavy meal in over a month.</p><p id="block42">Maybe the real akrasia was the hunger we had along the way?</p><h1 id="Final_Thoughts">Final Thoughts</h1><p id="block43">So, do I recommend injecting yourself with experimental chemicals?</p><p id="block44"><strong>Absolutely not!</strong> <span class="InlineReactHoverableHighlight-highlight"><span></span>Losing weight in this way is immoral without the oversight of an </span><span class="InlineReactHoverableHighlight-highlight">IRB</span><span class="InlineReactHoverableHighlight-highlight">,</span> and no IRB would allow such an obvious conflict of interest, where the subject gains significant health improvements in exchange for participating. Also, on a more serious note, retatrutide raising your heart rate is annoying and mildly concerning.</p><p id="block45">But, maybe do talk to your doctor about an FDA-approved drug like tirzepatide if your weight is causing problems for you. This was way easier than any normal diet, worked better, and the side effects are all manageable, especially if you're prepared.</p><p id="block46">GLP-1 drugs are kind of magical.</p></div></div></body></html> |