Weight loss or Muscle gain?

[BLASIUS]

Hi all,

I'd like to get your opinion on what's been happening to me over the last two weeks.

Foreword:

I started using GLP-1 in August 2025. For 6 months I used Tirzepatide (max 5 mg/week) and then gradually switched to retatrutide (currently 5 mg/week). Up until two weeks ago, I had lost about 16 kg. I tried using a higher dosage of Retatrutide (6 mg/week), but it caused me excessive discomfort (diarrhea in particular). Since I hadn't lost weight for about four weeks, two weeks ago, I decided to add cagrilintide (0.12 mg/week). Accoording to the suggestion of some gym colleagues, two weeks ago, I also decided to take 3 g/day of creatine monohydrate.

You can see what happened to me from the graphs I got from the bioelectrical impedance scale:

my weight increased by at least 2 kg, but at the same time, my lean mass increased significantly, while my body fat percentage decreased.

Personally, I feel very good, but my main goal since starting the GLP-1 journey was to lose weight.

What do you think is happening to me? Have any of you had similar experiences? Should I focus on weight loss or should I accept that increasing lean mass is better than losing weight?

Thanks in advance

PS: terms translation:

Peso -> weight

Grasso corporeo -> Body fat

Massa muscolare -> Lean mass

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[DrPEPr]

Creatine will increase your lean mass (fluid retention in your muscles) and has a load-up phase of about two weeks, so it makes perfect sense.

 

[BLASIUS]

Creatine will increase your lean mass (fluid retention in your muscles) and has a load-up phase of about two weeks, so it makes perfect sense.

Yes I am aware about the Creatine effect, but my dilemma is: should I continue to use it or I have to stop?. What will happend for the my main goal that is weight loss?

 

[DrPEPr]

I wouldn't stop the creatine. It's a good (and proven effective) supplement especially when you're in the gym lifting.

Yes, It will add some weight, but I think you want to lose FAT not just WEIGHT per definition. (I mean.. cut off an arm and a leg and you'll lose plenty of weight).

 

[Ascojoerg]

We both currently have very similar body weight and BMI so we are both at around 185cm. However I wish I had your body fat% I am currently at 32,5% (according to my smartwatch so take it with a bucket of salt). I struggle with motivation to go to the gym, so probably not too far off.

Weight does not equal Weight.

At least not for what is IMO important, and that is, health and well being.

If you ONLY care about weight, then DrPEPr's idea could be an option

 

[miameow]

It's natural to gain some weight when starting creatine. The timing coincides with when you started supplementing creatine and it's only been one week. You're not going to continue gaining weight on it; be patient and the scale will start moving down again, unless you overeat.

I personally hate the term "weight loss." You should be focused on "fat loss" and retaining or increasing "lean mass." It's never worth it to lose lean mass, ever.

 

[FartfulCodger]

If the impedance scale is correct, you should count your blessings (conta le sue benedizioni)! You've lost fat and gained muscle. You're healthier and you probably look better and thinner.

I just wish I could trust these impedance scales more.

 

[BLASIUS]

Thanks for the suggestions, I Will keep you updated about the progress,.

I will continue with the same stack at least for the next 3-4 weeks and collecting data.

I would like to increase the reta weekly dose, or at least to reduce the injection interval to 6 days, because the food noise is high compared with the tirze experience, and the additional cagri up to now isn't helping

 

[wellhellothere]

Something funny about that app calling you "Obeso"

 

[BLASIUS]

Something funny about that app calling you "Obeso"

If we determine the obesity status using only BMI, then of course I am obese (BMI 32). What really is shoking me is the calculation of my ideal weigth the app makes, it is based on the other parameters that the bioimpedance scale measures (body fat, muscle and so on).

According to the App my ideal weight is 71.3Kg!!

I need to lose additional 33,45 Kg to reach my ideal weight

I cannot imagine myself weighting 71.3Kg, last time I was weghting 71.3Kg I was 12yo

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[lessthanhalf]

Just a couple of things.

The dose of cagri you have tried might simply be too low to have any effect, you really cannot conclude much unless you try higher doses, at least 0.25 to 0.5 to see if it helps or causes side effects, but going slow is a good idea.

Side effects with GLP's can change over time, there is some sort of tolerance to gastrointestinal side effects and gastric emptying slowing over several months, so not tolerating a small dose increase at one point might not happen if you tried again a few months later, but would definitely recommend very small dose increases of reta if you tried again or maybe splitting the doses if the diarrhoea was only a day or 2 after a dose.

 

[BLASIUS]

Just a couple of things.

The dose of cagri you have tried might simply be too low to have any effect, you really cannot conclude much unless you try higher doses, at least 0.25 to 0.5 to see if it helps or causes side effects, but going slow is a good idea.

Side effects with GLP's can change over time, there is some sort of tolerance to gastrointestinal side effects and gastric emptying slowing over several months, so not tolerating a small dose increase at one point might not happen if you tried again a few months later, but would definitely recommend very small dose increases of reta if you tried again or maybe splitting the doses if the diarrhoea was only a day or 2 after a dose.

In the last week I was able to manage the diarrhoea, maybe the psillio i started to use is working fine. Yesterday I had my last injection and I increased cagri a little bit (0.2mg), but I maintained 5mg of reta.

Regarding the diarrhoea I was involved in the preceding weeks I can only say that some days it was really a tremendous side effect, I had to go to bathroom 4 or 5 times during the night and every time it was a sort of shit blasting.

So if diarrhoea will stop I will be going to increase both reta and cagri slowly.

Thanks for the comments