Retatrutide lost people 71 pounds in a trial. What should I do before it's approved?

Training and nutrition education from coaches, not medical advice. Retatrutide is investigational and not available by prescription; anything sold online under that name is unregulated. Talk to your physician about weight-loss medication, and tell your coach what you're taking.

What is retatrutide and why is everyone talking about it?

Retatrutide is a once-weekly injection from Eli Lilly that activates three hormone receptors at once — GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon — where Ozempic and Wegovy hit one and Zepbound hits two. In TRIUMPH-4, the first Phase 3 trial to report, people with obesity and knee osteoarthritis lost an average of 26.4% of their body weight (64.2 lb) on 9 mg and 28.7% (71.2 lb) on 12 mg over 68 weeks, starting at 2 mg and stepping up every four weeks. Knee pain scores fell by up to 75.8%, and 14.1% of people on 9 mg finished the trial pain-free. Analysts have called it a potential trillion-dollar drug; that's why the ads and the TikToks arrived before the approval did.

When will retatrutide be approved?

Nobody outside Lilly and the FDA knows. As of September 2026 it is investigational, additional Phase 3 trials are reading out this year, and a filing would follow the full program. Two things are true at the same time: the drug is not something you can get legitimately today, and websites are selling "retatrutide" anyway. Stanford researchers have warned that gray-market peptide vials can carry contaminants and unknown doses. Wait for the pharmacy version.

What's the catch with losing 70 pounds that fast?

Muscle. In the semaglutide STEP 1 trial roughly 39–40% of the weight lost was lean mass; with tirzepatide it was about a quarter. Retatrutide's body-composition data isn't published yet, but a bigger, faster loss doesn't make the problem smaller. Lose the muscle and you get a lower resting metabolism, weaker legs and, for adults over 40, an acceleration of the muscle and bone loss already under way — which is exactly what makes weight come back when the dose drops. The side effects also matter for training: nausea in 38–43% of people, diarrhea in a third, and 12–18% stopping the drug because of side effects, so energy will be low some weeks.

What should I do now, before I ever take it?

Build the two habits that protect muscle while you have full energy and appetite, so they're automatic when you don't. One: lift against load, progressively, three times a week — a legs day, a push day, a pull day. Two: hit a protein target of roughly 1.4–2.0 g per kilogram of body weight, planned meal by meal. People who start these on the medication struggle because they're nauseous and not hungry. People who start three months earlier just keep going.

What does the plan look like at Boom?

Monday legs, Tuesday chest and shoulders, Wednesday active recovery or full-body circuit, Thursday legs again, Friday back and arms, Saturday circuit, cardio and HYROX. Every class is coached and scaled, the load is set for you and written down, and the nutrition plan and coach check-ins are included with Unlimited. If you later start a GLP-1 or the drug that comes after it, the same coach adjusts volume on low-energy days, moves a carbohydrate snack to 60–90 minutes before class and cuts fasted intensity — the program doesn't change, the dial does.

How will I know it's working?

Track two numbers, not one. If your lifts go up while your weight goes down, you're keeping the muscle. If both fall, change the plan that month. A scale alone can't tell you the difference between losing 70 pounds of fat and losing 50 of fat and 20 of muscle — a training log can.

Where in Utah County can I start?

Boom Fitness Culture in Lehi (1657 N State St.) and Pleasant Grove (564 W 700 S Ste. 304). $119.99 a month, no contract, 24/7 access, kidcare weekdays 8–10am, and your first week is free — every class, not one — so you can see the whole split before you decide. If you're already on Ozempic or Zepbound, this is the guide for that.

Frequently asked