Nick Trigili on Retatrutide: His 10-Week Protocol vs What the Data Shows

In early 2026, biohacking and performance specialist Nick Trigili published a video titled "Retatrutide is Changing Fat-Loss in 2026 (Beginners Guide)" documenting his personal 10-week retatrutide experiment. Trigili — who describes himself as someone who "spent years abusing fat burners, stimulants, and steroids" — broke down the TRIUMPH-4 Phase 3 trial data, walked through his dosing and peptide stacking protocol, and shared his results.

This page analyzes what Trigili said, checks each claim against published clinical data, and adds context where his framing was inaccurate or misleading. He is not a physician, and his protocol involved grey market retatrutide used without medical supervision.

The TRIUMPH-4 Data: What He Got Right

"The Triumph 4 was a 68-week study"

1:10

Trigili walked through the TRIUMPH-4 Phase 3 trial results with reasonable accuracy on the headline numbers:

"The Triumph 4 was a 68-week study with 445 participants... At 12 milligrams, the average weight loss was nearly 28.7%. That's over 70 lbs on average. The 9 milligram group wasn't far behind that. It was 26.4%."

— Nick Trigili

He also correctly described the improved titration protocol — starting at 2mg and escalating every four weeks through 4mg, 6mg, 9mg, and 12mg — and noted this was a deliberate improvement over Phase 2, where faster dose escalation led to worse tolerability.

One important nuance: the 28.7% figure is the efficacy estimand — meaning it reflects participants who completed the full 68 weeks of treatment. The intention-to-treat figure (including dropouts) was 23.7% at 12mg, which is still the highest of any obesity drug in Phase 3 trials.

For the full trial data, see Retatrutide Results. For the mechanism, see What Is Retatrutide.

The 80% Dropout Claim: Significantly Wrong

"Almost 80% of people on 12mg still dropped out"

2:20

Trigili made a striking claim about side-effect dropouts that is substantially inaccurate:

"Even with a slower titration, almost 80% of people on the 12 milligrams still dropped out from the side effects. Nearly one in five could even tolerate the highest doses."

— Nick Trigili

The actual data from TRIUMPH-4 shows that 18.2% discontinued due to adverse events at the 12mg dose — not 80%. At 9mg, the rate was 12.2%, compared to 4.0% for placebo.

It appears Trigili confused the dropout rate with something else, or conflated the total GI side effect incidence (nausea affected up to 43% of participants) with the dropout rate. The 18.2% discontinuation rate is still clinically meaningful — roughly one in five at the highest dose — but it is nowhere near 80%.

For the full safety data, see Retatrutide Side Effects.

Inflammation and Joint Pain: Mostly Accurate

"The pain they were suffering with dropped over 76%"

3:26

Trigili highlighted the osteoarthritis results, claiming that knee pain "dropped over 76%" and that "pain reduction happened faster than weight loss":

"This trial was done on people with knee arthritis... And the pain that they were suffering with dropped over 76%. That's unheard of... the pain reduction happened faster than the weight loss. That tells us something else is going on here. Retatrutide is 100% reducing systemic inflammation."

— Nick Trigili

The WOMAC pain scores did show dramatic improvement — 75.8% at 9mg is close to his "over 76%" claim. However, the claim that pain reduction outpaced weight loss cannot be verified from published data, as week-by-week timelines from TRIUMPH-4 have not been released. Detailed results are expected at a future medical meeting.

For the full osteoarthritis data, see Retatrutide and Osteoarthritis.

His Personal Protocol

"Let me walk you through exactly what I was doing"

4:21

Trigili described a 10-week personal experiment using grey market retatrutide. He started at roughly 250–255 lbs at an estimated 12–15% body fat, with a goal of reaching single-digit body fat while preserving muscle:

Dosing protocol (modified from Phase 3):

• Weeks 1–2: 2mg weekly
• Weeks 3–5: 4mg weekly
• Weeks 6–8: 6mg weekly
• Did not push to 9mg or 12mg

Training changes:

• Reduced volume roughly 40%
• Higher intensity, longer rest periods
• Switched from stairmaster cardio to walking only
• Rep range shifted to 12–15 (from 8–12)

Nutrition:

• Protein: 1–1.5g per pound of lean body mass
• Carbs: moderate, unchanged from baseline
• Calories: approximately 2,000–2,500 per day
• Priority order: protein first, then carbs, then fats

Results after 10 weeks:

• Weight dropped from ~252 lbs to 218–225 lbs (25+ lbs lost)
• Estimated body fat: 7–8% (self-assessed, not measured)
• A1C dropped to under 5.0%
• No significant strength loss
• Reported elimination of joint pain from prior injuries

Important context: Trigili used grey market retatrutide, not pharmaceutical-grade product. His body fat estimates are self-assessed ("going off my eye, which is X-ray vision"), not measured by DXA scan or other validated methods. His starting body composition (250 lbs at 12–15% body fat) suggests significant muscle mass, making his experience atypical compared to the clinical trial population (average BMI of 39 in TRIUMPH-4).

For clinical dosing guidance, see Retatrutide Dosage. For why grey market sourcing carries risks, see Grey Market Retatrutide.

Peptide Stacking: No Clinical Evidence

"I didn't run the rea solo"

6:48

Trigili described stacking retatrutide with several other peptides simultaneously:

"I stacked it with CJC-1295 and ipamorelin because I wanted to make sure my growth hormone stayed elevated and my sleep quality and my recovery stayed very good."

— Nick Trigili

His full stack included:

No published research exists on combining retatrutide with any of these peptides. The safety profile of these combinations is completely unknown. Growth hormone secretagogues like CJC-1295 and ipamorelin can have their own side effects (water retention, joint pain, insulin resistance), and how these interact with retatrutide's triple receptor activity has never been studied.

Trigili's approach reflects common practice in the biohacking community, but it is entirely anecdotal. His positive results cannot be attributed to retatrutide alone because of the confounding variables from multiple concurrent compounds.

For what clinical data shows about body composition, see Retatrutide and Muscle Loss.

Tapering Off: Good Instinct, No Data

Trigili described tapering off retatrutide gradually rather than stopping abruptly:

"I was not coming off cold. That'd be crazy and dumb. I tapered off everything slowly because I wanted to bring my calories back up slowly."

— Nick Trigili

This is a reasonable approach from a practical standpoint — abrupt cessation of appetite-suppressing drugs can lead to rebound hunger and rapid weight regain. However, no published clinical data exists on optimal retatrutide discontinuation protocols. The Phase 3 trials have not yet reported on what happens after treatment stops.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• Trigili, N. (2026). "Retatrutide is Changing Fat-Loss in 2026 (Beginners Guide)." YouTube. Watch on YouTube
• Eli Lilly and Company. (2025). Lilly's retatrutide achieved significant weight loss and pain relief in adults with obesity and knee osteoarthritis. Press release
• Jastreboff, A.M., et al. (2023). Triple-Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity — A Phase 2 Trial. New England Journal of Medicine. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2301972
• Coskun, T., et al. (2025). Body composition substudy of retatrutide Phase 2 trial. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. DOI: 10.1016/S2213-8587(25)00092-0

Medical Disclaimer

The content on glp3.wiki is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Retatrutide is an investigational drug that has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other regulatory agency.

Nick Trigili's video documents his personal experiment and is not medical advice. He is not a physician, and his protocol involved grey market retatrutide used without the oversight of a clinical trial. His results cannot be independently verified, and his use of multiple concurrent peptides makes it impossible to attribute outcomes to retatrutide alone.

Do not use this information to make decisions about your health without consulting a qualified healthcare provider. Do not purchase or self-administer grey market peptides based on YouTube videos or any information on this site.

This site is not affiliated with Nick Trigili, Eli Lilly and Company, or any pharmaceutical manufacturer.