Beating the Dead Horse

[Main75]

What are your testosterone, thyroid, fasting insulin and A1C levels like? If you have low E2 your Test. level should technically be low as well, due to aromatization increasing with increased body fat.

Have you checked your LDL and Lp(a) yet? I would stay away from adding things like Tesa/IP until you figure this out, adding more variables only makes things more complex.

Switching Reta vendors is suspect as well, how do you plan to resolve this? Beef jerky is full of sodium which will cause water retention. How many steps are you getting in a day?
I feel you might be underestimating your calorie intake. Maybe try running another calorie counter to compare to current one to see if there's a discrepancy?

3 tests for test …3 months ago 503 then retested recent at 382 and retested two days later at 550 (all morning fasted

Thyroid. All came back normal
T3 3pg/ml. T4 .9 Tsh3. .9

Fasted insulin normal
5.3

A1c normal
5.2

LDL was the only one a little high
149
Total 207
Tri 94
Hdl 41
Vldc 19
Cholesterol/hdl ratio 5

How to sort this out regarding Reta? Well my girl started taking it and works just fine…. I am also taking the advise of stopping Tessa and ipa for a month to get a baseline igf-1

My weird tests
Estradiol low less then 15
Cortisol low (early morning). 7.4
B12 on low side 215
Dhea low 137

Had not had blood work done is years but I thought it a good idea since focused on recomp ….plenty of muscle …when training doubles I was 265 solid not chubby and zero “enhancements used “

 

[80s.diver]

I’ve never done a a dexa scan but definitely am somewhere between 1800-2200 calories a day

How are you tracking those calories? So many people underestimate how many they consume. Ask me how I know.

 

[Peptidesearch]

3 tests for test …3 months ago 503 then retested recent at 382 and retested two days later at 550 (all morning fasted

Thyroid. All came back normal
T3 3pg/ml. T4 .9 Tsh3. .9

Fasted insulin normal
5.3

A1c normal
5.2

LDL was the only one a little high
149
Total 207
Tri 94
Hdl 41
Vldc 19
Cholesterol/hdl ratio 5

How to sort this out regarding Reta? Well my girl started taking it and works just fine…. I am also taking the advise of stopping Tessa and ipa for a month to get a baseline igf-1

My weird tests
Estradiol low less then 15
Cortisol low (early morning). 7.4
B12 on low side 215
Dhea low 137

Had not had blood work done is years but I thought it a good idea since focused on recomp ….plenty of muscle …when training doubles I was 265 solid not chubby and zero “enhancements used “

Interesting that you know E2 is beneficial in men, where most want it as low as possible to their detriment. My guess is that you have high SHBG and low free testosterone which would explain the low E2. Have you ever run those above labs?

LDL guidelines are now at 100 or lower unless other health issues.
I had a dexascan recently and found much more valuable than I realized.

 

[Main75]

How are you tracking those calories? So many people underestimate how many they consume. Ask me how I know.

Breakfast , coffee and lunch protein shake are the same everyday
5 eggs little cheese 400cal , two coffee coconut powder 180 cal, protein shake 240 cal

Then dinner

 

[Main75]

Interesting that you know E2 is beneficial in men, where most want it as low as possible to their detriment. My guess is that you have high SHBG and low free testosterone which would explain the low E2. Have you ever run those above labs?

LDL guidelines are now at 100 or lower unless other health issues.
I had a dexascan recently and found much more valuable than I realized.

Free test was 80
Shbg. 49

 

[yrrdead]

You say that your calories remain the same well that seems to answer your question. Your TDEE/Maintenance whatever you want to call it is going down with your weight. So if you keep your calories the same then you are now at your new normal.

I've pretty much done exactly this. I've kept caloric intake pretty much the same (allowing for slop) in the 1300-1600 range for the past 5 months. Titrated up (pretty conservatively) but over the past month weight loss has pretty much stopped. I have started creatine and cjc/ipa, both of which can increase water retention. That has pretty much leveled as well.

So at this point I'm taking more Reta , eating the same, working out more and losing zero weight. Which again I'm okay with since I'm trying to shift to maintenance anyway. Just to show that what you seem to be experiencing seems normal, at least to my brain.

 

[Main75]

You say that your calories remain the same well that seems to answer your question. Your TDEE/Maintenance whatever you want to call it is going down with your weight. So if you keep your calories the same then you are now at your new normal.

I've pretty much done exactly this. I've kept caloric intake pretty much the same (allowing for slop) in the 1300-1600 range for the past 5 months. Titrated up (pretty conservatively) but over the past month weight loss has pretty much stopped. I have started creatine and cjc/ipa, both of which can increase water retention. That has pretty much leveled as well.

So at this point I'm taking more Reta , eating the same, working out more and losing zero weight. Which again I'm okay with since I'm trying to shift to maintenance anyway. Just to show that what you seem to be experiencing seems normal, at least to my brain.

I get the calorie lowering as weight lowers …but I really should still be in deficit…..and more then that it did not slow ….it stopped like an e brake…just strange to me ..

So I think I am going to take some advice and stop Tessa and ipa for a month then test igf-1 and ad in some more extreme calorie deficit …. Maybe a fast to shake things up

Reta stack with what for food noise? Hearing several Triz cargi or ? Time to shake something up

 

[yrrdead]

I get the calorie lowering as weight lowers …but I really should still be in deficit…..and more then that it did not slow ….it stopped like an e brake…just strange to me ..

So I think I am going to take some advice and stop Tessa and ipa for a month then test igf-1 and ad in some more extreme calorie deficit …. Maybe a fast to shake things up

Reta stack with what for food noise? Hearing several Triz cargi or ? Time to shake something up

Yeah mine hard stopped as well I even gained 5 lbs in like 4 days. Calories didn't change, workouts went up, reta went up (a tiny bit) , but I started creatine and cjc/ipa. I'd never noticed myself hold water like that but even in my better times I was 30lbs heavier than I am now and I was never tracking weight or calories so I most likely never noticed.

I'm not saying that is what is happening with you , only that I've had a similar experience in regards to my Reta journey so far. Especially considering we both started at about the same time (Oct). Went from 220 > 171 (lowest) then got up to 177 (currently 173). The weight loss stopped the instant I started increasing workouts/creatine. I also haven't switched to a new kit yet, still on my original from Oct.

I'm real interested in how your body responds once you stop the ghrp stuff.

 

[Sasquatch]

I wish I could find back the quote - it was something like, 1lb., is a higher percentage of your new lighter weight. This made me understand why the lighter I get, the slower I loose. Secondly, I sorta gave up. I decided to not give a shit. Not weigh. Not care. One day I felt sort of gant, so I stepped on the scale. I'd lost 4lbs.!
It's tuff. We're with you. 👍

 

[Main75]

Yeah mine hard stopped as well I even gained 5 lbs in like 4 days. Calories didn't change, workouts went up, reta went up (a tiny bit) , but I started creatine and cjc/ipa. I'd never noticed myself hold water like that but even in my better times I was 30lbs heavier than I am now and I was never tracking weight or calories so I most likely never noticed.

I'm not saying that is what is happening with you , only that I've had a similar experience in regards to my Reta journey so far. Especially considering we both started at about the same time (Oct). Went from 220 > 171 (lowest) then got up to 177 (currently 173). The weight loss stopped the instant I started increasing workouts/creatine. I also haven't switched to a new kit yet, still on my original from Oct.

I'm real interested in how your body responds once you stop the ghrp stuff.

Not to wish no progress on someone else but indices hearing someone else had a similar experience … it seems .. really don’t think the calories are the core of the road block (could always be wrong) ..but just below or just above 2k should still provide some loss even if it slowed for two months and it really just stopped
Feb 17 was last Tessa /ipa and I’ll check mid march after a month as suggested for igf-1 and maybe a couple of the funky numbers I had too … just to see if my puritan lifestyle has changed anything.

It’s like the metabolism furnace simply shut off completely

 

[Occindemure]

I would schedule a DEXA scan to get baselines.
You probably lost a ton of water/Glycogen right off the bat, so you need to know what you are actually working with.
The scale can only tell you so much

 

[Airborne Daddy]

I’ve paid a couple times by sugar nights and Reta definitely makes me feel like crap afterwards.

Overall been eating pretty clean, but food noise is there more now then when I started ..

Add a mg of sema.... its so cheap

 

[Habibibi]

Stop the ipamorelin, it's a grelin agonist. It's literally working against retatrutide. I would also stop tesamorelin if you don't have a smart scale to see the water weight it's adding.

 

[Airborne Daddy]

Stop the ipamorelin, it's a grelin agonist. It's literally working against retatrutide. I would also stop tesamorelin if you don't have a smart scale to see the water weight it's adding.

Im at end of 2 weeks tesa 2mg m-f.... 1st week gained 3lbs and ill see tommorow when i weigh in where im at.... same will happen if you add test or hgh.... test i put on about 10lbs first month then started to come down about month 3.

 

[woundcarping]

Im at end of 2 weeks tesa 2mg m-f.... 1st week gained 3lbs and ill see tommorow when i weigh in where im at.... same will happen if you add test or hgh.... test i put on about 10lbs first month then started to come down about month 3.

I gained 3lb overnight 15 days after starting TRT. It took 9 days to hold a new low. I bought an Oura Ring on day 11 of TRT, it didn't fit the finger 5 days later. 16 days after the jump and it still doesn't fit that finger but I'm 4lb lighter than I was before the jump.

I'm expecting that 3lb to shed in the next month or two; I'd be delighted for it to have be a sneaky tenner of water weight! 🤣

 

[Main75]

If you stall or flatline, there are really only two options, in my opinion...

Up the cardio or eat less calories.
How intense is cardio for you?
Could add in MOTS-C or run some old school fat loss stacks before cardio to make it a lil more intense.
But that depends on how you handle stimulants...

TESA will add water weight, so maybe once you cycle off TESA, you may become flatter, but the scale may move a little once cycling off.

cardio is there but not extreme 30 minutes 5 times a week on some machine.
been trying to lower inflammation and drop more weight to avoid aggravating some lingering injuries, so i am staying low impact until all my magic peptides fix everything. Hydrating , protein 150 (this gets hard for sure) , solid sleep schedule (tessa helped but Glycine does as well) , ghk-cu (daily) , bp 157 and tb-500 (just started)

Add a mg of sema.... its so cheap

probably need a little something ill try it

 

[Main75]

How are you tracking those calories? So many people underestimate how many they consume. Ask me how I know.

• MY BASIC PROTIEN PLAN
  *Its the same until noon every day
  
  • 5 eggs (6 grams protein per egg and 60 calories = 30 gram protein and 300 calories)
  • Before noon Protein shake ( 2 scoops in 16 OZ water with some ice cubes = 60 grams protein and 240 Calories)
  
  - afternoon Protein shake ( 2 scoops in 16 OZ water with some ice cubes = 60 grams protein and 240 Calories)
  
  - Dinner430:530pm - something/anything with a meat base (hoping for 20 plus grams protein
  
  TOTAL FOR ME = 170 grams protein & 1600 calories (probably more like 2000 with some cheating )
  
  *****if you want something else HAVE it but i think you will be full

****take GLYCINE in evening at some point

 

[Airborne Daddy]

I gained 3lb overnight 15 days after starting TRT. It took 9 days to hold a new low. I bought an Oura Ring on day 11 of TRT, it didn't fit the finger 5 days later. 16 days after the jump and it still doesn't fit that finger but I'm 4lb lighter than I was before the jump.

I'm expecting that 3lb to shed in the next month or two; I'd be delighted for it to have be a sneaky tenner of water weight! 🤣

I think youll get back down. In mid may ill run a cycle of test250/tren 250 and already know ill gain 15lbs then lose it after.... meso hammered me saying my diet must be shit to gain weight on tren but its the test. Trt dose is 120mg for me so if i more than double i know its coming.

 

[Main75]

Hopefully you get back down. In mid may ill run a cycle of test250/tren 250 and already know ill gain 15lbs then lose it after.... meso hammered me saying my diet must be shit to gain weight on tren but its the test. Trt dose is 120mg for me so if i more than double i knoe its coming.

I may b e boarding the TRT train soon. I just hate being tied to something forever.

 

[Airborne Daddy]

I may b e boarding the TRT train soon. I just hate being tied to something forever.

I did it twice for a year to 18months and would come off a year or so. Not real smart but still recovered in my 50's....after 3 weeks off test i start clomid 50mg a day for 6 weeks and get my test back to 450ish.

 

[Main75]

I did it twice for a year to 18months and would come off a year or so. Not real smart but still recovered in my 50's....after 3 weeks off test i start clomid 50mg a day for 6 weeks and get my test back to 450ish.

yeah ballpark values right now ..4 months ago 503 & 89 free , then a month ago 382 & 60 free then 15 days later retested 550 & 81 free ...all three tests were same time in the morning....not a clue
estradiol has definitely lowered .. not a clue

hostly been F*c*ing off for the past five years zero doctors vistis until last october for blood work

 

[woundcarping]

My last test before getting a prescription was 232ng/dl. ~5 years ago it was 262ng/dl. 🦅

 

[Main75]

My last test before getting a prescription was 232ng/dl. ~5 years ago it was 262ng/dl. 🦅

i dont feel so back now. i believ i was 650 about 5 years ago....grew a beard at 11 years old type of stuff

 

[woundcarping]

i dont feel so back now. i believ i was 650 about 5 years ago....grew a beard at 11 years old type of stuff

I had chest har and shaved in middle school😂 I don’t remember the grades.

Maybe it was all the microplastics or something. I’m glad to have found SQ TRT.

 

[Twowheelr2]

Yep seems the don’t think about food much left just before Christmas at around 5mg …I’ve increased to the max dose 12mg but never have had the food noise gone as much as it once was

Tirzepatide is better at suppressing appetite than sema or Reta, I’ve heard.

 

[Main75]

I had chest har and shaved in middle school😂 I don’t remember the grades.

Maybe it was all the microplastics or something. I’m glad to have found SQ TRT.

several friends swear by TRT i think one of the few hold outs.... i like idea of a motorcycle ride though south america or sailing the mediterranean and not taking a shot....hate being permanently tied down like that

 

[Main75]

Tirzepatide is better at suppressing appetite than sema or Reta, I’ve heard.

ok , so it seems these three are the triz, sema or cagri...are the add ons for RETA if hunger is still and issue...
what are the pro and cons of those as stacks?

 

[woundcarping]

several friends swear by TRT i think one of the few hold outs.... i like idea of a motorcycle ride though south america or sailing the mediterranean and not taking a shot....hate being permanently tied down like that

Chances are, either GLP or weight gain will be some variety of habitual…

 

[Main75]

Chances are, either GLP or weight gain will be some variety of habitual…

We shall see…kinda view the weight loss journey and habit forming. Started with a 5 day fast and two meals a day in August and added glp in October .. after loosing 8 lbs at the start

 

[aRareUnicorn]

I have noticed that, while counterintuitive, if I eat more calories or increase my carbs, the weight starts moving down again! This happened a few times to me during extended stalls…

Reta supposedly works better with carbs, maybe try an extra serving or two?