Halfway to goal in 14 weeks, not sure how to proceed.

[amosmylove]

My post has turned into a word vomit brain dump. Feeling really mentally weak/vulnerable. Is there a ladies forum to post in? I didn't notice one. Anyways, you've been warned. If you don't have patience for a mental wimp, skip this one.

Main question here is about titration and closing in on goal weight.
I'm seeing mixed advice/evidence on rate of loss and potential muscle loss also.
5'7" female, 32, athletic build
SW 207 CW 177 GW 145-155
Dose is 7.5 mg tirz weekly since the beginning of April.

I've lost 15% of my body weight, 30lbs, in 14 weeks, avg 2.1 pounds per week which seems to be on the upper end of what is considered okay/safe for weight loss. I've not yet had any sagging skin which is something I want to avoid as I have hEDS which means faulty collagen which equals crappy skin healing among other things.
Other concern is losing muscle mass instead of fat mass. I haven't worked out for the last 2 weeks at all. I'm not hungry enough to eat enough protein to stave off muscle loss and the energy depletion that I've been blaming on tirz is still bothersome. The fatigue has improved since a week ago, but I can't pinpoint if it is still bad because of tirz or just my regular constant fatigue that comes in varying waves but is always constant due to autoimmune issues and poor sleep/ busy life. When I do eat, I eat well. Chicken, salmon, veggies, beef.

Anyways, for the final 20-30 lbs, everything I read from others is that this is the hardest weight to lose for them right before their goal weight. I'm not sure if my total weight loss goal being less than 60lbs affects that (versus is the 100s) or if it's going to come off but eat up my muscles while it does.

Do I lower my dose to not lose as quickly for the sake of nutrition/energy/ muscle loss prevention/skin tightness , or keep it the same and potentially increase to 10mg hoping to get off the last stubborn 25ish pounds? I'm thinking it will be stubborn because in the last 3 weeks I've only lost 3.5 pounds which is making me think I should increase my dose since I've been at 7.5 mg for the last 7 weeks.
I'll not prevaricate, I desperately want to lose the weight as fast as possible but I'm trying to temper that desire with reality and what's actually best for my body versus appeasing my stupidly vain mind. It's a hard line for me as my mental health regarding my appearance is utter trash, to be frank.
Half of me (the adhd half) thinks this way: up my dose to 10mg now then 12.5 asap, screw my muscles and skin, I can wear turtlenecks forever and since I've always been over-muscular for a female, being 'dainty' sounds great even if I'm skin and bone.
The other half (the one who wants to be a good mom) is trying to be rooted in consciously choosing what is best for me long term and ignoring what I 'want'.
I can anticipate what the advice will be here. Titrate down or stay at 7.5, force myself to eat a steady amount of nutrient dense/high protein food and plenty of water. Get better sleep. Work out. Go to therapy to better accept myself. I'm just struggling with all of that.

Anyone in a similar spot or has been?
I just want to be more attractive. My husband doesn't care as he is happy with me, so really I'm just trying to be happy with myself for myself.
LOL it's so pathetically stupid!
I've loved myself/been content being bigger than I currently am in years past but I've taken a mental health dive regarding my self esteem as it seems I'll never be what I wish to be.
It's funny. I see normal people or overweight people, or people that are objectively less attractive, and think they are wonderful/beautiful/just right the way they are but I see myself and think 'yuck'.

I guess this has turned into a pity party.
Any ladies here struggled with their bodies changing and adjusting your mentality to be fine with yourself?

No one who knows me besides my husband would have any clue I care at all about these things. I present as an accomplished, productive, confident, arguably attractive, sweet woman and excellent mother to all I know in real life. In my brain I am vicious to myself, never good enough.
I will say I'm extremely careful about not being negative in front of my kids. They have great self esteem and confidence in themselves because I've gone above and beyond to break the cycle of self esteem issues I've inherited from my mother, who is slender and lovely even at 60 but complained about being overweight my whole life. She's 5'8" and 130 lbs 😑

 

[sheilarae74]

After doing this for a year and a half, I am 11 lbs from my goal weight so I feel this! I would titrate up a little and focus on getting enough protein. Me personally I need to work on my abs more and on eating better. I've done given up on getting enough sleep. 🤣
You are still young enough to where your body will eventually bounce back from being overweight. I know how it is wanting to lose quickly but slow and steady really does win the race.

 

[Smiter]

My post has turned into a word vomit brain dump. Feeling really mentally weak/vulnerable. Is there a ladies forum to post in? I didn't notice one. Anyways, you've been warned. If you don't have patience for a mental wimp, skip this one.

Main question here is about titration and closing in on goal weight.
I'm seeing mixed advice/evidence on rate of loss and potential muscle loss also.
5'7" female, 32, athletic build
SW 207 CW 177 GW 145-155
Dose is 7.5 mg tirz weekly since the beginning of April.

I've lost 15% of my body weight, 30lbs, in 14 weeks, avg 2.1 pounds per week which seems to be on the upper end of what is considered okay/safe for weight loss. I've not yet had any sagging skin which is something I want to avoid as I have hEDS which means faulty collagen which equals crappy skin healing among other things.
Other concern is losing muscle mass instead of fat mass. I haven't worked out for the last 2 weeks at all. I'm not hungry enough to eat enough protein to stave off muscle loss and the energy depletion that I've been blaming on tirz is still bothersome. The fatigue has improved since a week ago, but I can't pinpoint if it is still bad because of tirz or just my regular constant fatigue that comes in varying waves but is always constant due to autoimmune issues and poor sleep/ busy life. When I do eat, I eat well. Chicken, salmon, veggies, beef.

Anyways, for the final 20-30 lbs, everything I read from others is that this is the hardest weight to lose for them right before their goal weight. I'm not sure if my total weight loss goal being less than 60lbs affects that (versus is the 100s) or if it's going to come off but eat up my muscles while it does.

Do I lower my dose to not lose as quickly for the sake of nutrition/energy/ muscle loss prevention/skin tightness , or keep it the same and potentially increase to 10mg hoping to get off the last stubborn 25ish pounds? I'm thinking it will be stubborn because in the last 3 weeks I've only lost 3.5 pounds which is making me think I should increase my dose since I've been at 7.5 mg for the last 7 weeks.
I'll not prevaricate, I desperately want to lose the weight as fast as possible but I'm trying to temper that desire with reality and what's actually best for my body versus appeasing my stupidly vain mind. It's a hard line for me as my mental health regarding my appearance is utter trash, to be frank.
Half of me (the adhd half) thinks this way: up my dose to 10mg now then 12.5 asap, screw my muscles and skin, I can wear turtlenecks forever and since I've always been over-muscular for a female, being 'dainty' sounds great even if I'm skin and bone.
The other half (the one who wants to be a good mom) is trying to be rooted in consciously choosing what is best for me long term and ignoring what I 'want'.
I can anticipate what the advice will be here. Titrate down or stay at 7.5, force myself to eat a steady amount of nutrient dense/high protein food and plenty of water. Get better sleep. Work out. Go to therapy to better accept myself. I'm just struggling with all of that.

Anyone in a similar spot or has been?
I just want to be more attractive. My husband doesn't care as he is happy with me, so really I'm just trying to be happy with myself for myself.
LOL it's so pathetically stupid!
I've loved myself/been content being bigger than I currently am in years past but I've taken a mental health dive regarding my self esteem as it seems I'll never be what I wish to be.
It's funny. I see normal people or overweight people, or people that are objectively less attractive, and think they are wonderful/beautiful/just right the way they are but I see myself and think 'yuck'.

I guess this has turned into a pity party.
Any ladies here struggled with their bodies changing and adjusting your mentality to be fine with yourself?

No one who knows me besides my husband would have any clue I care at all about these things. I present as an accomplished, productive, confident, arguably attractive, sweet woman and excellent mother to all I know in real life. In my brain I am vicious to myself, never good enough.
I will say I'm extremely careful about not being negative in front of my kids. They have great self esteem and confidence in themselves because I've gone above and beyond to break the cycle of self esteem issues I've inherited from my mother, who is slender and lovely even at 60 but complained about being overweight my whole life. She's 5'8" and 130 lbs 😑

Remember, muscles are metabolically active, but adipose is endocrinologically active as well. The drastic weight loss is bound to mess with hormones and that can certainly affect your mental state. I dont have that issue because I have a very strong sense of self. However, if I were indeed in your shoes, I would do something. The only problem is what I do, or what I am doing right now- because I am in a similar situation, weight journey-wise- is focus on a quick weight loss, while minimizing the muscle lost. You see, if I decide that I need to eat, I will force it down. For example, if I need the protein, I would consume liquids, such as a massive whey and collagen shake.
Also remember that mindset is an ultimate weapon because the exact same situation can be looked upon in totally opposite ways by two different people. If I see myself as not good enough, I would be glad because it would tell me that I have a chance to better myself.
As far as energy and fatigue go, I have mentioned before how I am so slothful that I invented a new word- slothiness- to describe my enervated state. You can use fat burners, ephedra, DMHA, caffeine, etc to get a slight energy boost to work out extra. Oh yeah and modafinil will do you a lot of good. It is a great mood uplifter apart from a wakefulness agent.
So, yes, I would shotgun Reta and Tirza to quickly lose the weight but I am now using Anavar to preserve muscle mass and raise energy levels. So far, it seems to be working. And now for the final pro tip:
pick a small manual labor-based exercise routine that you can do while you are at home. I have many of them at home such as hand grippers, wrist rotators, resistance bands, etc which I use to exercise, boost myokine and endorphin amount in my body, expend more calories.

 

[SeaGypsy]

Any ladies here struggled with their bodies changing and adjusting your mentality to be fine with yourself?

I am struggling with this right now. I don't think my brain will ever let me feel really good about how I look. I hit my first goal yet so I see in the mirror is the old fat me. I just put on a xs small shirt for the first time in my life but still see myself as overweight. I completely understand your mental battle. I don't know if mentally I will ever be able to get over the damage done in my mind to my self image. We took a family photo yesterday and I immediately went to my hiding place in the back row, my safety to not be visible.

As far as energy and fatigue go, I have mentioned before how I am so slothful that I invented a new word- slothiness- to describe my enervated state. You can use fat burners, ephedra, DMHA, caffeine, etc to get a slight energy boost to work out extra. Oh yeah and modafinil will do you a lot of good. It is a great mood uplifter apart from a wakefulness agent.
So, yes, I would shotgun Reta and Tirza to quickly lose the weight but I am now using Anavar to preserve muscle mass and raise energy levels. So far, it seems to be working.

What is this anavar and modafinil. I think I will research it to see if it can help me. Do both raise your energy levels? Or is the anavar for muscle retention and modafinil helping with energy? I gotta go read up on these.

 

[Smiter]

I am struggling with this right now. I don't think my brain will ever let me feel really good about how I look. I hit my first goal yet so I see in the mirror is the old fat me. I just put on a xs small shirt for the first time in my life but still see myself as overweight. I completely understand your mental battle. I don't know if mentally I will ever be able to get over the damage done in my mind to my self image. We took a family photo yesterday and I immediately went to my hiding place in the back row, my safety to not be visible.

What is this anavar and modafinil. I think I will research it to see if it can help me. Do both raise your energy levels? Or is the anavar for muscle retention and modafinil helping with energy? I gotta go read up on these.

Anavar is an anabolic steroid- the most favorite one of women worldwide, it is one of the least androgenic AAS, and it is about 4 times more anabolic than testosterone while about 5 times less androgenic. What that means is with anavar, all those masculinizing side effects are very minimal. But, its high anabolic rating means that for a small amount, you can preserve muscle mass, save your joints, and stop excess water retention. Of course, you will also get a massive energy boost.
Modafinil is a wakefulness medicine that was originally designed to treat narcolepsy. It is a cognition enhancer that has mood lifting effects. It also suppresses appetite. I have posted about this in previous threads too, with pictures of different AASs and their action profile.

 

[SeaGypsy]

Anavar is an anabolic steroid- the most favorite one of women worldwide, it is one of the least androgenic AAS, and it is about 4 times more anabolic than testosterone while about 5 times less androgenic. What that means is with anavar, all those masculinizing side effects are very minimal. But, its high anabolic rating means that for a small amount, you can preserve muscle mass, save your joints, and stop excess water retention. Of course, you will also get a massive energy boost.
Modafinil is a wakefulness medicine that was originally designed to treat narcolepsy. It is a cognition enhancer that has mood lifting effects. It also suppresses appetite. I have posted about this in previous threads too, with pictures of different AASs and their action profile.

OK wow. Those both sound like benefits I need. I will absolutely be looking into these! I am about to snuffle thru all your previous post.....Thanks for the info

 

[Smiter]

OK wow. Those both sound like benefits I need. I will absolutely be looking into these! I am about to snuffle thru all your previous post.....Thanks for the info

Good luck and sorry for the rabbit hole fall

 

[5byfive]

When I got on Tirz, I had the initial wave of fatigue loke a lot of people but it eased after a week or so. It took me a while to realize that my energy levels were still lower than they used to be. I pulled back on the Tirz a but and added a bit of Reta and my energy levels seem to be much more normal. I'm at maintenance, not trying to lose, but the situation does not sound dissimilar. You are not near max dosage, so a stack may make sense. Might be something to think about.

 

[randompersonrandom]

Other people speak to the science. But damn, friend, you're demanding an awful lot of yourself. Here, have a Mary Oliver poem and get rid of some of your mirrors, they don't sound terribly safe for you to have around in your "LOOK AT YOU YOU'RE HIDEOUS AND THAT IS BAD AND YOU ARE BAD" state.

PS. I'm at XS in most shirts now, I can't even WEAR a lot of brands I used to love cause they don't make shirt small enough for me now, and I still look fat (it's not true and nobody else sees that.) But whatever, "I do not have to be good."

 

[Smiter]

Testing...third time...All messages and DMs since Nine AM have been erased.

 

[amosmylove]

Testing...third time...All messages and DMs since Nine AM have been

Testing...third time...All messages and DMs since Nine AM have been erased.

Was the forum just being attacked today?

 

[Smiter]

Damn... all that info got erased.

 

[amosmylove]

Damn... all that info got erased.

Yeah. I don't plan to re-reply to everyone. I can't remember what I said ironically and it would be half insincere now to redo it

 

[Smiter]

Yeah. I don't plan to re-reply to everyone. I can't remember what I said ironically and it would be half insincere now to redo it

But if you need any info from me, dont hesitate. My noggin is still at 60%. Enough juice to redo the task.

 

[amosmylove]

But if you need any info from me, dont hesitate. My noggin is still at 60%. Enough juice to redo the task.

You're the best, thanks!

 

[amosmylove]

When I got on Tirz, I had the initial wave of fatigue loke a lot of people but it eased after a week or so. It took me a while to realize that my energy levels were still lower than they used to be. I pulled back on the Tirz a but and added a bit of Reta and my energy levels seem to be much more normal. I'm at maintenance, not trying to lose, but the situation does not sound dissimilar. You are not near max dosage, so a stack may make sense. Might be something to think about.

What dose did you start with on reta when adding to tirz? I'm going to try 1mg tonight.

 

[Vriende]

I've lost 15% of my body weight, 30lbs, in 14 weeks, avg 2.1 pounds per week which seems to be on the upper end of what is considered okay/safe for weight loss.

Yeah, that worries me -- that is a lot and very fast too. Especially since you go on to say you've got fatigue and you have not worked out for 2 weeks.
I really hope you’ll prioritize staying healthy enough -- physically and mentally -- to be there for yourself and your family long term.

Please be careful about immediately jumping toward advice involving stimulants, ephedra, Anavar, steroids, etc.
Those chemicals are not minor things to experiment with casually and can have major health effects.

Also, heads up -- one person replying quickly, frequently and confidently does not automatically mean they’re the best source of guidance. This forum has been getting a lot of guys lately migrating over from bodybuilding/steroid forums, and some people approach weight loss with a very “faster, leaner, harder at all costs” mindset.
That may work for their goals, but your post reads like someone who is trying to balance health, energy, motherhood, appearance, and mental well being all at once.

Before taking advice that could seriously affect your health, sleep, anxiety, and muscle mass, I’d encourage you to spend some time reading older threads from others here who have gone through the final 20–30 lb phase more gradually and sustainably. You’ll probably notice a pattern: many people end up happiest long term when they protect muscle, keep nutrition up, strength train, and avoid turning the process into punishment.

I think losing 30 lbs in 14 weeks is already a very significant rate of loss. The fact that the scale has slowed a little recently does not mean you’re failing or need to escalate aggressively.

One thing I notice is how compassionate you are toward everyone except yourself. You describe other people as beautiful and worthy exactly as they are, but speak about yourself with a level of harshness you would probably never direct at another woman.

You do not sound pathetic or weak. You sound exhausted, overwhelmed, and emotionally vulnerable while trying very hard to “do this right.” The fact that you’re actively trying to break unhealthy self-esteem patterns for your kids says a lot about you in a positive way.

I’d just hate to see you make fear-driven decisions in a low moment that will compromise your health later. Also be aware as you start reta, you can read here on the forum that people can experience fatigue and anhedonia with it as well -- so go slow.
Best wishes, and stay healthy.

 

[Smiter]

You’ll probably notice a pattern: many people end up happiest long term when they protect muscle, keep nutrition up, strength train, and avoid turning the process into punishment.

Yeah, @amosmylove, I second that. Sustainable weight loss has to stem from a judicious decision that would include making yourself happy with what you're doing. Do as much research as you can and make the phronetic choice. Eudaimonia must be your target and that mandates prudence, diligence, and temperance.

 

[lessthanhalf]

My post has turned into a word vomit brain dump. Feeling really mentally weak/vulnerable. Is there a ladies forum to post in? I didn't notice one. Anyways, you've been warned. If you don't have patience for a mental wimp, skip this one.

Main question here is about titration and closing in on goal weight.
I'm seeing mixed advice/evidence on rate of loss and potential muscle loss also.
5'7" female, 32, athletic build
SW 207 CW 177 GW 145-155
Dose is 7.5 mg tirz weekly since the beginning of April.

I've lost 15% of my body weight, 30lbs, in 14 weeks, avg 2.1 pounds per week which seems to be on the upper end of what is considered okay/safe for weight loss. I've not yet had any sagging skin which is something I want to avoid as I have hEDS which means faulty collagen which equals crappy skin healing among other things.
Other concern is losing muscle mass instead of fat mass. I haven't worked out for the last 2 weeks at all. I'm not hungry enough to eat enough protein to stave off muscle loss and the energy depletion that I've been blaming on tirz is still bothersome. The fatigue has improved since a week ago, but I can't pinpoint if it is still bad because of tirz or just my regular constant fatigue that comes in varying waves but is always constant due to autoimmune issues and poor sleep/ busy life. When I do eat, I eat well. Chicken, salmon, veggies, beef.

Anyways, for the final 20-30 lbs, everything I read from others is that this is the hardest weight to lose for them right before their goal weight. I'm not sure if my total weight loss goal being less than 60lbs affects that (versus is the 100s) or if it's going to come off but eat up my muscles while it does.

Do I lower my dose to not lose as quickly for the sake of nutrition/energy/ muscle loss prevention/skin tightness , or keep it the same and potentially increase to 10mg hoping to get off the last stubborn 25ish pounds? I'm thinking it will be stubborn because in the last 3 weeks I've only lost 3.5 pounds which is making me think I should increase my dose since I've been at 7.5 mg for the last 7 weeks.
I'll not prevaricate, I desperately want to lose the weight as fast as possible but I'm trying to temper that desire with reality and what's actually best for my body versus appeasing my stupidly vain mind. It's a hard line for me as my mental health regarding my appearance is utter trash, to be frank.
Half of me (the adhd half) thinks this way: up my dose to 10mg now then 12.5 asap, screw my muscles and skin, I can wear turtlenecks forever and since I've always been over-muscular for a female, being 'dainty' sounds great even if I'm skin and bone.
The other half (the one who wants to be a good mom) is trying to be rooted in consciously choosing what is best for me long term and ignoring what I 'want'.
I can anticipate what the advice will be here. Titrate down or stay at 7.5, force myself to eat a steady amount of nutrient dense/high protein food and plenty of water. Get better sleep. Work out. Go to therapy to better accept myself. I'm just struggling with all of that.

Anyone in a similar spot or has been?
I just want to be more attractive. My husband doesn't care as he is happy with me, so really I'm just trying to be happy with myself for myself.
LOL it's so pathetically stupid!
I've loved myself/been content being bigger than I currently am in years past but I've taken a mental health dive regarding my self esteem as it seems I'll never be what I wish to be.
It's funny. I see normal people or overweight people, or people that are objectively less attractive, and think they are wonderful/beautiful/just right the way they are but I see myself and think 'yuck'.

I guess this has turned into a pity party.
Any ladies here struggled with their bodies changing and adjusting your mentality to be fine with yourself?

No one who knows me besides my husband would have any clue I care at all about these things. I present as an accomplished, productive, confident, arguably attractive, sweet woman and excellent mother to all I know in real life. In my brain I am vicious to myself, never good enough.
I will say I'm extremely careful about not being negative in front of my kids. They have great self esteem and confidence in themselves because I've gone above and beyond to break the cycle of self esteem issues I've inherited from my mother, who is slender and lovely even at 60 but complained about being overweight my whole life. She's 5'8" and 130 lbs 😑

Some of the 30 pounds lost will be fluid, between 5 to 10 of it, so the real rate of actual fat and non fat mass loss is more like 20-25 lbs over 14 weeks or 1.4 - 1.8 lbs a week, which is not extreme by most standards, and I do not think on its own is much of an issue. Feeling like crap is probably a more reasonable guide to suggest you are pushing your body a bit too hard, but even that cannot be totally relied upon, as weight loss itself can make you feel tired and worn out, and your body attempting to conserve energy to slow down the weight loss does not really help this.

In most ways the biggest advantage of GLP drugs is their ability to maintain weight loss long term, in a way that really nothing else can, so long as you keep taking them. And they can do this with minimal effort, just an injection a week. Obviously exercise and a healthy diet are a good idea, whether you are trying to lose weight or maintain weight or not, but GLP drugs still work regardless of this. And the lack of effort required is important, as this is what makes it work long term. And trying to lose weight and maintain long term weight loss is hard otherwise, and is much more likely to fail as a result. But losing weight with GLP drugs has the advantage compared to your average diet, that once you get to your target, there is a very good chance you can keep your weight there, so long as you keep taking them.

All a long winded way of saying long term health interventions need to be sustainable for them to work, because if they are too hard people give up eventually. And this applies during the weight loss process.

So if you feel like garbage, it is possibly a combination of trying to survive on less calories than your body would like, and maybe effects of tirzepatide. You do not mention nausea as a side effect?, it can be accompanied by malaise as a side effect as well, which could be a cause or contribute to the fatigue, as could the lower calorie intake and your body's response to that. It is just about impossible to work out what is going on with long term fatigue issues in the context of auto immune diseases. I do know about that as about 40% of people with ulcerative colitis have ongoing pain and fatigue , even when in "remission " me included. And unfortunately it is an area of medicine with pretty much no real effective treatments or even a good understanding of what is going on to cause it.

Given that you are struggling to eat enough calories and protein to feel OK, then dropping the dose is probably a good idea, it might help by allowing you to eat a bit more and feel better by that and it might make you feel a bit better if some of what you are experiencing are side effects, and fatigue is a side effect of tirz.

If you have lost 3.5 lbs in 3 weeks recently , that is actually fine, a drop in weight of 530g/week ( sorry but I think in metric ) or a calorie deficit of 4000 kcal/week, it is not extreme, but it sounds a lot like your body is trying to tell you to maybe ease off a bit, and reducing the dose a bit to slow down the weight loss might help you to feel better and make the process more sustainable in the long term. And if you start feeling better you can always try increasing the dose a bit later on.

Trying to push doses up here is a bit like treating it like a diet, and pushing hard for short term better results, but it is pretty likely to make you feel worse while you are doing it. As it is you are already half way or more to your target, and if you keep on the GLP's , you might not ever have to do this again, so taking a bit longer to get the rest of the way there is not such a bad idea. At your current rate of weight loss of 1.16lbs /week it is going to take another 21 weeks to lose 25 more pounds, but realistically it is likely to slow down as you get closer to target as energy expenditure drops with lower mass, and over time metabolic adaptation to low calorie input will slow it down more, so somewhere around 5 to maybe even 12 months, so making the process tolerable is not a bad idea even if it makes it take longer. It is a long process however you do it and it is really important to celebrate and feel good about reaching small or partial targets, like getting half way to your target. I certainly had to see it that way as I slowly got from 145kg to 65kg.

 

[5byfive]

What dose did you start with on reta when adding to tirz? I'm going to try 1mg tonight.

I dropped my Tirz from.4.5 to 3 and added a 1mg of reta. I planned to be at 3.5 and 1 but because of the half-life i dropped it a little more and came back up. The only difference I notice is better energy. I expected suppression might go down or resting heart rate up, but neither happened. I susp3ct you may need to swap 1.5 to 2mg with your dose but, obviously, everything in this area is a guess. Hope it goes well for you. I definitely want to hear the results.

 

[amosmylove]

I dropped my Tirz from.4.5 to 3 and added a 1mg of reta. I planned to be at 3.5 and 1 but because of the half-life i dropped it a little more and came back up. The only difference I notice is better energy. I expected suppression might go down or resting heart rate up, but neither happened. I susp3ct you may need to swap 1.5 to 2mg with your dose but, obviously, everything in this area is a guess. Hope it goes well for you. I definitely want to hear the results.

I didn't recon my reta last night because by the time I planned on it I was ready for bed and my bac water was fridge cold and the reta straight from the freezer. I thought I read they needed to be room temp when reconning or things can happen? Again I'm just paranoid about gelling.

 

[amosmylove]

Yeah, that worries me -- that is a lot and very fast too. Especially since you go on to say you've got fatigue and you have not worked out for 2 weeks.
I really hope you’ll prioritize staying healthy enough -- physically and mentally -- to be there for yourself and your family long term.

Please be careful about immediately jumping toward advice involving stimulants, ephedra, Anavar, steroids, etc.
Those chemicals are not minor things to experiment with casually and can have major health effects.

Also, heads up -- one person replying quickly, frequently and confidently does not automatically mean they’re the best source of guidance. This forum has been getting a lot of guys lately migrating over from bodybuilding/steroid forums, and some people approach weight loss with a very “faster, leaner, harder at all costs” mindset.
That may work for their goals, but your post reads like someone who is trying to balance health, energy, motherhood, appearance, and mental well being all at once.

Before taking advice that could seriously affect your health, sleep, anxiety, and muscle mass, I’d encourage you to spend some time reading older threads from others here who have gone through the final 20–30 lb phase more gradually and sustainably. You’ll probably notice a pattern: many people end up happiest long term when they protect muscle, keep nutrition up, strength train, and avoid turning the process into punishment.

I think losing 30 lbs in 14 weeks is already a very significant rate of loss. The fact that the scale has slowed a little recently does not mean you’re failing or need to escalate aggressively.

One thing I notice is how compassionate you are toward everyone except yourself. You describe other people as beautiful and worthy exactly as they are, but speak about yourself with a level of harshness you would probably never direct at another woman.

You do not sound pathetic or weak. You sound exhausted, overwhelmed, and emotionally vulnerable while trying very hard to “do this right.” The fact that you’re actively trying to break unhealthy self-esteem patterns for your kids says a lot about you in a positive way.

I’d just hate to see you make fear-driven decisions in a low moment that will compromise your health later. Also be aware as you start reta, you can read here on the forum that people can experience fatigue and anhedonia with it as well -- so go slow.
Best wishes, and stay healthy.

Thank you very much for your thoughtful and encouraging reply. I'm prepared to be on guard for anhedonia. I'm debating getting back on an anti depressant but I hate some of the side effects of it so I've been really glad to be off of it for the last 6 months. I was on sertraline for 10 years previously. It just gave me horrid brainfog amd made it extra hard to wake up and be lucid, which I didn't know was from it until I got off and it was completely gone. Plus harder to orgasm which sucks. But it may be better to do a low dose for awhile. Haven't decided yet.

 

[Vriende]

I'm debating getting back on an anti depressant ...

I believe that SSRI's are close to miracle* drugs for recent generations as GLP-1 meds.
Yes, there can be side effects. A good psychiatrist or MD will fine tune the meds and let a person try different types to find one with less side effects.
You might consider requesting Lexapro (escitalopram) to see if it works better for you. At least try a low dose for awhile. It can be so hard to slog along with mild depression, and it can be a relief to have lifted spirits for awhile.
Sometimes no amount of therapy can help if one's brain chemicals are out of whack. Many people now can live normal lives rather than be crippled with anxiety or depression since SSRIs were introduced.

*(Oh I know some people will disagree...)

 

[amosmylove]

I dropped my Tirz from.4.5 to 3 and added a 1mg of reta. I planned to be at 3.5 and 1 but because of the half-life i dropped it a little more and came back up. The only difference I notice is better energy. I expected suppression might go down or resting heart rate up, but neither happened. I susp3ct you may need to swap 1.5 to 2mg with your dose but, obviously, everything in this area is a guess. Hope it goes well for you. I definitely want to hear the results.

Do you take reta in the am or pm? I woke up about 2 hours after going to bed (maybe 3-4 hours post 1mg reta dose) and couldn't get back to sleep for hours. Not typical for me without provocation to wake.

 

[Smiter]

Do you take reta in the am or pm? I woke up about 2 hours after going to bed (maybe 3-4 hours post 1mg reta dose) and couldn't get back to sleep for hours. Not typical for me without provocation to wake.

I haven't had a fixed time, only the day for my Reta dose. I didnt have the sleep issue yet, but then again, my sleep issue is actually worse than my obesity issue and that's saying something. Although, my sleep for the last two days has been a tad better. If I were forced to guess, I would put it down to my being a Varrior now. If that is true, then could something similar be the case for you? I remember you mentioning CNS issues including hardship in achieving an orgasm. I had similar issues when my Canadian diabetic doctor prescribed amitriptyline for neuropathy. And my sleep, or lack thereof, became most palpable after the diabetic neuropathy.

 

[amosmylove]

I haven't had a fixed time, only the day for my Reta dose. I didnt have the sleep issue yet, but then again, my sleep issue is actually worse than my obesity issue and that's saying something. Although, my sleep for the last two days has been a tad better. If I were forced to guess, I would put it down to my being a Varrior now. If that is true, then could something similar be the case for you? I remember you mentioning CNS issues including hardship in achieving an orgasm. I had similar issues when my Canadian diabetic doctor prescribed amitriptyline for neuropathy. And my sleep, or lack thereof, became most palpable after the diabetic neuropathy.

I never had an issue orgasming until I was put on an SSRI. I'm off the SSRI currently and everything is back to normal in that arena thankfully. But it was never impossible, just took more effort lol. My sleep has been unideal since childhood. I've always struggled to go to sleep. Staying asleep has been normal/ not an issue typically. I also shoot myself in the foot by getting distracted by my phone and 'not being able to fall asleep ' when I likely could have if I never picked it up after laying down to bed. But in general it takes me a couple hours with no distractions to fall asleep. My husband takes 3-5 minutes and I lowkey hate him for it. Wish it was like a lightswitch! I also really struggle getting up in the mornings.

 

[Smiter]

I've always struggled to go to sleep.

My twin?

I also shoot myself in the foot by getting distracted by my phone and 'not being able to fall asleep '

Okay mirror twin then.

until I was put on an SSRI.

ah there's one of my pet peeves. I am glad you're off it. Glad.

My sleep has been unideal since childhood. I've always struggled to go to sleep.

Huh! Come to think of it, yeah, it has been an issue for me too. The things one forget as time goes on. I only remember sleeping for 26 hours at a stretch, and being woken up thinking it had only been two hours. That was due to exhaustion. The other was the first and last time I took a puff or two of some druggy cigarette. I jumped awake thinking it had been a nap of a minute to find 30 hours had gone by.

 

[5byfive]

But in general it takes me a couple hours with no distractions to fall asleep. My husband takes 3-5 minutes and I lowkey hate him for it. Wish it was like a lightswitch! I also really struggle getting up in the mornings.

I have spent a lot of time working with people on hygiene. It really works. I am not a great sleeper myself, never will be, but I have really locked down the basics and it has helped a lot.

●Go to bed and get up at the same time. This is huge.
●No TV in the bedroom.
●Cold dark room. 68° is supposed to be ideal.
●Ideally no devices an hour before bed. I don't manage this one this, but when you put it down and get into bed DO NOT touch it until you get up for the day! Period ever.
●If you habe trouble falling asleep, look up some mindfulness techniques and practice them.
●A lot of people do better with a fan or sound machine to drown out background noises.
●No caffeine at least 6 hours before bed.
●No big meals or exercise 2 hours before bed. I have found on Tirz I need to eat a smaller dinner than I normally would and eat earlier or my sleep quality suffers.
●The bed is for sleeping (or fornicating) nothing else. If you can't sleep for more than 30 minutes, get out of bed and walk around for 5 minutes. No watching TV or anything else in bed. You want to teach your body that bed is for sleeping only.

If you are consistsnt with all of this you will likely get results. If you don't its probably time for a sleep study. I also make sure I do shots first thing in the AM so it doesn't impact my sleep.

 

[fatjacked]

Vriende really said most of what I was wanting to say & probably better, so mainly just +1 to all that!

I am in a similar spot as you in a couple ways - about halfway to goal weight, trying to balance against muscle loss and be sustainable, considering other options for stacking vs. staying the course. And though I am a man, I relate to some other aspects of your post more than you might expect - thank you for making it & starting this conversation.

Regarding sleep, I try to always pin in the morning and have not seen any increased difficulty with sleep so far. But I generally sleep well already, so ymmv.

I think your post & this thread speak to the qualitative experience of being mid-journey really clearly in a couple ways. There is excitement and satisfaction for the progress made so far, but also impatience or a desire to accelerate / do even more. Being in a sustained weight cut for so long takes a toll, too - I am 4 months in and the crankiness & brain fog are real. My first month on tirz I was way clearer / more energetic in early afternoons than I was before I started, I'm guessing because the metabolic improvements were noticeable and the calorie deficit was not yet taking its toll. I think this is why a lot of people start looking into other peps for recovery / energy / sleep / muscle maintenance around this time - I certainly have.

In retrospect, there have been several weeks where I pretty much stalled on weight loss, and I think it may have been a subconscious way (or just my body doing it) of trying to take a break from the stress of a long cut. Nothing wrong with that in my book. I've gone through several big weight cuts pre-GLP-1 and 3-4 months was about the longest I ever had to stay in a cut, and I was fuckin well and fully done with it by the end.

Lots of different opinions already on what you should do, and I think ultimately you will be fine and pick something that works. My $.02 is that you might consider stalling at your current dose for a bit and allowing the appetite suppression to back off so you can eat enough and rebuild your energy. Personally, the worst periods of my cut have been when I wasn't getting any exercise due to either injury or other life disruptions. Doing whatever is needed to maintain your exercise routine seems reasonable in my view.

It also sounds like maybe you already started mixing in reta instead, which might have the same effect of reducing suppression a tad. If so, I'd be curious to hear how that goes for you - I was thinking about doing the same thing, but ultimately decided to stick with straight tirz a bit longer.

I am trying not to just start mixing in tons of stuff just to do it, but I have also had good luck with wolverine stack in the past for digestion & recovery. It helped with pain and post-workout soreness, but actually the most notable effect for me was that it keeps me super regular - I haven't shit so good since I was a teenager (sorry if TMI lol). I am probably going to restart that or try KLOW in the near future.