Over the past several months, I've been working on improving my health, body composition, energy levels, and long-term fitness. When I started this process, I weighed approximately 218 pounds. Today I'm around 179 pounds, I've improved my sleep apnea significantly, increased my protein intake, and established a consistent exercise routine.
Part of that process has included the use of several peptides and metabolic-support compounds. These are not recreational drugs, narcotics, stimulants, or anabolic steroids. Most are substances that mimic or enhance naturally occurring signaling molecules in the body. They are being used as part of a structured health and fitness plan, not for intoxication or euphoria.
My current goals are:
• Reduce my waist measurement further to meet Army body composition standards.
• Preserve muscle while losing fat.
• Improve energy and recovery.
• Improve sleep quality.
• Maintain long-term health and fitness.
Current Protocol
Morning
• SS-31 (1 mg daily)
- Used for mitochondrial support and cellular energy production.
- Generally considered low risk.
- Potential concerns: injection site irritation and limited long-term human data.
• AOD-9604 (300 mcg daily)
- A peptide derived from growth hormone research that is primarily used for fat-loss support.
- Does not have the growth-promoting effects associated with growth hormone itself.
- Potential concerns: effectiveness varies significantly between individuals.
• MOTS-C (5 mg Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
- A mitochondrial peptide used to support metabolism, exercise performance, and insulin sensitivity.
- Potential concerns: limited long-term human data.
• NAD+ (100 mg Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
- A naturally occurring molecule involved in cellular energy production.
- Used to support recovery and mitochondrial function.
- Potential concerns: injection discomfort and limited evidence for some claimed benefits.
Night
• Tesamorelin (1 mg nightly)
- A growth hormone releasing hormone analogue.
- Used primarily to reduce abdominal fat while preserving lean body mass.
- Potential concerns: increased IGF-1 levels, fluid retention, and possible effects on blood sugar in some individuals.
• Ipamorelin (250 mcg nightly)
- A growth hormone secretagogue.
- Used alongside Tesamorelin to support recovery and body composition.
- Potential concerns: mild water retention and increased hunger in some people.
• DSIP (300 mcg nightly)
- A peptide being evaluated for sleep support.
- Used because I frequently wake up around 3:00 AM.
- Potential concerns: limited evidence and inconsistent effectiveness.
Weekly
• Tirzepatide (currently tapering)
- A medication originally developed for diabetes and obesity treatment.
- It significantly reduces appetite and improves blood sugar regulation.
- This medication has been a major contributor to my weight loss.
- Potential concerns: nausea, gastrointestinal issues, excessive appetite suppression, and muscle loss if protein intake and exercise are not maintained.
• Retatrutide (planned transition)
- A newer metabolic medication similar to Tirzepatide.
- Being introduced gradually as Tirzepatide is reduced.
- The goal is improved body composition and metabolic efficiency rather than additional appetite suppression.
- Potential concerns: similar gastrointestinal effects, elevated heart rate in some users, and limited long-term human data compared to Tirzepatide.
What I Am Not Doing
• I am not using anabolic steroids.
• I am not using narcotics or opioids.
• I am not using recreational drugs.
• I am not using stimulants for weight loss.
• I am not injecting substances to get high or alter my mental state.
The injections are simply the delivery method for many of these compounds because they are proteins or peptides that would be destroyed if taken orally.
Concerns and Risks
I don't view any of these compounds as completely risk-free. Some have strong clinical data behind them, while others have much less research available. I continuously evaluate whether they are providing enough benefit to justify their use.
The biggest concerns identified during my own review of the program are not actually the peptides themselves. The larger concerns are:
• Getting enough sleep.
• Recovering properly from training.
• Avoiding excessive calorie restriction.
• Maintaining muscle mass while continuing to lose fat.
Going forward, the focus will be less on adding more compounds and more on improving lifestyle factors such as sleep, nutrition, daily walking, and cardiovascular fitness.
In short, what you're seeing is not a drug problem. It's a highly structured health and fitness program that uses several injectable compounds as tools to support weight loss, recovery, metabolism, and body composition. The goal is better health, improved fitness, and meeting military standards—not intoxication or escape.
