What to do after hitting goal weight on first Cycle? Newbie needs direction, please.

[Nerker]

Hi. 52 yrs old, male. 5'9".
Started at 208.6 lbs Currently 182.8lbs. Total loss of 26.4lbs.
Muscle mass started 121.5lbs. Currently 109.8lbs. Total loss 11.7lbs. This is 44.32% of the loss is muscle.
Smart scale says muscle rate is: 60.1%
I have strength still. Have skied on weekends and done yoga throughout and haven't felt "weaker". These constants are the only way to gauge strength for me.
Goal weight 175lbs. (or less, not sure b/c I will still have fat @ 175lbs.)
I'm running 2mg 1x per week since Jan 10, 2026.
Just completed my 11th week on the Reta.
Appetite is around. I can eat meals. Don't want snacks or ice cream.
I eat whole macros, do protein shakes and powders, and take micros supplements.

I love the low carb// high protein diet, the hydration, the quiet mind. I have maintained mild resistance (yoga,walking, some resistance that PT assigned) but last week just began the 3x weekly with weight. I love this. I've been in 300-600 deficit for the the whole run.

My dilemma is I want to lose more fat but keep muscle. Conventional wisdom says you can gain in a deficit. But when I look this up, newbies (I am one) can gain in deficit. Not hard science and I am willing to be wrong here.
I want to become strong and maintain muscle and fitness for my later years. I am committing to the path.

So what is the path/s? As I newbie I am wide open but also don't have plan or foundation to rely on.

Do I stop Reta at goal weight then build muscle, then cut fat w/ Reta while preserving muscle with resistance?
I want to get my Test measured and add TRT. Reta and TRT seem really good for the 50 and up club.
Do I add Tesamorelin for the VAT in the belly area?
I would like to stack peptides for repair (Wolverine.)

I realize this community doesn't spoon feed one another and I am all over Meso and anywhere else while I cobble info together and learn.

I'm hoping to get some basic direction from others with more experience.

 

[woundcarping]

It’s hard to build muscle fiber while in a caloric deficit.

I’m 6’1-2”, using Dexa numbers I was 238.7lb, 153lb of lean mass as of last week.

On 1/30/26 I was 257.5lb with 153lb of lean mass, which was my ~50 day late baseline.

I’m taking HMB-FA, TRT (120mg/week during that period), and Reta.

I try to get my protein, do some some cardio, and some weight lifting although I was fairly slack with that in March compared to Jan/Feb.

Once I get to goal weight, I plan on maintenance calories, perhaps with a surplus, to focus on adding more muscle.

 

[AcadiaPeptides]

I’m 55, 5'7", and kind of in the same boat. I started at 245 last year and have been sitting around 194 for the past couple weeks. I’m on 6 mg Tirz and stacking 1 mg Reta weekly, but the scale has definitely slowed down lately.
Totally get the muscle‑vs‑fat worry. Even with lifting and protein, it’s hard to know what’s actually happening under the hood. I’m just trying to stay consistent with resistance work and let the meds handle the appetite side while I figure out the long‑term plan.
You’re not alone in trying to sort out the “what next” phase. I’m right there with you, trying to keep strength as the priority while the fat loss plays catch‑up.

 

[samadams.bs]

Hi. 52 yrs old, male. 5'9".
Started at 208.6 lbs Currently 182.8lbs. Total loss of 26.4lbs.
Muscle mass started 121.5lbs. Currently 109.8lbs. Total loss 11.7lbs. This is 44.32% of the loss is muscle.
Smart scale says muscle rate is: 60.1%
I have strength still. Have skied on weekends and done yoga throughout and haven't felt "weaker". These constants are the only way to gauge strength for me.
Goal weight 175lbs. (or less, not sure b/c I will still have fat @ 175lbs.)
I'm running 2mg 1x per week since Jan 10, 2026.
Just completed my 11th week on the Reta.
Appetite is around. I can eat meals. Don't want snacks or ice cream.
I eat whole macros, do protein shakes and powders, and take micros supplements.

I love the low carb// high protein diet, the hydration, the quiet mind. I have maintained mild resistance (yoga,walking, some resistance that PT assigned) but last week just began the 3x weekly with weight. I love this. I've been in 300-600 deficit for the the whole run.

My dilemma is I want to lose more fat but keep muscle. Conventional wisdom says you can gain in a deficit. But when I look this up, newbies (I am one) can gain in deficit. Not hard science and I am willing to be wrong here.
I want to become strong and maintain muscle and fitness for my later years. I am committing to the path.

So what is the path/s? As I newbie I am wide open but also don't have plan or foundation to rely on.

Do I stop Reta at goal weight then build muscle, then cut fat w/ Reta while preserving muscle with resistance?
I want to get my Test measured and add TRT. Reta and TRT seem really good for the 50 and up club.
Do I add Tesamorelin for the VAT in the belly area?
I would like to stack peptides for repair (Wolverine.)

I realize this community doesn't spoon feed one another and I am all over Meso and anywhere else while I cobble info together and learn.

I'm hoping to get some basic direction from others with more experience.

Morning, and congratulations on your work thus far! I'm definitely keeping an eye on everything that comes across for feedback that anyone may share. I'm in a very similar situation as yourself, just a few years difference. My main concern is that I have my first hip replacement surgery in the next few months followed by the other finally so I'm honestly trying to undercut my goal weight by a good bit in the hopes that while I'm reuired to be far less mobile/active, I can balance back out and maintain my original goal. I'm about to place a long term reta order and I think I'm going to include Tesamorelin and MOTS-C to stack in the time before my surgery to specifically focus on visceral fat.

One feedback that I do have for you after you have your test measured, I went the route of enclo having low myself instead of just straight TRT and couldn't be happier. 12.5mg every 2/3 days and 0 sides taking an AI once a week. Hopefully it helps but again just works for me.

 

[Nerker]

Thanks, all. The fear is I lose too much muscle to get down to 170-175lbs. (and so can't gain it back since) Like I'm too old to get newbie gains.
I'm assuming that I can add maintenance cals and build muscle.

 

[Elgordoboy]

Trt and hgh along with Reta will get you what you are looking for. Im 52, test levels around 1000 (without looking things up and going into free testosterone levels), I use 1.5 to 2iu of hgh nightly before bed. I’m 5’8” on a good day and just shy of that most days. For comparison according to my scale Lean body mass is 147, muscle mass is 137 and I weigh 185. I want to get to 175. I do yoga 3 days a week, and in the gym with weights 3 days a week also but only like 15 or 20 minutes. I’ll do 1 warm up set and 1 work set on several exercises and then I’m done. A vertical and horizontal push/pull/legs with a few accessories without the warmups then smith machine squats and rdl another day. I don’t want more muscle, I just want to hold the line as I age as best I can. You may not add muscle in a deficit with the test and hgh who knows? But it should keep you from losing much more.