Down 18–20 lb on Tirz, aiming to cut more fat while keeping muscle — thinking about Reta

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Clyde22

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I’m 5’9” and I hit the weights roughly 4 times a week. When I began Tirz, I weighed about 215 lb with what I’d guess was near 20% body fat. My aims were cutting body fat, getting healthier overall, looking better, and maybe easing my sleep apnea/CPAP issues if that was possible.

Right now I’m sitting around 196–197 lb and I figure I’m near 15% body fat, possibly a touch under that. On the whole, Tirz has done a lot for me, but I’m now working out what the smartest next step should be.

My starting dose was 2.5 mg, which wasn’t sufficient. I moved up to 5 mg and had a good couple of weeks on it. After that, roughly 5 days past each dose, I began getting severe rebound hunger. I switched to splitting the weekly 5 mg dose, taking 2.5 mg twice a week, and that eased the hunger; I stayed on that routine for several months. In time, though, hunger and cravings started returning.

At present I’m using 7.5 mg Tirz, split into 3.75 mg twice weekly. Cravings and food noise are still fairly present, particularly around sweets, though hunger itself is mostly under control. I make an effort to keep healthier options on hand, such as protein, vegetables, and some carbs, with sugar kept very limited. I also try to have a proper meal before I cave to junk food. My job doesn’t help, since candy, donuts, and other poor choices are constantly nearby.

At this stage, I’d rather not push the Tirz dose any higher, because gut motility is already the side effect that’s holding me back.

That’s why Reta has my attention. What appeals to me is that Reta may raise metabolism and also nudge the body toward burning more fat through glucagon receptor activation.

My idea would be to bring Reta in slowly while tapering Tirz down, basically changing the ratio over time. I’ve seen many people say Reta doesn’t blunt hunger or food noise as much as Tirz, so I could picture keeping a bit of Tirz in the mix if I need help with appetite or cravings.

If Reta works really well for me and keeps hunger controlled enough, I might in the end move to Reta alone. If I like Reta’s fat loss/metabolic effects but still deal with too much hunger or food noise, I might look at Reta plus cagrilintide rather than keeping Tirz in the mix. Running Reta, Tirz, and cagrilintide all at once doesn’t appeal to me.

I’m curious to hear from people with experience or knowledge:

  • For those who went from Tirz to Reta, did hunger/food noise improve, worsen, or stay roughly the same?
  • Did Reta feel clearly different when it came to energy, fat loss, or body composition?
  • Did anyone discover they still needed a small amount of Tirz for appetite or craving control?
  • For anyone who has used cagrilintide, did it help with cravings/fullness more than Tirz or Reta by itself?
  • Any views on whether a gradual Tirz-to-Reta transition makes more sense than an abrupt switch?
  • Any other opinions or suggestions about my plan?
My main goal is to drop more body fat while holding onto muscle, without worsening gut motility, and if I can, to bring cravings down a little.
 
What number are you targeting on the scale, and has your current dose kept the losses coming?

Has your strength on the main lifts slipped at all, enough to make you suspect muscle is going with the fat?

My own run: 35 lb gone on tirz across 5 months, now at 10mg. Side effects have not been a major issue for me. There were a couple of mini-plateaus along the way, and I thought about stacking reta. The response I mostly got, though, was that if tirz is still doing its job and there is room left to titrate up, the sensible move is to keep going as is. That is basically the path I took.

My max bench has come down somewhat after losing this much weight, but nothing drastic, and other lifts have held steady in terms of performance. I figured there is no point stressing over it before reaching my goal weight, given I am nearer the finish line than the start.
 
Your split dosing of tirz isn’t working. Consider switching to a full dose every 6 days. When it comes to protecting muscle, Reta offers no advantage over Tirz. The urge to chase the hot IG model rather than stay with the wife you should have kept is too strong. Reta comes with a heavier side effect burden, so the relief you’re after probably won’t materialize.
 
Clyde22 said:

I’m 5’9” and I hit the weights roughly 4 times a week. When I began Tirz, I weighed about 215 lb with what I’d guess was near 20% body fat. My aims were cutting body fat, getting healthier overall, looking better, and maybe easing my sleep apnea/CPAP issues if that was possible.

Right now I’m sitting around 196–197 lb and I figure I’m near 15% body fat, possibly a touch under that. On the whole, Tirz has done a lot for me, but I’m now working out what the smartest next step should be.

My starting dose was 2.5 mg, which wasn’t sufficient. I moved up to 5 mg and had a good couple of weeks on it. After that, roughly 5 days past each dose, I began getting severe rebound hunger. I switched to splitting the weekly 5 mg dose, taking 2.5 mg twice a week, and that eased the hunger; I stayed on that routine for several months. In time, though, hunger and cravings started returning.

At present I’m using 7.5 mg Tirz, split into 3.75 mg twice weekly. Cravings and food noise are still fairly present, particularly around sweets, though hunger itself is mostly under control. I make an effort to keep healthier options on hand, such as protein, vegetables, and some carbs, with sugar kept very limited. I also try to have a proper meal before I cave to junk food. My job doesn’t help, since candy, donuts, and other poor choices are constantly nearby.

At this stage, I’d rather not push the Tirz dose any higher, because gut motility is already the side effect that’s holding me back.

That’s why Reta has my attention. What appeals to me is that Reta may raise metabolism and also nudge the body toward burning more fat through glucagon receptor activation.

My idea would be to bring Reta in slowly while tapering Tirz down, basically changing the ratio over time. I’ve seen many people say Reta doesn’t blunt hunger or food noise as much as Tirz, so I could picture keeping a bit of Tirz in the mix if I need help with appetite or cravings.

If Reta works really well for me and keeps hunger controlled enough, I might in the end move to Reta alone. If I like Reta’s fat loss/metabolic effects but still deal with too much hunger or food noise, I might look at Reta plus cagrilintide rather than keeping Tirz in the mix. Running Reta, Tirz, and cagrilintide all at once doesn’t appeal to me.

I’m curious to hear from people with experience or knowledge:

  • For those who went from Tirz to Reta, did hunger/food noise improve, worsen, or stay roughly the same?
  • Did Reta feel clearly different when it came to energy, fat loss, or body composition?
  • Did anyone discover they still needed a small amount of Tirz for appetite or craving control?
  • For anyone who has used cagrilintide, did it help with cravings/fullness more than Tirz or Reta by itself?
  • Any views on whether a gradual Tirz-to-Reta transition makes more sense than an abrupt switch?
  • Any other opinions or suggestions about my plan?
My main goal is to drop more body fat while holding onto muscle, without worsening gut motility, and if I can, to bring cravings down a little.
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I went about it the same way you're planning: moving reta up while bringing tirz down. The result has been just what I wanted. These days it's 2mg retail each week and zero tirz -- because there's no food noise. If needed, I'd be fine adding 1 - 2mg tirz. The pounds are dropping a lot quicker, and I'm roughly 10 pounds away from my first target (160, coming down from 205). Once I get there, I'll think about maintenance or pushing lower.

My experience matched tirz. What caught me off guard is that I half-expected food noise with reta on its own, but there's really no way to know in advance how any of this will hit a given person. Right now I split them in my head like this: Reta for losing, tirz for maintaining. That may not hold, but it's my current take.
 
fatjacked said:

What number are you targeting on the scale, and has your current dose kept the losses coming?

Has your strength on the main lifts slipped at all, enough to make you suspect muscle is going with the fat?

My own run: 35 lb gone on tirz across 5 months, now at 10mg. Side effects have not been a major issue for me. There were a couple of mini-plateaus along the way, and I thought about stacking reta. The response I mostly got, though, was that if tirz is still doing its job and there is room left to titrate up, the sensible move is to keep going as is. That is basically the path I took.

My max bench has come down somewhat after losing this much weight, but nothing drastic, and other lifts have held steady in terms of performance. I figured there is no point stressing over it before reaching my goal weight, given I am nearer the finish line than the start.
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I want to land at 190lbs, with 10-12% bodyfat if possible. Then I'll judge by how I look and feel. My strength has held up almost completely — no real decline in what I can lift, maybe just a tiny bit. Endurance might have shifted slightly, since during the weight loss phase I wanted longer rests between sets. The first 4 months took off roughly 20 lbs, which works out to almost exactly 5 lbs per month. After that I put back on about 2lbs, and for the last 2 months my weight has stayed put. That leaves 7lbs I still want to drop. Since the slowdown in GI motility is already at the limit of what I can tolerate, raising the Tirz dose isn't an option. It sounds like your weight is still going down. You mentioned no side effects at all — has your GI not slowed, or is it manageable at 10mg?

fatjacked said:

What number are you targeting on the scale, and has your current dose kept the losses coming?

Has your strength on the main lifts slipped at all, enough to make you suspect muscle is going with the fat?

My own run: 35 lb gone on tirz across 5 months, now at 10mg. Side effects have not been a major issue for me. There were a couple of mini-plateaus along the way, and I thought about stacking reta. The response I mostly got, though, was that if tirz is still doing its job and there is room left to titrate up, the sensible move is to keep going as is. That is basically the path I took.

My max bench has come down somewhat after losing this much weight, but nothing drastic, and other lifts have held steady in terms of performance. I figured there is no point stressing over it before reaching my goal weight, given I am nearer the finish line than the start.
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Clyde22 said:


My goal weight is 190lbs. Hopefully 10-12% bodyfat. See how I look and feel. My strength is nearly the same. No noticable drop in my lift strengths. Very small. Maybe endurance changed a little and I needed longer break between sets when I was losing weight. I lost about 20 lbs in the first 4 months. Almost exactly 5 lbs loss a month. Then gained back about 2lbs and have not budged in weight the past 2 months. So I want to lose 7lbs more. The decrease in GI motility is about the max I am comfortable with, so I can’t up the Tirz. Sounds like you are still losing weight. You said you are not having any side effects? You’re GI has not slowed down? Or is tolerable on 10mg?

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fatjacked said:

What number are you targeting on the scale, and has your current dose kept the losses coming?

Has your strength on the main lifts slipped at all, enough to make you suspect muscle is going with the fat?

My own run: 35 lb gone on tirz across 5 months, now at 10mg. Side effects have not been a major issue for me. There were a couple of mini-plateaus along the way, and I thought about stacking reta. The response I mostly got, though, was that if tirz is still doing its job and there is room left to titrate up, the sensible move is to keep going as is. That is basically the path I took.

My max bench has come down somewhat after losing this much weight, but nothing drastic, and other lifts have held steady in terms of performance. I figured there is no point stressing over it before reaching my goal weight, given I am nearer the finish line than the start.
Click to expand...

chewonmysac said:

Your split dosing of tirz isn’t working. Consider switching to a full dose every 6 days. When it comes to protecting muscle, Reta offers no advantage over Tirz. The urge to chase the hot IG model rather than stay with the wife you should have kept is too strong. Reta comes with a heavier side effect burden, so the relief you’re after probably won’t materialize.
Click to expand...
 
Clyde22 said:


My goal weight is 190lbs. Hopefully 10-12% bodyfat. See how I look and feel. My strength is nearly the same. No noticable drop in my lift strengths. Very small. Maybe endurance changed a little and I needed longer break between sets when I was losing weight. I lost about 20 lbs in the first 4 months. Almost exactly 5 lbs loss a month. Then gained back about 2lbs and have not budged in weight the past 2 months. So I want to lose 7lbs more. The decrease in GI motility is about the max I am comfortable with, so I can’t up the Tirz. Sounds like you are still losing weight. You said you are not having any side effects? You’re GI has not slowed down? Or is tolerable on 10mg?

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My GI has definitely slowed down, but it's been manageable, and it bothers me less when I keep greasy / fatty foods to a minimum. I'm on KLOW as well and it seems to help my gut, though honestly I'd have been fine without it too.

You're pretty close to your goal weight — almost at the point where I'd be thinking about the transition to maintenance as part of this decision, or soon after it. Adding reta does seem reasonable now, since it sounds like you've plateau'd. There are plenty of posts on here about moving gradually from tirz to reta, or stacking the two. I'd suggest searching here, plus the tirz and reta subs. You could also consider titrating the tirz up very slowly to see whether that breaks the plateau (e.g. go to 4mg 2x weekly, or 3.75mg every 3 days rather than 2x per week) provided the sides don't get worse, and/or add something for gut health to your stack at the same time.

I've not tried it, so no direct experience, but while I was looking into it I heard from a few people here who began by adding a small dose of reta in between tirz doses rather than pinning both on the same day.
 
chewonmysac said:

Your split dosing of tirz isn’t working. Consider switching to a full dose every 6 days. When it comes to protecting muscle, Reta offers no advantage over Tirz. The urge to chase the hot IG model rather than stay with the wife you should have kept is too strong. Reta comes with a heavier side effect burden, so the relief you’re after probably won’t materialize.
Click to expand...

From what I understood, keeping muscle tissue intact was among the key advantages of reta.
 
Clyde22 said:


My goal weight is 190lbs. Hopefully 10-12% bodyfat. See how I look and feel. My strength is nearly the same. No noticable drop in my lift strengths. Very small. Maybe endurance changed a little and I needed longer break between sets when I was losing weight. I lost about 20 lbs in the first 4 months. Almost exactly 5 lbs loss a month. Then gained back about 2lbs and have not budged in weight the past 2 months. So I want to lose 7lbs more. The decrease in GI motility is about the max I am comfortable with, so I can’t up the Tirz. Sounds like you are still losing weight. You said you are not having any side effects? You’re GI has not slowed down? Or is tolerable on 10mg?

Click to expand...
Click to expand...

fatjacked said:

What number are you targeting on the scale, and has your current dose kept the losses coming?

Has your strength on the main lifts slipped at all, enough to make you suspect muscle is going with the fat?

My own run: 35 lb gone on tirz across 5 months, now at 10mg. Side effects have not been a major issue for me. There were a couple of mini-plateaus along the way, and I thought about stacking reta. The response I mostly got, though, was that if tirz is still doing its job and there is room left to titrate up, the sensible move is to keep going as is. That is basically the path I took.

My max bench has come down somewhat after losing this much weight, but nothing drastic, and other lifts have held steady in terms of performance. I figured there is no point stressing over it before reaching my goal weight, given I am nearer the finish line than the start.
Click to expand...

Bird_of_Hermes said:

chewonmysac said:

Your split dosing of tirz isn’t working. Consider switching to a full dose every 6 days. When it comes to protecting muscle, Reta offers no advantage over Tirz. The urge to chase the hot IG model rather than stay with the wife you should have kept is too strong. Reta comes with a heavier side effect burden, so the relief you’re after probably won’t materialize.
Click to expand...

From what I understood, keeping muscle tissue intact was among the key advantages of reta.
Click to expand...

AngieHolmes said:


My plan was similar to yours: Titrate up on reta while titrating down on tirz. It's worked exactly as I'd hoped. I now take 2mg retail weekly, and no tirz -- bc no food noise. I'm open to adding 1 - 2mg tirz as needed. Weight is coming off much faster and I'm about 10 pounds from my first goal (160, down from 205). When I hit that I'll consider maintenance or going lower.

No different to how I felt on tirz. I'm surprised bc I kinda expected food noise on reta alone, but we really can't predict how this stuff will affect us. At this point I'm categorizing the two: Reta for losing, tirz for maintaining. That could change but that's where I'm at for now.

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Appreciate you replying. Curious that food noise isn't an issue for you at all. What was your Tirz dosage? Did Reta bring any side effects? And did you check your resting heart rate both before starting Reta and afterward — was there an increase?
 
Clyde22 said:


Thanks for your response. Interesting to hear you have no food noise. What dose Tirz were you on? Any side effects with the Reta? Did you measure your resting heart rate before Reta and after? Did it go up?

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The first tirz dose I ever took was Zepbound from a pen, 2.5mg. Full-strength food noise stopped for me that same day, and it has stayed quiet even at lower amounts (1.5, then 1.0, then nothing at all since mid-May). Whether reta is what's keeping the food noise down, I honestly can't say. A lot of people report no suppression from it, so in the beginning I ran the two together. Reta I use on a weekly schedule, whereas tirz I used prn, guided by food noise. Anywhere from 5 - 18 days after an injection, it would start creeping back.

That's exactly why I figure I'll be on a GLP1 for life, because once it returns, the out-of-control, panicky feeling is right back too. Whether or not I've "established new habits" makes no difference. For me there's a switch: either I'm compulsive about food, or I'm not. Watching that has been fascinating — how reactive I am, and how nothing about me is "fixed" unless an exogenous peptide is in the picture. Hence the rather big stash I keep; going without this tool isn't something I want.

For a separate condition, I've tracked my HR for a long time. Some days it rises a couple BPM, other days not at all. (HRV isn't something I measure. I probably should!)

Neither drug has given me sides that I've noticed. Very lucky on that front. Digestion/elimination run slow, though that's been true for a long while. If anything else comes to mind, just ask : )
 
AngieHolmes said:

reta! sorry, autocorrect — not "retail" or "retain"
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😂👍🏼

AngieHolmes said:

reta! sorry, autocorrect — not "retail" or "retain"
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AngieHolmes said:


My first dose of tirz was Zepbound in a pen, 2.5mg. That very day was the last time I experienced full-force food noise. It's remained suppressed on a lower dose (1.5, then 1.0, then zero since mid-May). I'm not sure if I'm getting food noise suppression from reta, or? I know many folks don't, which is why I overlapped them at first. I'm taking reta on a weekly schedule, but I took tirz prn based on food noise. It would begin to come back anywhere from 5 - 18 days after a shot.

It's why I expect to need a GLP1 forever, bc when it comes back, I'm right back where I started in terms of feeling out of control and panicky. It doesn't matter that I've "established new habits" or whatever. For me, it's like a switch: I'm either compulsive around food, or I'm not. It's been so interesting to observe that and see how reactive I am, and how I'm not "fixed" at all unless I'm taking an exogenous peptide. Thus my large-ish stash; I don't want to be without this tool.

I've been tracking my HR for a long while for a different issue. Depending on the day, it either goes up a couple BPM or not at all. (I don't measure HRV. Probably should!)

I haven't noticed sides from either drug. I've been very lucky. Digestion/elimination are slow, but that's been the case for a long while. Let me know if you have any other questions : )

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Great to hear it worked that way for you. From what you're saying, heart rate doesn't seem to be a problem on Reta. I'm not tracking HRV myself. There's plenty else I should be working on, lol. Sleep habits, and maybe adding some cardio. I'll try to keep the questions to a minimum. Still, did you find the fat loss came along better on Reta? And how did your energy compare between Reta and Tirz? Nice work on the weight loss!! Sounds like 35lbs came off.
 
fatjacked said:


My GI has definitely slowed down, but it's been manageable and it's less noticeable when I limit greasy / fatty foods. I am also taking KLOW and it has some positive GI effects for me, but honestly I was fine without it too.

You are pretty close to your goal weight, almost to the point where I would think about how you transition to maintenance as part of this decision, or shortly after it. It certainly seems reasonable to think about adding reta at this point, as it does sound like you've plateau'd. There are lots of posts here about gradually transitioning to reta from tirz, or stacking the two together. I would suggest searching here as well as the tirz and reta subs. I think you could also consider titrating up very slowly with the tirz to see if you break your plateau (e.g. go to 4mg 2x weekly, or 3.75mg every 3 days instead of 2x per week) without worsening sides, and/or consider adding something for gut health to your stack at the same time.

I haven't tried it so don't have any direct experience, but when I was looking into it I heard from some people here who started this process by adding a small dose of reta between tirz doses instead of pinning them on the same day.

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Cutting out greasy and fatty foods clearly helps me. Appreciate the ideas.
 
I've been using GLP-1 medications for 2 years. Energy levels dropped whenever I lost more weight in a week, and they improved again during stalls — really frustrating. About 1 year was on Tirz (by the end, over 20mg+ per week), and the second year was on Reta. I moved from Tirz to Reta gradually over a few months. I've been adding Cagri on and off whenever a stall hits. Splitting Tirz doses 2x/week didn't give me any benefits. For me, injecting every 6 days works best, and I space each GLP-1 out by 3 days.
 
Clyde22 said:

Great to hear it worked that way for you. From what you're saying, heart rate doesn't seem to be a problem on Reta. I'm not tracking HRV myself. There's plenty else I should be working on, lol. Sleep habits, and maybe adding some cardio. I'll try to keep the questions to a minimum. Still, did you find the fat loss came along better on Reta? And how did your energy compare between Reta and Tirz? Nice work on the weight loss!! Sounds like 35lbs came off.
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Clyde22 said:

Great to hear it worked that way for you. From what you're saying, heart rate doesn't seem to be a problem on Reta. I'm not tracking HRV myself. There's plenty else I should be working on, lol. Sleep habits, and maybe adding some cardio. I'll try to keep the questions to a minimum. Still, did you find the fat loss came along better on Reta? And how did your energy compare between Reta and Tirz? Nice work on the weight loss!! Sounds like 35lbs came off.
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I measured my HR on several occasions and saw no significant spike, so I've decided it's not something to worry about.

When it comes to fat loss, I honestly can't say what I'm shedding lol. Tirz stopped working for me, then reta got the scale moving again. On both, my energy is LOW, even at small doses. Way lower than I anticipated.

At some point reta will probably stop working too, and whatever I weigh then becomes my new baseline, I guess. If things go well, I'll eat more, feel more energetic, and start getting fit again. I'll get another DEXA at that point to see what my body is made of now. After that, either another round of losing weight or just hold steady.

I figured I'd have more control over this. My plan to keep or build muscle while dropping pounds — the universe is openly mocking it.

Clyde22 said:

Great to hear it worked that way for you. From what you're saying, heart rate doesn't seem to be a problem on Reta. I'm not tracking HRV myself. There's plenty else I should be working on, lol. Sleep habits, and maybe adding some cardio. I'll try to keep the questions to a minimum. Still, did you find the fat loss came along better on Reta? And how did your energy compare between Reta and Tirz? Nice work on the weight loss!! Sounds like 35lbs came off.
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TooBigtoFail said:

I've been using GLP-1 medications for 2 years. Energy levels dropped whenever I lost more weight in a week, and they improved again during stalls — really frustrating. About 1 year was on Tirz (by the end, over 20mg+ per week), and the second year was on Reta. I moved from Tirz to Reta gradually over a few months. I've been adding Cagri on and off whenever a stall hits. Splitting Tirz doses 2x/week didn't give me any benefits. For me, injecting every 6 days works best, and I space each GLP-1 out by 3 days.
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Appreciate you laying that out. I'm in a similar spot — while the weight was coming off, I was wiped out too, and that was with only slightly more than a pound per week dropping. As my energy came back, things got less rough. It tracks that your energy was fine while stalled, since you weren't in a deficit at that point. Your suggestion, as I read it, is to pin every 6 days and space the other glp out by 3 days. Since I can't handle more than 5mg of Tirz in a single go, that's partly why I divide the 7.5 mg dose, though it may not stay that way. I've only been running 7.5mg for 5 weeks now. I did come across people saying they took the Cagri on days separate from the Tirz or Reta. Thanks for the details and for telling me what's been working on your end. Having more choices and more variables to play with is a good thing.
 
Add me to the 7.5mg every six days camp. I would bet on five pounds falling off within a couple of months, maybe sooner.
 
Bird_of_Hermes said:

chewonmysac said:

Your split dosing of tirz isn’t working. Consider switching to a full dose every 6 days. When it comes to protecting muscle, Reta offers no advantage over Tirz. The urge to chase the hot IG model rather than stay with the wife you should have kept is too strong. Reta comes with a heavier side effect burden, so the relief you’re after probably won’t materialize.
Click to expand...

From what I understood, keeping muscle tissue intact was among the key advantages of reta.
Click to expand...
From what I gather, it keeps blood glucose a bit higher, which helps sustain energy through training sessions. In a calorie deficit paired with lifting, that could counteract much of the muscle-wasting side of GLP-driven weight loss. If you keep to the suggested 2lbs/week pace, get enough protein, and train with weights consistently, you can get there without Reta—but Reta might make those workouts a little easier to get through.
 
I ran a body recomp that was pretty much the same. My switch was cold turkey, since the half life of each one gives you a 4-week transition.

Appetite suppression was weaker, but reta appeared to melt the leftover fat more effectively even though my intake went up a bit.

Switching was the right call for me. These days I'm only on maintenance, and dialing that in has been harder than simply blasting reta.
 
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