Howdy from Texas

[Cmoney]

Nothing fun ever kicked off with a salad. ~ Me

Fresh face here—yeah, I know, Captain Obvious stuff… but the how and the why?

Spoiler: the trail that brought me to this spot actually starts back in 2002, and as you'll find out, a salad had nothing to do with it. I was in college for Chemistry—mostly because every pre-med hopeful chasing a first-year draft slot was piled into Biology, and I figured standing apart was smarter. Plus, a fallback plan felt wise in case I ever needed to break bad. J/K. Anyway, I was young and dumb, and I turned into an incubator for a little bun I adore, though that bun took my physique down with it, the way buns do. Two things hit at once. I got fat, and the medschool dream of becoming Dr. Cmoney flatlined in utero the moment that bun was conceived. I ran through everything. Crash and fad diets, personal trainers, meal replacement shakes—then I landed a doctor handing out phentermine like Costco samples… and half my pregnancy weight came off. Yay me! Then bun #2 showed up. Fat again, plus extra, with bun #2. Back to that doctor, dropped most of it once more. And boom. Bun #3. -_- Tubal ligation locked in immediately because what in the actual fffffffff?!? These days my buns are 22, 19, 16. So for 6 years I was either fat or pregnant and never shed it.. cycled through all those lovely RX stimulants but could never get back under the healthy BMI line.. But quitting isn't my thing. A couple years back, influencers kept hyping Semi. Except they're only dropping 10-15 lbs. I had over a hundred to lose just to match where they started… so I figured the shots were fugazi and never dug into it. Then Jan 2025 I found a new stimulant-pushing doc, but she offered free office visits if I gave the shots a try, plus the stimulants I wanted. So whatever. I did it. It shut her up. I didn't expect much from it. Fast forward to 3 days shy of a year on Triz, and I'm sitting here typing this in a size small, 84lbs down, and stupidly proud of myself. SW: 238 CW: 154 GW: 125

Still, the past month or so I've been stuck. Granted, I haven't really bothered with better eating, protein priority, or workouts. So now I'm skinny fat.. and stalling at skinny fat, sucks!! I did run labs. Healthy as a skinny fat horse could be.. but tired, with compound vitamin deficiency, muscle loss, you know the story. My plan was to reach 135-140, then dial back the Triz and really commit to protein, lifting, cardio to close out strong at 125. But then my doc brought up Ret. Claimed it burns fat at resting and hands me energy. Winning! Then she shoved a PT blend at me and a Testosterone shot. She couldn't answer my questions and tried to bill me for the appt, the PT blend, pushed a new pill, and couldn't answer transitional tirate dosage questions. Side note, since I once wanted to be a doctor, I shadowed them for several months.. and I get that they're chasing revenue too.. well, after a year I was near 8k deep with them, they knew I was close to goal, got greedy, and I walked out.. I casually chatted with a guy friend/gymbro and he instantly knew abt Ret. And sourced me some from his gymbro friend. Perfect! So far… tried it. And omg I'm so freaking hungry. I miss the nausea and food repulsion but this is the miracle drug?!? So I accidentally tumbled into the peptide rabbit hole. Gymbro won't sign off on me at 125 so he wouldn't reveal the mg for my premed Brain to work out my dosing against the gymbros. He also didn't factor in that the course for glp-ppl transition is different. But after BA Chemistry wrapped, I went on to collect my MBA. So I'm no dummy. I might've fallen off a turnip truck, but it certainly wasn't yesterday and I'm an experienced GLP consumer. So I measured the reconstituted liquid, found some US based clandestine sellers online to pin down price points, and calculated worst case and best case scenarios to safely tirate with no MG info. All of that is fine.. Found the honey holes, found the labs, learned plenty about complementary stacking etc. So at this point I'm well versed but hope to learn more from here and aggressively/safely reach my goal by being safe and knowledgeable in the grey area. who knows maybe even one day help other noobies in return. I'll make some progress pics available publicly and attach the links as I do them. But for now this is my intro story from start to present. Thanks for letting me join and reading! -Cmoney

 

[Dos-Dox]

That was the most solid introduction I've come across in quite some time! Glad to have you here in the forum!

 

[Cmoney]

Dos-Dox said:

That was the most solid introduction I've come across in quite some time! Glad to have you here in the forum!

Appreciate it! My goal was for it to come across as real and give a helpful snapshot of where I'm at on this path.

 

[Kddid]

Great intro. Your frankness and taking responsibility for yourself really stand out. Nice work on what you've achieved up to now, and glad to have you here!

 

[Jellybelly54]

Welcome from another Texan (UNT premed 1995)! I also was premed. After graduating, I spent 5 years working as a maintenance man, then made one final attempt at med school and boom, success. I've now been a doctor for 23 years. Even so, this forum has taught me more about weight loss than med school did! You sound like you'd be an excellent patient given your intelligence and interest. I actually enjoy it when my patients know more than I do. I invite them to teach me and to partner with me on their care, and that approach works best for both of us. I am surprised, though, that a provider recommended Reta, since it's an experimental pep? You seem to have a good provider? 95% of docs don't know what that is! Well, keep up the good work! Hang in there!

 

[Cmoney]

Jellybelly54 said:

Welcome from another Texan (UNT premed 1995)! I also was premed. After graduating, I spent 5 years working as a maintenance man, then made one final attempt at med school and boom, success. I've now been a doctor for 23 years. Even so, this forum has taught me more about weight loss than med school did! You sound like you'd be an excellent patient given your intelligence and interest. I actually enjoy it when my patients know more than I do. I invite them to teach me and to partner with me on their care, and that approach works best for both of us. I am surprised, though, that a provider recommended Reta, since it's an experimental pep? You seem to have a good provider? 95% of docs don't know what that is! Well, keep up the good work! Hang in there!

I had been arriving at that same conclusion… To be precise, the place is a "Wellness Spa," and the person is a PNP rather than an actual MD, so that’s worth noting. On top of that, the peptide combo being promoted wasn’t potent enough, wasn’t mixed right, and was put together in the wrong order (naturally, I had no clue at the time), and I can’t find any supporting evidence for her rationale in wanting to begin T. Anyway, it leaves me a little puzzled BECAUSE EliLily hasn’t revealed the Seq. So it isn’t EL RET. At best it’s an Educated guess RET. And… since I’m up on my soapbox… over here we have MD Powered by Chat GBT, and they ought to have included the glucagon agonist with Triz.. because the disappearance of food noise has set me back 5lbs and I’m about ready to give up and stack. So, what’s your practice?

 

[Jellybelly54]

Yeah, I don't get why the glucagon component gets added, unless the point is that hunger comes back—which some people see as a plus and others as a minus. During the day I work in emergency medicine; at night I do weight loss, BHRT, and functional medicine. In my honest opinion, the widespread drive to put women on TRT goes too far, and that's because pellet providers stand to earn a substantial amount of money. Doing 1 pump of gel weekly is far simpler than undergoing a minor surgical procedure every 3 months, yet plenty of women are devoted to their pellets! You can track your hormones yourself with a salivary panel ordered through Walkinlab or Amazon. Excess T can steer your pathways in the wrong direction, leaving you with low estrogen, high T, more facial hair, and numerous other side effects. No two women are alike. A lot of these wellness clinics rely on cookie cutter medicine. That's not how it works!

 

[Dos-Dox]

Jellybelly54 said:

Yeah, I don't get why the glucagon component gets added, unless the point is that hunger comes back—which some people see as a plus and others as a minus. During the day I work in emergency medicine; at night I do weight loss, BHRT, and functional medicine. In my honest opinion, the widespread drive to put women on TRT goes too far, and that's because pellet providers stand to earn a substantial amount of money. Doing 1 pump of gel weekly is far simpler than undergoing a minor surgical procedure every 3 months, yet plenty of women are devoted to their pellets! You can track your hormones yourself with a salivary panel ordered through Walkinlab or Amazon. Excess T can steer your pathways in the wrong direction, leaving you with low estrogen, high T, more facial hair, and numerous other side effects. No two women are alike. A lot of these wellness clinics rely on cookie cutter medicine. That's not how it works!

Several people in my family ended up on pellets only because their primary care doctors stopped writing HRT prescriptions, and they weren't about to spend the remainder of their lives putting up with menopausal symptoms. One of them, in fact, was told as recently as last year — she was 45 then, and had a total hysterectomy back in her early 30s — that HRT should only be used for 3-5 years, so she had to quit. Since the black box label came off a couple of months back, the overall tone feels like it has shifted a lot, yet I keep wondering whether the majority of those ladies truly do adore their pellets, or whether they simply saw no alternative. The relatives I have in mind definitely don't adore it. The procedure and the soreness aren't things they enjoy. Nor do they like being "stuck" with a dose that may be suboptimal while it gets adjusted across multiple procedures. No doubt some genuinely do adore it. I'm just curious how many actually don't, and keep going only because their healthcare providers sent them away.

 

[Jellybelly54]

Dos-Dox said:

Jellybelly54 said:

Yeah, I don't get why the glucagon component gets added, unless the point is that hunger comes back—which some people see as a plus and others as a minus. During the day I work in emergency medicine; at night I do weight loss, BHRT, and functional medicine. In my honest opinion, the widespread drive to put women on TRT goes too far, and that's because pellet providers stand to earn a substantial amount of money. Doing 1 pump of gel weekly is far simpler than undergoing a minor surgical procedure every 3 months, yet plenty of women are devoted to their pellets! You can track your hormones yourself with a salivary panel ordered through Walkinlab or Amazon. Excess T can steer your pathways in the wrong direction, leaving you with low estrogen, high T, more facial hair, and numerous other side effects. No two women are alike. A lot of these wellness clinics rely on cookie cutter medicine. That's not how it works!

Several people in my family ended up on pellets only because their primary care doctors stopped writing HRT prescriptions, and they weren't about to spend the remainder of their lives putting up with menopausal symptoms. One of them, in fact, was told as recently as last year — she was 45 then, and had a total hysterectomy back in her early 30s — that HRT should only be used for 3-5 years, so she had to quit. Since the black box label came off a couple of months back, the overall tone feels like it has shifted a lot, yet I keep wondering whether the majority of those ladies truly do adore their pellets, or whether they simply saw no alternative. The relatives I have in mind definitely don't adore it. The procedure and the soreness aren't things they enjoy. Nor do they like being "stuck" with a dose that may be suboptimal while it gets adjusted across multiple procedures. No doubt some genuinely do adore it. I'm just curious how many actually don't, and keep going only because their healthcare providers sent them away.

Those are solid observations, and I'd say you're likely correct. When it comes to TRT and BHRT, plenty of healthcare providers simply don't know enough. My advice to anyone is this: locate a competent provider somewhere within the lower 48, and if that means buying plane tickets, so be it—it's worth every penny. Creams couldn't be simpler, and injections are equally manageable, particularly for those of us already poking ourselves with peptides. Let women have their hormones and let them be in charge of them! Routine testing should be required, with adjustments made whenever necessary. Honestly, if you put in enough effort, you can track down practically any oil you're after in CN and run your own trials. Gym bros have been doing exactly that for years… only a handful have ended up in jail!

 

[Cmoney]

Jellybelly54 said:

Yeah, I don't get why the glucagon component gets added, unless the point is that hunger comes back—which some people see as a plus and others as a minus. During the day I work in emergency medicine; at night I do weight loss, BHRT, and functional medicine. In my honest opinion, the widespread drive to put women on TRT goes too far, and that's because pellet providers stand to earn a substantial amount of money. Doing 1 pump of gel weekly is far simpler than undergoing a minor surgical procedure every 3 months, yet plenty of women are devoted to their pellets! You can track your hormones yourself with a salivary panel ordered through Walkinlab or Amazon. Excess T can steer your pathways in the wrong direction, leaving you with low estrogen, high T, more facial hair, and numerous other side effects. No two women are alike. A lot of these wellness clinics rely on cookie cutter medicine. That's not how it works!

Trying things out and seeing what sticks—that’s just how it goes. Pellets aren’t something I’ve dealt with. Injections are my preference. To me, they seem to do the job better. Still, I’d really like to hear about that side practice of yours. Let’s link up and talk sometime when you aren’t busy rescuing people and all that.

 

[TBcodered]

@Jellybelly54 Could the glucagon agonist be included to help mobilize FA out of the liver, given how common NASH/MASH is in the US? I haven't taken reta personally, but with the glucagon agonist added, have you noticed appetite suppression dropping off? What draws me to it is using it to gradually move myself from 21% BF to roughly 15-16%. That low would be a first for me.

 

[c137junk]

Hello from Texas too! I lose weight at a SLOW pace — Tirz for nearly 2 years to drop 100lbs.

Even at 15mg every 5 days, I was maxed out and nothing happened.

So I began reducing T and introducing Reta.

Currently I take 11mg T every 6 days plus 4mg R every 7 days, and the scale has finally begun creeping down again. I went very gradually when lowering T and raising R. Getting to this combo took roughly 9 months, I think. My reasoning is that as long as the total stays at or under 15mg, I'll be fine.

I still have around 20lbs left before reaching goal weight.

I plan to continue slowly increasing Reta and decreasing Tirz, since it truly took 1 or 2 months before the scale started moving again. But I realize I can't quit T entirely, because it actually eliminated my anxiety.

 

[Jellybelly54]

There’s no reason to quit, my friend, as long as it’s working! You wouldn’t ditch insulin if your body required it! At last, we’re understanding that a great deal of weight gain may really be a GLP 1 deficiency. Restoring a suitable quantity of natural peptide to the body is producing incredible outcomes for people. Keep it up. It’s so neat that both peptides are bringing you results.

 

[Cmoney]

c137junk said:

Hello from Texas too! I lose weight at a SLOW pace — Tirz for nearly 2 years to drop 100lbs.

Even at 15mg every 5 days, I was maxed out and nothing happened.

So I began reducing T and introducing Reta.

Currently I take 11mg T every 6 days plus 4mg R every 7 days, and the scale has finally begun creeping down again. I went very gradually when lowering T and raising R. Getting to this combo took roughly 9 months, I think. My reasoning is that as long as the total stays at or under 15mg, I'll be fine.

I still have around 20lbs left before reaching goal weight.

I plan to continue slowly increasing Reta and decreasing Tirz, since it truly took 1 or 2 months before the scale started moving again. But I realize I can't quit T entirely, because it actually eliminated my anxiety.

fantastic! Glad to hear we're on the same wavelength!

 

[Celestar62]

Greetings from Central Texas—Austin, to be precise. Over the last 12 months, Tirz has helped me drop 70lb, and I've got 30 more to go as of today. Not long ago I placed an order for Ret from China (Jeep), and I'm waiting on that delivery so I can make the switch. The shift in mindset that comes with managing my own health instead of depending on doctors and insurance is incredible! Wishing everyone the best!

 

[Cmoney]

K

Celestar62 said:

Greetings from Central Texas—Austin, to be precise. Over the last 12 months, Tirz has helped me drop 70lb, and I've got 30 more to go as of today. Not long ago I placed an order for Ret from China (Jeep), and I'm waiting on that delivery so I can make the switch. The shift in mindset that comes with managing my own health instead of depending on doctors and insurance is incredible! Wishing everyone the best!

Let me know how it goes! About Jeep and how you're doing, twin!

 

[Jellybelly54]

Celestar62 said:

Greetings from Central Texas—Austin, to be precise. Over the last 12 months, Tirz has helped me drop 70lb, and I've got 30 more to go as of today. Not long ago I placed an order for Ret from China (Jeep), and I'm waiting on that delivery so I can make the switch. The shift in mindset that comes with managing my own health instead of depending on doctors and insurance is incredible! Wishing everyone the best!

Just you wait until you begin trying out a few of those additional peptides they have listed! Welcome aboard

 

[Celestar62]

Jellybelly54 said:

Celestar62 said:

Greetings from Central Texas—Austin, to be precise. Over the last 12 months, Tirz has helped me drop 70lb, and I've got 30 more to go as of today. Not long ago I placed an order for Ret from China (Jeep), and I'm waiting on that delivery so I can make the switch. The shift in mindset that comes with managing my own health instead of depending on doctors and insurance is incredible! Wishing everyone the best!

Just you wait until you begin trying out a few of those additional peptides they have listed! Welcome aboard

Truth be told, I've done more than a little of that! Nad+, 5-Amino, Mot-C, KLOW, Tesa/Ipa, DSIP. The amusing part is that shots were something I've always despised... These days I'm injecting myself 2 times a day! If you'd told me that 1 year ago, I'd have called it impossible. I hit 63 just this Nov., and my energy is better than it's been in ages. My wife has picked up on it too.

 

[reta-stacker]

Celestar62 said:

Jellybelly54 said:

Celestar62 said:

Greetings from Central Texas—Austin, to be precise. Over the last 12 months, Tirz has helped me drop 70lb, and I've got 30 more to go as of today. Not long ago I placed an order for Ret from China (Jeep), and I'm waiting on that delivery so I can make the switch. The shift in mindset that comes with managing my own health instead of depending on doctors and insurance is incredible! Wishing everyone the best!

Just you wait until you begin trying out a few of those additional peptides they have listed! Welcome aboard

Truth be told, I've done more than a little of that! Nad+, 5-Amino, Mot-C, KLOW, Tesa/Ipa, DSIP. The amusing part is that shots were something I've always despised... These days I'm injecting myself 2 times a day! If you'd told me that 1 year ago, I'd have called it impossible. I hit 63 just this Nov., and my energy is better than it's been in ages. My wife has picked up on it too.

You've got nothing on me... I'm 76 and only got going this March. I've shed 40 lbs - though I brought in Tesa plus a few other things over that stretch. Resistance training happens 4 or 5 days each week, and honestly, looking in the mirror has become something I actually like for the first time in ages.