INTRO 5’5, 170 — years of training but appetite keeps winning. Considering GLP-1s

[shinogi0922]

Hey all,

After going through quite a few posts on here, I decided to just make my own and ask for some straightforward feedback.

Currently I’m 5’5” and roughly 170 lbs, with a goal of getting to about 150. I’ve been training regularly since high school — both cardio and lifting — so this isn’t new territory for me. Over that time my weight has gone back and forth between 140-190. I graduated a few years back, so honestly I feel like I don’t have a solid grasp on what I SHOULD be doing.

Something that complicates things for me is fibular hemimelia along with really bad arthritis, which means I’ve had to change my training approach over the years to work around the imbalance between my weight and anatomy. I’m still active, but simply pushing harder or adding volume isn’t always an option.

Honestly, the main problem is appetite. I can stick with things for a stretch, but it constantly feels like an uphill fight. At this point it doesn’t seem like a matter of not knowing enough — it’s more that I can’t seem to keep it under control over the long haul.

Over the years I’ve already tried quite a bit. I’ve done calorie tracking, experimented with various diets, taken weight loss pills that never gave me anything lasting, and at one point I was prescribed Adderall, which did kill my appetite, but I don’t want to depend on that.

More recently I’ve started researching GLP-1 options, particularly retatrutide, because it appears to act on several pathways. Insurance hasn’t approved anything for me, so I’m just gathering information before I commit to anything.

What I’m really after is how the people here see it once you look past the hype, how it functions at a deeper biological level, what a realistic outlook actually is, and which risks genuinely deserve my attention.

Right now I’m just trying to work out whether this could help me bring my appetite under control so it matches the effort I’m already putting in.

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[soapysnake]

From my own journey, I've realized that you simply can't out-exercise a poor diet. Sadly, what you eat matters more than how you train when it comes to body weight and composition. Currently I'm using about 3mg of reta each week and I'm really happy with it. For reference, I'm a 6'1 male whose highest weight was 235. I got down to 178 without any substances. My training was intense, but my nutrition was on point. I tracked every macro and stuck to them strictly. My split was 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fats.

While on reta, I continue to train hard and aim for 200 grams of protein, but tracking is no longer necessary. This time I began at 209 and have now reached 188 on the scale. The mental chatter about food simply fades. I have a real weakness for sweets. Every night before bed, I feel like I need a little treat. Typically it's sourdough bread with butter and jam plus milk, or a small bowl of cereal. I used to always fit that into my macros. On reta, I notice I want to want those things because the actual desire is gone. You get full faster and the nonstop food thoughts that used to be there have vanished.

That said, there are some drawbacks. I sort of feel the same way about everything I used to enjoy. My libido has dropped and my motivation to do things I like isn't as strong. I'm not sure if everyone experiences this, but it's definitely been my experience.

If appetite control is your goal, both reta and tirz are excellent choices. I will say I drop weight much faster when I eat clean, hit my step goal, and work out. I try not to increase my dose if the reta is still working. I know people who force themselves to eat a lot and skip exercise, and it doesn't work as well for them. Given your situation, even LISS cardio and bodyweight exercises would be very effective.

 

[shinogi0922]

Reta and I are 3 weeks in now. The first 2 of those were at 1mg, and this week I moved up to 2mg. A fuller write-up is coming before long.

 

[Fusoya]

I'm roughly on the same schedule as you (injection #4 is this Monday), and my reasoning matched yours.

Running is my thing — 50+ miles most weeks — yet what I eat has been a disaster. That's been true since childhood. No matter the volume or type of food, satisfaction never comes.

Currently at 2mg weekly, and overall it's been a positive experience. My RHR has crept up, though from what I gather that tends to happen when you start off relatively fit. Another change: eating brings me far less pleasure than before. On the flip side, I no longer endure the self loathing that followed a binge, so I suppose that balances out.

Wishing you the best.

 

[shinogi0922]

An update from my Reta experience:

I began in April, and my weight has gone from 175 down to 145 — roughly 30 lbs over four months. I should note that during this same period I’ve also taken 10 mg XR dextroamphetamine for a chronic attention deficit disorder. Temporary appetite suppression is a common side effect of that medication.

Over this time, I moved up from .5 mgs of reta twice weekly to 1.5 mgs twice weekly as I got used to the side effects, which hit me very hard in the beginning.

Basically no appetite existed for me during the day. I reached a point where eating had to be a conscious reminder, since food no longer felt like something I needed for pleasure. That said, the path toward acute malnutrition from undereating came fast and short. Coworkers were the first to say something. My movements slowed, I appeared frail and almost sickly, and dark circles formed under my eyes.

My energy shifted dramatically. Even with clear weight loss, my limbs and body felt heavier. After only moderate activity, my heart would pound. This stood out because I do cardio regularly each week. My workouts, unsurprisingly, are worse than they used to be. Rather than feeling rewarded, I finish them extremely drained and need more time to recover.

My heart rate is much higher now, and some days caffeine brings on painful heart palpitations, whether I’m resting or not.

In the days following an injection, my acne gets a bit worse. Overall, my skin has become far more sensitive.

These are simply things I’ve observed. I haven’t had any general bloodwork yet. Since I’ve become more deliberate about my diet and make sure I eat enough to sustain myself, the past month has felt much better. My workouts have gotten better, and brain fog happens less often.

No matter what your goals are, eating a balanced diet is an essential part of well-being.

 

[sickocool]

shinogi0922 said:

Hey all,

After going through quite a few posts on here, I decided to just make my own and ask for some straightforward feedback.

Currently I’m 5’5” and roughly 170 lbs, with a goal of getting to about 150. I’ve been training regularly since high school — both cardio and lifting — so this isn’t new territory for me. Over that time my weight has gone back and forth between 140-190. I graduated a few years back, so honestly I feel like I don’t have a solid grasp on what I SHOULD be doing.

Something that complicates things for me is fibular hemimelia along with really bad arthritis, which means I’ve had to change my training approach over the years to work around the imbalance between my weight and anatomy. I’m still active, but simply pushing harder or adding volume isn’t always an option.

Honestly, the main problem is appetite. I can stick with things for a stretch, but it constantly feels like an uphill fight. At this point it doesn’t seem like a matter of not knowing enough — it’s more that I can’t seem to keep it under control over the long haul.

Over the years I’ve already tried quite a bit. I’ve done calorie tracking, experimented with various diets, taken weight loss pills that never gave me anything lasting, and at one point I was prescribed Adderall, which did kill my appetite, but I don’t want to depend on that.

More recently I’ve started researching GLP-1 options, particularly retatrutide, because it appears to act on several pathways. Insurance hasn’t approved anything for me, so I’m just gathering information before I commit to anything.

What I’m really after is how the people here see it once you look past the hype, how it functions at a deeper biological level, what a realistic outlook actually is, and which risks genuinely deserve my attention.

Right now I’m just trying to work out whether this could help me bring my appetite under control so it matches the effort I’m already putting in.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Reta works extremely well for cutting hunger, and across the board people drop a lot of weight with it

 

[Just A Cat]

What matters at this point is not putting the weight back on.

Get your diet in order. Everything you listed as a goal has to rest on nutrition first. Tracking and logging what you eat, plus having an AI look over your nutrition and suggest ways to make your diet better, is nothing to shy away from.