INTRO: Dropped 60 lbs, then learned it doesn’t need to be this rough

cloratheshadow

cloratheshadow

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Hey everyone! Courtney here — my starting weight was 315+. Since I’m 5’0, that number hit me especially hard. These days I’m hovering around 260 lbs, and about 2 weeks ago I began Tirz. One thing led to another and I fell into a Reddit rabbit hole; the past 7 days have been nonstop peptide research. I’m completely hooked!! Bit by bit I’m picking up the details, and I think I’ve got a lot of the right concepts down.

I’ve got a 10 year old, and I’m employed at a really well-known SoCal gym. Fitness has always been part of my world. Even so, I am SO HUNGRY. I dropped 120 lbs, then put it all back on and then some, simply because I couldn’t control how I ate. It doesn’t matter how hard I train or how hard I try to eat properly — it feels impossible. On top of that, I deal with insulin resistant PCOS and endometriosis. After 2 weeks on Tirz I’m AMAZED and all I want is more. Looking forward to meeting people with similar goals here and digging deeper into what peptides can do for me. Between raising an autistic child, working, and starting school soon, I truly need that extra support to get where I want to be. I’ll be going into nursing, so this fits me perfectly. Can’t wait to share my journey here!!!
 
Hey Courtney!! Honestly, massive props to you. Dropping 120 lbs is a serious accomplishment, and the “SO HUNGRY” struggle… yeah, that one hits home for me as well. It’s easily among the toughest parts of all this.

Currently I’m taking Mounjaro 5mg and the results have been kind of up and down. Fatigue has been hanging around recently, yet all my bloodwork came back completely normal, so I’m just sitting here thinking… alright, what now 😅 Any side effects on your end so far, or has it been smooth sailing?

I also went down that same rabbit hole. Peptides were everywhere on TikTok for me too, but after a while it just felt like one giant ad, and that’s honestly how I ended up finding this forum. Already this community seems much more genuine and useful.

What pushed you toward tirz instead of other options? And do you think you’ll stack anything down the line, or are you just riding it out for now?
 
Hi! I also have PCOS & endo. Great job on the weight loss, that’s amazing! Tirzepatide made a huge difference for hunger and food noise, and it’s really tough to get across to someone who’s never dealt with that. For me, my entire body is finally calm, and it was wild to see how much of my anxiety had been tied to food.
 
SoreTodayStrongTomor said:

Hey Courtney!! Honestly, massive props to you. Dropping 120 lbs is a serious accomplishment, and the “SO HUNGRY” struggle… yeah, that one hits home for me as well. It’s easily among the toughest parts of all this.

Currently I’m taking Mounjaro 5mg and the results have been kind of up and down. Fatigue has been hanging around recently, yet all my bloodwork came back completely normal, so I’m just sitting here thinking… alright, what now 😅 Any side effects on your end so far, or has it been smooth sailing?

I also went down that same rabbit hole. Peptides were everywhere on TikTok for me too, but after a while it just felt like one giant ad, and that’s honestly how I ended up finding this forum. Already this community seems much more genuine and useful.

What pushed you toward tirz instead of other options? And do you think you’ll stack anything down the line, or are you just riding it out for now?
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Luckily the side effects have not hit me too hard!! The main one is fatigue, which is awful. I have been thinking about adding MOT-c to get more energy. Stacking definitely appeals to me!! Once my budget allows, I would like to test the GLOW stack, and tesamorelin also sounds interesting based on what I have read. Another idea I am weighing is pairing my Tirz with a micro dose of Reta, since I have read about Reta benefits that Tirz does not provide, but I also know Tirz works better for food noise, and that is my biggest issue. People warn against stacking GLP-1, yet my dose is fairly low and I intend to keep it there because it is doing the job for me.

This whole world also crossed my path somewhat by chance. At a store I ran into a guy and caught him discussing it. I wound up buying Tirz from him and then landed on Reddit. After finding the Retatrutide subreddit, I thought….how are all these people using something that is not approved? That is when my research started. (If this breaks any rules, I apologize mods, please let me edit if that is possible)

Good to meet you, and thank you for the great question! I need to go show your intro post some love
 
ochoseis said:

Hi! I also have PCOS & endo. Great job on the weight loss, that’s amazing! Tirzepatide made a huge difference for hunger and food noise, and it’s really tough to get across to someone who’s never dealt with that. For me, my entire body is finally calm, and it was wild to see how much of my anxiety had been tied to food.
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Absolutely!!! That's wonderful for you. Having to keep SOMETHING within reach at all times was something I really resented. My own habits and my own mind made me feel like I had no say. These days I can genuinely take the time to map out what I'll eat, and once I'm full, I'm done. What a weight off. It no longer feels like my own head is holding me captive!
 
cloratheshadow said:

ochoseis said:

Hi! I also have PCOS & endo. Great job on the weight loss, that’s amazing! Tirzepatide made a huge difference for hunger and food noise, and it’s really tough to get across to someone who’s never dealt with that. For me, my entire body is finally calm, and it was wild to see how much of my anxiety had been tied to food.
Click to expand...
Absolutely!!! That's wonderful for you. Having to keep SOMETHING within reach at all times was something I really resented. My own habits and my own mind made me feel like I had no say. These days I can genuinely take the time to map out what I'll eat, and once I'm full, I'm done. What a weight off. It no longer feels like my own head is holding me captive!
Click to expand...

This makes me happy for you as well! Honestly, the second I opened my eyes in the morning, my brain was already planning dinner. A craving would hit out of nowhere and I couldn't let it go until I finally caved. Once that switch flipped, I remember thinking, do other people really experience food this way?!

For me, the biggest win was finally being able to turn down stuff I didn't truly "like" lol. Before, I'd eat it simply because it was sitting there or within reach. At my job, people constantly bring in food, and I'd pick at it on autopilot, without any real thought. Yesterday I was right next to an entire box of those upscale, fancy donuts from a nearby shop, and I had absolutely no urge to even peek inside the box 😂
 
ochoseis said:

Hi! I also have PCOS & endo. Great job on the weight loss, that’s amazing! Tirzepatide made a huge difference for hunger and food noise, and it’s really tough to get across to someone who’s never dealt with that. For me, my entire body is finally calm, and it was wild to see how much of my anxiety had been tied to food.
Click to expand...
Wait, you’re from Charlotte? I grew up in Concord, though these days I’m in SoCal.
 
cloratheshadow said:

ochoseis said:

Hi! I also have PCOS & endo. Great job on the weight loss, that’s amazing! Tirzepatide made a huge difference for hunger and food noise, and it’s really tough to get across to someone who’s never dealt with that. For me, my entire body is finally calm, and it was wild to see how much of my anxiety had been tied to food.
Click to expand...
Wait, you’re from Charlotte? I grew up in Concord, though these days I’m in SoCal.
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That’s wild! Small world. I don’t live in Charlotte these days — I just went with the biggest city nearby, haha. I grew up in Mooresville, so Concord was a place I hung around plenty, and I’m heading there this weekend 😂
 
Hey Courtney! Tirz has been part of my routine for roughly 4 months, and around 6 weeks back I began testing how Reta works when stacked with it. The peptide rabbit hole is real — the more you read, the harder it is to stop.

What you’ve achieved is amazing, particularly with work, being a mom, PCOS, endo, and school all on your plate. I’ve got a 12‑year‑old who keeps me moving too, so I understand that never‑stopping feeling. That nonstop hunger was the hardest part for me as well, and Tirz ended up being the first thing that made it go quiet.

You clearly have a ton of motivation, and now you have support that genuinely works with you. Can’t wait to see where your path goes.
 
Hey Courtney, glad you're here. I'm just starting out as well. I'm also the parent of an autistic kid, though mine is grown now. I want to stack something with my reta and I'm still looking into what would work best for me. More energy is something I really need! This is the right spot for you—there's a huge amount of firsthand knowledge here. Way better than any of those supposedly scientific studies.
 
Courtney, welcome aboard, and thanks for letting us in on your story. You've landed somewhere that fits — there are plenty of sources here to point you toward, so keep digging and reading 🙂

One thing I'm wondering about, just out of curiosity: what was that rebound window like? If someone stops the medication and works as hard as they possibly can to watch their calories, do you figure they'd avoid putting the weight back on?
 
Wishing you all the best! I really get the nonstop hunger you’re dealing with... I went through the exact same thing. I’ll finish a whole meal and 5 minutes later I’m starving. It drives me up the wall.
 
Hey Courtney!

Happy you’ve joined us—another PCOS/Lipedema sister right here. Honestly, I believe peptides are the route to take when it comes to women’s health.

In case you haven’t yet, look into having labs run on a regular basis so you can tweak what’s needed. A dr isn’t required for that.

Great job on what you’ve achieved up to now!
 
Glad you’re here on the Tirz journey. Your appetite will go down and the constant thoughts about food will quiet down. About 2 years in for me, and fatigue is still something I deal with, though adding oral B12 has given me a helpful lift.

Either way, there’s a ton of useful stuff to pick up in this space, and I wish you success in reaching what you’re aiming for!
 
H

AcadiaPeptides said:

Hey Courtney! Tirz has been part of my routine for roughly 4 months, and around 6 weeks back I began testing how Reta works when stacked with it. The peptide rabbit hole is real — the more you read, the harder it is to stop.

What you’ve achieved is amazing, particularly with work, being a mom, PCOS, endo, and school all on your plate. I’ve got a 12‑year‑old who keeps me moving too, so I understand that never‑stopping feeling. That nonstop hunger was the hardest part for me as well, and Tirz ended up being the first thing that made it go quiet.

You clearly have a ton of motivation, and now you have support that genuinely works with you. Can’t wait to see where your path goes.
Click to expand...

AcadiaPeptides said:

Hey Courtney! Tirz has been part of my routine for roughly 4 months, and around 6 weeks back I began testing how Reta works when stacked with it. The peptide rabbit hole is real — the more you read, the harder it is to stop.

What you’ve achieved is amazing, particularly with work, being a mom, PCOS, endo, and school all on your plate. I’ve got a 12‑year‑old who keeps me moving too, so I understand that never‑stopping feeling. That nonstop hunger was the hardest part for me as well, and Tirz ended up being the first thing that made it go quiet.

You clearly have a ton of motivation, and now you have support that genuinely works with you. Can’t wait to see where your path goes.
Click to expand...
Appreciate the response! What’s it like combining Tirz and Reta? Mind sharing your doses?
 
sheilarae74 said:

Hey Courtney, glad you're here. I'm just starting out as well. I'm also the parent of an autistic kid, though mine is grown now. I want to stack something with my reta and I'm still looking into what would work best for me. More energy is something I really need! This is the right spot for you—there's a huge amount of firsthand knowledge here. Way better than any of those supposedly scientific studies.
Click to expand...
Moms of autistic kids, let’s gather!!! Our experience is unlike anyone else’s, yet it brings so much fulfillment

Rickcaps said:

Courtney, welcome aboard, and thanks for letting us in on your story. You've landed somewhere that fits — there are plenty of sources here to point you toward, so keep digging and reading 🙂

One thing I'm wondering about, just out of curiosity: what was that rebound window like? If someone stops the medication and works as hard as they possibly can to watch their calories, do you figure they'd avoid putting the weight back on?
Click to expand...
no two people are the same. Because of PCOS with insulin resistance, I intend to keep using some form of GLP-1 for life, but if your hormones are in a good place, I think you can keep the weight off over the long haul! Appreciate you responding!
 
cloratheshadow said:

H

AcadiaPeptides said:

Hey Courtney! Tirz has been part of my routine for roughly 4 months, and around 6 weeks back I began testing how Reta works when stacked with it. The peptide rabbit hole is real — the more you read, the harder it is to stop.

What you’ve achieved is amazing, particularly with work, being a mom, PCOS, endo, and school all on your plate. I’ve got a 12‑year‑old who keeps me moving too, so I understand that never‑stopping feeling. That nonstop hunger was the hardest part for me as well, and Tirz ended up being the first thing that made it go quiet.

You clearly have a ton of motivation, and now you have support that genuinely works with you. Can’t wait to see where your path goes.
Click to expand...

AcadiaPeptides said:

Hey Courtney! Tirz has been part of my routine for roughly 4 months, and around 6 weeks back I began testing how Reta works when stacked with it. The peptide rabbit hole is real — the more you read, the harder it is to stop.

What you’ve achieved is amazing, particularly with work, being a mom, PCOS, endo, and school all on your plate. I’ve got a 12‑year‑old who keeps me moving too, so I understand that never‑stopping feeling. That nonstop hunger was the hardest part for me as well, and Tirz ended up being the first thing that made it go quiet.

You clearly have a ton of motivation, and now you have support that genuinely works with you. Can’t wait to see where your path goes.
Click to expand...
Appreciate the response! What’s it like combining Tirz and Reta? Mind sharing your doses?
Click to expand...
For the past 4 months I have been using Tirzepatide, moving the dose up at a slower pace than the usual protocol and going to split doses at an early stage. In total, I worked my way up to 6 mg each week.

Retatrutide was brought in last month, dosed at 0.5 mg two times per week. Because I wanted fewer shots, I reworked the schedule in my Shotsy app so that Tirzepatide would be taken 1 time per week and Retatrutide 1 time per week, all while making sure the highs and lows continued to alternate and stay fairly steady. Since the Shotsy app shows each drug hitting its peak at a different point, separating them seemed logical.

To put it briefly, at this moment I use 6 mg of Tirzepatide plus 1 mg of Retatrutide weekly, and there are several days in between the injections.
 
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