INTRO Flying Pigs and Horses - an Introduction

[When_Pigs_Fly]

Hello everyone. My goal is to reach a point where my weight no longer controls my life. I focus on the process rather than the finish line, since I'm not certain I'd ever get there.

Weight has been a battle for as long as I can remember. I'm 65 now (yes, saying that out loud is rough!). More than 100 pounds have come off. I've done my best not to let the number on the scale rule my thoughts. I won't pretend I've managed that. Every method of losing weight out there? I've been through it - bariatric surgery, every kind of oral weight loss drug, each diet and fast you could think of.

About 2 1/2 years back, I began Trz. My doctor refused to refill my Qsymia prescription, and in that desperate moment, while worrying about how I'd even keep my weight steady without Qsymia, I came across the newer weightloss glp1's. It worked really well for me, but during the past 6 months, it has "stopped working." My appetite clearly went up, and roughly 15 pounds came on. For at least 18 months I've been at 15 mg of Trz. I attempted to lower it, but the weight returned almost right away, so back up the dose went.

While looking into stacking glp1's, Cagr, and similar things, I came across this wonderful forum.

I'm in the US (FL). Now retired from law, I previously earned degrees as BSN, MBA and JD. Between my partner and me, we have 4 kids. Triplets plus another one. All are adults now, living their own lives.

I stay fairly active. Horseback riding takes up about 4-5 days of my week.

If I can be a resource, I'm glad to help. My reason for being here is to learn whatever I can about stacking. Finding this group has made me really happy.

Thanks for having me.

 

[FarmgirlRebel]

Hello and welcome...I'm a rider as well at 61, and it's a wonderful way to pass the time.

Once I dropped some weight, I managed to start riding again...medical problems caused me to put on weight, and Tirz is helping me shed it.

I'm aware plenty of folks stack Cagri...but I haven't tried it personally, not so far anyway, since I've stayed at 5mg and for now it still appears to control my appetite well...though I've considered stacking it, instead of moving up on Tirz when that moment arrives.

 

[When_Pigs_Fly]

Appreciate you replying. I’m stuck on whether to add Cagr or Reta on top, or simply move to Reta by itself - and then bring in tirz whenever hunger shows up. This week I skipped my tirz, giving me room to sort out what comes next.

 

[Native Zebra]

Keep a close watch on the calories you consume. Dropping under some threshold — and that threshold varies from person to person — may bring your progress to a halt, because the body can shift into adaptive thermogenesis: a state where metabolism downshifts to hold onto energy once intake is seen as too low.

Are there any autoimmune conditions in the picture that are making things more complicated for you?

Good Luck!

 

[sixgallery]

I've come for much the same reasons. Currently I'm on 12mg of Tirz and hoping to get some relief from appetite and cravings. After doing a lot of reading, my current thinking is to add Cagri alongside the Tirz, in hopes of stretching more benefit out of the Tirz and holding off on a switch to Reta until a later point.

 

[Figis1badcat]

When_Pigs_Fly said:

Appreciate you replying. I’m stuck on whether to add Cagr or Reta on top, or simply move to Reta by itself - and then bring in tirz whenever hunger shows up. This week I skipped my tirz, giving me room to sort out what comes next.

Hello

I’m considering that identical combination as well. Similarly in my mid 60s. Getting older is a real pain in the a$$. Still, it beats the alternative

 

[dirtyharry]

When_Pigs_Fly said:

Appreciate you replying. I’m stuck on whether to add Cagr or Reta on top, or simply move to Reta by itself - and then bring in tirz whenever hunger shows up. This week I skipped my tirz, giving me room to sort out what comes next.

Glad you're here!

Yeah, the weight-loss struggle is real, haha. Over the past 10 years I went through plenty of different approaches too, and the one that finally worked for me was tracking calories. I kept up a deficit of about 700 calories for 1 year. These days I'm looking to refine my physique, so I figured I'd give Reta a shot. So far the results have been absolutely amazing.

Running Reta on its own before adding anything else really does seem like the smart move, just so you can gauge your response to it — but you're headed in the right direction!

 

[When_Pigs_Fly]

dirtyharry said:

When_Pigs_Fly said:

Appreciate you replying. I’m stuck on whether to add Cagr or Reta on top, or simply move to Reta by itself - and then bring in tirz whenever hunger shows up. This week I skipped my tirz, giving me room to sort out what comes next.

Glad you're here!

Yeah, the weight-loss struggle is real, haha. Over the past 10 years I went through plenty of different approaches too, and the one that finally worked for me was tracking calories. I kept up a deficit of about 700 calories for 1 year. These days I'm looking to refine my physique, so I figured I'd give Reta a shot. So far the results have been absolutely amazing.

Running Reta on its own before adding anything else really does seem like the smart move, just so you can gauge your response to it — but you're headed in the right direction!

I really appreciate you getting back to me! It's been 15 days since I stopped Tirz. My weight hasn't gone up, which honestly surprised me, but my appetite has come back a lot stronger than it was while I was on tirz. How long should I stay off Tirz before I begin Reta? My guess is that 2 weeks could do it, but…I'd love to hear what you suggest.

 

[Rock Solid1]

Native Zebra said:

Keep a close watch on the calories you consume. Dropping under some threshold — and that threshold varies from person to person — may bring your progress to a halt, because the body can shift into adaptive thermogenesis: a state where metabolism downshifts to hold onto energy once intake is seen as too low.

Are there any autoimmune conditions in the picture that are making things more complicated for you?

Good Luck!

That's useful to hear! Do you have any idea where that cutoff might fall? My progress has flatlined, and I'm trying to work out whether my intake is simply too low overall or whether the answer is to tough it out and continue grinding. I take in roughly 1200 cal daily, and I've gone from 168 down to 153lbs across the last two months. The drop was a consistent 1-2lbs each week right up until these past 2 weeks

 

[Native Zebra]

Figuring out how many calories you need each day to stay at your current weight starts with your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Take that number and multiply it by your Physical Activity Level (PAL), and you get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). People usually call this working out your maintenance calories.

You do want a calorie deficit, but keep it moderate. Push it too far and your body will stall you out.

Online calculators exist for exactly this, and as I mentioned earlier, no two people are the same. I could drop a link or 2, but the Karens around here are so F-ing ridiculous that I'd likely end up banned???

 

[BallingOnABudget]

Rock Solid1 said:

Native Zebra said:

Keep a close watch on the calories you consume. Dropping under some threshold — and that threshold varies from person to person — may bring your progress to a halt, because the body can shift into adaptive thermogenesis: a state where metabolism downshifts to hold onto energy once intake is seen as too low.

Are there any autoimmune conditions in the picture that are making things more complicated for you?

Good Luck!

That's useful to hear! Do you have any idea where that cutoff might fall? My progress has flatlined, and I'm trying to work out whether my intake is simply too low overall or whether the answer is to tough it out and continue grinding. I take in roughly 1200 cal daily, and I've gone from 168 down to 153lbs across the last two months. The drop was a consistent 1-2lbs each week right up until these past 2 weeks

ChatGPT is capable of guiding you toward your TDEE. A handful of approaches exist, though Mifflin St Jeor tends to be the one people use most. After your TDEE is established, aiming for a 500-700 calorie deficit works well. Staying in a restrictive state indefinitely isn't wise either — it helps to cycle in periods of caloric maintenance. Losing 1-2lbs weekly is a solid pace.

One more thing: your TDEE drops as pounds come off. Since GLP-driven weight loss takes muscle with it, lifting weights and getting enough protein matter. ChatGPT can assist with figuring out your macronutrient targets (protein/fat/carbs) as well. Protein preserves muscle, fat supports hormone function, and carbs fuel energy. You're free to shift your macros toward low carb if that suits you.

Should you rely on a fitness tracker (Fitbit, Apple Watch, etc), understand that its figures aren't very precise. Typically they report a higher calorie burn than your body truly achieves. Certain devices may be inaccurate by 25%.

I realize this is quite a bit . Don't hesitate to ask if anything comes up.