LightingGuy
Explorer
Hey everyone! For a little over a month, I've been researching peptides — mostly by going through studies, reading accounts from other people, and falling down various internet rabbit holes. Posting on forums isn't something I normally do, but this community seems like a great place to interact with while I begin (and keep going with) my peptide journey.
A bit about me: 44 M, based in San Francisco, CA. I weigh 210lbs right now and stand 5'-5". For most of my life I've carried extra weight, along with high blood pressure and high cholesterol (HBP and cholesterol run in the family, and I take medications for both). My doctors have always put me in the pre-diabetic category because of my weight. In my mid-30's I went through a big fitness phase and managed to get down to a weight where I felt genuinely empowered (160lbs at my lowest). Back then I also lifted a lot, built a lot of muscle, and was overall extremely happy with my body and the progress I'd made. I even managed to come off blood pressure and cholesterol meds (with oversight by my doctor).
Not long after that period, I moved away to start a grad school program. Leaving behind a gym where I felt a real sense of community, plus the pandemic hitting a year and a half later, really threw me off and set things up for me to fall off the fitness wagon. Through grad school I kept eating very mindfully and went to a gym that didn't inspire me much, but I also began drinking much more alcohol during and after the pandemic.
Fast forward 8 years, and I'm right back where I was before losing all that weight in the first place. My alcohol use hasn't really been brought under control, and I know those calories played a big part in the weight coming back. On top of that, I got married, work got really busy, and I moved this past year and still haven't re-joined a gym. I checked my BP today and it was elevated, even with the medications (I did eventually have to go back on them as I gained back the weight). Enough is enough. I'm not getting any younger, and I have to get my life back together!
So many people's stories on this forum and on reddit, etc., have really inspired me. Everything from weight loss (obviously), to lowered BP, to people being able to free their minds from the hold that their vices have on them. Yesterday I took my first 1mg dose of reta, and I plan to stack GHK-Cu soon. Today I'm meal prepping some high-protein, clean whole foods to get my diet back on track. This week I'm checking out a neighborhood gym so I can start lifting again soon.
I'm so grateful that this community exists, and I hope to be able to share a success story here one day!
A bit about me: 44 M, based in San Francisco, CA. I weigh 210lbs right now and stand 5'-5". For most of my life I've carried extra weight, along with high blood pressure and high cholesterol (HBP and cholesterol run in the family, and I take medications for both). My doctors have always put me in the pre-diabetic category because of my weight. In my mid-30's I went through a big fitness phase and managed to get down to a weight where I felt genuinely empowered (160lbs at my lowest). Back then I also lifted a lot, built a lot of muscle, and was overall extremely happy with my body and the progress I'd made. I even managed to come off blood pressure and cholesterol meds (with oversight by my doctor).
Not long after that period, I moved away to start a grad school program. Leaving behind a gym where I felt a real sense of community, plus the pandemic hitting a year and a half later, really threw me off and set things up for me to fall off the fitness wagon. Through grad school I kept eating very mindfully and went to a gym that didn't inspire me much, but I also began drinking much more alcohol during and after the pandemic.
Fast forward 8 years, and I'm right back where I was before losing all that weight in the first place. My alcohol use hasn't really been brought under control, and I know those calories played a big part in the weight coming back. On top of that, I got married, work got really busy, and I moved this past year and still haven't re-joined a gym. I checked my BP today and it was elevated, even with the medications (I did eventually have to go back on them as I gained back the weight). Enough is enough. I'm not getting any younger, and I have to get my life back together!
So many people's stories on this forum and on reddit, etc., have really inspired me. Everything from weight loss (obviously), to lowered BP, to people being able to free their minds from the hold that their vices have on them. Yesterday I took my first 1mg dose of reta, and I plan to stack GHK-Cu soon. Today I'm meal prepping some high-protein, clean whole foods to get my diet back on track. This week I'm checking out a neighborhood gym so I can start lifting again soon.
I'm so grateful that this community exists, and I hope to be able to share a success story here one day!
