Introduction: Older Guy, Always Grinding

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PepeLePoo

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Older guy here. Closing in on 50.

During 2022 and 2023, I lost 140 lbs on my own (from 405 down to 265) across roughly 12 months. Even though I felt WAY improved, I stalled out and couldn't get any lower, so my doctor put me on Zepbound. I didn't experience any appetite suppression or quieting of food noise. My weight moved around a little, yet it never went under 260. Figuring it was a dud, I stopped it after roughly 9 months.

Over that stretch, though, I noticed I no longer really cared for alcohol. Weekend drinks might be just 1 rather than 3 or 4 (or more). I also had an injury that needed surgery around then, so I decided to pile on the suffering and kick a nearly 30 year, 2 pack per day smoking habit. Strangely, it was simple. I was still miserable while recovering. But the urge to smoke simply wasn't present the way it had been every waking moment for decades. So it did do something. Just not for eating.

After that first big loss, I've gone up and down the same 20 lbs more times than I can count. I'm still actively trying to shed weight, but weekend eating inhibitions leave me either down or up a few pounds every week. I could train hard 5 times Monday through Friday, eat clean, be 10 lbs lighter by Friday, and then be up an extra 3 lbs at Monday's weigh in.

I'm aware I'm using food to self medicate, though. This year has been hard and I catch myself eating 'mindlessly' more often than not. I have mental health conditions that had been handled pretty damn well thanks to strong support over the years. In 2023, I collaborated with my psych doctors to taper off meds after 20 years, and only now am I thinking about going back on. I'm realizing now that the Zep (Tirz) helped take the edge off these. So, I'm back with Reta. It should show up in a couple of weeks, hopefully.
 
Nice work on dropping 140, that's impressive! My own loss without medication was just 60 (390 down to 330), until the mental food noise became too overwhelming to keep going further. With GLP-1 meds, I've shed 20lbs in under a month. Began on Tirz and then incorporated Reta, both at low doses, a best of both worlds strategy leveraging the extra GLP-1/GIP ratio. So far it's been amazing for quieting food noise and boosting energy. Wishing you success with your objectives moving forward!
 
Might sound like a silly thing to ask, but doesn't Reta work on the same Tirz pathways while also giving an extra kick? (Dual agonist vs triple?)
 
PepeLePoo said:

Might sound like a silly thing to ask, but doesn't Reta work on the same Tirz pathways while also giving an extra kick? (Dual agonist vs triple?)
Click to expand...
Right, so the result is that I end up with a greater GLP-1/GIP proportion than if I used just one of them. Based on what I've read, they activate the same receptors but in differing ratios, which is why people often report Reta struggling more with food noise compared to Tirz by itself. Since food noise (the mental aspect) was a tough problem for me, I chose to combine them.

For the initial 4 weeks I used the smallest Tirz dose (2.5mg), and instead of increasing Tirz when the time came, I held it steady and introduced 1mg of Reta. So in effect, my GLP-1/GIP went up on the planned schedule, but now with Glucagon receptor agonism added. What I observed was more energy, less mental flatness, and better suppression of food noise. No strange Reta side effects like elevated HR, skin sensitivity, etc. That could shift as the dose rises.

Up to now I'm pleased. I might even lower Tirz by 0.5mg next week, we'll see. I'm certainly testing things out, but so far I'm liking it. The aim is the lowest effective dose. Not slamming high doses of both.
 
Wow! Thanks for laying that out. That really clicks. Should I pick up on any mental dullness (which I've come across anecdotally) while on the Reta, I'll definitely keep this approach in mind.

Appreciate it once more!
 
50 isn't old—older, sure, but not old. That's some seriously impressive progress, and you have every reason to feel proud. For me, food, booz, and the rest just don't deliver that same dopamine hit anymore. Having reta around back when I was quitting smoking would've been a gift, but no—I went the old-fashioned route and it did the job. Welcome to team reta!
 
miameow said:

50 isn't old—older, sure, but not old. That's some seriously impressive progress, and you have every reason to feel proud. For me, food, booz, and the rest just don't deliver that same dopamine hit anymore. Having reta around back when I was quitting smoking would've been a gift, but no—I went the old-fashioned route and it did the job. Welcome to team reta!
Click to expand...
I don't want to take over his thread... though it does tie into what he said about being able to stop smoking. You brought up dopamine, and that's actually what sent me looking and eventually brought me here. My libido is gone, I've lost interest in everything, and I feel numb. Based on what I've looked into, I think reta is making my dopamine drop. I'm trying to figure out the right combination to correct it. From what I've come across, not everyone goes through this, but it does happen often.
 
Welcome. Seems like you're headed the right way. I'm running the same stack plus Reta. Might change over to tirz and Reta, that combo looks like the most common one. Just stay consistent and the results will follow. Best of luck!
 
PepeLePoo said:

Older guy here. Closing in on 50.

During 2022 and 2023, I lost 140 lbs on my own (from 405 down to 265) across roughly 12 months. Even though I felt WAY improved, I stalled out and couldn't get any lower, so my doctor put me on Zepbound. I didn't experience any appetite suppression or quieting of food noise. My weight moved around a little, yet it never went under 260. Figuring it was a dud, I stopped it after roughly 9 months.

Over that stretch, though, I noticed I no longer really cared for alcohol. Weekend drinks might be just 1 rather than 3 or 4 (or more). I also had an injury that needed surgery around then, so I decided to pile on the suffering and kick a nearly 30 year, 2 pack per day smoking habit. Strangely, it was simple. I was still miserable while recovering. But the urge to smoke simply wasn't present the way it had been every waking moment for decades. So it did do something. Just not for eating.

After that first big loss, I've gone up and down the same 20 lbs more times than I can count. I'm still actively trying to shed weight, but weekend eating inhibitions leave me either down or up a few pounds every week. I could train hard 5 times Monday through Friday, eat clean, be 10 lbs lighter by Friday, and then be up an extra 3 lbs at Monday's weigh in.

I'm aware I'm using food to self medicate, though. This year has been hard and I catch myself eating 'mindlessly' more often than not. I have mental health conditions that had been handled pretty damn well thanks to strong support over the years. In 2023, I collaborated with my psych doctors to taper off meds after 20 years, and only now am I thinking about going back on. I'm realizing now that the Zep (Tirz) helped take the edge off these. So, I'm back with Reta. It should show up in a couple of weeks, hopefully.
Click to expand...
Nice work, and keep it going.
 
BlueDog55 said:

miameow said:

50 isn't old—older, sure, but not old. That's some seriously impressive progress, and you have every reason to feel proud. For me, food, booz, and the rest just don't deliver that same dopamine hit anymore. Having reta around back when I was quitting smoking would've been a gift, but no—I went the old-fashioned route and it did the job. Welcome to team reta!
Click to expand...
I don't want to take over his thread... though it does tie into what he said about being able to stop smoking. You brought up dopamine, and that's actually what sent me looking and eventually brought me here. My libido is gone, I've lost interest in everything, and I feel numb. Based on what I've looked into, I think reta is making my dopamine drop. I'm trying to figure out the right combination to correct it. From what I've come across, not everyone goes through this, but it does happen often.
Click to expand...
Feel free to take over! This is news to me, and now I'm second-guessing whether it's the right choice. I stopped my psych meds due to the "flatness," and I really don't want my libido to go away!

Looks like I've got more rabbit hole digging to do. Best of luck!
 
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