Anybody still doubting their success long term?

[RubbaDubba1]

After about 6 months on tirzepatide and losing a good amount of weight, I literally asked myself what you’re thinking, “Why is this time going to be any different”. (Yo-Yo dieter my entire life).

So, it was about this same time that I was binge watching My 600-lb life and seeing many people struggle with weight loss (even after bariatric surgery) and I finally came to the realization that some of my weight issue might be psychological. I did some “work” around that, so I’m hopeful that with continued glp-1 usage for the rest of my life and my behavioral work that this time will be different.

I lived the 600lb life and the struggle is real, even after weight loss surgery. The GLP-1, is the game changer or the other piece of the puzzle for me. I'm very optimistic about the ability of Tirz & Reta to help keep the weight off, I've been off of it 3X and the weight just comes right back on. I feel very fortunate, that I only seem to need 2mg of either one or 1mg of both it keeps me compliant and keeps the weight off. I got to 10mg of Tirz during the weight loss and it was to much and found 7.5mg was the highest dose and was able to come back down. Then added Reta and it was so strong, only need 4mg and lost the last 23lbs in a month. I don't plan on ever coming off of it long term, but feel cycling it once in a while will help me to continue to appreciate it and not take it for granted or my freezer stash.

 

[SpiralJetty]

This really is a game changer, it directly changes your body chemistry in a way that ordinary diets don't.

 

[HidingInPlainView]

Well... if you told me in January that I would be down 35lbs I'd have called you a liar... but here we are. I've hit my personal goal. I'm back to where I wanted to be, back to 6 years ago which is one of the lightest I've been in my adult life.

That said, If I can lose 35 more I'll be firmly in the medical "healthy weight" by BMI and at a weight I haven't seen since middle school. I might actually cry if I see the scale show me that number.

However, right now I'm planning for a joint repair surgery so I'm going to stop my GLP1 for a couple of weeks prior to anesthesia to avoid complications. I don't know what makes me more scared/nervous, the idea of learning to walk again or the idea that lack of mental discipline could cause me to regain weight.

I will resume my GLP1 after returning home from surgery, but 14 days without something that helped me so much, seems like an eternity to me right now.

 

[lessthanhalf]

After getting fat for some weird reason between 7 and 8 years old going from 22kg to 40 kg in a year ( I think I might have caught the adenovirus 36 that causes infectious obesity, look it up it is actually real despite sounding ridiculous ), I got to close to normal weight at about 16 yo, 18, several times in my 20's, once in my early 30's with lots of amphetamines, from 122kg to 64.9 kg a decade ago, and from 145kg to 66kg this time.

Am I doubting my success? Absolutely , given past experience I would be stupid not to.

There are 2 differences this time, the consequences of putting the weight back on are much more severe in terms of medical risk, being almost guaranteed a very serious health problem within 10 years at current age of 57, and cheap Chinese GLP medications. I have periodically looked at the research for nearly 40 years thinking they must finally make a drug that actually works and does not kill you, and although it took a lot longer than I hoped, they got there in the end. So thanks to big pharma and a lot of hardworking researchers over decades, even though they won't be making any money out of me as I cannot afford the legit versions.

Losing the weight and trying to keep it off without GLP's was hard, I am still sticking to an extremely restrictive diet to keep the weight off but it is definitely not as difficult to do with GLP's.

 

[testyonenow42]

I'm confident I will maintain a healthy weight this time. I have realistic goals and plan to continue to be realistic as I age. I have no desire to be 20 again (not that I was healthy when I was 20). I still have 15 lbs to lose and am taking that slowly to let my body adjust and my habits get stronger. I plan to reduce my dosage once I'm at my goal and find my maintenance dose. I'll evaluate at that time but will probably take the maintenance dose for a year just to solidify my habits. At that time I may try to stop the medicine completely but I'm prepared to continue taking a maintenance dose long term, if needed.

 

[miss-sanne]

I'm a bit scared of it yes. I feel my good habits slipping some these last few months. I'm at my almost goal weight (2-3 kg from it).

But mostly, I'm scared my good 10 y long stash won't be of use, because I get pancreatitis or NAION or whatever.

 

[Birdie]

I am prepared to use it until the end and am stocked for a decade or more.

This is exactly how I feel. I have decided to be kind to my body for the remaining time I have in it. I have come to accept that obesity is a chronic disease and that I will benefit from continuous treatment.

 

[Birdie]

Well... if you told me in January that I would be down 35lbs I'd have called you a liar... but here we are. I've hit my personal goal. I'm back to where I wanted to be, back to 6 years ago which is one of the lightest I've been in my adult life.

That said, If I can lose 35 more I'll be firmly in the medical "healthy weight" by BMI and at a weight I haven't seen since middle school. I might actually cry if I see the scale show me that number.

However, right now I'm planning for a joint repair surgery so I'm going to stop my GLP1 for a couple of weeks prior to anesthesia to avoid complications. I don't know what makes me more scared/nervous, the idea of learning to walk again or the idea that lack of mental discipline could cause me to regain weight.

I will resume my GLP1 after returning home from surgery, but 14 days without something that helped me so much, seems like an eternity to me right now.

I can only imagine your fear and wish you the best of luck with your surgery.

I am also wondering if anyone here has had surgery without holding the med, as mentioned in the 2024 updated guideline I read about here:

https://www.medpagetoday.com/surgery/anesthesiology/112653

 

[HidingInPlainView]

I can only imagine your fear and wish you the best of luck with your surgery.

I am also wondering if anyone here has had surgery without holding the med, as mentioned in the 2024 updated guideline I read about here:

https://www.medpagetoday.com/surgery/anesthesiology/112653

Thank you wishing me luck on this journey. I saw the old and new guidelines when doing my own research as well. Ultimately I was advised to take 1 week off of the GLP, as it significantly reduces the chance of liquid aspiration during general anesthesia. My wife insists she'd feel better about it if I did two weeks instead. So, as much as the thought pains me, I'll hold off for two weeks prior. I still have over a month before surgery, but that doesn't change the fear and anxiety of relearning to walk or regaining the weight.

 

[Snuki]

I lived the 600lb life and the struggle is real, even after weight loss surgery. The GLP-1, is the game changer or the other piece of the puzzle for me. I'm very optimistic about the ability of Tirz & Reta to help keep the weight off, I've been off of it 3X and the weight just comes right back on. I feel very fortunate, that I only seem to need 2mg of either one or 1mg of both it keeps me compliant and keeps the weight off. I got to 10mg of Tirz during the weight loss and it was to much and found 7.5mg was the highest dose and was able to come back down. Then added Reta and it was so strong, only need 4mg and lost the last 23lbs in a month. I don't plan on ever coming off of it long term, but feel cycling it once in a while will help me to continue to appreciate it and not take it for granted or my freezer stash.

I think it's fantastic that you've found a solution to lead a carefree life, at least when it comes to food. And it's also great that these options are now available.

 

[RubbaDubba1]

I think it's fantastic that you've found a solution to lead a carefree life, at least when it comes to food. And it's also great that these options are now available.

Thank you

 

[dobermom21]

I think about this a lot, actually.

My plan is to procure enough supplies to be on it at some level (a maintenance dose) long term, and truly allow the changes I'm making to become easily integrated into my lifestyle. I'm doing meal prep, and once my other hip is replaced, plan on being a lot more active.

For me, age and hormones are also a factor, in addition to Ehler's Danlos syndrome, arthritis, and hip dysplasia so addressing that to the extent that I can (can't do much about aging, but hips can be replaced) is in my immediate plans.

 

[Glenn]

I'm not even worried about re-gaining weight back. So much of my lifestyle has changed and I'm happy to stay on peptides for my remaining years. At 61 years old, I'm in the best shape of my life and feel great after losing more than 50% of my body weight. My only regret is that I didn't get into fitness when I was in my twenties, or thirties, or forties...

 

[HidingInPlainView]

Well... if you told me in January that I would be down 35lbs I'd have called you a liar... but here we are. I've hit my personal goal. I'm back to where I wanted to be, back to 6 years ago which is one of the lightest I've been in my adult life.

That said, If I can lose 35 more I'll be firmly in the medical "healthy weight" by BMI and at a weight I haven't seen since middle school. I might actually cry if I see the scale show me that number.

However, right now I'm planning for a joint repair surgery so I'm going to stop my GLP1 for a couple of weeks prior to anesthesia to avoid complications. I don't know what makes me more scared/nervous, the idea of learning to walk again or the idea that lack of mental discipline could cause me to regain weight.

I will resume my GLP1 after returning home from surgery, but 14 days without something that helped me so much, seems like an eternity to me right now.

Now down 42lbs, I'm 30days until surgery. I'm pausing A LOT of different things and fully anticipate to be a total menace for the next few weeks.

None of what I'm doing leading up to this is necessarily "required" more or less just a best practices type of deal.

Today I stop DSIP after 5 continuous weeks of various dosing.

Wednesday I'll be pausing KLOW and discontinuing smoking cigarettes (for who knows how long, sometimes I go years without).

Friday will be my last Retatrutide injection until after surgery.

As previously mentioned.... doubting myself greatly at this point.... but have reached PEAK " f$&% it" status...

Also I'm open to encouragement... if anyone feels like being kind.

 

[JuneBug1956]

Yup, I am 54 and thinking that there will always be some sort of a maitaining dose or a swith-a-roo like reta to tesamorelin.

I’m 5’8”, and went from 190 down to 168 in under two months on reta. Looking back, I realized I was dosing too high, considering the minor side effects, but I didn’t care much because the results were incredible.

I did lose quite a bit of muscle mass, but it was the middle of winter and I couldn’t lift weights anyway due to a shoulder injury. The plan now is to heal the shoulder with the help of BPC-157 and start lifting again (hopefully). If the shoulder doesn’t cooperate, I can still enjoy running, leg work, and core training.

Even after dropping that weight, I’m still carrying a residual belly, the dad bod survives! I’m planning to either stop reta or lower the dose significantly and try tesamorelin and ipamorelin to focus more on the midsection.

Overall, I’m very happy with the weight loss from reta, but has anyone else found a good strategy for targeting the midsection fat with tesamorelin, any suggestions, do’s or don’ts?

Swimming the crawl stroke. Find a pool and build up to a mile. Your waist will disappear.

 

[sheilarae74]

I have been at this off and on since I was 12 years old. I must have lost and gained 1000lbs in my life. I HAVE to keep it off this time, since I've given all of my fat clothes away.

 

[Grogu]

I have been at this off and on since I was 12 years old. I must have lost and gained 1000lbs in my life. I HAVE to keep it off this time, since I've given all of my fat clothes away.

Same on all accounts. I can't gain weight or I'll have nothing to wear , but also losing a ton of weight just to regain and also struggling my entire life.

When I first started Zepbound with my pcp he said I could get rid of all my fat clothes as I lost weight this time.... I looked at him distrustingly and he said "seriously" donate them, you won't be needing them. Based on the tirzepatide clincials, I think he is correct.

 

[ronin365]

Im feeling pretty good and I am using my time on Reta to understand how I gained the weight in the first place and why it kept packing on even when I was eating clean. I think hormones have a lot to do with this as well as the constant under-eating. When I hit my target weight, I do plan to test if the dietary changes I made on Reta hold without Reta. That said, I am not opposed to continuing to use Reta whether my weight stays off or not. There are too many upsides to staying on it for maintaining metabolism and mitochondria, keeping inflammation low, reducing food noise, and potentially anti-cancer effects. It really is an amazing peptide that is way more than just another GLP1 that helps you lose weight.

 

[diplomat]

Im feeling pretty good and I am using my time on Reta to understand how I gained the weight in the first place and why it kept packing on even when I was eating clean. I think hormones have a lot to do with this as well as the constant under-eating. When I hit my target weight, I do plan to test if the dietary changes I made on Reta hold without Reta. That said, I am not opposed to continuing to use Reta whether my weight stays off or not. There are too many upsides to staying on it for maintaining metabolism and mitochondria, keeping inflammation low, reducing food noise, and potentially anti-cancer effects. It really is an amazing peptide that is way more than just another GLP1 that helps you lose weight.

Great plan! There's so little reliable information on maintaining the gains after Reta...

Keep us posted on what effect your dietary changes have!

 

[RJ760]

I am not at my goal weight yet, but I have lost already a substantial amount of weight - again?

So, as many may relate I have done numerous diets in the past, lost some weight, regained all back, with all the shame and blame.

What makes you believe this time it will be substantial and for good as long as you take the medication?

No doubts this will work for me, but I've had to be honest with myself about why I'm here. I've yo-yo'd since my early 20s, working out and eating right just long enough to hit a goal and then abandoning any long-term plan. A few years back I dropped from 280 to 210 and somewhere in that process realized that working out just has to be a permanent part of my life, not a temporary fix. That clicked and I haven't looked back.

Three years of consistent training later and that part feels solved. Where I kept falling short was diet. I genuinely believed for a long time that if I worked out hard enough I could just offset a bad one. It worked for a while but occasional indulging became more frequent and I ended up bouncing back up 20lbs in the last six months. Not owning a scale didn't help, I was going by how my clothes fit and it turns out you can stretch a pair of pants further than you'd think.

For me Reta is about addressing the one piece I never really tackled. I'm not expecting overnight results and I'm not trying to overhaul everything at once. I started by cutting out unnecessary sugar because that's where I was leaking the most. Massive sweet tooth, work from home, and a fully stocked pantry is a bad combination. One week in and the food noise is already quieter than it's been in a long time. That alone feels like progress.