Beating the Dead Horse

[Main75]

I have noticed that, while counterintuitive, if I eat more calories or increase my carbs, the weight starts moving down again! This happened a few times to me during extended stalls…

Reta supposedly works better with carbs, maybe try an extra serving or two?

Protein heavy but definitely not exclusive. Maybe I’ll try more consistent carbs in and test this out

Thanks for the imput

 

[bogardbilla]

Breakfast , coffee and lunch protein shake are the same everyday

5 eggs little cheese 400cal , two coffee coconut powder 180 cal, protein shake 240 cal

5 eggs alone are 400 calories, but if you add a little cheese and the oil the eggs were fried in you easily get to 600.

 

[david19]

cardio is there but not extreme 30 minutes 5 times a week on some machine.

been trying to lower inflammation and drop more weight to avoid aggravating some lingering injuries, so i am staying low impact until all my magic peptides fix everything. Hydrating , protein 150 (this gets hard for sure) , solid sleep schedule (tessa helped but Glycine does as well) , ghk-cu (daily) , bp 157 and tb-500 (just started)

probably need a little something ill try it

Try throwing in some KPV. I had some inflammation stuff going and KPV has been really helpful. Keep grinding. I am sure you will figure it out and break the plateau.

 

[Main75]

5 eggs alone are 400 calories, but if you add a little cheese and the oil the eggs were fried in you easily get to 600.

Think we might be splitting hairs here

 

[bogardbilla]

Think we might be splitting hairs here

I'm just telling you how I count my omelette calories - I add the calories of tablespoon or two worth of oil.

 

[Main75]

I'm just telling you how I count my omelette calories - I add the calories of tablespoon or two worth of oil.

Gotcha ….no chance I will ever get that specific me it would drive me nuts . I know in calorie deficit by a “decent amount “ .. half my days diet is sorted at 900ish same every day. Dinner is more flexible but always ballpark and healthy

 

[woundcarping]

I don’t have a stake in your weightloss, but when you’re our size, the details matter.

From your perspective, you’re in an idiopathic, but are exceedingly cavalier about tracking to have practically accurate numbers to evaluate your intake, or activity level.

When something doesn’t go like I expect, my default position is assuming I’m missing something in observation or knowledge.

The amount of calories in food is easy to overlook. A serving of shredded cheese is around 100 calories, so is a serving of butter, or a light beer. Cutting one of each per day keeping all else the same will cut ~25lb in a year. Liquid calories are sneaky (drinks, oils, other fats, etc)

Since you’ve mentioned meat several times, here’s a more applied example.

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[Imported image pending local asset: attachments-1771729710535-webp.16338]

This is the trim from those two steaks… they were still Prime and delicious. Calling this is 10/90 trim, I cut 750 calories of fat from those steaks before they were ever cooked.

[Imported image pending local asset: attachments-1771729710618-webp.16339]

The probability you’re a metabolic abnormality of nature is exceedingly low. The probability you retained some water from the HGH peps is roughly equal the probability that you’re eating more and burning less than you expect.

I expect you think I’m wrong, which is fine. I’ve had 1100 calories so far today (assume errors deflate the number, wearables suggest I’ve burned 1100 calories today (assume errors inflate the number). I’m leaving the second gym to go home and see if I can knock back ~65g of protein and carbs and call it a night. That’ll be another 520 calories, minimum. I’m not hungry, my last Reta dose peak was 12 hours ago, if I don’t get there that’s also fine, averages matter more than days.

 

[Main75]

I don’t have a stake in your weightloss, but when you’re our size, the details matter.

From your perspective, you’re in an idiopathic, but are exceedingly cavalier about tracking to have practically accurate numbers to evaluate your intake, or activity level.

When something doesn’t go like I expect, my default position is assuming I’m missing something in observation or knowledge.

The amount of calories in food is easy to overlook. A serving of shredded cheese is around 100 calories, so is a serving of butter, or a light beer. Cutting one of each per day keeping all else the same will cut ~25lb in a year. Liquid calories are sneaky (drinks, oils, other fats, etc)

Since you’ve mentioned meat several times, here’s a more applied example.

View attachment 16337

View attachment 16338

This is the trim from those two steaks… they were still Prime and delicious. Calling this is 10/90 trim, I cut 750 calories of fat from those steaks before they were ever cooked.

View attachment 16339

The probability you’re a metabolic abnormality of nature is exceedingly low. The probability you retained some water from the HGH peps is roughly equal the probability that you’re eating more and burning less than you expect.

I expect you think I’m wrong, which is fine. I’ve had 1100 calories so far today (assume errors deflate the number, wearables suggest I’ve burned 1100 calories today (assume errors inflate the number). I’m leaving the second gym to go home and see if I can knock back ~65g of protein and carbs and call it a night. That’ll be another 520 calories, minimum. I’m not hungry, my last Reta dose peak was 12 hours ago, if I don’t get there that’s also fine, averages matter more than days.

Appreciate the time and input. Definitely not abnormalities … I just seem like metabolism shut down… I know I am well into deficit.

Couple odd blood things not idea it’d it could effect

Low estrodial , cortisol and dhea

Two things happened new batch Reta and added Tessa and ipa… this was when the flat line happened on weight loss.

So in try and sort it out I’ve stopped ipa and Tessa to get that off the table

Try a different batch today to see if that is an issue aswell.

Not a huge rush just want to maintain progress in the right direction and something changed

 

[woundcarping]

Yeah, stacked variables is confounding… when things go pear shaped I focus on regaining simplicity and stacking odds in my favor.

Reta’s GCGR signaling allegedly should be burning ~200 extra calories daily (give or take 50) based on my reading, plus appetite reduction compared to baseline.

I’ll start taking creatine again next month or in April… I’ll gain a few pounds of water from that that won’t shed, just part of it.

 

[yrrdead]

Appreciate the time and input. Definitely not abnormalities … I just seem like metabolism shut down… I know I am well into deficit.

Couple odd blood things not idea it’d it could effect

Low estrodial , cortisol and dhea

Two things happened new batch Reta and added Tessa and ipa… this was when the flat line happened on weight loss.

So in try and sort it out I’ve stopped ipa and Tessa to get that off the table

Try a different batch today to see if that is an issue aswell.

Not a huge rush just want to maintain progress in the right direction and something changed

I know that you don't want to do it because "it would drive you crazy". But I would highly recommend spending $10 on a cheap food scale and downloading a free calorie tracker ( I use mynetdiary ).

Get as gnat's ass as you can about tracking for 2 weeks. Don't change anything else, take the same drugs, eat the same foods, do the same shit. Don't worry about exercise calories or TDEE calculators. Literally just track everything that you consume as accurately as practicable.

Cheaper and easier then more bloodwork, or more drugs, or literally anything else.

I promise this will be the last time I mention anything like this though. But in my (admittedly limited) experience almost everyone one of these threads/posts is due to a caloric surplus. Not some mysterious drug interaction or unique metabolic condition . It's an Occam's Razor sort of situation.

 

[latviantower]

I read this entire thread and saw lots of cogent advice. Numerous mentions of stacking some cagri, sema or tirz on the reta, but no recommendation of transitioning completely off Reta and trying tirz - titrate as quickly as tolerated up to 15 mg. I’ve found the food noise suppression to be superior with tirz - especially for keeping me off sweets and alcohol. But that’s just been my experience.

 

[randompersonrandom]

I know that you don't want to do it because "it would drive you crazy". But I would highly recommend spending $10 on a cheap food scale and downloading a free calorie tracker ( I use mynetdiary ).

Get as gnat's ass as you can about tracking for 2 weeks. Don't change anything else, take the same drugs, eat the same foods, do the same shit. Don't worry about exercise calories or TDEE calculators. Literally just track everything that you consume as accurately as practicable.

Cheaper and easier then more bloodwork, or more drugs, or literally anything else.

I promise this will be the last time I mention anything like this though. But in my (admittedly limited) experience almost everyone one of these threads/posts is due to a caloric surplus. Not some mysterious drug interaction or unique metabolic condition . It's an Occam's Razor sort of situation.

Also, once you get a food scale and find out how much thinking it saves you, you never go back. I'm a soapmaker and got used to measuring things by weight instead of volume ten-twelve years ago, and I can't fathom how anyone is bothering with measuring cups and tea/tablespoons, ever when we have scales that go by gram and a tare button. Serving sizes of things are always listed in grams, and it's so helpful because I have no clue what "normal" servings look like and maybe never will.

 

[Main75]

I know that you don't want to do it because "it would drive you crazy". But I would highly recommend spending $10 on a cheap food scale and downloading a free calorie tracker ( I use mynetdiary ).

Get as gnat's ass as you can about tracking for 2 weeks. Don't change anything else, take the same drugs, eat the same foods, do the same shit. Don't worry about exercise calories or TDEE calculators. Literally just track everything that you consume as accurately as practicable.

Cheaper and easier then more bloodwork, or more drugs, or literally anything else.

I promise this will be the last time I mention anything like this though. But in my (admittedly limited) experience almost everyone one of these threads/posts is due to a caloric surplus. Not some mysterious drug interaction or unique metabolic condition . It's an Occam's Razor sort of situation.

Simplicity through “blocking”

Admittedly the most directly correlated metric to weight loss is caloric intake.

I know this was called a “cavalier “ style of food tracking…and maybe it is but simple stupid blocks allow for less micromanaging which would ultimately lose me and my focus and motivation.

I recheck calories on random days to make sure I am being honest…but I personally find it easier to keep a known constant moring through noon , it’s the exact same every day 5 eggs some cheese light butter only for the pan so the eggs don’t stick, a coffee with otherds coconut sweetener and a protein shake two scoops around noon approx 900 calories and 90 grams protein..

Keeping a little “freedom” in the late afternoon for variety keep social life and therefore mental happiness and motivation staying positive which feeling too constrained.

Will this give the most perfect results …nope, but will it get me through to the finish line …much higher likelihood of success. %5 bodyfat nope but healthy happy active strong 15 % attainable and maintainable.

Bloodwork is really due to a suggestion to understand igf-1 baseline , which I do not … and tracking the three things I found lacking in last bloodwork low cortisol (taking adrenal cortex) , low estradiol (not a clue) and low dhea ( dhea supplementation)

Update …3 things ..seems that increased protein (extra shake in afternoon to try and get 170grams ) and or the subtraction of Tessa /ipa a week ago and yesterdays vial swap (different supplier) seems to feel like core is a touch tighter and scale moved a touch down this morning ( only weight every two or three days ) …..I know this whole “it’s not the destination , it’s the journey” style, maybe a macro rather then micro idea leaves some pointing to this as the reason for the stall issue….. but contributing factors may be hormone imbalances or water retention or on the lighter side, simply gaining way too much muscle and being super jacked (lol).

Weight target is goal and the sort out how lean

 

[Main75]

I read this entire thread and saw lots of cogent advice. Numerous mentions of stacking some cagri, sema or tirz on the reta, but no recommendation of transitioning completely off Reta and trying tirz - titrate as quickly as tolerated up to 15 mg. I’ve found the food noise suppression to be superior with tirz - especially for keeping me off sweets and alcohol. But that’s just been my experience.

Love the take … lots of reading but limited experience (5 months) maybe I did not think about hat as an option …seemed like swapping a better for less good option in my head… maybe that they wrong way of thinking about it because I have never tried Triz. In an ideal world I would rather not stack hunger peps (not sure why), seems like taking advil and tylenol for some reason. Maybe there is a valid reason for stacking …still learning.

 

[Rickcaps]

Read your post,

Love the take … lots of reading but limited experience (5 months) maybe I did not think about hat as an option …seemed like swapping a better for less good option in my head… maybe that they wrong way of thinking about it because I have never tried Triz. In an ideal world I would rather not stack hunger peps (not sure why), seems like taking advil and tylenol for some reason. Maybe there is a valid reason for stacking …still learning.

Read your entire post, seems like the tesa and ipa combo was the stall for you. Now that you have stopped it, do you see the weight coming off?

Also how is the appetite suppression now? I guess it was up with the stack?

Lastly do you think cagrilinitide might help with the suppression?