Hi everyone. I'm male and 53 years old. I am usually a lurker when it comes to Reddit and forums like these. I don't usually talk about myself and don't like doing introductions like the one I am about to do now. But I understand why its necessary. So I figure I will "overshare" a bit so you know where I am coming from.
For the last few decades I have struggled with slow creeping weight gain year by year. This despite two decades of eating low-carb, then keto, then once a day, and finally carnivore. While my diet journey kept the worst health issues at bay I was slowly breaking down and carrying more weight. Working out and taking walks only got harder.
I forayed into TRT almost two years ago. That turned into a complete disaster packing on more water and visceral fat that stressed my heart. I added another 25 plus pounds inside of a year despite eating once a day and carnivore at that.
Six months ago I hit a new low and felt I was nearing a health crisis. I dropped money with a health coach that I had been watching for a while--former IFBB champion. He frequently brought up peptides which piqued my interest.
When I started with him we did my blood work and it was off to the races. He directed me to get back on TRT (double the dose), eat carbs, up my caloric intake, get my steps and cardio in, and hit the gym. It all felt like a step backwards, I was sure I was carb sensitive and TRT wasn't going to work and make things worse. It took about three months with a lot of struggle, but I was making slow progress. All the while he was saying I should be making more progress and I must not be compliant despite the fact I was very compliant.
He never brought up peptides as a way to help improve things for me. I asked about it and according to him I wasn't ready to add "chemicals" to my body. I was to follow his plan indefinitely until he thought I was ready. I give him credit for pointing me in the right direction. But the way things were going did not sit well with me and I set out to get into peptides on my own.
After a month or so of research and procrastination--I took the plunge. I started myself on Reta in November. In the first week the edema in my ankles disappeared. That was eye opening. Not to mention how insane and real the appetite suppression is. By the second or third week I ordered more peptides and started stacking. Started off with GLOW, then added MOTS-C, cycled Tesamorelin, then switched to KLOW. I have CJC-1295/Ipamorelin (no DAC) on the way. Epitalon is next on my stack list to help improve my sleep hygiene.
I have gone from 314 lbs to 278 lbs at my last weigh in--I was losing weight during the holidays from Thanksgiving through the new year. For once in my life I am seeing real progress and getting stronger-- more importantly its strengthening my gym discipline now that I am actually getting serious results.
Now my challenges are managing costs and getting more informed experience. Reddit, and social media to a lesser degree were good starting places, but between content moderation and not so intelligent conversations, it is difficult to get to the next level. I very much want to read about other people's experiences, ideas, and insights. I am also happy to share my experiences if it helps someone else.
So... here I am.
For the last few decades I have struggled with slow creeping weight gain year by year. This despite two decades of eating low-carb, then keto, then once a day, and finally carnivore. While my diet journey kept the worst health issues at bay I was slowly breaking down and carrying more weight. Working out and taking walks only got harder.
I forayed into TRT almost two years ago. That turned into a complete disaster packing on more water and visceral fat that stressed my heart. I added another 25 plus pounds inside of a year despite eating once a day and carnivore at that.
Six months ago I hit a new low and felt I was nearing a health crisis. I dropped money with a health coach that I had been watching for a while--former IFBB champion. He frequently brought up peptides which piqued my interest.
When I started with him we did my blood work and it was off to the races. He directed me to get back on TRT (double the dose), eat carbs, up my caloric intake, get my steps and cardio in, and hit the gym. It all felt like a step backwards, I was sure I was carb sensitive and TRT wasn't going to work and make things worse. It took about three months with a lot of struggle, but I was making slow progress. All the while he was saying I should be making more progress and I must not be compliant despite the fact I was very compliant.
He never brought up peptides as a way to help improve things for me. I asked about it and according to him I wasn't ready to add "chemicals" to my body. I was to follow his plan indefinitely until he thought I was ready. I give him credit for pointing me in the right direction. But the way things were going did not sit well with me and I set out to get into peptides on my own.
After a month or so of research and procrastination--I took the plunge. I started myself on Reta in November. In the first week the edema in my ankles disappeared. That was eye opening. Not to mention how insane and real the appetite suppression is. By the second or third week I ordered more peptides and started stacking. Started off with GLOW, then added MOTS-C, cycled Tesamorelin, then switched to KLOW. I have CJC-1295/Ipamorelin (no DAC) on the way. Epitalon is next on my stack list to help improve my sleep hygiene.
I have gone from 314 lbs to 278 lbs at my last weigh in--I was losing weight during the holidays from Thanksgiving through the new year. For once in my life I am seeing real progress and getting stronger-- more importantly its strengthening my gym discipline now that I am actually getting serious results.
Now my challenges are managing costs and getting more informed experience. Reddit, and social media to a lesser degree were good starting places, but between content moderation and not so intelligent conversations, it is difficult to get to the next level. I very much want to read about other people's experiences, ideas, and insights. I am also happy to share my experiences if it helps someone else.
So... here I am.
