Users report that tesamorelin often causes water retention and a temporary stall or even slight weight gain on the scale, along with possible insulin resistance. Several people still value it for visceral-fat reduction and better sleep or training recovery once they resume lifting. The original poster decided to delay starting it until after returning to the gym and after further weight loss on tirzepatide alone.
What this discussion establishesWhether to start tesa before returning to the gym or wait until lifting resumes
Still openHow much visceral-fat reduction actually occurs at 5 mg weekly without training
Nothing here is advice.
I've been taking 5 mg Tirz since December 2025 and want to add one 5 mg shot of tesa each week to hold onto muscle while targeting visceral fat. Goal is to use as few peptides as possible, cut down on injections, and limit side-effect risk by staying at the lowest useful dose. Not lifting at the moment because of a fracture but plan to get back once healed. Has anyone run this stack and what were the results?
I began exactly one week ago and my blood glucose has been elevated ever since. Tesa seems to be the cause since none of my other peptides affect insulin sensitivity. Haven't dropped any weight in that week either even though calories and carbs are very low and I'm still going to the gym. Hoping the scale starts moving again soon.
There is decent evidence tesamorelin reduces visceral fat, but it isn't proven to preserve muscle when someone isn't training. Best to focus on basics, avoid a large calorie deficit, keep protein intake high, and wait until cleared to lift again. Muscle comes back faster the second time around than it did the first.
When you first start tesa you can get a few pounds of water retention whether you plan to cycle or not. That creates a short stall on the scale, but it shows the peptide is doing its job. Once you stop the shots the extra water drops off within a few days. I'm on my second round now mainly to change how my midsection looks from the inside. Goal is less fat around the organs rather than scale weight.
Are you planning one 5 mg dose per week or splitting it across several days? I use both Tirz and Tesa and noticed weight loss slowed a lot after adding tesa; I even gained a bit, which is common from water. Still like tesa because sleep improved and strength in the gym got better even with fewer sessions. Might be worth waiting until you're cleared to train again to get the most out of it.
I'm probably going to hold off for now. Still have more weight to lose so it makes sense to bring tesa in later.
The more I look into it the less inclined I am to start tesa right now. Mots-c might be worth trying instead, both before and after I return to lifting.
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