ForumResults & Progress

Acknowledging that I am overweight .... and starting the journey to recovery

6 replies6 peopleMay 7, 2026☆ Follow
Summary

Personal experiences starting Tirzepatide and similar peptides for weight loss after years of failed diets

Several men in their 40s-60s share starting weights around 220-260 lbs and describe steady losses of 6-70 lbs using low-dose Tirz, Tesa or Reta alongside gym work. They emphasize that slow weekly drops reduce side effects while food tracking and lifting help preserve muscle. Appetite control from the meds finally broke long-standing overeating habits, though some worry about going too fast or not eating enough protein.

What this discussion establishesWhere people disagree

Some prefer aggressive titration for quicker results while others insist on low-and-slow dosing plus tracking to retrain eating habits

Still open

Whether very rapid loss ultimately costs muscle or long-term health

Nothing here is advice.

6 replies · 6 people
CopperSignal25archiveopening postMay 7

There's no fault or embarrassment to dwell on at the start. I'm 50, male, and stand 5'11. My beginning weight sat at 225 pounds with body fat around 25 percent. Now I'm down to 219 after dropping six pounds total. The plan so far has been 2.5 milligrams of one compound weekly for four weeks along with one milligram of the other five days each week over the same period. For a decade I've worked at shedding pounds and improving fitness through every approach including skipping meals for stretches, yet the midsection fat stayed put. Four gym sessions weekly have built solid muscle from heavy sessions, though endurance work lags. The real sticking point remains portion control around meals I enjoy too much, which has blocked results repeatedly. Four weeks back I began this type of medication path after sourcing the opening supplies nearby, but ongoing costs made that route impossible to maintain. Online talks pointed toward other options, so I placed an order despite the uncertainty of dealing with an unknown source and figuring out digital currency steps. A new batch of the three compounds is still in transit. The six-pound drop over a month sometimes feels minimal and leaves me wondering if this matches the results others describe, yet the weekly average works out near one and a half pounds, which projects toward my earlier weight of 185 by fall if it continues. That thought pushes me back to training. Hunger has eased noticeably and food thoughts occur less often, likely tied to the first compound. Rest has improved sharply from five or six broken hours to steady eight-hour nights, with the second compound probably responsible, though the dreams stand out as unusually clear. Few unwanted effects have appeared beyond dry skin starting in week two. Extra fluid intake seems helpful for that, along with repeated moisturizing on limbs. Concerns center on whether the incoming order will show up intact or clean, plus learning verification steps and possible longer-term effects. Looking ahead, the next half year should reveal more progress. I'll stay with the current two for now to gauge results before adding the third, even though interest in it runs high. Updates will follow, and others with similar starts are welcome to share.

LevelWillow41archiveMay 7

The approach of tracking weekly reductions comes across as quite sensible. Going quicker could raise the odds of reactions that interfere with everyday routines. I dealt with something similar and decided it was not a good exchange. Our frames match up closely since I am six feet tall and currently at two hundred twenty eight pounds after beginning from two hundred sixty one on the seventh of January. I chose two hundred ten as a starting target without much thought but may adjust it lower to match yours if results stay steady. Those worries seem pretty common. Receiving deliveries in Canada can involve extra hurdles compared to some places though not nearly as many as others. Occasional problems still leave things far better than alternatives so I build those possibilities into my overall expenses.

SteadyTimber49archiveMay 7

Congrats on taking that first step, it's often the toughest and you'll hit your target before long. As mentioned, reaching it by October seems close. I began back in October 2024 and dropped 70 pounds to hit my target weight. Being from Alberta too, there were some hurdles but I worked them out. Wishing you the best!

SlowLantern46archiveMay 7

Awesome update on your results. I'm also looking into Tesa specifically for reducing abdominal fat but plan to hold off until I hit a standstill. One thing worth noting that wasn't covered is monitoring intake. A nutrition logging program is essential, whether the premium edition or basic one. Without it, reasons for weight changes stay unclear. I've begun measuring portions precisely in grams during morning and midday meals, attempting the same in evenings though less regularly. At first, I figured the process would frustrate me but it turned into something engaging like a game. So it becomes more of a task to complete. If you're already doing this, skip my comment and well done on continuing forward.

PatientBeacon15archiveMay 7

My experience matches yours quite closely. I'm a guy who's 5'9" and turned 60, always enjoyed eating but struggled to keep diets going. What got me down was how slowly the pounds came off and those frustrating mornings when the scale went up despite my efforts the day before. This drug feels like a wonder to me. Began back in November weighing 230 pounds. Now I'm at 170, just a bit away from where I want to be. I think I kept almost all my muscle since my arms and legs feel just as strong. The drop happened quicker because I ramped up the doses pretty quickly out of impatience. Also skipped on protein quite a bit, sometimes eating less than 1000 calories daily to make the most of the reduced hunger. I wouldn't necessarily suggest dropping weight that rapidly since it strains the system and showed up as some swelling in recent lab results. That should settle eventually though. Have a good time with your progress. Notice how those old pants you've held onto will only suit you briefly before you need something to hold them up.

SlowLantern46archiveMay 7
↳ replying to @PatientBeacon15

That seems pretty forceful to me. I'm taking it easy and gradual. Starting with half a milligram for the first month then increasing a bit. I've dropped twelve pounds so far. Using food logging along with weights and lots of running puts me in a good energy gap. The idea is to change how I think about what I consume and at what times plus keeping records. I'm not hugely heavy but want to shed twenty five pounds gradually over the next year. Turns out I'm quite sensitive to it. Even those low amounts made me indifferent to eating which helped with portion control. This bottle I bought will probably spoil before I use it all up haha

SlowSignal40archiveMay 7

I have a comparable experience to what you described. As a 44-year-old guy standing 6 feet 3 inches tall, I began my latest effort against excess weight starting from 263 pounds. About a week ago I began taking this medication and administered the second injection earlier today. The discussions in this thread are excellent. For the moment I want to contribute an additional point. The objective needs to involve complete changes in daily habits along with focusing on reshaping the physique. Yet discovering an appropriate physical activity or pastime can greatly improve how well someone maintains their routine. It needs to be an activity possible to do indoors if necessary. I discovered one like that which has helped me tremendously.

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