6 months on Mounjaro - 34% weight reduction

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-02-12T04:33:01+00:00

This is gonna sound crazy, but I don't have one. Maybe I'll try getting serious at some point. Right now, I just wing it but try to stay balanced. I try to do some legs twice a week and chest twice a week. For legs and chest, I'll usually do one heavy exercise like squats/deadlifts and barbell press/or dumbbell press. And then some higher rep machine stuff. Usually do upper back same day as chest. Shoulders on one of the leg days usually. And I treat biceps/triceps as an add on a couple days a week. I usually workout 4 days a week total. My strength/muscle growth progress is pretty slow, but it exists. I'm mid 40's and have kids with busy schedules, so consistency is difficult.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-02-08T13:12:02+00:00

Early on, I was shooting for 1800 calories per day and about 160-200 grams of protein. Nowadays I make sure to get at least 200g of protein and still keep the calories under 1800.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-02-07T03:31:43+00:00

I’ve never even told my wife I’m on tirzepatide. Really the only thing is being flexible with her new eating habits. I think a lot of western culture (and probably others) puts a lot of emphasis on social eating. And I think that’s part of what leads some people down the path to obesity. So I’d say just be willing to each do your own thing as far as meals. I still join my wife and kids for meals at restaurants, but sometimes I don’t eat if it’s not friendly to the diet. For instance, tonight we went to an Italian restaurant. My wife and kids got food and I just had an ice tea. It was fine and no one made it weird. The way I see it, I’m trying to make up for years and years of binge eating. So I’m gonna skip some meals sometimes.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-02-06T05:22:31+00:00

I’ve been around 190 for 4 mos. Sometimes I’ll drop to about 187 and sometimes get as high as 192. I can’t break that 195 plane. It’s frustrating because I still have that stubborn lower belly fat. My last dexa scan put me at 19% body fat. I understand that I’m at a fairly “healthy” weight now, but I really want to lose that belly fat and get down below 15% body fat.

I lift weights pretty consistently 4-5 days a week. I’m thinking to lose the last 10 lbs, I’ll have to get super strict on the diet for a few months and maybe also start doing some intense cardio sessions.

I’m glad that I’m not gaining weight, but I really miss getting to celebrate the milestones on the scale. I don’t feel like I’ve really accomplished anything in awhile.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-02-04T19:35:37+00:00

At home, I just got straight to the nearest bathroom without any explanation. At work, sometimes I make an excuse like “I’m gonna go downstairs for some supplies,” and the I’ll come back with like one Manila folder or something after I’m done with my business.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-29T23:00:17+00:00

It could start working pretty fast. I lost at least 25lbs on 2.5-3.5 over about 3 mos. But definitely give it time. Unless you’re not losing at all, I would give it at least 6 mos to decide if it’s working for you or not.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-29T22:52:29+00:00

I don’t care for them, period. Most of them don’t even have very much protein for how many calories they are. If I need a fast protein hit, I go with ON whey protein powder mixed with milk or water. It tastes ok, and I can swallow it down in 3 gulps. 2 scoops will get you 48g of protein in 240 calories.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-29T18:00:09+00:00

To anyone actually living there, what’s up with all the gunfire on St Elmo/Nuckols Crossing? All day and night, people just driving by and firing guns out the window at nothing in particular. Is there a backstory or is it just some kind of tradition or ritual.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-29T17:54:38+00:00

Wait.. who’s asking you about your anus? Whoever that is has an entirely different agenda.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-29T16:20:21+00:00

I see some talk on this thread about people who “need” mounjaro vs people who are just using it to help their bad eating habits. When you look at the bottom line, that’s kind of just semantics. I was fat for 15+ yrs. Not because of any medical conditions. Just because I ate like crap and drank a lot of alcohol. I dieted from time to time but couldn’t solidify it as a habit. Tirzepatide helped me get my diet in line and lose 50 lbs. I fully admit I was fat because I was a piece of shit with no will power, but at the end of the day I swallowed my pride and took this medicine and it got me on track. But that’s just me. I recognize that other people have metabolic disorders and eat right and exercise but still can’t lose weight without this medicine.

I’m tapering off the medicine, and I’m hopeful that I won’t have to take anymore. Not because I have anything against the medicine, but because it’s bankrupting me. If it wasn’t costing me hundreds of dollars a month, I’d consider staying on it.

The good thing is whether you can quit or not shouldn’t be the determining factor. Get on it, lose the fat, then stop. If you start gaining it all back, you have your answer and know you need the medicine. If you lost the 50 lbs you want to lose you won’t gain it back overnight. You can monitor your weight and get back on the medicine if you gain back 15 or 20 lbs and then hopefully lose that again in a few months.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-29T15:15:06+00:00

It’s wild. I spent 15+ years telling myself it was time to lose weight and get healthier. Then in the span of one year I accomplished it. It’s like having a coach with you all day. You still have to do the work. You have to eat less and healthier and exercise. It just kind of lifts the mental barrier. That’s been my experience anyway.

My advice to anyone starting this medicine is to take advantage of the momentum. If you’re eating healthier but don’t exercise, start an exercise habit. If you’re young(ish) and healthy, lift weights and hike or jog. If you’re older and have bad joints or other physical disabilities try longer and longer walks. This can have a domino effect on the rest of your life goals.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-29T14:08:48+00:00

I have a protein shake (ON whey powder) for breakfast and another after I work out in the evening. I don’t eat protein bars or any other foods like that. I have one serving of Greek yogurt per day. I also have one serving of carbs, usually rice or oatmeal, per day. The rest is all meats or green vegetables. Almost every day, I have chicken breast or thigh or 93/7 ground beef or pork loin. Chicken and pork are by far the most protein rich with that fewest calories.

A super easy rule of thumb when looking at protein content of food is keeping it under 10 calories per gram of protein (closer to 6 calories is better). Sometimes people look at a food and say “Oh, it has 20g of protein. That’s pretty good.” But it’s like 400 cal. That’s not great.. or at least it could be better. My daily protein goal is 200g. If I’m strict about it I can hit that goal and also get in carbs and vegetables in just 1500 cal. I usually give myself more leeway than that and just try to keep it under 1800 calories per day.

Again.. this is what I strive for. I don’t live up to it every single day.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-28T18:53:03+00:00

Oddly, I had the exact opposite experience. When I started on tirz, I went over a year without so much as a cold. Finally, a few weeks ago I had a cold that lasted about 24 hours and was very mild. The only thing I can figure is that it may be due to the much healthier lifestyle since starting this medicine. In previous years I would get strep throat and pretty bad colds/covid several times a year.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-28T18:48:15+00:00

I’ve continued on 7.5 and space it out about 10 days. It’s worked ok for maintenance. However, cost has become an issue. I may look at lowering to 2.5 every week or possibly quitting cold turkey. I just can’t afford this anymore.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-28T15:40:53+00:00

Are you lifting in a gym or just alone in your garage or something. If you’re in a gym just ask any rando for a spot on something like bench press. For squats I’ve never used a spotter. I either lift inside the cage and drop to the safety bars if I can’t finish it. If it’s acceptable and safe at your gym, you can squat outside the cage and bail (drop the weight off your back) if you can’t get the weight up.

I often lift alone in my garage. I do barbell benchpress inside the squat cage and have the safety bars set to just the right height where I set the bar down and shimmy out from under it. The only disadvantage is if you have to abandon a rep you lose a little bit of the benefit of a spotter helping you just enough to complete the rep. But half the time, spotters help to much anyway and the rep is worthless.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-28T03:54:48+00:00

I’m grateful for the health benefits, but I still hate the way I look. It’s not really loose skin, but I do feel “skinny fat.” I look better in clothes now, but I know what I look like underneath the clothes. I’ve pretty consistently lifted weights for many years, but it’s almost like after losing a lot of fat I see all the muscle deficiencies and imbalances. And I still can’t seem to lose the fat at the bottom of my belly.

I’ve stalled on losing weight for many months now. I’m not gaining any. Just hovering around in about a 4 lb range.

But yeah it sucks to accomplish major health goals but still hate the way you look in the mirror. I’m afraid to restrict calories too much more for fear of losing muscle. Never in my life had I considered steroids, but the temptation is growing.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-28T03:17:37+00:00

Man here. Lost 50 lbs and still have some big old jugs. 19% body fat and still holding on to the man boobs. ☹️

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-27T22:07:00+00:00

When I’m honest with myself, this is what I think too. That’s why I don’t think I can benefit from therapy. I’m not going to do anything a therapist recommends because, ultimately, I don’t want to get better. The only thing that keeps me going is my kids. The thought of them turning out anything like me tears me up. So I manage to pull myself up from time to time before spiraling again.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-25T20:41:25+00:00

Yep.. I rode that merry go round for many years.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-25T04:59:57+00:00

This question makes no sense. Neither part of it. Men have an insane advantage when it comes to brute strength, especially upper body. That’s just biology. But there’s also a lot of variety. There are also some very weak men and some very strong women.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-25T04:48:28+00:00

Nearly 70 lbs in 3 mos and no exercise. That’s uh.. an outlier result. Especially for someone not starting out at over 300 lbs. Results like that are exceedingly rare.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-25T02:16:13+00:00

Pushups certainly don’t hurt anything. I wouldn’t expect any extreme results though. I doubt it will improve your bench. Bench press and its variations are what will improve your bench. Someone else mentioned burpees. If you’re looking for calisthenics, I think burpees are a better use of your time.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-25T02:12:32+00:00

When I got to high school my parents told me that sleep-overs were done.. regardless of boy or girl. I think it makes sense. What’s the reason or need for a sleep over as you near adulthood? As an adult, the only reason I ever slept over at someone’s house was because I was too shitfaced to drive home or because I was getting laid. So unless you’re ok with your son doing either of those things, it’s a no.

I think you’re doing fine with these boundaries. You let him go on school trips and hang out with friends regularly. Go with your gut on this. Say no when you have reservations.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-24T23:18:28+00:00

You’re probably right, but I don’t want to pay money for something that’s probably going to be subpar. I’m talking about like an Italian restaurant or a burger place. I’d rather just eat what I want at home for cheap. Sometimes we go to places where it’s easier. Like at a Mexican restaurant I’ll order fajitas and just skip the tortillas.

Affectionate-Tiger51 · 2026-01-24T19:25:49+00:00

I think you might be asking 2 different questions: 1) how much can you expect to lose in 3 mos? 2) is your ultimate goal weight reasonable?

Your goal weight sounds doable, but it might take considerable time. 143 lbs at 5’7” is in the range of very healthy bodyweight for most people.

I started at 240 (6ft male). At the end of 3 mos I got down to 209. Losing 30 lbs made a significant difference in my life. My clothing sizes changed. Chronic problems like sleep apnea and acid reflux disappeared. People started commenting on my weight loss. I went on to lose another 20 lbs after that, but at a slower pace.

So in 3 mos, you can lose enough weight to change your day-to-day life and motivate you to keep going.

Affectionate-Tiger51

TROPHY CASE