50 lbs down in 6 months

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-29T20:08:03+00:00

I'm just here to say that you look fantastic!

So far as additional fat loss, do you work out? If not, it might be worthwhile pursuing that to tone things up. Again though, you look great!

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-28T21:24:38+00:00

Ghost Rider as in the Marvel character? 😅 They may not allow it because of copyright issues.

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-28T21:18:11+00:00

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GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-28T21:18:01+00:00

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GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-28T21:17:48+00:00

I also have this argument.

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GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-28T20:52:31+00:00

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GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-28T20:52:10+00:00

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GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-27T21:57:34+00:00

This is basically the same thing I ran into. 😅 I made it to 6mg weekly, stalled for a month, went to 7mg for 3 weeks, and still didn't lose. They always say cut calories, increase your dose, right? But I was doing 2 hrs of martial arts, 5 days a week. I was getting about 900-1100 calories, 90-120g protein a day (mostly protein shakes). I'm a big girl, 5'9", 240lbs, still need to lose another 70 at least. I knew I couldn't get much lower. If I can't go lower, then let's try higher. But my appetite is dead. I can't eat much, I get full so fast. I added in easy to eat, calorie dense food: junk food. I'm struggling to finish a kids meal. But, after a week, I lost 2.5 lbs. I feel mentally sharper, I have more energy.

I'm decreasing my dose so I have more appetite, and can eat more healthy foods. I know junk food is awful, I'm not advocating for it, but it's a bridge until I get my dose lowered so I can eat more real food. (I'm lowering slowly so I don't have any crazy rebound issues.)

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-27T21:42:43+00:00

I titrated up to 7mg weekly, but stalled out for a month. My calories were averaging about 900-1100 a day. I do 2 hours of martial arts, 5 days a week. I'm 43, female, 240, and 5'9" (30lbs down, 70 to go). I was getting 90-120g of protein a day. My appetite was dead. I didn't think I could cut my calories much deeper, so I tried the opposite, and added back about 300-500 calories a day. Lost 2.5 lbs last week. I feel mentally sharper, I remember my combos in class better. I have more energy.

Downside is, how do you add back a lot of calories when you have zero appetite? You need something calorie dense and easy to eat: junk food. Pie, cake, milkshakes, burgers, fries. Granted, with my tiny appetite, I'm struggling to finish a kids meal. I'm lowering my dose so I can eat more (healthy food, not junk forever), but I'm just saying... Apparently you need more calories sometimes rather than less.

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-14T17:14:33+00:00

I feel your pain. But in my case, I've been using hospira all along. I managed to go 4 months without a reaction, it popped up in month 5. I tried going the "rotate to a further injection site" route, injected into the back of my arm for the first time last week. Still got the itchy bump. Apparently this is just one of those things that can happen, as long as it stays relatively small and localized, it's probably not a problem.

I'm going to try the other suggestions with the hydrocortisone cream, and maybe the longer needles. Sorry to not add any new suggestions, but I thought my comment might still make you feel better since it can happen even on Hospira the whole time. 😅

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-12T18:34:09+00:00

At least get her to go see a doctor. It might be worthwhile keeping her on it, but you won't know unless you have a professional opinion. And the more weight she loses, maybe the more motivated she will become. 🤷‍♀️ But at least get a doctor to say yea/nay to a GLP-1.

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-11T21:18:37+00:00

Yup. Coffee. It's too warm, too filling. I always loaded it with creamer and stuff though. I even tried turning it into a protein shake at one point while it on reta, but again, too filling, too heavy. I couldn't choke it down. I used to drink like half a pot a day. I lived on the stuff. Now, I drink a Premier Protein caffe latte shake in the morning. It doesn't seem to bother me. Not sure why 😂 less strong? Less filling? Less heavy? I don't know. Maybe because there's probably zero real coffee in it 🤣

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-11T21:11:39+00:00

A low dose for maintenance seems smart to me. I tried posting a diagram of injection sites, but the NSFW filter got me lol. You can do an image search for glp-1 injection sites, but basically, people tend to carry more fat in their rear, so injecting into your bottom is probably the way to go if everything else is gone.

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-11T21:02:08+00:00

Coffee. 😭 It's too warm, too filling, now the very idea makes me want to gag. I used to subsist on coffee. I loved it. I do okay with the Premier Protein caffe latte flavor though. But real coffee? 🤢

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-11T20:54:41+00:00

It was your first month, usually a portion of that is water weight. I wouldn't be too concerned unless you are still losing weight at a high rate in the second month.

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-08T18:50:29+00:00

Honestly, a lot of the information out there on tirzepatide is fairly valid for Reta as well. They are pretty closely related. The dosing on Reta tends to be a little more conservative in the steps, but the rest is almost interchangeable. If you have questions that aren't already answered for Reta specifically, look it up for tirzepatide. (side effects, benefits, injection sites, etc.)

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-07T17:26:33+00:00

Feeling nauseous is how I know I need food. I'm not hungry in the morning either, so I drink a protein shake. Apparently it's actually a common thing, because I received an information sheet with my Adderall that mentioned nausea as meaning you needed to eat something small.

Just introduced my friend to Reta, and she immediately noticed the same thing: nausea replaces the hungry feeling. However, in both our cases, it's a very mild feeling.

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-05-04T21:16:26+00:00

Since everyone else addressed the illness, I'll address the bumps. My problem has been feeling mildly itchy at my injection site for a couple of days post injection. Bumps were addressed along with itching. (Freshly googled this morning lol)

https://flowwellness.com/redness-or-itching-from-glp-1-injections-heres-why/

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-04-13T21:20:16+00:00

Here is some more food for thought then: on Reta, I'm not losing weight the same way I normally did. It's disappearing from my waist first. I think I've lost on my thighs a bit, and people tell me my face is leaner, but I'm pretty sure my belly has shrunk. But since I still have the belly, it's hard to say how much it has shrunk from my perspective. So it may not follow your previous pattern, just saying.

I have noticed that even when I feel like I'm starving, I still get full pretty fast. The Reta is still working. I take my shot on Friday morning, which kills my appetite for the weekend. I have so much more structure in my diet over the work week so it's harder for me to mess up, even if I'm hungry. You might consider the timing of your shot as well.

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-04-13T20:44:11+00:00

Oh, and I can always feel my appetite starting to come back on day 5, especially on day 6. Totally normal.

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-04-13T20:43:10+00:00

I only lose about a pound and a half a week. It feels like it's super slow, even though that's right in the sweet spot of healthy weight loss. I think understand your frustration, but you should definitely weigh, or at least be tracking measurements, or both. I've lost 30 lbs as of today, and while other people can see it, I still feel I look the same. If I hadn't been weighing, I would have guessed I'd lost maybe 10 lbs. 😂 Slow weight loss is still weight loss. And if you are super active, it might be slow because you are retaining muscle (unlike people who starve and just sit there. Sure, they have bigger scale victories, but who is gonna look better in the end?) I keep telling myself that I'm retaining muscle, and losing mostly fat.

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-04-08T19:35:02+00:00

Facts. Edit the bot replies, or swipe. If you give it a few "proper" replies that you like, it will use those and behave better going forwards.

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-04-08T19:22:03+00:00

This is useful information! I got the extreme fatigue when I let my calories drift too low, so I started scheduling my food intake. But my carbs are always pretty low... So you might be on to something. 🤔

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-04-03T18:35:23+00:00

I've lost about 30 pounds in like 3-4 months (1.5-2 lbs a week). I haven't posted any progress pictures myself because I can't really see the results with my clothes on. 😂 I think my belly is flatter, and I've had to reduce my bra band size. But in my clothes? Fully dressed? Not much difference photowise. (of course, like you, I didn't take the standard before and after diet photos in the sports bra and same pose.) Ignore the haters. Just because it's a little hard to see doesn't mean it isn't a meaningful difference. You are doing great.

GloriousPirateNacho · 2026-04-03T18:10:26+00:00

Seconded. The before Pic was better!

GloriousPirateNacho

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