170 lbs gone, “officially in my muscle mommy era”
She hit goal and kept the muscle. Three lifting days a week, protein she actually tracked, and a GLP-1 doing the part willpower never could.
Body
Lean, strong, and hot after the weight loss
The GLP-1 map with real prices, the recomp era, and the part nobody covers: what to do about the face, skin, and hair on the way down.
Her photos, not ours
The receipts
70 lbs down at 47, “Zepbound changed my life”
47 years old, 5’1”, 70 pounds gone in under a year. She wore the dress she'd been saving.
12 weeks, 125 to 105, on a peptide stack
The scale barely moved. The shape did. Reta to lean out, a GH-peptide stack to build, and lifting to hold it together.
The short version
What this is and why it works
GLP-1 agonists (tirzepatide, semaglutide, retatrutide) suppress appetite at the receptor level — they're the reason the "how did she do it" conversation shifted overnight. The trick isn't just losing. It's losing without trading your face, your hair, or your muscle for the number on the scale. That takes a stack: the peptide to cut, the protein to hold, and the compound work to build. This is the map.
The plan
Three levels, one stack
Start at the top. Go as deep as you want. Every item has an HOD Score (how strong the evidence is) and a real price.
01
Start here
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) A
The dual-agonist everyone's on. Start at 2.5 mg/week, titrate up. Needs a prescription.
from $180/mo HOD Score: Proven
Protein tracking + resistance training A
1 g per lb of goal weight. Three days a week minimum. Non-negotiable if you want to keep the muscle.
$0–60/mo HOD Score: Proven
02
Go deeper
Retatrutide B
Triple agonist. Faster recomp, more appetite suppression than tirzepatide alone. Still in trials but compounded versions exist.
$200–350/mo HOD Score: Strong
CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin B
GH-secretagogue stack. Supports lean mass preservation during a cut. Subcutaneous, daily or 5-on-2-off.
$120–200/mo HOD Score: Strong
03
Full stack
BPC-157 C
The recovery peptide. Joint and tendon support when you're lifting heavy through a deficit. Oral or injectable.
$80–150/mo HOD Score: Promising
GHK-Cu (post-weight-loss skin) C
Copper peptide for the skin laxity that comes after major weight loss. Injectable, batch-tested.
$89/mo HOD Score: Promising
What to expect
The timeline
Weeks 1–4: appetite drops, energy shifts. Months 2–4: visible weight loss, clothes fit differently. Months 4–8: recomp phase — the scale slows but the shape changes. Month 6+: maintenance dose or taper. The muscle work never stops.
Where to go
The provider path
Start with a telehealth provider who prescribes tirzepatide (Ro, Hims/Hers, Henry Meds, or a local obesity medicine clinic). Compounded versions are cheaper than brand. Ask about titration schedules and lab work. You want someone who monitors, not just prescribes.
You've seen the plan. Now build yours.
Three questions. We show you the protocol, the prices, and the evidence before we ask for your email.
Get hotter now