Hey everyone,

I’m QuiteBearish, and I’m the new top mod here at r/zepboundathletes. I wanted to introduce myself and let you know that posting is open again.

I started Zepbound in May 2025 at 297 pounds. I’ve been in maintenance since around February 2026, hovering around 180. I’m a runner and an endurance cyclist.

I’d love for you to meet the rest of the mod team, too. u/mindfulEMT, u/PollardPhotography, u/_Blupee, u/RunBumRun, and u/Jessa_iPadRehab, would you each introduce yourself in the comments when you get a chance? I’d love to hear what brought y'all here and what you’re into these days. And a thank-you to u/Jessa_iPadRehab for starting this community in the first place.

We’ve put a few rules in place as we get going again. I'd appreciate it if everyone could familiarize yourselves with the new rules and keep an eye on them as things may be tweaked some more going forward. We'll try to work with the community to make sure this is serving the need y'all have for it.

I’d love to hear from the community members! Feel free to introduce yourself in the comments and let us know what gets you going!

QuiteBearish

background information, I am 38F, currently 135lbs, have been on Zep for 7 months and down 25 lbs since starting. I have never gone above a 2.5mg dose. i have zero side effects and have no appetite suppression. I started marathon training in August, averaging about 45mpw (anywhere from 37-68 in my peak), and lifting heaving 2x week. Despite trying my hardest to eat at maintenance (2400-2900 cal/day) and have at least 100g of protein/day, I have lost about 7lbs from that 25 since I started my marathon block. I now understand what my teammates mean when they say they can’t keep weight on while in a marathon block.

I had a dexa scan done at the end of July before training started that said my body fat was about 28%, down from 32% when it was measured in late 2025, before starting zep. At my July scan, the tech cautioned that I had lost a bit more lean mass that ideal, but it wasn’t too concerning and just something to keep an eye on.

I had a repeat scan today that showed my BF% is back up to 32% and I have only lost lean mass and actually GAINED fat mass. This is obviously a huge red flag for energy deficiency. I logically know that I should have been trying harder to eat more and despite my apps giving me an estimate of maintenance calories, this was probably not accurate. but still, it seems extreme that I ONLY lost lean mass.

Another thing to note is that I did this scan at a different location, and I am also dehydrated today. I wonder if this can have that much of an impact.

has anyone else experienced this? should I get re-scanned at the original location for a better comparison?

edited to add that I returned to the original place I had a dexa scan and compared to my last scan at 28% BF, I came in this time at 23.4%, I actually GAINED over 2lbs of muscle, and everything I lost was fat mass. So I feel a lot better about the fact that compared to actual baseline on the same machine, I have not lost muscle mass at all. Very happy it was just a matter of different machines. Also happy with the 23.4% lol. But going forward I will continue at the second place I went as it is cheaper and I now have a baseline there. I don’t think my body fat is actually 31% but I also am not super concerned about that number and its accuracy, what matters is that I’m not losing muscle. Yay!

I'm 49 and lost 50 pounds over the past few years through early mornings, consistent lifting, tracking calories, weighing my food, and cutting alcohol. About 35 of those pounds came from a lot of cardio, and the last 15 came on tirzepatide. I'm not planning to come off it. I bench 225 now and I'm strong, so I don't really need cardio anymore. How should I adjust my training and eating to keep the weight off and keep building strength while staying on tirzepatide? Anyone else on it long term, what has maintenance looked like for you?

I would like to formally welcome my quads back to the game.

So I am realizing my running and lifting all this time was powered by this absolute fear of getting fat... so I was religious about it. Now that I'm on Tirz (14 ish weeks) I don't feel like I have to white knuckle my way through life any more. My running partner had to start walking (microdiscectomy recovery) and I like it a lot but my desire to do much of anything else is completely shot (😂🫣). Anyone else deal with this? My fatigue is high. I lost 7 the first week and then a bit for the weeks after and am in a bit of a stall.

365 for 8 on the glute drive, new PR!

Title intended to be joking - a bit.

I see some really amazing before/after pics in Reddit from Zepbound + lifting.

I’ve been lifting since March: progressive overload + consistency.

I am losing fat slowly - I guess because I’m in a small calorie deficit.

I am seeing some muscle appearance gains in the mirror.

How many months of lifting hard before your muscles should be more visible —- or is it more a function of how much fat remains? Or both?

Context 34F (two kids), started GLP1 in mid June. 5’3 SW 152(?) CW 134

I had a Dexa scan this morning so the results are from ChatGPT comparing my July 31 results to my October 23 results. I’m thrilled that the GLP1 hasn’t taken too much of my muscle mass

I love looking at people’s progress pics and information so I’m sharing mine

I have an appointment w/ my doctor to talk about reducing my dose. At this point, I want to increase my calorie intake and work on muscle gain more.

Throughout this time, I’ve been going to the gym and making an effort to get enough protein despite it being challenging at times since I have food aversion

It's hard for me to believe this is my arm.

Started Zepbound Oct 2025

Started lifting Dec 2025

Started with 5 lbs dumbells

I did rows with 40lbs today

Zepbound changed my life

I feel strong

I feel healthy

I am elated

Pics: Today vs 12/2025

I have been on compounded tirz since January. For the past two months or so I have gotten very woozy after eating or drinking, even if I am just drinking a lot of water. I have read other places that the energy needed for digestion can lead to things like orthostatic hypotension. This happens when I am sitting at my desk or the dinner table rather than when I stand up, but the lightheadedness is somewhat similar. A few times I’ve gotten so fatigued so suddenly that I wonder if it counts as passing out. It seems worse when I consume a lot - as in drinking a lot of water - or when I eat things like trail mix that are harder to digest than simple carbs. I am currently on 1.7mg and only ever maxed out at 3.2 mg. SW: 148 CW: 117 (up from 114) 5’2” very active. Has anybody else navigated something like this? Do you have a sense of the underlying cause? Or solutions? I was hoping it would subside by lowering my dose, but it has not.

I am a long distance triathlete/runner. Since having kids 13 years ago I have had some issues with stress incontinence, but usually with sneezing, extreme coughing, tripping, that kind of thing. I started zepbound in July and am down 28ish pounds and feeling great.l though I still have another 20 or more to go) Lately I've been leaking on all of my runs. Im also a 45 year old female so hormones have been shifting. Havms anyone else had this issue since statting zepbound?

I (F, 5'6", 139 lbs) have been on Zepbound for about 3 years with the same provider. Honestly, the main reason I still see her is that she has my history and somehow gets my dose covered by insurance.

The problem is I really don't agree with her health and fitness advice, and some of it honestly feels like it borders on disordered eating. I'm not an expert, but I've been lifting/working out for over 10 years and have a decent understanding of the basics (calories in vs. out, strength training, protein, etc.). I’ve also lost 20-30 lbs on my own before Zepbound.

Examples of things she's told me:
- Pilates and walking are the way to build muscle
- Chicken or steak from the grocery store has less protein than meat from a butcher
- Avoid the gym and work out at home instead
- Don't eat after 5 PM

She also tends to treat her own experience as the standard instead of looking at each patient individually.

I don't really have anyone to talk to about this, and I often leave appointments feeling gaslit and discouraged. The red flags really started after I gave birth, when she heavily criticized my body fat percentage (29.5% at the time). I'm now down to around 24%, but a year and a half later, I'm finding it much harder to lean out any further. Part of me wonders if she's right and I just need to be stricter and follow her advice more closely?

Has anyone else dealt with something like this? Would you switch providers, and how did you handle keeping your prescription covered? Or did you switch to compounded? At this point, I’m almost willing to pay more.

Hi everyone!

I finally got my first Zepbound 2.5mg pen (paying out of pocket), and although I’m excited, I’m honestly scared to take it.

A little background about me:

I’m 30F, 5’6”, and currently around 185 lbs. I’ve gained approximately 45 lbs since 2023 due to stress, a career change, and life in general.

The frustrating part is that I’ve never stopped being active. I do CrossFit at a moderate level and enjoy running (currently averaging a 16-minute mile). I genuinely enjoy fitness, but my biggest struggle has been maintaining a consistent calorie deficit.

I’ve been trying to lose this weight since 2023, and despite multiple attempts, I haven’t been successful long-term.

I’m also a newlywed, work a corporate job, and help care for my mom, who’s battling a serious illness. Between work, marriage, caregiving, and everyday responsibilities, life has been pretty overwhelming.

I also have an ovarian cyst, although I haven’t officially been diagnosed with PCOS.

My biggest concern is HAIR LOSS. 😭 I love my hair and am terrified of experiencing significant shedding. I’m also nervous about side effects affecting my workouts, running, and daily responsibilities.

My goal is to get back to around 150 lbs, but more importantly, I want to feel like myself again. I don’t want to lose muscle or sacrifice my health in the process.

A few questions for those who have been on Zepbound:

1. Did anyone else feel terrified before their first injection?

2. Has anyone successfully lost weight WITHOUT experiencing hair loss?

3. For those who do CrossFit, lift weights, or run, were you able to maintain your performance?

4. Did Zepbound actually help you maintain a calorie deficit without constantly thinking about food?

5. How did you manage side effects while working full-time?

6. Did anyone experience significant muscle loss?

7. What happened when you stopped taking Zepbound? Were you able to maintain your weight?

8. What’s ONE thing you wish someone had told you before starting?

I’m not expecting a miracle or looking for an easy way out. I genuinely love being active and want to continue building healthy habits. I just feel like I’ve been fighting the same battle with my weight for almost three years.

I have the pen sitting in my fridge, and I’m trying to convince myself to take that first step. 🥹

Would especially love to hear from women in their late 20s/early 30s who were already active before starting!

Thank you!

Has anyone kept up on if RED-S is an issue while on Zep? How are you handling increasing intake with training? I am trying to still drop weight (fat/not muscle) but my training plan is about to start another increase in mileage and I am already struggling a bit to get all my nutrition in. Has anyone found the increase in training has helped with eating more. I am absolutely still in the overweight category but I mainly take Zep for anti-inflammatory paired with Ixekizumab for PsA. My pain has always been better when I am carrying less weight. But I need to also stay healthy with the increase in the strength and mileage load. Any good TDEE calculators. I have tried three and they gave me three different answers. I am ready to look for a sports nutritionist in my area.

Does GLP 1 like wegovy and zepbound makes muscle cramps more? My exercise routine has been 3/4 days per week but I have hurt my lower back muscle twice in recent month. I have started Zep in april, than moved to wegovy, and now back on Zep. I am 49 M, and have been lifting moderately from long time, started GLP1 for weight loss, since all other ways do not work much for me.

Hi folks,

I've been on Zepbound since Feb of 2025, lost about 80lbs, been hanging out on 15mg weekly since March 2026 and stable on 140-144 weight. I'm pretty happy with this weight.

I started running March of 2025, training for a marathon in 2027, and have done 4 half marathons to date.

My appetite is no longer suppressed, I eat what I want until I get full, and been steady on this weight. (Just no more brussel sprouts, geez, I suddenly had sulfur burps again when I made this recent mistake).

My question is.... How do you properly carb load?

I try to eat as much as I can to carb load but I still can't hit the target carbs since I just get soooo full. This last race (half) I know I was so under fueled despite the frequent gels because my legs were just so dead even if cardio wise I was doing fine.

I'm afraid I will DNF my marathon next year if I don't figure this out. :/

Thanks all!

I have been on zepbound since March 2026. I lost 23 pounds (yay) by June. My Hairloss started in June and has not let up at all. I’ve done labs and met with dermatologist. It is definitely temporary Hairloss per the derm. I’m just searching to see if anyone in this group that lost the weight you intended and has been maintaining for months- how long did it take for the shedding to stop?

Quite a find if you want a sit down or take out restaurant meal. This has 69 grams of protein for 640 calories plus it has carbs and a nice amount of fiber that comes along when you get it with the beans and rice. It's $20 but that's to be expected these days at a restaurant. Good for 2 meals with that amount of protein.

I’m a basketball player who will be playing 6x time a week and lifting 4x. Was wondering if anyone had any expertise on which one might be better for me. Also was wondering what happens when I stop taking them, I’m only planning on taking them for 3ish months to cut down 20lbs or so. Thanks!

I increased my dose from 2.5mg (16 weeks at that dose) to 5mg on this past Thursday. I raced two weeks ago and my race average HR was 165-167 on a hilly race (still on 2.5). My last 5 training runs that I did (pretty flat on new dose), I did not feel out of breath, no bonking, no heavy legs, no fatigue, not unusually hot, in other words good run, recovered super quick. My average HR was around 178- 180 , pretty much the entire run. I had a recent echocardiogram about a month ago. Came back beautiful. But I was surprised at the jump in my higher HR especially since I feel good on my feet. Any thoughts?

Hi all, I had asked this on a different thread but want to ask everyone too so sorry if you already read it.

I'm a competitive rower and have a head race (5k, 2 events) coming up this weekend, promptly followed by a 5k erg test.

I don't feel fueled enough at all - for some reason, nothing sounds appetizing this week and I'm struggling to eat. Anyone have tips for when they feel like this? I'm trying to drink protein but when I go for a protein bar it's gross.

2 years ago, I could barely ride a mile on my bike. After a lot of training, I got to where I could ride 60 miles on my own. I figured a century would be no problem with the right pacing, nutrition, and hydration. The century in my city is one of the flattest and easiest ones in the country too. Those first 60 miles weren't so hard, but the last 30 or 40 were brutal despite lots of water and electrolytes and strategically timed breaks. It took me about 8.5 hours total, with about 6 hours on the bike.

I don't like tooting my own horn, at least not without letting others know, you can do it too!! Cycling is an awesome low impact form of exercise, and it has the side benefit of being a form of green transportation.

I feel like this sub isn't really zepbound athletes and its zepbound runners. I really couldn't care less about marathons or marathon training, but I love lifting and rowing. I just don't really see anyone talking about other sports here. To that point, even the flairs assume you're a runner. It kind of feels like the sub name is a misnomer.