Researcher E

A fat dad rebuilding his health with peptides, lifting, and data.

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

I'm E.

A husband. Dad to two little kids. The sole provider for my family, trying to make it in Southern California.

I'm 6'3". Not long ago, I weighed over 330 lbs.

For years, I've chased better health and a lower number on the scale. I've lost weight, gained it back, and repeated the cycle more times than I can count.

I've tried:
- Counting calories
- Keto
- OMAD
- Multi-day fasts
- A 40-day water fast
- Heavy lifting
- And now, peptides

Then everything changed.

A herniated disc led to emergency cauda equina surgery. Recovery forced me to rethink what being "healthy" actually means.

This account is my public journal as I rebuild - losing fat, building muscle, collecting data, and trying to become healthier for the people who depend on me.

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

I'm all for capitalism.

There will always be customers willing to pay more for convenience, service, education, or peace of mind.

It's no different than buying a new BMW instead of a used Corolla. Both get you from A to B. Some people value the brand and comfort enough to pay for it.

A race to the bottom on price isn't necessarily a bad thing either. Lower prices mean more people can afford these compounds. There will always be idiots. There are plenty of people with drivers lisences that probably shouldn't drive but we don't make a DL inaccessible for a majority for the sake of the idiots.

That said, the market is probably going to change sooner rather than later. If you're sitting on a large inventory of RUO product expecting today's liquidity to last forever, that's a problem.

Some people are chasing millions - which is fine, just don't be mad when someone who is ok with making less undercuts you. At some point, a peptide is just a peptide, just like a car is just a car.

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@TheDudeUpNorth I mean, I love pizza as much as the next guy and I feel ya but - a knife and fork? 😭

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@RetaDiary @roccaJ21 Oh, do tell more! Is the thought to give your metabolism a mini shock and continue on? Does a refeed day mainly calories above your maintenance?

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@irvinnofficial My wife is starting tomorrow. After two kids in the last 5 years and hard dieting she's looking forward to the boost.

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@Eddierose222 @irvinnofficial Yeah, just what I was thinking

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@irvinnofficial Glad I'm not the only one. Currently on week 6m thinking about adding MoTS-C next week.

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@DocAbirHealth The hunched overlook is a shame.

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

For the last decade my A1C has bounced between 5.7 and 5.9. A few months ago I finally started checking fasting blood sugar and it was consistently 115+.

If I'm being honest, I avoided checking it on purpose.

It's like pretending your car doesn't need an oil change and hoping it just keeps running forever. Willfull Ignorance is bliss sometimes. 😆

This week my fasting glucose has been in the low 100s. One morning it even dipped under 100.

It's important for me to track wins that show up elsewhere besides the scale.

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@RetaDiary Yeah, I'm working on accepting it too. Maybe in a few more months it'll be a distant memory.

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@Jainadave_ I've yo-yoed so much that I can't say I regret not starting earlier. Been at it since I left highschool. I have clothes in every size for my fat, medium, and fit seasons 😆

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@_9th_Life_ I forsee TRT in my future. I do, however, fear the potential hair loss. I'm prone to it. Been on finasteride for 13 years and have managed to keep what I have. We'll see.

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

Part of me likes the idea of having other "poke days" (my wife's term) to look forward to.

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

Before starting, I was usually ok on 6-7 hours. Lately, it feels like I need 9-10 just to feel human. I ended up moving my workouts to after work, but that cuts into family time. My wife hasn't been a fan of my new schedule since she's usually going nuts by 4-5pm.

From what I've read, this could just be an adaptation phase that eventually levels out. 🤞

I've also been reading up on MOTS-c as a possible way to help with morning energy and fat metabolism. I'm between patience and adaptation vs "send it!" 🤷

307lbs this morning, down from 330lb about 5-6 weeks ago.

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@Namlik1031 For our sake, I hope that's all it affects.

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

I never thought I'd be emotionally invested in an FDA filing. Yet here we are.

Lilly's announcement today has me nervous.

The company seems confident it will secure a biologics classification for reta, which could give it market exclusivity for years. I think this is BS but never understestiamte the power of money and lobying. If that happens, it will likely have a major impact on compounding and the gray market.

As someone who's benefiting from reta, this is hard not to think about. My biggest worry is that it could put this medication out of reach for people like me for years to come.

Time will tell, but it's something I'll be watching very closely.

https://t.co/hAenCWwU3w

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@fitcapbiohacker Peptides now are what AI was a year ago, people are refusing to believe that they're here to stay. Adapt or get left behind and Shreli should definitely be left behind.

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@rorynotsorry Rory is trying to get his inventory out while it's still relatively easy to do so! Take my money! 😆

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@PeptidePartners Where the 12mg glp-3 vials at?

[Researcher E @lakemandude]

@ogsvg @rorynotsorry Stop! Already spent too much with them this month 😭