Weight loss and toning?

[RedXXSouth]

My wife has struggled since we got together with keeping her weight where she wants it. It is difficult for me to understand because I can run a mile and lose 5lbs a day. When we met she was 130lbs now she is 170ish. She doesn't look bad at all but is pissed she works out so much and doesn't gain muscle or lose weight.
Seriously she works out 6-7 days a weeks since before we met. She used to do 2-3 hours of cardio a day. Now she does more weights but I watch her work outs and they are intense. I don't see her eating an excessively bad diet. I do alot of cooking and it is southern food like smothered st3ak, stew. I do eat steak usually once a week and she likes light Mexican food like questions.

We tried semiglutide from a UG source with moderate results. I think over 6 weeks she lost maybe 10 lbs. Not the crazy weight loss you hear about everywhere. She also did semiglutides from a doctor with about the same results or less. Now thinking about adding anavar to help tone her muscles. What do you think? She really just wants to hit her target weight and maintain a little tone. She is 42.
Should we try semiglutides from a different source, anavar, or what?

 

[Fattyone]

Let her eat normal for a couple weeks and weigh and track everything. Your problem will reveal itself.

 

[RedXXSouth]

Let her eat normal for a couple weeks and weigh and track everything. Your problem will reveal itself.

She has been for the past 4 weeks off semiglutides at least. I cannot track her food for her I'm not there enough. I will tell her though.

 

[buck]

She stopped doing hours of cardio and started gaining weight. That is not shocking. People gain weight/fat because of what they eat. Less calories = lower body weight.

 

[RedXXSouth]

InShe stopped doing hours of cardio and started gaining weight. That is not shocking. People gain weight/fat because of what they eat. Less calories = lower body weight.

Look I understand that completely but she works out still all the time and doesn't eat that much. She is a health nut type person. No sodas, almost no sugar, small portions most of the time. The way she hits weights and still does cardio almost everyday for 45- an hour, she should be toned asf. I would wonder if it is a hormonal thing but she doesn't have any other signs of menopause or anything like that. If I hit legs like her I would look like a freak.

 

[buck]

Look I understand that completely but she works out still all the time and doesn't eat that much. She is a health nut type person. No sodas, almost no sugar, small portions most of the time. The way she hits weights and still does cardio almost everyday for 45- an hour, she should be toned asf. I would wonder if it is a hormonal thing but she doesn't have any other signs of menopause or anything like that. If I hit legs like her I would look like a freak.

99+% of the time it is a calorie thing. Without out knowing for many calories she actually eats even when you are not around is what is needed. Obviously if she is gaining bodyfat know matter what, she it taking in more then she needs. For her activity level. Many female competitors get down to 1200 calories or less a day. Even if she has a hormone issue then she should be tired and fatigued if she was eating very little. But you don't report lack of energy. As an outsider i would guess she is eating more then she says. I have seen that happen in far more in relationships from men and women then any real medical issue. I am sure that is not what you wanted to hear. If you are worries about her hormones then get her tested. Thyroid, Estrogen etc.

 

[Fattyone]

Doesn’t matter how healthy she eats and how much she does cardio if the calories aren’t right.

I can get fat off chicken breast and white rice. In fact I just did that basically haha

If you think it’s hormones then go get them checked. We started through defy for my wife and enjoyed the care and process.

 

[primojuju]

It's most likely just calories, have her weigh EVERYTHING that she eats and track it accurately. No volume measurements like cups or tbs, weigh food to the gram. Look at micros too, low iron and vitamins can prevent normal processes from being optimal, more so for women.

 

[Tbaz192]

All the replies so far are pretty correct, we’re all from an outside perspective so obviously we don’t know everything going on.
I always start with getting full labs done. Just to make sure everything is in good range. Especially being “older”

& Just spit balling here.
With my girl in particular. Mid 20’s tho. It took us a while to really dial in her ideal calories for the goal set. Once we figured it out. We started adjusting everything else. It takes a while. But that’s just the name of the game with bodybuilding and fitness. Seeing what little tweaks here and there do, that’s the fun part. Your body love to adapt and plateau.
So we focused on training/cardio and how these different calories with different sources of carbs/fats/protein affected her. this is over weeks. You just have to experiment! Unfortunately everyone is different. I know girls/women who push 3000 calories and get leaner. And then others who can’t barely eat in a surplus without getting a lot of fat.

Just don’t rely on the gear/compounds. To do the work. If the food isn’t locked in for the goal set, it won’t matter.

 

[JesSlayin]

Without knowing her actual caloric intake and macro breakdown.... It's sorta hard to say. Even people that appear to eat "great" can still over eat and throw them in a surplus. Also, you didn't list her height or estimated bf%.
It's definitely plausible that since she cut the cardio she's now eating at about her maintenance. Which may be enough to sustain her activities, but not enough to support the muscle growth she's looking for, especially if she's under eating protein.

Given her age she may be hitting perimenopause which could be throwing her hormones off slightly. Gets harder to add muscle as you age. Might be worth getting some labs done to see where things are at. Especially if her cycle is becoming irregular.

I wouldn't say her results on the sema were terrible. You didn't list her dosages in that time..But if in 6 weeks she dropped 10lbs.. That's a 1.6lb loss per week, and a 5.8% total body mass loss in that time. Not terrible numbers for someone who isn't starting out obese (I'll assume she's not, but again, I don't know her height). The dramatic numbers you usually hear are usually from people who have metabolic issues (insulin resistance), are very overweight, have poor eating habits, and/or are generally sedentary. So it's a drastic change in lifestyle for them which triggers the big losses.

Definitely have her track her calories/macros for a little bit. If the fat loss is the main goal, she could continue the sema and see how it goes over a longer period of time. Some people don't see much change with it till they're on a slightly higher dose. Maintain her current weight training while in a deficit to not lose any muscle she has... Then go into a bulk to build more muscle once she's dropped her bf% down some.

 

[TessaM]

Perimenopause can start a decade before menopause and it can lead to redistribution of body fat and insulin resistance, even in fit women who eat right. The hormonal changes start taking place long before actual menopause. And not every woman gets the 'typical' symptoms of menopause either--although consider that weight gain and a drop in calories required for maintenance is in fact a symptom too.

She should have her FSH and E2 levels checked first off, she might be surprised. 42 is not too young.

That said, if sema was working but just not dramatically, and she's willing to keep on, try tirzepatide or better yet retatrutide -- they're more effective. Tirzepatide re-sensitizes pancreatic b-cells as well, so if there is insulin resistance going on, it'll be a lot more effective than sema.

 

[odiblemoon]

S

Perimenopause can start a decade before menopause and it can lead to redistribution of body fat and insulin resistance, even in fit women who eat right. The hormonal changes start taking place long before actual menopause. And not every woman gets the 'typical' symptoms of menopause either--although consider that weight gain and a drop in calories required for maintenance is in fact a symptom too.

She should have her FSH and E2 levels checked first off, she might be surprised. 42 is not too young.

That said, if sema was working but just not dramatically, and she's willing to keep on, try tirzepatide or better yet retatrutide -- they're more effective. Tirzepatide re-sensitizes pancreatic b-cells as well, so if there is insulin resistance going on, it'll be a lot more effective than sema.

Seconding the tirze and/or Reta suggestion!

 

[muffincakery]

I've tried semaglutide with limited success. I found Tirzepatide and Retatrutide to be much more effective. Since starting retatrutide I've gotten to a weight I never thought was possible. Would recommend giving that a shot that if semaglutide is not working.

 

[Hsiwuoyemanyna]

Look I understand that completely but she works out still all the time and doesn't eat that much. She is a health nut type person. No sodas, almost no sugar, small portions most of the time. The way she hits weights and still does cardio almost everyday for 45- an hour, she should be toned asf. I would wonder if it is a hormonal thing but she doesn't have any other signs of menopause or anything like that. If I hit legs like her I would look like a freak.

Her age is a key indicator of what is likely the culprit: perimenopause. She may not think she is having symptoms of perimenopause, but what she is experiencing ARE the symptoms. Some (most?) perimenopausal women can eat a perfectly balanced diet with all macros in tune, work out religiously, sleep like the dead, and still experience noticeable loss of muscle tone and steady increase in weight.

I have watched this happen to my older sister and her description was basically her body was at war with her. HRT helped somewhat but she never tried GH or anavar or peptides so who knows what those would have done to improve her symptoms.

The answer is above my pay grade, but maybe @Type-IIx or another with deep knowledge can give more insight on how to bring this under control and start to reverse it.

 

[Type-IIx]

Her age is a key indicator of what is likely the culprit: perimenopause. She may not think she is having symptoms of perimenopause, but what she is experiencing ARE the symptoms. Some (most?) perimenopausal women can eat a perfectly balanced diet with all macros in tune, work out religiously, sleep like the dead, and still experience noticeable loss of muscle tone and steady increase in weight.

I have watched this happen to my older sister and her description was basically her body was at war with her. HRT helped somewhat but she never tried GH or anavar or peptides so who knows what those would have done to improve her symptoms.

The answer is above my pay grade, but maybe @Type-IIx or another with deep knowledge can give more insight on how to bring this under control and start to reverse it.

Nothing more to add.

I mean, she can start ERT with some testosterone as has become en vogue if she wants.

 

[RedXXSouth]

I've tried semaglutide with limited success. I found Tirzepatide and Retatrutide to be much more effective. Since starting retatrutide I've gotten to a weight I never thought was possible. Would recommend giving that a shot that if semaglutide is not working.

Retratutide? Where does that come from?