Heather · @heathers_health_journey1
Tirzepatide week 5 — first week on 5 mg
Published
“This dose felt more powerful — and I still had to force myself to eat.”
Chapters
Heather’s update is about dose escalation — her first week on 5 mg compounded tirzepatide after a quieter month on 2.5 mg. This is her third GLP-1 attempt (Zepbound, then compounded semaglutide, now tirzepatide). If you’re about to step up a dose and want an honest read on appetite, mistakes, and pacing, start here.
- Med
- Compounded tirzepatide (5 mg week 1)
- Prior tries
- Zepbound → compounded semaglutide → tirzepatide
- Start (this run)
- 180.0 lb
- Week 5 weigh-in
- 175.6 lb
- Pace
- ~1 lb/week (her baseline)
5 mg felt different from 2.5
After a quiet month on the loading dose, the first week at 5 mg brought a clear shift.
Strong appetite suppression
Low interest in food — she was forcing herself to eat, not chasing hunger.
180 → 175.6 — slow and fine
About a pound a week is her normal pace; she calls herself a turtle and accepts it.
One big meal still hurt
Ate more than she intended and felt bloated until bedtime.
Tips for bumping the dose
Light meals around injection day, extra hydration, and plan a slower day if you can.
Loading dose vs 5 mg
On 2.5 mg she mostly rebuilt habits — protein, smaller portions, no strong side effects. After one week at 5 mg she could tell the difference.
Numbers and slow pace
She started this run at 180.0 lb and weighed 175.6 lb yesterday — good progress for her. She’s a slow loser (~1 lb/week) and says that’s fine. The scale story matters less than learning how your body responds when the dose changes.
When you overdo it
She ate a larger meal than she meant to and felt awful — bloated and uncomfortably full until bedtime. Ups and downs still happen after a bump; portion awareness matters more when suppression is strong.
What she’d tell someone stepping up
Skip heavy meals right before or after the shot, hydrate more than feels necessary, keep meals light around injection day, and take a slower day afterward if your schedule allows — especially the first time at a new dose. And if the bump feels like nothing at all, she says that can be normal too.
Questions for a clinician
More on early weeks: First weeks on a GLP-1.
- When should I step up a dose, and what side effects mean pause or call?
- How do I keep enough protein in when appetite drops sharply?
- What’s a realistic pace if I’m a “slow loser” like her?
Also in First months
This story belongs to Heather. Watch the full video on YouTube