posted Tue, 04/28/2026 - 09:39
1040
Low Energy & Motivation during cut
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So for those who have been following me and my extreme weight loss transformation, I need some help. Last 7-10 days I just feel…. Like I’m not tired. Just having that drive and motivation to get up and do my cardio. To lift. I still do it. But it’s like my energy and what not is just plummeted. I do high carb day once a week, eating at least 230g of daily protein. Minimum of 1 liter of water. Full supplement stacks. I know one reason is the Reta , I got the side effect of nothing gets me excited or enjoyment like it used to. But yeah any advice would be appreciated.
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Ive been cutting for 4 months or so and what i can say without equivocation is, depending on where youre at bf% wise, when i moved from 1300 to 1700 calories my whole world opened up. I wasn't super tired but my NEAT and TDEE was down, and I knew something wasn't quite right. Once I shifted up a bit the fat started stripping off my body. Last week I started a maintenance break which I still probably about a 500 calorie deficit but I wanted to slowly desensitize myself for the final 6 week push to 9%bf. You cant always rely on strict adherence to a set of numbers to get you where you wanna go. Your body fights the whole process....hard. So more gear or supps to mask what its telling you may end up making it that much more difficult. Now if youre 5%bf....you might just gotta suffer brother that is when your body says FUCK YOU and there are ways to make it easier but I cant speak to them because I haven't lived it.
What mg of reta are you on? And what supplements are you taking im currently on 2mg reta. Also "nothing gets me excited or enjoyment like it used to" is possibly anehdonia
Adding stims and increasing Mytochondrial Function are what's missing here. This is the perfect time to employ stims to further your cut and get your energy up. Clen specifically here to target extra fat loss. No other stim specifically targets fatloss like clen does. Clen + t3 upon waking and you'll have more energy than you know what to do with. Add in SLU-PP-332 500mg 4x/Day and your recovery and energy production will be unreal. Add Methylene Blue 10-20mg/Day upon waking for an even better synergy and even further enhanced mitochodrial function(Energy Production). Also taking your GH during the day will make you tired AF and rob you off some much needed energy during a cutting phase, dose it all in one bolus before bed. Unless your somebody w/ heart issues who can't handle clen/stims on a cut. Clen, T3, ECA, SLU-PP-332, Methylene Blue... If you're not employing these on a cut you're making things much harder on yourself than you need to. I cut hard/deep every year. People that see me in the gym every day trip out on how fast I get shredded when I cut. On a side note, this is also where I would add tren in, the last half of the cut. When I cut, I go hard. I wanna get in, get the fat off as fast as possible and get out. Get back to the off season and back to making gains.
Without knowing his current meds if any this advice can be very dangerous. Serotonin Syndrome isn't something to fuck with. No offense to you bro, just real world talk.
He didn't say anything about being on an SSRI, if he did I missed that. That's just how I cut, it's what works for me. It's good to see what works for others when he's trying to brainstorm and adjust his approach right now. But yes you wouldn't wanna run MB if you take an SSRI
Yes, he didn't say any personal medications. This is why I said what I did just in case. As for you, please be careful bro. That's a lot of stimulants all stacked together. The last thing any of us wanna hear is that one of our bros had a heart attack or a bad cardiovascular incident/serotonin incident that seriously hurt them. We need to have each other's backs when it comes to health so please be careful and keep killin it in the gym for years to come bro.
Appreciate the kind words. I will say though, agreeing with you for harm reduction purposes, I do believe that's the only time you should be taking stims is on a cut, preferably later in the cut. I think it's actually much worse on guys taking their daily PWO/stims before their lift, sucking down energy drinks, etc... That's what will end up killing you right there. When you learn how to properly eat like a bodybuilder you don't need a PWO to lift, you just need a couple good high carbs meals in before you train, carbs are all the fuel you need. Save the stims for your cut, because you're going to need them.
I totally agree on the energy drinks and pwo's. I see guys all the time sucking down energy drinks talking like..."but it has bcaa's in it" lol. Terrible. I also see guys doubling up on pwo's and I'm thinkin bro...you just crushed 600mg of caffeine! Terrible! Then they go hit legs heavy as fuck while their hearts racing 5000mph and have no clue why they feel sick or just like ass 30 min later. I'm a firm believer in properly timed carb energy 100%. It kills me when guys are on a cut and virtually eliminate carbs from their diet...walking around all day flat as hell like a zombie. Guys try to research and scrutinize the shit out of their diet, but what they fail to do is learn about proper timing. Carbs are a major asset with key timing.
Big bro,
I feel you on this … that “I’ll still do it, but the drive ain’t there” phase is pretty much part of the game when you push a cut hard.
Couple things I’d look at based on what you said…
First … water.
1 liter ain’t even close, especially if you’re training + doing cardio. You should be closer to 50ml per kg, which for most guys ends up around a gallon+ daily. Being underhydrated alone can tank performance, mood, everything.
Second … the deficit itself.
People underestimate this… but a sustained caloric deficit is basically your body going:
“we’re not in a good place right now”
CNS slows down, dopamine drops, motivation dips… that’s not you’re weak or anything like that … that’s biology doing its job.
Now about the Reta, bro …
The glucagon activity should actually help energy output a bit…
A lot of guys report that “nothing excites me” feeling on other GLP-1(sema or tirze). Appetite goes down… but so does that reward/drive signal specially if food intake isn’t good enough.
So you’re kinda stacking:
Caloric deficit, possible CNS fatigue, blunted reward signaling…
That combo will humble anyone.
I wouldn’t try to “push harder” right now.
I’d probably:
Run a small surplus (5–10%) for 7–10 days or at least hit true maintenance
Let your body and CNS breathe a bit
Then come back into the cut cleaner
Or at minimum, restructure the carb cycling … sometimes that one refeed day ain’t enough depending on how aggressive the deficit is.
Also worth checking:
Sleep quality (huge here)
Electrolytes (not just water)
Bloodwork if you’ve been pushing hard for a while (thyroid, test, etc.)
This sounds like your system tapping you on the shoulder like:
“hey… we need a little reset”
Curious though …
how aggressive is your deficit right now? And how much weight have you dropped recently?
That’ll tell a lot.
Yup!!!
This is great advise
Very thoughtful and thorough advice here.
Jrihard89Run that small surplus and have a nice dinner out with some friends or family! Looks like he’s cut a ton of fat off. He’s probably fried like you said. Definitely needs just a relaxing night too. Enjoy family/friends. Make a huge difference in the long run.
Fax
100% on the water intake and an electrolyte powder with a higher potassium than sodium content... Get 4-6k mg of potassium per day, 1+ gal of water, creatine, omega-3s, quality protien and good sleep...and blow jobs daily...
Platinum advice right here.
Yeah I totally agree with this. Appreciate that brother. Just finished my cardio and ate gonna go hit the weights for a bit. Thanks everyone!
It puzzles me when people post up forums like this and think others can somehow give them motivation.
You either want and have the desire to train and lift weights multiple times per week or you don't. Sure anyone can train and live off the excitement and feel good factor of it for 6 months to a year. Then the longer you lift for the harder it gets, whether you are into Powerlifting or Bodybuilding you have to push harder and it takes more out of you to progress in either.
Its Fuckin tough physically and mentally, its supposed to be. Some days can feel easier and you can feel happier but each time you begin to lift its likely its going to be more testing of you than pure enjoyment.
This is another reason why no one should ideally be jumping on steroids before 18 months to 2 years of solid gym training under their belts, because all the fuckin pussies who jump on gear in the second week of being in the gym are often dead and gone 6 months down the line - OR they are pissing and moaning about their knackered endocrine system and the fact they can't get a hard on for their girlfriend. Lifting weights is an Obsessive animals game if you are to succeed at it. You have to push yourself when you feel tired and shit come what may, most of the time you will feel much better after it and some of the time you won't.
Lmfao Good shit!! Go to a gym that has fine ass bitches...if u dont go everyday your prolly gay.
Appreciate this press. You’re right. But respectfully I believe that yes you must push yourself. It’s hard. Fuck I went from 310 to 227 in 6 months. I put in the work. Both in the gym and learning the ways of training. I trained for multiple years, from 7th grade until my 2nd year of college I lifted in weigh training(played varsity football, baseball) but just had terrible eating habits from poor nutritional home life. I’ve been to prison and the entire two years I lifted and ate(them pockets). I was just fat from not eating the right foods ir learning self control. But I do disagree on the motivation from others aspect. You might not need it, and that’s great. But I have no coach to push me or tell me when or how to do my training, all my old friends are dope heads or fiends and I’m done with that life. So coming to a place like this allows me to get this community insights on how they achieved what we are all looking to achieve. I’m not perfect and I know some of my training protocols, eating and ped use aren’t optimal at times. That comes from having to do this solo with my only help being the information I’m able to retain from what’s freely given to me. Everyone is different. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. What works for one might not for another. But we learn from our experiences and try to give insight(as you did) to be able to reach our goals.
You can absolutely gain motivation from others bro. Everyone is different and comes from different walks of life and everyone derives their motivation from different things that are important to them. Personally, I love going to the gym and crushing weights and pushing the fuck out of myself. Fuckin LOVE IT! I've been hitting the gym for 20+ years and still get excited to go ...especially with my dudes on fast twitch/cardio days and see who's gonna tap first. To each their own. We are all different, think different, gain motivation from different places based off different factors of our lives and individual goals. That's the beauty of it. At the end of the day it's all about growth mentally and physically.
I've never had a Coach to push me or tell me to do this or that, never had a training partner, never trained around others to motivate me - why would I need that?? I train for me and only me.
Wanna know why I don't play Golf? Because I don't want to play golf because it doesn't interest me. I do weights because it makes me feel good and positive, it excites me maybe not at the time because its hard work but 95% of the time afterwards it does. Nobody is forcing you to do this mate - if you don't want to do it then don't.
I tell you what though pal, it could be 10 times worse for you and you could be sat here with a fucked rotator cuff like me not knowing when the hell you are gonna be able to train again, not knowing if you have to wait another 3 months before you are operated on and then how long recovery will be after that. You are moaning and giving up on problems that don't even exist mate.
Masterfully put my man, couldn’t have said it any better. That’s why discipline is always talked about so much, it’s a much more stronger driving force than just motivation which is fleeting. You got to be able to keep at it like nothing changed in your life, it could be depression, bad weather, someone dying or your wife cheating on you. You got to tell yourself so what, nothing changes and I’m gonna get my ass into that gym, and make sweet love to the fucking weights!
When was the last time you checked your Estrogen? That is all classic symptoms of High E2
I log everything. I plan on posting my log here soon just gotta get around to it. But monthly bloods. Pictures. Blood pressure readings 3x a day. Glucose readings 3x a day. Oxygen headings. I track and monitor everything. Side effects of compounds. How I’m feeling that day. I believe safety and longevity is key.
I get bloods done monthly. E2 was at 32.
Bro, I get bloods 3x a day…
I can’t afford that xD my wife insurance only pays for the $89 monthly test xD
Just is what it is. You said you’re aiming to compete, yea? Wait until you see what it’s like at 5% bf. Life sucks. We’re not meant to be that lean and all your body knows is “I’m starving to death.” Very few people on this board actually know what stage lean looks/feels like.
Oh and you’re wasting your money on the tessa in conjunction with the GH. The “I take GH in the morning so I get my naturally nightly pulse” is pure broscience bs. Studies show you don’t get back to natural production for ~72 hours after a dose of exogenous GH.
Yeah. Your right. It’s just part of it. Honestly it’s comments like yours and the gang I see and talk to on here daily that keep me going man. Accountability. I can’t say for sure if Tessa does anything or not. But I’m dropping body fat and even if it’s placebo. I got enough of it for 7 more months at a price you couldn’t pass up and it tested so. But yeah GH is superior. Always will be. I honestly just got the Tessa for visceral fat even though gh does the same. Coming from obesity I know I had some visceral fat.
Yea it hits the visceral fat (and so does the var you’re taking btw) from it causing your body to produce more GH via upstream effects. However you aren’t producing GH through those pathways due to you dosing 6IU of actual GH. You’ll find once you get down low digit bf that visceral melts away anyways. When I got to 6.9% bf via dexa it showed I had 0.12lbs of visceral fat. By the time you get to 5% it’s all gone.
Whathappened2018Sometimes there's no getting around it lol. You just gotta push through. I just started week 10 on my cut and this is the first week that I'm in that " i wish i would have never liked bodybuilding" mood.
Right lol. But it’ll be worth it.
Jrihard891 liter of water is not nearly enough for a normal sized man. Especially on stuff.
Steroids = more isn’t better
Water = more IS better
And that’s just dieting. You usually turn into a zombie, that’s how I get no matter. You talk about low carbs though, how are the fats? Fats are very important. Some (not saying you maybe) but some crash their fats along with low carb days.
I meant gallon lol. Sorry. I’m completely out of it today. Fucking rainy days. Yeah I don’t abuse high amounts of steroids. I honestly believe I’m a hyper responder.
Currently on: Reta 4mg weekly
350mg of sustanon
200mg of Masteron Enanthate
6iu of gh
2mg Tessa nightly.
Then on workout days I’ll take 35mg of var because I bought 100 count and they tested at 70-75mg. I was looking for not more peds but just maybe lifestyle as I am still newer even though I self taught everything and I generally have a decent knowledge of using. But it could be my diet.
I meant gallon lol. Sorry. I’m completely out of it today. Fucking rainy days. Yeah I don’t abuse high amounts of steroids. I honestly believe I’m a hyper responder.
Currently on: Reta 4mg weekly
350mg of sustanon
200mg of Masteron Enanthate
6iu of gh
2mg Tessa nightly.
Then on workout days I’ll take 35mg of var because I bought 100 count and they tested at 70-75mg. I was looking for not more peds but just maybe lifestyle as I am still newer even though I self taught everything and I generally have a decent knowledge of using. But it could be my diet.
Gainz411Tessamorlin? Do you find stacking that with hgh beneficial or redundant Do you take that to lower body fat for your midsection? Tessamorlin is kinda expensive. I’ve taken it before. I’d rather just take a little more hgh lol.
" I do high carb day once a week".. I know you are trying to cut but I would have more than 1 carb day a week, maybe 3-4. I was under the impression that carbs are needed when taking Reta.
Id much rather have to cut for an extra 4-6 weeks (with a higher calorie/carb count and not be miserable af) than being miserable, starving and no energy to meet my goals.. but that's just me. I look at it as a marathon not a sprint.
For pre-lift motivation... 1) 5-7mg of Cialis, 2) 20mg of Var and 3) death metal .. those three get me going.
Yeah thanks for that brother. I’ll definitely look into this.
You are correct you definitely need carbs when taking Reta
I mean they are in there. I eat probably 100grams a day I’m going to look into this as I’m doing my cardio. That’s aggie
Gainz411For me anything less than 150 carbs a day I’d feel like shit. Lol
Paul Barrett (big Paul) is someone who breaks down carb cycling really well. He is on YouTube and Spotify. Worth a listen. I feel like once I incorporate that life style in my life it’s helped me in the gym and at work.
I work construction maybe that’s why I need more carbs.