What did @lizsmiles1 actually say?
After switching from semaglutide to tirzepatide, @lizsmiles1 reported feeling less hungry, having fewer cravings, losing her desire for carbonated drinks, eating about twice a day, and having more energy. She framed all of this as a first-week personal experience on the lowest available dose, with her doctor's guidance.
To her credit, she was explicit that this is anecdotal. She repeated "my personal experience" and noted she had been on semaglutide "for a while" before switching, which is a relevant detail. She also said she was "being really transparent" with her doctor about cravings, which is exactly what patients should be doing. That kind of doctor-patient communication is worth calling out as the right move.
Does the science back this up?
The core claim, that tirzepatide produces stronger appetite suppression than semaglutide, is directionally supported by clinical evidence. But "I feel better" after one week is not the same thing as a pharmacological conclusion.
Tirzepatide is a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist, while semaglutide acts only on GLP-1 receptors. The SURMOUNT-1 trial (Jastreboff et al., 2022, NEJM) showed tirzepatide at its highest doses produced mean weight loss of up to 20.9% of body weight in people with obesity, compared to roughly 14.9% seen with semaglutide 2.4mg in the STEP 1 trial (Wilding et al., 2021, NEJM). Appetite suppression and reduced food cravings appear to be stronger on average with tirzepatide, which aligns with the dual-receptor mechanism.
The carbonated drink aversion she described is harder to pin down. GLP-1 receptor agonists slow gastric emptying, which can make carbonation feel uncomfortable. This is a plausible physiological explanation, not a proven side effect listed in the drug's labeling.
What did they get wrong (or right)?
She got the general direction right. Tirzepatide does tend to produce greater appetite suppression than semaglutide in clinical trials, and her experience of reduced cravings and less hunger is consistent with what the data shows on a population level. Credit where it is due.
What she got wrong, or at least oversimplified, is the implication that one week of experience is enough to draw meaningful comparisons. Individual responses to GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists vary considerably. Some patients do better on semaglutide. Others plateau on tirzepatide or find side effects harder to tolerate. A first week on the starting dose is not a reliable signal.
Her pronunciation of both drugs is worth noting because "drizzepitide" and "semi-glutide" are not close to correct, and mispronouncing medications in videos seen by 71,000 people can genuinely cause confusion when patients try to discuss these drugs with their pharmacists or doctors.
What should you actually know?
Tirzepatide and semaglutide are both FDA-approved medications for weight management and type 2 diabetes, and they work through related but distinct mechanisms. The clinical trial data does suggest tirzepatide produces greater average weight loss, but individual results vary, and switching medications is a decision that should be made with a prescriber, not based on a TikTok experience video.
Eating twice a day on the starting dose of tirzepatide is not inherently dangerous, but eating patterns should be discussed with a provider. Severely restricted intake on GLP-1 or dual-agonist therapy can lead to muscle loss if protein targets are not being met. A protein shake plus one other meal may or may not be adequate depending on the individual.
The reduced desire for carbonated drinks she describes is plausible given the gastric motility effects of these drugs, but it is not a documented therapeutic benefit. Do not confuse a side effect with a feature.
Bottom line
@lizsmiles1 is sharing a real experience with real medications under real medical supervision. That is more than a lot of GLP-1 content creators can say. Her general observations about appetite suppression being stronger on tirzepatide are consistent with the available clinical data. But one week, one person, starting dose, and a history on a different drug makes this a data point of one, not a recommendation. Anyone considering switching medications should have that conversation with their doctor, not their For You Page.