Comedian Bert Kreischer recently opened up about his experience with tirzepatide (a GLP-1) during a recent podcast with hosts Mark Normand and Sam Morril. The discussion came after Kreischer revealed he’s currently unable to drink following a serious health scare involving blood clots.
When asked about his current state, Kreischer explained he’s “on Mounjaro,” referring to the brand name for tirzeapetide. “I’m on a tirzeapetide so I don’t eat at all,” he told the hosts. “Like I don’t eat. I feel sick if I eat, so I barely eat. All I’m eating is fish because it’s what I’m supposed to eat.”
GLP-1 came into Kreischer’s life through his wife’s intervention. At his heaviest during filming of his Netflix series ‘Free Bert,’ Kreischer weighed approximately 275 pounds at 6’1″.
His wife took him to see his cardiologist, who delivered sobering news after conducting a DEXA scan.
“He was like, ‘You’re very heavy,'” Kreischer recalled. “And I said to him, I was like, ‘I’m not the heaviest I’ve been.’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, by one pound.’ You were one pound heavier last time you came in. And I go, ‘Well, I’m lifting weight so I’m very muscular.’ And he goes, ‘How much muscle’s in there?'”
The scan revealed Kreischer had 90 pounds of visceral fat in his stomach. His doctor made the severity clear: “He was like, ‘It’s like a Romanian gymnast. He’s like, ‘You’re holding on to a human in your stomach. It’s bad for your back. It’s bad for your knees. It’s bad for everything.'”
Initially resistant to what he considered ‘cheating,’ Kreischer was warned by his doctor: “I’ll tell you what. I’ll see you in 3 months and you’re going to be 300 lb.” That prediction convinced him to start GLP-1s.
Kreischer began treatment on November 3rd, his birthday. “The first time I did it, I noticed that my eating cut back and my drinking kind of cut in half,” he said.
However, when he increased his dosage, he experienced severe side effects: “I upped my dosage and was violently ill for a week. Like, throwing up.”
He’s since adjusted to micro-dosing the GLP-1, which he says works better. “It’s so much better to be like micro dosing and then if you feel you’re eating, just punch a little more in and then pull out,” he explained.
The effects have been significant. Kreischer described being unable to enjoy foods he previously loved. “I couldn’t eat steak. Couldn’t touch steak. I couldn’t eat anything I like.” Interestingly, he developed a specific craving: “Italian subs were like, for whatever reason I was like, I’m really into Italian subs.”
When discussing GLP-1 with others, Kreischer has noticed resistance from some people struggling with weight. “Overweight people would say to me, ‘Yeah, but I don’t want to do that.’ And I’m like, ‘What? Feel a little sick and then lose weight?’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah, like food’s my joy.’ And you’re like, ‘Yeah, but that’s the problem.'”
By January, Kreischer reported being “down like almost 40 pounds” since starting in November. He’s also maintained an exercise routine, noting, “I work out because I like it and I’m eating like clean only because I’m on Mounjaro.”
For Kreischer, GLP-1 represents a tool rather than a permanent solution. He said: “It’s a band-aid to a solution. In the same way, Zoloft is a band-aid to mental health problems. It gets you out of the hole, but you’ve got to hold on to it. You’ve got to do the work. You’ve got to get a trainer.”
Currently combining GLP-1 with testosterone therapy, compression socks for travel, and blood thinners following his health crisis, Kreischer is taking a comprehensive approach to his health.
