This is the supplement-and-pharmacology layer of the 2026 Fat Loss Protocol. It is short on purpose. The article ranks the levers that actually move body composition: deficit, protein, resistance, sleep, NEAT. The compound stack is fifth-place support, not the engine.
Why creatine is the only daily pill
In a sustained deficit, the risk is losing lean mass alongside fat. Creatine monohydrate at 5 g per day preserves strength and supports lean-mass retention while you are eating below maintenance. It is cheap, well-studied, and side-effect-tolerant. Timing within the day does not matter. Form does: monohydrate is the only form with the trial base; "advanced" creatines do not outperform it.
Caffeine pre-workout (100-200 mg) is mentioned in the source article for appetite blunting and performance. It is not surfaced as a stack item here because there is no caffeine entry in the BiologicalX compound directory yet. When that entry exists, this stack will extend.
Why GLP-1 is in the disclaimers, not the stack
Semaglutide and tirzepatide are genuinely effective: roughly 14.9% weight loss at 68 weeks on semaglutide, ~22% on tirzepatide. They make the deficit easier, not automatic. But they are weekly subcutaneous prescriptions that require a clinician, the indication is BMI-driven, and the lean-mass-loss profile is similar to dietary deficit alone unless you layer resistance training on top. They belong in a treatment conversation, not a daily-stack table. See the GLP-1s Without the Hype explainer for dose titration and side-effect management.
Maintenance
After 14-16 weeks of cutting, transition to 4-8 weeks at maintenance. Keep the creatine. Keep the protein target. Keep the lifting. Drop the deficit.