Fat loss with bad metabolism?

[freakaccident]

I admit my meals are too much and I regularly eat one meal a day but I don't think I should be as big as I am. I have recorded lately and I eat between 1200-2000 calories a day. I weigh 250-260 depending on my water intake.

I am 35 and 5'9.5" 250-260lbs.

I use free weights at least 4 times a week but get about zero cardio outside of swimming with my kids 4 days a week.

I was diagnosed with Low T and had taken Androgel for awhile. My T was 160 I think. I was put on the packets and it didn't seem to help much at all. They eventually upped my Androgel dose to 8 pumps a day and I gave up. It was a giant runny mess even though I am fat and have a lot of surface to apply it to. It was a giant horrible hassle and still didn't help much so I gave up.

Any suggestions?

I am thinking of going to the doc and demanding injections. He told me before it wasn't necessary.

[zaggahamma]

demand all you want....still might not get em...

maybe you could benefit from splitting up your meals/calories...

how long have you been at this weight...

you need testosterone with levels at 160, imo...

this is probably the wrong forum to post in....either post up your diet in the diet section or the hormone replacement therapy and anti aging section since you started on androgel and have low T..you will get more advice/suggestions

[freakaccident]

demand all you want....still might not get em...

maybe you could benefit from splitting up your meals/calories...

how long have you been at this weight...

you need testosterone with levels at 160, imo...

this is probably the wrong forum to post in....either post up your diet in the diet section or the hormone replacement therapy and anti aging section since you started on androgel and have low T..you will get more advice/suggestions

My T hasn't changed with my diet. I've tried 5 small meals a day for 3 months and my T only went to 228 WITH 8 pumps of Androgel. I felt like I was going to blowup/vomit after every meal. I felt like I was eating too much. I'm back to 1-2 meals a day now. This is where I landed. I don't have the appetite to eat 5 meals a day but I still gain or maintain weight and still have low T. The 1-2 meals I do eat are small. Like I said earlier, I don't do a lot of cardio but I do lift 3-4 a week and I swim with my kids 4-5 times a week. I don't get the gains I think I should lifting but with the kids in the pool I do exert a heck of a lot. I am strong but still fat. Not sure what to do. I think I may need to find a new doc.

OH and I have started a special shake in the past week. Whey protein, turmeric, and creatine after every lift. Seems to help me sleep better.

Turmeric for these stupid boils I get under my skin. Not sure if it will help but I am hopeful.

EDIT - I forgot to mention - A few year ago there were these fake testosterone pills I bought at the local health food store. I can't remember the name but they were outlawed shortly after. They got rid of my boils and stuff. I wish I could remember the name of them.

[zaggahamma]

i hear you bro....its a hard road sometimes....i myself got stuck on a certain weight before androgel but i could at least say I WAS doing cardio....so you have to put in the work...not saying you cant/wont benefit from test and yes androgel is a pain....yes some docs may write for injectable....check out the hrt forum...lotta support....good luck

[freakaccident]

i hear you bro....its a hard road sometimes....i myself got stuck on a certain weight before androgel but i could at least say I WAS doing cardio....so you have to put in the work...not saying you cant/wont benefit from test and yes androgel is a pain....yes some docs may write for injectable....check out the hrt forum...lotta support....good luck

Androgel is a giant PITA and I just can't do it! I can't say that I am doing cardio though. I lift at home when the kids aren't at my heels. It's really hard with monkeys climbing on you. I honestly do have a T deficiency though. I am going to the DR this week. I will report back.

[Honkey_Kong]

I admit my meals are too much and I regularly eat one meal a day but I don't think I should be as big as I am. I have recorded lately and I eat between 1200-2000 calories a day. I weigh 250-260 depending on my water intake.

I am 35 and 5'9.5" 250-260lbs.

I use free weights at least 4 times a week but get about zero cardio outside of swimming with my kids 4 days a week.

I was diagnosed with Low T and had taken Androgel for awhile. My T was 160 I think. I was put on the packets and it didn't seem to help much at all. They eventually upped my Androgel dose to 8 pumps a day and I gave up. It was a giant runny mess even though I am fat and have a lot of surface to apply it to. It was a giant horrible hassle and still didn't help much so I gave up.

Any suggestions?

I am thinking of going to the doc and demanding injections. He told me before it wasn't necessary.

Just so you know, there are clinics that will perform weekly injections if you are recieving TRT treatment already.

[NOSUPERMODEL]

You are eating waaaay to low of calories. You basically have put your body into starvation mode. I did a metabolism testing and my minimum daily calorie intake just for normal bodily functions is 2600. For my seditary lifestyle(NO EXERCISE INCLUDED) it is 3400 calories. Split up your meals into about 5-6 a day and try to up your calories. Do it slowly though. Maybe 100-200 extra calories a day per week. For example next week eat 2100-2200 calories. Following week eat 2200-2300 calories and so on. That way your body doesn't think you are binging and hold onto it because it knows your going to go back down to very low calories eventually. You have to make your body think i am going to get the correct amount of calories so I can burn some and he will keep feeding me. And only eating 1-2 meals a day your body is definately holding onto everything you eat because it does not know when it will get fed again. By the way I am 6'0" and 260lbs.

[zaggahamma]

upping the exercise/burning of calories is at least equally important

[freakaccident]

I just feel sick if I eat that much. I know I should be eating 5-6 meals a day but I end up vomiting them up or can't get it down because I am full and not hungry. I will try slowly adding calories and see how I do over the next month or so.

Also I called the DR today and they have me scheduled for next week. I have to get my blood drawn Friday morning so they have fresh numbers for my appointment. They told me not to eat or drink that morning and to be there at 8am. Does that make sense? Wouldn't they want like my mid-day numbers to see where I am most of the time? In the past they haven't given me those instructions. I usually went on my work lunch break for them to take the blood.

I drink a quart of water every morning between waking up until after my shower. I will be parched lol.

EDIT - OH today I did modify my diet. I woke up and had a whey protein shake with double the protein, a few hours later I had some leftover chicken, steak, mushroom, and squash shish-kabobs I made yesterday, and then another shake. I am still going to eat before I go to bed but I'm not usually a late eater so it will probably be another protein drink. I left out the carbs today. That should be 4 meals right? Not perfect but better?

[zaggahamma]

I just feel sick if I eat that much. I know I should be eating 5-6 meals a day but I end up vomiting them up or can't get it down because I am full and not hungry. I will try slowly adding calories and see how I do over the next month or so.

Also I called the DR today and they have me scheduled for next week. I have to get my blood drawn Friday morning so they have fresh numbers for my appointment. They told me not to eat or drink that morning and to be there at 8am. Does that make sense? Wouldn't they want like my mid-day numbers to see where I am most of the time? In the past they haven't given me those instructions. I usually went on my work lunch break for them to take the blood.

I drink a quart of water every morning between waking up until after my shower. I will be parched lol.

EDIT - OH today I did modify my diet. I woke up and had a whey protein shake with double the protein, a few hours later I had some leftover chicken, steak, mushroom, and squash shish-kabobs I made yesterday, and then another shake. I am still going to eat before I go to bed but I'm not usually a late eater so it will probably be another protein drink. I left out the carbs today. That should be 4 meals right? Not perfect but better?

imo, yes...better..

enjoy your food and be only restrictive to a point...you arent competing in a bb competition....you just want to eat for energy and life....improve your diet slowly ...add a few more exercises during the week...WHATEVER it is....doesnt matter...its all coming off the scale/fat pounds in the right direction...your turning the snowball around and it will begin to snowball in your favor...your soon to be running on an optimum hormone balance and thats going to even boost you a lil more...maybe a lot more...but u want to give the credit to yourself...read some on the diet section and learn more...u dont have to post your diet at this point just get something comfy like today...but learn and move....move and learn...kick it up a lil notch in the pool with the monkeys...a little more...go to the park toss a football/baseball with them...chase a soccer ball a little...

love it bro...cant wait to see your post(s) in a month

[freakaccident]

imo, yes...better..

enjoy your food and be only restrictive to a point...you arent competing in a bb competition....you just want to eat for energy and life....improve your diet slowly ...add a few more exercises during the week...WHATEVER it is....doesnt matter...its all coming off the scale/fat pounds in the right direction...your turning the snowball around and it will begin to snowball in your favor...your soon to be running on an optimum hormone balance and thats going to even boost you a lil more...maybe a lot more...but u want to give the credit to yourself...read some on the diet section and learn more...u dont have to post your diet at this point just get something comfy like today...but learn and move....move and learn...kick it up a lil notch in the pool with the monkeys...a little more...go to the park toss a football/baseball with them...chase a soccer ball a little...

love it bro...cant wait to see your post(s) in a month

Thanks for support man! I really appreciate the positive reply.

I didn't mention before that I broke a rib a couple of weeks ago and couldn't lift because I could barely breathe. I think I was finally well enough to start light bench presses today. I did a slight decline bench today. I was only pushing 155lbs but it felt good and I am not in pain after. I kept it light and did 10 sets of 5 reps at 155. Not a great ratio but I don't want to hurt myself and I thought the 10/5 would be easy enough. I think I'll be back where I was in a couple of weeks.

[Honkey_Kong]

I just feel sick if I eat that much. I know I should be eating 5-6 meals a day but I end up vomiting them up or can't get it down because I am full and not hungry. I will try slowly adding calories and see how I do over the next month or so.

Also I called the DR today and they have me scheduled for next week. I have to get my blood drawn Friday morning so they have fresh numbers for my appointment. They told me not to eat or drink that morning and to be there at 8am. Does that make sense? Wouldn't they want like my mid-day numbers to see where I am most of the time? In the past they haven't given me those instructions. I usually went on my work lunch break for them to take the blood.

I drink a quart of water every morning between waking up until after my shower. I will be parched lol.

EDIT - OH today I did modify my diet. I woke up and had a whey protein shake with double the protein, a few hours later I had some leftover chicken, steak, mushroom, and squash shish-kabobs I made yesterday, and then another shake. I am still going to eat before I go to bed but I'm not usually a late eater so it will probably be another protein drink. I left out the carbs today. That should be 4 meals right? Not perfect but better?

That's a good start. Here is how you eat 6 meals a day. take the food you are eating right now total in a day and divide it in to 6 meals. Now you're not consuming more food, but you can then start to increase meal size without it being too much of a shock to the system.

And they usually check your levels when you haven't eaten. drink lots of water though.

[zaggahamma]

Thanks for support man! I really appreciate the positive reply.

I didn't mention before that I broke a rib a couple of weeks ago and couldn't lift because I could barely breathe. I think I was finally well enough to start light bench presses today. I did a slight decline bench today. I was only pushing 155lbs but it felt good and I am not in pain after. I kept it light and did 10 sets of 5 reps at 155. Not a great ratio but I don't want to hurt myself and I thought the 10/5 would be easy enough. I think I'll be back where I was in a couple of weeks.

absolutely bro...

glad all is good...look forward to hearing of your success

[freakaccident]

FYI things have taken longer than expected due to finances but here is an update:

I was 252 testosterone level. They gave me a shot of 100 the day they drew my blood since I had been previously diagnosed. When my results arrived they told me to come in every 10 days for a 200 shot and then a new blood test in two months. My first 200 shot will be on Monday. The 100 shot two weeks ago didn't seem to do much. Androgel in the dose I was on before was more effective. I'm hoping the 200 every ten days will be better.

I did consult with an HRT specialist and he said that 200 every 7 days was a normal starting point. I can't afford their services so I am going to stick with the family doc and push until I feel better. The HRT "expert doc" wasn't too expensive but my insurance covers the family doc.

Edit: I still have 3 bottles of AndroGel that I am using as a supplement. I'll knock that off two weeks before my blood test but Ill probably run out first.

Edit2: Oh I thought Id post some specs. I am 255 pounds and fat. I lift a lot but I eat more. I'm hoping that getting my hormones straightened out will allow me to trim my physique. Will post a pic in a few.

[lovbyts]

My T hasn't changed with my diet. I've tried 5 small meals a day for 3 months and my T only went to 228 WITH 8 pumps of Androgel. I felt like I was going to blowup/vomit after every meal. I felt like I was eating too much. I'm back to 1-2 meals a day now. This is where I landed. I don't have the appetite to eat 5 meals a day but I still gain or maintain weight and still have low T. The 1-2 meals I do eat are small. Like I said earlier, I don't do a lot of cardio but I do lift 3-4 a week and I swim with my kids 4-5 times a week. I don't get the gains I think I should lifting but with the kids in the pool I do exert a heck of a lot. I am strong but still fat. Not sure what to do. I think I may need to find a new doc.

OH and I have started a special shake in the past week. Whey protein, turmeric, and creatine after every lift. Seems to help me sleep better.

Turmeric for these stupid boils I get under my skin. Not sure if it will help but I am hopeful.

EDIT - I forgot to mention - A few year ago there were these fake testosterone pills I bought at the local health food store. I can't remember the name but they were outlawed shortly after. They got rid of my boils and stuff. I wish I could remember the name of them.

A couple of points, as said your body is in starvation mode meaning anything you eat will be stored as fat. You had a good plan eating 5+ meals a day but you stopped just as your body was about to believe you and start shedding the fat. You stopped to soon. It takes about 90 days or 3 months for your body to get use to any diet. Yeah some you loose weight due to water or starvation but a true diet change works over time. Eating 5+ times a day your body after about 90 days will get use to it and believe you are not going to starve it anymore and start loosing the fat because it does not have to store it anymore.

Dont look for the short term quick fix, they wont work or only temporarily. Go back to eating 5+ meals a day. 6 is better and dont let yourself get hungry. Dont pig out and eat to much either. You will see good results soon enough. Start thinking long term, 6 months, 1 years, 2 years. It's much more healthy and realistic.

[Big Kat]

I feel ur pain friend. I was in ur shoes not all that long ago. Test was 244 and I was a fat slob. I was 5'8 and 272lbs when I decided to get and stay on hrt. First thing I can tell u is it took 4 weeks before I felt different after starting injections. My hrt dose is 150mg/wk and it took 12 weeks before I really felt the full effects, it takes awhile to get on track when starting a long estered test like cyp. If ur really serious this is what worked for me, keto diet (low carb). I was too fat to do cardio in the beginning, walking a mile killed me. Starter going to the gym and doing bodyweight exercises and machines in low sets like 5-7 per bodypart with 5 exercises in a circuit for increased heartrate. Kept the weights low and reps 8-12 or higher and sweated like a dog lifting sissy weights. After a couple months of low carb, frequent small meals, workouts and hrt I had lost enough weight to lift heavier and walk for cardio. Transitioned to cyclic keto diet to increase energy for workouts and kept it up steady and its been amazing. I started in January and have been consistent and Ive gone from 272 28% Bf to 212 at 14% Bf today and I can see my first two abs for the first time in years. Ive gotten used to 6-8 meals a day slowly and I now look forward to being in the gym. U can do it bro! It's takes time but if u put in the time and get ur test sorted ull be amazed whqt happens to ur body over time.

[gixxerboy1]

FYI things have taken longer than expected due to finances but here is an update:

I was 252 testosterone level. They gave me a shot of 100 the day they drew my blood since I had been previously diagnosed. When my results arrived they told me to come in every 10 days for a 200 shot and then a new blood test in two months. My first 200 shot will be on Monday. The 100 shot two weeks ago didn't seem to do much. Androgel in the dose I was on before was more effective. I'm hoping the 200 every ten days will be better.

I did consult with an HRT specialist and he said that 200 every 7 days was a normal starting point. I can't afford their services so I am going to stick with the family doc and push until I feel better. The HRT "expert doc" wasn't too expensive but my insurance covers the family doc.

Edit: I still have 3 bottles of AndroGel that I am using as a supplement. I'll knock that off two weeks before my blood test but Ill probably run out first.

Edit2: Oh I thought Id post some specs. I am 255 pounds and fat. I lift a lot but I eat more. I'm hoping that getting my hormones straightened out will allow me to trim my physique. Will post a pic in a few.

do not do that. It sound like you are really impatient and expect some results over night. They probably gave you test cyp and that take a little time to start working. And if you do your androgel to you could screw up your bloodwork next time and they lower your injection shots.

also im on trt and take 100mg a week and i'm above the normal range over 1100

[zaggahamma]

I feel ur pain friend. I was in ur shoes not all that long ago. Test was 244 and I was a fat slob. I was 5'8 and 272lbs when I decided to get and stay on hrt. First thing I can tell u is it took 4 weeks before I felt different after starting injections. My hrt dose is 150mg/wk and it took 12 weeks before I really felt the full effects, it takes awhile to get on track when starting a long estered test like cyp. If ur really serious this is what worked for me, keto diet (low carb). I was too fat to do cardio in the beginning, walking a mile killed me. Starter going to the gym and doing bodyweight exercises and machines in low sets like 5-7 per bodypart with 5 exercises in a circuit for increased heartrate. Kept the weights low and reps 8-12 or higher and sweated like a dog lifting sissy weights. After a couple months of low carb, frequent small meals, workouts and hrt I had lost enough weight to lift heavier and walk for cardio. Transitioned to cyclic keto diet to increase energy for workouts and kept it up steady and its been amazing. I started in January and have been consistent and Ive gone from 272 28% Bf to 212 at 14% Bf today and I can see my first two abs for the first time in years. Ive gotten used to 6-8 meals a day slowly and I now look forward to being in the gym. U can do it bro! It's takes time but if u put in the time and get ur test sorted ull be amazed whqt happens to ur body over time.

congrats bro...

freak..another good example..

like all said now that your getting treated...hard work and patience will be your friend...6 months your going to be a new man with hard work

[nobloat]

Get your thyroid checked . If you have an underactive thyroid .It is very correctable.

[freakaccident]

Get your thyroid checked . If you have an underactive thyroid .It is very correctable.

I had it checked and it was ok.

Ok. I won't use the Androgel too.

When I first got prescribed the gel I felt it within a few days then it tapered off fast. So the shots take time to buildup?

As for diet: I've been on a homemade vegetable juice only diet for a couple of weeks and I feel better. I will go back to 5-6 meals a day once I transition out of the juice diet. Juice is basically a constant meal though and I just sip on it all day. I'm just doing it for cleansing and it actually made me like veggies and I feel better. I'm currently adding whey protein to my veggie medley to get back into solids.

My first 200 shot is tomorrow. My shoulder is on the fritz so I'll be working my legs mostly until maybe next week. I have to be underwater in the pool everyday so hopefully that won't bother my shoulder too much.

I'll update after the 200 shot.

[nobloat]

You could askyour doc about "andratim gel" .This is not a testosterone get but a dihydrotestosterone(DHT) gel. Its about 5 times as strong of an androgen as testosterol but is less anabolic. Its prescribe to boys with delayed onset puberty and men with hypergonadism. YOU SHOULD READ UP ON IT

[nobloat]

www.andractim.net= ANDROGEL(testosterone)GEL VS ANDRACTIM(DHT) GEL

[ata1979]

Get you TSH, T4 and especially your T3 levels checked.