Progress

[nikito]

Hello friends, thank you for checking out my post.

Sex: Male
Age: 34
Height 5'10"
Training history: former high school athlete

My history:

04/2014 - 275lbs - began trying to consciously eat less and do a lot less binge drinking

10/2014 - 255lbs -

01/2015 - went to doctor for checkup because of low energy and sudden fat gain over the past year all in the chest (moobs not gyno, there is no lump under the nipple) and midsection even though i was losing weight .. my theory is the low t along with my old sedentary lifestyle caused massive muscle loss that turned into fat

was told i have low testosterone by my GP - did not go to a specialist doctor for follow up treatment due to no health insurance (still no insurance)

bloodwork results:
Testosterone: 125 (300 - 1050)
Test Free: 35 (47-244)
TSH: 4.41 (0.4-4.5)

05/01/2015 - 245 lbs - hit a plateau in weight loss and my weight at this point is just going up and down little by little - still feel like crap/depressed - started atkins diet full time - ate 1500 calories a day with around 10 - 15g of carbs - began my research on TRT/AAS/PEPTIDES

05/20/2015 - 237lbs still feel like crap - low energy - bad mood .. placed an order for: T3 (peptide) - Test C - Anastrozole (peptide) .. still on 1500 calorie 10g carb atkins diet

06/02/2015 - 235.9lb - still on strict atkins .. finally have everything ready to start this regimen today:
1. TEST-C 230mg IM injection divided into 2 115mg doses, one on Monday and one on Thursday every week
2. T3 (peptide) - 75mcg ED
3. Anastrozole (peptide) - .25mg EOD


Exercise: Weights only - daily - 10 sets of 10 reps using 20lb dumbbells indoors .. i am completely aware that i am fat and I need to exercise .. but its difficult overcoming 15+ years of bad habits .. IM TRYING .. DONT BUST MY CHOPS PLEASE LOL .. I AM AWARE

06/17/2015 - 231.3lbs - my emotional well being is like night and day, for the first time in a very long time I feel somewhat "level." - sex drive is up, better erections, more sperm - face is oily - light/medium body acne - sweating a little more than usual - diet: still low carb (1 cheat meal per week) - 1500 calories 10g of carbs per day .. i should also note I have a very sedentary job and lifestyle. - received a vial of fragment 176-191 today as well and plan to do 500 mcg X 2 ED .. i know the frag 176-191 doesn't have the most solid evidence but i ordered it at 3am one night out of desperation lol .. currently taking daily CLA1250, b12 supplement a multivitamin gummie and small amount of fiber pills every other day ..

So, great news, I am joining a gym next week. Can't promise I will be there 7 days a week but I am going to keep pushing to make progress.

The weight loss rate over the past 4 weeks (6 pounds) seems to be very slow even with the combination of t3, test-c and atkins, i feel like i should have lost a lot more weight. In the past I've lost 20lbs on atkins in one month. I need advice on how to proceed. I need to know how to lose 60 more pounds fast and get down to 170 pounds or so without killing myself. But any advice at all is really helpful too.

I really appreciate everyone's help .. thank you

[Simon1972]

progress is good- all considering.

i wouldnt starve yourself- in fact ive heard miixing it up= google internittent fasting Dr mosely 5;2 diet seems to be scientifically substantiated, so could be worth doing.

anastrazole isnt peptide its an aromatase inhibitor, prevents testosterone converting into estrogen,
so man boobs could be you loosing more fat from areas other than chest making it obvious,
OR
not enough Anastrozole- lthough it seems you are taking an ok amount.

do you have updated bloodwork on your current protocol?

[nikito]

progress is good- all considering.

i wouldnt starve yourself- in fact ive heard miixing it up= google internittent fasting Dr mosely 5;2 diet seems to be scientifically substantiated, so could be worth doing.

anastrazole isnt peptide its an aromatase inhibitor, prevents testosterone converting into estrogen,
so man boobs could be you loosing more fat from areas other than chest making it obvious,
OR
not enough Anastrozole- lthough it seems you are taking an ok amount.

do you have updated bloodwork on your current protocol?

At 1500 calories I'm not really starving. I'm exerting a lot of mental focus to not want to eat or be hungry.

I meant that the Anastrozole is in peptide form and not a tablet/pill.

No updated bloodwork yet. Planning to do it in 2 more weeks at the end of the 4th week of starting trt.

Thanks

[Thc Sargon]

Hello friends, thank you for checking out my post.

The weight loss rate over the past 4 weeks (6 pounds) seems to be very slow even with the combination of t3, test-c and atkins, i feel like i should have lost a lot more weight. In the past I've lost 20lbs on atkins in one month. I need advice on how to proceed. I need to know how to lose 60 more pounds fast and get down to 170 pounds or so without killing myself. But any advice at all is really helpful too

To lose 60 pounds fast is never a good idea, you don't want to lose more than 2 pounds a week. it will ruin all your progress and can mess up you metabolic rate for future purposes.

[BulldogMatt]

Hey man,

Your metabolism must have already slowed down. Save them T3s, continue training, calculate your tdee and reverse diet back up. You will feel WAY better, I guarantee !

[jasondd1]

235 pounds and your consuming what i tell a 150 pound girl to consume. You would see much better results at 2350 calories a day.

At 1500 calories I'm not really starving. I'm exerting a lot of mental focus to not want to eat or be hungry.

I meant that the Anastrozole is in peptide form and not a tablet/pill.

No updated bloodwork yet. Planning to do it in 2 more weeks at the end of the 4th week of starting trt.

Thanks

[APIs]

235 pounds and your consuming what i tell a 150 pound girl to consume. You would see much better results at 2350 calories a day.

x2. OP makes no mention of what his TRT protocol is exactly (i.e. how much Test Cyp & other meds). Slow & steady is the best approach. Starving yourself is not the answer. Learn to love the gym first, then the rest will come with strict commitment & time. 7 days a week is not needed & unrealistic in your current shape. Start out with 3 days a week with basic weight training & add body parts/cardio once you know what you're doing. You may have been an athlete in high school, but that really doesnt count for much. You have a lot to learn. Remember, 25 miles into the woods, 25 miles out of the woods...

[nikito]

I did put my plan in the original post. Please check it out. Thanks.

[APIs]

Sorry didnt see that! Good on the Anastrozole. What about HCG? Why 230 mg dosing on the Test Cyp to start? Was this dose determined necessary by your Doc for some reason?

I'm only asking because that dosing is a bit on the high-side (for starting) & certainly wont help with weight loss & estrogen conversion in an already over-weight patient. No offense meant...

[hawk14dl]

I agree. 230 is way too much for a starting dose.

Drop that down to 150 and give her a go.

[thisAngelBites]

Your thyroid does not look good based on your TSH. You need to check your free T3, free T4 and thyroid antibodies to figure out if you are developing an autoimmune problem.

Getting your thyroid hormones properly regulated will help your metabolic rate and your testosterone, and it should be done first and then you should re-test. If I were you, I would stop dosing myself with stuff, and find a physician who knows how to deal with thyroid problems (there is a doc finder on Mary Shomon's About thyroid site - google all that and you will find it).

You might still find you are low in testosterone after all of that, but to be honest, all your symptoms are right in line with hypothyroidism, and you might just be creating additional problems by not treating the underlying issue.

I did see you don't have insurance, and I wish I had something helpful to say about that - but right now, ordering stuff online and treating yourself this way is a waste of money.

[nikito]

Sorry didnt see that! Good on the Anastrozole. What about HCG? Why 230 mg dosing on the Test Cyp to start? Was this dose determined necessary by your Doc for some reason?

I'm only asking because that dosing is a bit on the high-side (for starting) & certainly wont help with weight loss & estrogen conversion in an already over-weight patient. No offense meant...

bloodwork results:
Testosterone: 125 (300 - 1050)
Test Free: 35 (47-244)
TSH: 4.41 (0.4-4.5)

I determined what dose i should start with ... and i came up with 230mg because my test levels were so low and i wantes to give myself a jumpstart

No hcg only because of the risks for gyno ... will the hcg help a lot with weight loss?

Should i lower the dose to 150 per week and see how that goes?

[nikito]

Your thyroid does not look good based on your TSH. You need to check your free T3, free T4 and thyroid antibodies to figure out if you are developing an autoimmune problem.

Getting your thyroid hormones properly regulated will help your metabolic rate and your testosterone, and it should be done first and then you should re-test. If I were you, I would stop dosing myself with stuff, and find a physician who knows how to deal with thyroid problems (there is a doc finder on Mary Shomon's About thyroid site - google all that and you will find it).

You might still find you are low in testosterone after all of that, but to be honest, all your symptoms are right in line with hypothyroidism, and you might just be creating additional problems by not treating the underlying issue.

I did see you don't have insurance, and I wish I had something helpful to say about that - but right now, ordering stuff online and treating yourself this way is a waste of money.

Thank you

[The_Crawfish]

bloodwork results:
Testosterone: 125 (300 - 1050)
Test Free: 35 (47-244)
TSH: 4.41 (0.4-4.5)

I determined what dose i should start with ... and i came up with 230mg because my test levels were so low and i wantes to give myself a jumpstart

No hcg only because of the risks for gyno ... will the hcg help a lot with weight loss?

Should i lower the dose to 150 per week and see how that goes?

That BW is obviously before you started your protocol right??? Any numbers after you started?? 230/wk is a pretty high starting dose of trt for MOST people. My original BW was around 180 (slightly better than yours), started trt about 1.5 years ago, and have just in the last 6 months or so worked my way up to 160mg/wk divided into 2 shots. Just using that as an example.

[nikito]

That BW is obviously before you started your protocol right??? Any numbers after you started?? 230/wk is a pretty high starting dose of trt for MOST people. My original BW was around 180 (slightly better than yours), started trt about 1.5 years ago, and have just in the last 6 months or so worked my way up to 160mg/wk divided into 2 shots. Just using that as an example.

Icic .. thats good to know .. going to lower the next 4 injections to 80mg each and see how it goes .. if i reduce the dosage that much at once, are there any issues i should look out for?

[hawk14dl]

No issues. But angel does make a great point abt thyroid issues.

This is why it's important to do these things under a dr supervision.

[kelkel]

Your thyroid does not look good based on your TSH. You need to check your free T3, free T4 and thyroid antibodies to figure out if you are developing an autoimmune problem.

Getting your thyroid hormones properly regulated will help your metabolic rate and your testosterone, and it should be done first and then you should re-test. If I were you, I would stop dosing myself with stuff, and find a physician who knows how to deal with thyroid problems (there is a doc finder on Mary Shomon's About thyroid site - google all that and you will find it).

You might still find you are low in testosterone after all of that, but to be honest, all your symptoms are right in line with hypothyroidism, and you might just be creating additional problems by not treating the underlying issue.

I did see you don't have insurance, and I wish I had something helpful to say about that - but right now, ordering stuff online and treating yourself this way is a waste of money.

Could not agree more with this. First and foremost you should have investigated your thyroid further. As Angel inferred, hypothyroidism causes hypogonadism. So, if that actually was causing the low test you've now simply put a self-applied band aid on it instead of correcting the problem. The key is always to find the root cause and correct it if possible. I/we all do understand your frustration though.

When it comes to your test dosage, some docs will start with one injection of double the dose to jump start things. After that it's back to their regularly prescribed dosage. Also know that the more BF you carry the more T will turn to E. When it comes to HCG a low dose protocol will not hurt you and I'd strongly suggest you use it if you plan on continuing this protocol.

Lastly, if at all possible I'd try to find a doc that knows hormones / thyroid and get proper treatment. Wouldn't it be nice to have solid, endogenous T levels for another 10-20 years if possible?

[nikito]

Could not agree more with this. First and foremost you should have investigated your thyroid further. As Angel inferred, hypothyroidism causes hypogonadism. So, if that actually was causing the low test you've now simply put a self-applied band aid on it instead of correcting the problem. The key is always to find the root cause and correct it if possible. I/we all do understand your frustration though.

When it comes to your test dosage, some docs will start with one injection of double the dose to jump start things. After that it's back to their regularly prescribed dosage. Also know that the more BF you carry the more T will turn to E. When it comes to HCG a low dose protocol will not hurt you and I'd strongly suggest you use it if you plan on continuing this protocol.

Lastly, if at all possible I'd try to find a doc that knows hormones / thyroid and get proper treatment. Wouldn't it be nice to have solid, endogenous T levels for another 10-20 years if possible?

Thank you very much for your response. I've decided on the folloing regimen going forward:

1. Reduce test-c to 100mg per week
2. Reduce t3 to 50mcg per week
3. Eliminate fragment hgh
4. Continue with .25mg of anastrazole
5. Increase caloric intake to 1750 calories per day
6. Continue with atkins diet (less than 15g of carbs per day)
7. Join a gym and workout 90 minutes per day

Any suggestions? Thank you.

[kelkel]

Yes, my last sentence in post 17. I know you feel better now but wouldn't it be nice to feel the same way naturally?
Nobody really wants to pin for 40 years if they don't have to....

[nikito]

Yes, my last sentence in post 17. I know you feel better now but wouldn't it be nice to feel the same way naturally?
Nobody really wants to pin for 40 years if they don't have to....

I agree 100 percent with you, that I should have my throid checked out. But its just not feasible for me at the moment to pursue that option.

[kelkel]

I would consider it for the future when possible.

[jasondd1]

Just my 2 cents but increase calories more and stop atkins altogether. Plus 90 minutes a day is wayyyyyy too much. You seem to go to extremes, more is not always better. More exercise, more calorie restrictions can do more harm than good. Atkins is for girls who don't workout not for men who want to exercise 90 minutes a day

Thank you very much for your response. I've decided on the folloing regimen going forward:

1. Reduce test-c to 100mg per week
2. Reduce t3 to 50mcg per week
3. Eliminate fragment hgh
4. Continue with .25mg of anastrazole
5. Increase caloric intake to 1750 calories per day
6. Continue with atkins diet (less than 15g of carbs per day)
7. Join a gym and workout 90 minutes per day

Any suggestions? Thank you.

[nikito]

Just my 2 cents but increase calories more and stop atkins altogether. Plus 90 minutes a day is wayyyyyy too much. You seem to go to extremes, more is not always better. More exercise, more calorie restrictions can do more harm than good. Atkins is for girls who don't workout not for men who want to exercise 90 minutes a day

I don't want to have huge muscles, I just want to get rid of this fat (50lbs). What type of diet/training/gear should I do to achieve my goal.

[jasondd1]

I don't want to have huge muscles, I just want to get rid of this fat (50lbs). What type of diet/training/gear should I do to achieve my goal.

If it were me I'd keep my exercise to less than an hour working every muscle a group 1 time a week. Cardio as you want. Calories should stay at 10xbody weight adjusting down as you lose weight. 250 pound man 2500 calories. Calories should be around 40/40/20 protein/carbs/fat. That would put you at 250 grams of protein a day, 250 carbs, and 55 grams of fat. Don't worry you won't get huge muscles working out in a caloric deficit.

[nikito]

If it were me I'd keep my exercise to less than an hour working every muscle a group 1 time a week. Cardio as you want. Calories should stay at 10xbody weight adjusting down as you lose weight. 250 pound man 2500 calories. Calories should be around 40/40/20 protein/carbs/fat. That would put you at 250 grams of protein a day, 250 carbs, and 55 grams of fat. Don't worry you won't get huge muscles working out in a caloric deficit.

Seriously? This will result in more weight loss for me? What's the science behind this?

[thisAngelBites]

Increased muscle mass increases your resting metabolic rate - lift some weights! I am wary of too much cardio myself as it is "stressful" to the body in that it increases cortisol production, and too much cortisol is bad for a lot of reasons, and it also helps you lay down fat. Not as big a worry in a caloric deficit, but for a lot of people the increased cortisol can increase cravings, decrease good sleep, etc.

If you love cardio, you could consider smaller amounts of time doing intervals, where you warm up, work very hard for a short time (30 seconds-ish) and then decrease intensity but keep moving while you are recovering. And then don't do it for so long - 10 minutes of this sort of thing has cardiovascular benefits, but without the long, cortisol-increasing duration.

Maybe others will chime in with alternative ideas.

[jasondd1]

Seriously? This will result in more weight loss for me? What's the science behind this?

This is basic stuff. I never workout more than 45 minutes and do cardio twice a week(interval training)

Do some research the info is there.