How to adjust calories while using "wet" compounds?

[bwandrade]

The question is straightforward but let me be a little more specific about it.

I used pretty much only "dry" compounds so far (mostly low test and tren), they make it pretty easy to know exactly how much weight you are gaining and if it's fat or muscle, then I just compare my weight each week, look at my abs, and adjust calories based on how much I gained.

The problem is that I will use high test, dbol and deca on my next cycle and I know that I will gain a lot of weight because of water retention. That said, how can I adjust my calories if i can't use my weight or my abs as a reference because of the bloating? How do you guys usually do it?

[Quester]

Bump

[bwandrade]

Bump

[Livinlean]

Fluctuations in sodium will be one of the biggest things to monitor. Meaning eat a clean diet and keep junk food out. I'll use myself as an example here. My diet is 5000 calories and I salt all my meals but very rarely eat out so my sodium intake is pretty consistent. I am on my third week of 1 gram deca + 1 gram test C with 100mg anadrol + insulin and everyone around me is telling me I look leaner even though most would think I would look like a water buffalo with these compounds. Week 3 is still early for deca and test but the anadrol and insulin of course has fully kicked in.

In terms of upping calories, 250 is the best bet when staying lean is the goal. Personally I always go 500-750 but I care more about putting on size while on cycle than I do about being lean but thats all personal preference and theres no right or wrong way.

[bwandrade]

Fluctuations in sodium will be one of the biggest things to monitor. Meaning eat a clean diet and keep junk food out. I'll use myself as an example here. My diet is 5000 calories and I salt all my meals but very rarely eat out so my sodium intake is pretty consistent. I am on my third week of 1 gram deca + 1 gram test C with 100mg anadrol + insulin and everyone around me is telling me I look leaner even though most would think I would look like a water buffalo with these compounds. Week 3 is still early for deca and test but the anadrol and insulin of course has fully kicked in.

In terms of upping calories, 250 is the best bet when staying lean is the goal. Personally I always go 500-750 but I care more about putting on size while on cycle than I do about being lean but thats all personal preference and theres no right or wrong way.

Good to know that you are not bloating with thouse compounds. I hope that also happens with me, and thanks for the tips.

The problem is that I am kinda of a control freak, if I happen to bloat I just have no idea how to adjust my calories weekly, ok, it's fine when it's the first adjustment, we know kinda precisely how much calories is our maintenance, but as soon as the water weight starting too coming in I have no idea how to adjust, if I am eating too much and are also gaining fat or just to little and the weight gain is mostly water. Beside weekly DEXA scan (that I can't afford) is there something that I could do to be as close to the ideal calories as possible or it's something that only nattys and people using "dry" compounds can achieve?

[Gallowmere]

Good to know that you are not bloating with thouse compounds. I hope that also happens with me, and thanks for the tips.

The problem is that I am kinda of a control freak, if I happen to bloat I just have no idea how to adjust my calories weekly, ok, it's fine when it's the first adjustment, we know kinda precisely how much calories is our maintenance, but as soon as the water weight starting too coming in I have no idea how to adjust, if I am eating too much and are also gaining fat or just to little and the weight gain is mostly water. Beside weekly DEXA scan (that I can't afford) is there something that I could do to be as close to the ideal calories as possible or it's something that only nattys and people using "dry" compounds can achieve?

Not really. What I usually do is find a ride a maintenance for a couple of months (weight staying within a consistent trend of +/-2 lbs.) and use that as my starting point. Add or subtract ~250 kcals/day depending upon the goal to start. Then I let the first couple of weeks of fluid retention pile on, and reassess once things have stabilized.

[bwandrade]

Not really. What I usually do is find a ride a maintenance for a couple of months (weight staying within a consistent trend of +/-2 lbs.) and use that as my starting point. Add or subtract ~250 kcals/day depending upon the goal to start. Then I let the first couple of weeks of fluid retention pile on, and reassess once things have stabilized.

Yeah, I guess waiting for the water gain to stabilize is the best I can do to get as close as possible to the optimum amount of calories. I don't think there's much else to do...

[Gallowmere]

Yeah, I guess waiting for the water gain to stabilize is the best I can do to get as close as possible to the optimum amount of calories. I don't think there's much else to do...

Nope. The body is extremely dynamic, and individual response precludes even making blanket recommendations for specific doses of specific compounds. Drugs send a signal, but how your specific system responds to those signals can be largely variable. It’s why I don’t really get THAT much fluid retention from test/deca/mast/dbol, yet some guys turn into water balloons with lower doses than even my trivial amounts.
All of this applies to energy status as well. Some guys will turn into infernos on cycle and have to eat everything AND the kitchen sink. Others, not so much.

[bwandrade]

Nope. The body is extremely dynamic, and individual response precludes even making blanket recommendations for specific doses of specific compounds. Drugs send a signal, but how your specific system responds to those signals can be largely variable. It’s why I don’t really get THAT much fluid retention from test/deca/mast/dbol, yet some guys turn into water balloons with lower doses than even my trivial amounts.
All of this applies to energy status as well. Some guys will turn into infernos on cycle and have to eat everything AND the kitchen sink. Others, not so much.

To be honest, I am expectin the worse, the first and only time that I used deca and dbol together I ended up looking like someone smashed my face with a frying pan. On the other hand, it was like 6 years ago, my BF now is close to 8% and it was, if I am not wrong, the second cycle that I ever did. Who knows what will happen now that I have a little more experience under my belt? But as I said, I am prepared for the worst, lol.