Fat loss

[MPhoenix]

Hey all,

29/6'1/224lb: Just wondering if anyone who has gone off HRT has any ideas how to lose fat while keeping what little muscle you have left? I was taken off HRT in order to conceive. Since then my test is back down to 9.7 nmol/l (which the endo informs me is only moderately low). Since being taken off hrt my waist has ballooned to 41". It is only around my waist, it looks like a bad photoshop job. One dr said its hormone related and I need to loose the weight. Another simply said to loose the weight. I work out 6 days a week and my diet is great. No sugar besides some fruit, no carbs besides exekiel bread, oatmeal and brown rice pasta. I'm considering dropping the cals even further but am worried about losing muscle/strength as I have lost a lot already since last jan.

[steroid.com 1]

It's all about your resting metabolic rate.

When androgen levels are optimal like our youth weight gain is of little consequence (for the most part) due to optimal androgen levels and controlled E2 among other things. The result is a super charged resting metabolic rate and little weight gain.

As we age and HPTA slows in performance so does our resting metabolic rate and in return we increase body fat.

Increased body fat results in higher levels of the dreaded aromataze enzyme which converts bio-available Testosterone into higher levels of E2 and thus the bad cycle begins.

Men lose weight on exogenous Testosterone because it increases our resting metabolic rate the bad cycle above reverses.

Think of this as the Cliff Notes on TRT...

[junk2222yard]

I feel your pain. I am lifting weights harder than ever -- thanks to HRT I have the fire back! And I get plenty of cardio, too. Since starting T 4 months ago I have lost minus 7 pounds! That is right, I went from 247 to 254! Now, I am pretty sure it is muscle, but it is very frustrating that my body fat has not changed. I eat almost no junk, and am way more active than your average 42 year old. Very frustrating. I have started tweaking my diet based on advice here, but as I say, most people my age eat worse and are less active and yet not as fat.

If I were you, I would get a thyroid panel done. My T3 was very low a few months ago, and even now is not where I want it. My body temp is much colder than most, and I am pretty sure that my metabolism -- which seems tied to body temp -- is very slow. It makes losing fat hard. If you are hypothyroid (which may have caused your Low T in the first place!) then there is medicine that won't impact your sperm that will boost your metabolism.

Finally, I don't think you had to go off HRT to conceive? Were you taking hCG ? That should have kept your balls functioning.

[MPhoenix]

GDEVINE; Thanks for the info. I've read snippets on Google about this but what you say makes more sense.

JUNK2222YARD; I had the same thing when I was on HRT. I didn't notice too much fat loss but did go from 210 - 235.

I've had all the run ups. Thyroid is fine. Pituitary MRI fine. I have been told before both on here and on the google machine that I didn't have to go off TRT but, as per older posts, I went through three doctors asking them about HCG . Each one passed the buck saying 'ask him' until I hit the fourth (fertility doctor) who disregarded. Guess it's not that popular here. I'm going to make a trip to my local Pharmacy and ask a tech there which doctors prescribe that (along with AIs).

I'm kind of getting frustrated between my symptoms and the fact that there is no end in sight as I have been off for almost a year and nothing has happened.

[gbrice75]

One dr said its hormone related and I need to loose the weight. Another simply said to loose the weight. I work out 6 days a week and my diet is great.

I suggest you head over to the nutrition forum and post up your current diet and training regimen. A lot of guys think their diet is "great" when it isn't. I'm not saying that's you, but maybe it's a possibility.

Tbh, unless you have a serious thyroid issue, you should not balloon up to a 41" waist with a 'great' diet and training regimen. TRT can definitely add a nice boost, but is not (and should not be looked at as) the make or break of our dieting/training efforts, IMO. Just to put it in perspective, I got to the shape in my avy (well, close to) prior to starting TRT, and my T was considerably low, particularly free/bioavailable. I was 255lbs w/ a 42" waist a few years ago.

[MPhoenix]

Cool, I will. Thanks.

[SEOINAGE]

Even on T I had to make dramatic diet changes in order to lose body fat. But more to the point, there are certain doctors that could tell you by looking at where fat storage is on you what types of problems you might be having. Have you had recent thryoid panels as well?

[MPhoenix]

Yeah. My thyroid is fine.