Backstory: I’ve been lurking here for a while and kind of going off of a wing and a prayer. For the past year I got back into the gym and I’ve been working my ass off. First 6 months was Stronglifts 5x5. From there I moved on to a powerbuiding routine from a well-known bodybuilding website. I stick with that for a while. During this time my diet had been good. a chear hear and there, but otherwise okay.
I was tracking my calories and macros religiously - I was getting stronger, but over the course of that six months I wasn’t really losing any fat. So I found a private strongman gym and moved over to a Wendler 5/3/1 and some HIIT cardio - all this time not really dropping much fat. I think in a little over a year the scale went down 20lbs… currently I’m 37, 6’ and 344lbs - my goal right now is 220#. After trying everything I can short of starving myself, I’m not sure what to do next.
So I talk with the gym owner about my issues and he asked me a few questions then asked I’ve ever had my test tested. I told him no and he said, well, before you waste anymore time go get that done. He had low T and was until recently going through the same kind of thing.
Well, I finally get to my doctor and we find out I’m also diabetic so I win a script for Metformin. He tells me to take that and in a month we’ll take bloods for hormone therapy.
1 month later i go in and all of my lab work looks good. But the Test test is taking some time.
Cue Saturday morning, I’m training with some friends from the gym, my phone dings and it’s an alert for a test. I look at it and find Free Test is 4.30 and my total is 187ng/dl.
At this point I’m just waiting on the doc to get back me - hopefully tomorrow. Anyway. The doc said it would be bi-weekly injections that I could do at home. I was thinking it would be weekly.
Can anyone here shed some light about what I should be expecting or what additional questions I should be asking? Any help would be greatly appreciated. And yes. I know I need to lose the weight - it will be done.
This will depend on SHBG levels, if SHBG levels are low weekly isn’t even close to optimal and will not be expected to show good results. Normal TSH is <1.5, Free T3 mid-range or higher supports fat loss and optimal metabolism. Reverse T3 should <15 ng/dL or some of your Free T3 will not be in use and Reverse T3 will slow metabolism.
Metformin has been shown to block the insulin sensitivity improvements and VO2 Max during intense workouts, some men complain of fatigue during this period. Reducing the dosage may help in these cases.
If you don’t have the hormones levels to support fat loss, you’ll never reach your goal. Your are at high risk for multiple diseases at these testosterone levels, levels around/below 480 are associated with cardiovascular disease.
If your thyroid hormones are equally low, testosterone can do nothing for you. Equilibrium Dialysis is the most accurate testing methods.
Thanks, I’ll see what I can get. I looked over my previous test and I have a cbc lipid panel, but they were from last year and they were in the midst of a bout with dicvirticulitus, so I don’t know how helpful they would be.
I’ve never had my thyroid checked so I’m definitely interested in seeing those numbers.
To add to all of this I’m at my HMO doc so they kind of have their hands tied as far as what they can do based on symptoms. Might be able to get around that with a wellness check.
They will not do much unless you are really bad off, HMO’S are real bad if you have chronic illness. I had critical iron deficiency and had other minerals that were deficient which I discovered on my own.