Hey guys. First post. Been a reader on here for a few years but never posted. Considering my first cycle after doing some actual research including listening and reading all the crazy questions that have been asked on here by other folks.
Im 31 years old almost 32. Started experiencing a bunch of health issues when i got out of the military back in 2022. Ive had 3 cardiac ablations, and i was diagnosed with PTSD and panic disorder and basically the alphabet soup of crap the VA likes to give you. Always been a really inshaoe guy. Very knowledgeable natural lifter. Been at sub 6% naturally with great relative strength. But when i got out of the military it just seemed like it all fell apart. Ive gained weight like crazy. Im sitting at like probably easily over 30% body fat and 235lbs. Its like im not even the same person.
Anyway, i got my Test checked out at the VA and it was 246.9 which i know is very low for my age but doc doesnt wanna do trt because its not “technically clinically low” yet. I know trt isnt a magic fix all and you need to be mastering the basics first like with anything diet, sleep, stress, and so on. But my mental health was a huge block for me and where it use to be easy to lose weight and gain muscle and be badass it just wasnt happening ya know?
So i started doing some researching like a good little keyboard warrior and got on peptides. Got some reta. Been using it for 3 weeks now and its fixed the uncontrollable eating and i feel great in that sense now. But im still struggling to lose weight and get where i wanna be.
I have a heart history and i know that a red flag for even prescribed TRT or so ive read. Its only a history of arrythmias and so far theyve been controlled since my last ablation but every once in a while ill get a weird sensation like its trying to take off but the connection just isnt there and so it doesnt. Ive got a heart monitor implanted under the skin to keep tract of weirdness that might go on but its just a recording device for my doc.
6 months ago i had an angiogram and it showed my heart was completely good. Also have had several echos that showed my heart is good in every other way. Triponin is usually a little elevated for some reason but the docs can never figure out why.
Ive got a wife and a 5 year old. I care about my health. I wanna look great again and be someone for my son to look up to. But i wanna stick around for a long time too. I cant justify a lot of risks.
So ill get to the point. I know you guys have a ton of personal experience. All i really want is your opinion guys. Given what ive told you, is it worth going on a mild cycle of testosterone enanthate to help myself get back on track faster or do you giys think i should just keep grinding without?
And hey im an open book if you guys need more info just ask. I appreciate you guys taking anytime you can for me.
You should consider trt using cypionate maybe 200mg and also tirzepatide start at 2.5mg for 3 weeks then go to 5mg and watch a calorie defeceit happen with little to no effort. I had a similar situation woke up one morning and said not anymore. I started tirzepatide and TRT and 7 months later I’m down 70 lbs. it’s expensive through a doc. I order online and have had success. Not sure the legalities of that but doctors know what I am doing/did and had no side effects. My doc gave me an RX for it I just chose to get it online vs a drug store. All lipids better than they have been in 20 years and body fat% dropped from ~34% to 18%. I did cardio with it but know many others that have done the same and without any exercise have dropped similar amounts in nearly the same time. I’m sure there are potential risks like with anything you put in your body but far safer than a cycle and will be much more effective starting with that. Just my 2 cents and experience with the combo. Prob saved my life.
I would NOT consider anything with that high of a BMI that could put additional strain on my heart until I got some weight off.
Talk to doctor before doing anything with your history. I’m not aware of any heart issues that tirzepatide causes but I look at it as obesity also carries risk.
Hey buddy, former enlisted crayon eater corps here.
Im going to help you out, but it might hurt. This process requires accountability.
What happens when you stop taking the retarutide (probably fucked up spelling, idc)?
Do you go back to being a fatass?
Why are you eating uncontrollably? I don’t want an answer, I want you to learn your answer.
Stop eating when you’re bored and/or feeling negative emotions. That should be step one.
That’s fine. You don’t want the VA managing your hormones.
Check out Defy Medical for legal TRT, or just buy stuff underground for cheap if money is tight.
Probably keep your dosage under 200mg/wk, ideally around 125-150mg/wk for general health while giving you the edge.
I sincerely advise against going higher in dosages as you have known heart issues.
Cardio is a must for you.
Going on cycle knowing your test levels are already dogshit means they will be even more dogshit by the time you come off cycle.
IMO, you either need to commit to TRT as a lifelong therapy (hence “testosterone replacement THERAPY”), or deal with it natty. I do not advise TRT unless you are truly ready to pin 2x per week for the next 50 years. It’s a big commitment.
Addressing your lifestyle first is a good way to stay off the needle.
Prioritize your sleep. 7-8 hours each night and get a CPAP if you need it.
Clean up your fuckin diet. You didn’t get fat because you ate too many carrots. 225g protein, 200-250g carbs, 50-60g fats.
Supplement vitamin D.
Keep training regularly.
Look man, i feel ya. Youre absolutely right no body gets fat eating carrots. I hear that. I think its mainly just been the stress. I went from feeling totally normal to one day i woke up and i literally thought i was losing my mind. Couldnt cope. Anxiety just messing me up. Literally just got to the point of, “This is not sustainable.” It got really really dark. FINALLY got on meds for it and yea… it helped calm me down but i just feel like everythings slower. And during that time when my stress was out of this world i literally was just afraid i was gonna die constantly. No shit. Just being straight up with you. Its not logical. Its just straight not logical. I would even tell myself, “This is not rationale what youre feeling and thinking.” But it just didnt matter.
So got super sedentary. Got super depressed. Made a bunch of super bad life decisions with nutrition and health. And all those thing combined was obviously more than enough to pack on the weight. Vicious cycle. Now that im on medication and dont feel crazy all the time it seems manageable. But now my body just doesnt work like it use to obviously.
I hear you. And yea im all about wanting to be healthy. I was “doc” for all my infantry dudes years ago. But hey thats why i came here to ask your opinions. Im open ears. And im not afraid to get shit on for it. Its worth it for me to healthy.
This is from 2018. Natural. Ive always loved fitness and nutrition and I know all the right answers. Just seems like these days I just dont respond to it like i use to. But then again, youre absolutely right. It wont if i dont just get and stay consistent again.
I hope you’ve addressed the root cause of your mental health issues. You’ll learn that the weight loss journey is closely related to the mental health journey.
I’m going to call you on this. Yes, it does.
You’re 32.
I know individuals in their 50s who’ve lost over a hundred pounds natty.
I know an individual in his 60s who lost about 75lbs natty.
They did the exact process you need to do, and they did it without the help of steroids or GLP-1s.
Same as above.
You look great here.
A notable difference i see is that you’re now married with a child… these things make it harder to continue pushing, but can give you more reason to push.
Start small.
Find the lowest hanging fruit and remove these calories first.
Liquid calories, sweets, snacks, crunchy things, etc.
Whether you start up TRT or not is up to you. I was in similar shoes to you, hormonally speaking, when i started TRT at 27. I won’t give you shit if you go that route as thats what I did.
Just make sure it’s a decision you are comfortable with making… if you do not need it, you will feel no benefit from it when you start taking it.
Hey man. Thanks so much for helping me out and talking to me. Life is a lot different now for sure. Im gonna wait on the TRT and just really put my head down this year and see where things land, then reasses.
Fucking miss the boys! The shitty field exercises! Deployments, getting up at 0200 to wait 9 hours to jump out of a plane for 15 seconds. It kind of just really hit me hard when i got out. And i didnt even realize how messed up i was until i got out and it all just abruptly ended. Hell, my first anxiety attack i didnt even know what it was.
Anyway i appreciate it man. When i got the notification for your first reply and i saw your name i recognized it from a bunch of threads ive read and I was like, “Oh shit! Here it come! Haha.” Thanks for keepin it real.
