Would you be happy at 356total and 7 free pinning twice a week for 3 month’s?
I was ecstatic with those results. My first 2 measurements were a 42 and a 38. When I had literally 10x as much test, I was over the moon. But a big part of that was because I FELT better. My doctor said it best “You didn’t come here because of labs: you came here because of how you feel”
But he ALSO told me that I clearly had all my other life stuff figured out, because I showed up very lean and very muscular when I had those stupidly low numbers. I was primed to respond to the medication. It’s why I bring this aspect up. Taking care of all the life stuff can make it so that the dose works.
Ive cut fat and built muscle. Its been hard but i have done it and im going to keep grinding. But I WANT TO HAVE THE ENERGY TO DO IT.
I’m thinking that trying to out train this is going to do more harm than good. That was one of the biggest things when I finally got medication: I started training WAY less than I was before, and it gave me a chance to actually recover and feel better.
This right here. The “feel good” part. That’s what I’m saying. I do not feel optimal. Does 356 and 7 feel better than before with 75 and 2.8? For sure! But still not good by any means. The energy… the manly drive to get up and get things done, the midday desire to sneak back on the farm with the lady, is simply not there yet. I mean i wake up and hit the road at 4:30a.m. every day. By noon im tired and need a nap lol. And i dont have a phyical job anymore either. When i went on vacation i took the full 200mg dose. I felt great for over a week then felt like crap until time for the nxt shot. I always read smaller dose more often was better so you dont peak and trough. So thats what I typically do. And…honestly after vacation i about decided its better to be peak for a week and a half and trough for a half week. .5 Monday and thursday i never really get that big boost
Thanks. This platform has been really helpful to me. I guess what it boils down to is wait on the dr, be honest, and go from there. The mental goals and energy are my #1 priority. The physical “gym” goals are a bonus.
Listen man. You do you. You’ve been given good advice here but you keep coming up with an excuse. So why even ask?
This thread seems to have run its course days ago.
This. I started off at 120 mg weekly and it put my free T over double the upper end of normal. Doc dropped me to 100 mg weekly at 10 weeks. I was disappointed and discouraged but after stabilizing at the lower dose, I’m OVERALL feeling better.
OP, I feel you. Hopefully can have that talk with your doc. My levels are in 600s for total T, but free T is high normal and I feel “normal” again . Definitely an improvement from pre TRT. Best wishes.
Not sure what i said bud… thanks this platform has been great for me? Or the pay where i said when i go back to dr I’ll just be honest and go from there?
What you’re not getting is that you just started. It is a process to get locked in with what works for you. You’ve only just started 3 months ago and it seems all you want to do is not listen to the advice you came here for and raise your dose.
Best of luck. I said my bit. I’m out
That is what I’m looking for. Everyone i know that “feels good again” are 600+. Im simply asking…wouldnt more test =higher total and free? And wouldnt that be beneficial if im at 356 total and 7 free? KNOW I HAVE FAT TO LOSE but i didnt need that pointed out. I feel like crap. Andmy levels are not what id consider optimal. It sure seems like one has a lot to do with the other to me. Just wanted thouggts on that. Not “your chubby” “your training too hard” “youre eating too much”. All that is based on every individuals goals. Mine is not to lean up and have abs. Yet. My goal is more health related. And the gym is a nice added bonus.
Not “your chubby” “your training too hard” “youre eating too much”. All that is based on every individuals goals. Mine is not to lean up and have abs. Yet. My goal is more health related.
To clarify, because I feel I may have been misunderstood.
I was saying this from the perspective of making the therapy more effective: not from the perspective of vanity.
When I started on therapy, I was told that I may have to quit training, period. I said “I don’t care about that: I just want to feel better”. I didn’t need to quit, but significantly reducing my training went a long way toward making the therapy more effective. Same with changing my diet.
The follow-on effect was getting even leaner and performing better, sure, but it wasn’t why I did those things. I did them to maximize the benefit of the medicine.
Okay then i guess im not getting it. Im aware i just started. And im aware its a marathon not a sprint. At the level im at. My energy is not normal. Period. If i stay at that level another 3 months will my levels continue ro climb? Or…is that my new normal. Because to be frankly honset the way i feel im not willing to accept that as “thats as good as it gets” when i see and hear other’s talking about how great they feel and what their numbers are. I try not to chase numbers. But when a 50 year old feels great and hes in the 600s and im 41 and feel like shit in the 350s then it sure feels like the numbers mean something amd feels like mine arent where they need to be. If they didnt mean anything why even check them. Im not tehing to be confrontational but seems like you want to tell me how to fix and how to fix without listening to my concerns/problems. The math aint mathing for me. Again…if 3 more months at same dose my levels will continue to climb and my energy and libido slowly come back then great. Im here for the ride. But if they are pretty much leveled out after 3 month’s and i feel how i feel then i need a change to my protocol. You say dont chase numbers its how you feel that matters. I tell you i feel like trash…but better than when i was at 75. Ive agreed need to lose body fat. Ive also told you AND shown pics that i have been. And im not finished. When i said thanks…ill see whatbthe dr says. You basically tell me to shut up lol. So yeah…little confusing
If i stay at that level another 3 months will my levels continue ro climb?
Yup. My dosage has remained the same since I started, and my numbers continue to climb year to year.
Again…if 3 more months at same dose my levels will continue to climb and my energy and libido slowly come back then great. Im here for the ride.
Once again: yup. It took me about a year to really feel fully healed, and even then, I kept discovering more and more parts of me that were broken that needed to recover. We spend so long being unhealthy we forget what healthy ever felt like.
Yes. I got ya as far as losing fat not being for vanity. But physical exercise has been proven to raise testosterone. And clean diet. Yes? So wouldnt it seem that it would maximize the small dose that im on? I WANT TO FEEL BETTER ALSO. Main goal!
I didn’t even read that whole post because you’re just fighting advice.
You are not in a good spot bodyfat wise. Don’t get me wrong you are looking great especially compared to the before pics but here’s the truth.
With high bodyfat you will atomize wag more than normal when adding more test. This will most likely make you feel like shit. This is counterproductive and not reallly healthy. There is a balance you need to find. Last thing you want is to have to fake an ai and juggle estrogen non stop. High estrogen will cause you to hold water and possible blood pressure issues as well.
What we are all saying is get your body in a better place before you start taking more hormones. Simple as that.
But physical exercise has been proven to raise testosterone
The dose is the poison. The right amount of exercise will raise it: the wrong amount/intensity will crash it.
And clean diet. Yes?
The definition of a clean diet would mean so, yes. Unfortunately, there are many definitions of what makes a clean diet. When i was eating a diet that was fantastic for improving my blood lipid profile, I absolutely tanked my hormones. Switching to a diet of all meat/eggs/animal products and no plants got me in a much better place, even though many would claim that’s not a clean diet.
Awesome. Thats all i needed to hear. I thought “356 and 7” were my new normal and i was not happy about that. Based on what my body is telling me. But again…im better than I was. So if i will continue to improve on that then GREAT. Again… i do feel that i shoukd follow what the dr says also. I mean she is the dr. But after you telling me this i wont be begging to increase the dose. If she says i should increase it…i guess i should
Yessir. Chicken coop has all the eggs i can eat, and a freezer full of whitetail deer. Well…it was full. Lots of water. Beer is a killer i know this. Have not quit. But probably drink 1/3 of what i did drink 2 years ago. Last nigh for example…2 light beers. I do eat fruits and veggies too. Try to stay away from anything processed as best as i can.
Got it. My estrogen was actually low as well. And trust me about the fat i hear it loud and clear and my feelings arent hurt. Im getting there slowly but surly and im proud if it. So hearing “you need to get rid of more body fat” is motivation to me. Problem i have is I want to bulk. And sounds like…thats not gonna work with what youre saying i need. But right or wrong my personal “gym” goal is size and strength first. Then cut. Apparently with that as my goal im gonna feel like shit. Because its dang near impossible to burn fat while bulking at the same time. Possible maybe. But not likely for most.
Not going to lie. My toughest battle. I love a cold beer at the end of a hot day. And 100% i know its awful. More if a habit than addiction for me. But its a hard habit to break.
