Ah! You da man. Looks like I got the good stuff after all.
Two months into Nandrolone, I donāt foresee it being a part of the long-term protocol.
My libido has reduced ā not anything crazy, but itās definitely gone down by a few points. I have stuck below the recommended 2:1 ratio of T:Deca (270 T, 100 Deca), but Deca has still had some effects. In terms of overall well-being, Iāve felt good. I havenāt noticed any body-composition effects, though itās only been two months at a relatively low dose.
I ordered more just to have it on hand because my supply setup is ideal currently and will be changing soon (switching insurance providers, unfortunately), but Iāll likely stop when this bottle runs out in the next couple weeks.
First day of adding T cream to the scrotum yesterday ā just 1 click at 50 mg/ml, yet still resulted in terrible sleep last night. Got a few sporadic hours.
This seems to inevitably happen every time I change protocols. No big deal ā but funny that it even happened with such a small tweak.
I mean is that really a āsmallā tweak? That is like a straight shot into your body.
Yeah I was about to say 150mg a day had me at 1500+ and youāre adding a third of that on top of everything else. Could be pretty significant imo.
You guys are probably right. My perception is skewed because my dose has been 200+ for so long, and because when I took the cream previously I was doing 4 clicks ā so 1 just seems small. Good points!
Is the absorption rate like 10% (or higher on the scrotum)? So its like injecting an extra 5mg of extra T a day released over 24 hours with saturation realized after 1 day. So at 10% its an extra 35mg a week of T?
Iāve read the absorption rates on scrotal cream are quite a bit higher but I donāt have any evidence of that. Even 20% would be a pretty good bump
Yeah, I have read the same. I believe 20 is the figure Iāve come across most often for the scrotum. Iām hopeful adding the cream and dropping nandrolone will improve my free:total ratio. When thatās been at its highest, Iāve always felt my best.
Only a few days into the cream now (1 click @ 50 mg/ml to the scrotum), but Iāve already noticed some (minor) differences. My well-being/confidence have been a bit higher, and Iāve at least had some sexual desire during the day. Itās subtle, but there are promising signs.
Havenāt been as focused on my physique lately - new goals with the baby on the way (!), like improving my mobility and cardio - but hereās an update. Iām 170-175 and probably around 10% BF (6ā2").
Did my first workout at a gym today (Planet Fitness, but still) since quarantine. The home gym is huge for convenience but man, being in a gym is so much more fun! I felt like a kid in a candy store with all the machines at my disposal.
Also: the cream is definitely making a difference. Iām thinking more about sex and just feeling more alpha. Itās that magnetic feeling, like others can just tell you have high T. Catching more women looking at me. Hard to describe, but some of you know what I mean.
I donāt know if Iāll stick with the current approach (mostly injectable T, with a little bit of cream mixed in), but I do think cream to the balls will be a part of my long-term strategy.
Congrats on the upcoming family addition! Physique is looking great, especially those shoulders and arms!
Appreciate you bro! I did have an arm pump, but I think those (and back) are my best attributes
Iāve been thinking a lot lately about body dysmorphia. I think itās a spectrum, and we all fall somewhere on it. Some people arenāt preoccupied with their body at all; others think about it constantly. I think about it more than I would like and more than most people, and Iād guess most other guys around these parts are similar in that regard.
If you picture someone who is healthy, they arenāt preoccupied with their physical appearance. Maybe they do look good, but it isnāt a constant source of thought. They are physically, mentally, and socially/emotionally healthy. That means no stress over occasionally engaging in āphysically unhealthy behavior,ā like having a piece of cake at a celebration. I canāt say Iām at that place. Itās good to have awareness of calories/macronutrients and how theyāll impact your body, but not good to be vigilant. That can manifest in eating disorders and psychological distress.
I want to be someone whoās healthy, in the holistic sense of the word, when my child arrives (Jan/Feb). I always want to be physically capable, but I donāt want to be that guy whoās obsessed with his body.
Anyone know of any good resources for shedding excessive concern about appearance? Iāve been looking into therapists but would also love to get started on a good book.
" If you picture someone who is healthy , they arenāt preoccupied with their physical appearance. Maybe they do look good, but it isnāt a constant source of thought. They are physically, mentally, and socially/emotionally healthy. That means no stress over occasionally engaging in āphysically unhealthy behavior,ā like having a piece of cake at a celebration. I canāt say Iām at that place. Itās good to have awareness of calories/macronutrients and how theyāll impact your body, but not good to be vigilant. That can manifest in eating disorders and psychological distress."
Honestly, when the Doc told me I was going to dieā¦ and blah blah and was actually sincereā¦ I was then started on industrial TRT and about 3 weeks later went ultra dysmorphic when I stood and looked in the mirror.
I had lost about 60 pounds by reassessing my eating regime over the prior 3 months, but it was mostly water from high carb eating. Now Iām still dysmorphic but Iām looking like a heavy weight boxer, but Iām FAR FAR from āsatisfiedā with my appearance. My Wife thinks Iām obsessed. But sheās never been shot at, blown up nor has ever had someone tell you that your a dead man walkingā¦ so yeahā¦ dysmorphia sucks, people are like ā wow you look amazing, what a transformation, and Iām like, look how fat I am!!! lolā¦
I laugh about it now, but that was me literally 1 month ago. Iām just starting to be less disgusted and seeing that things are changing.
Donāt get caught up in the dysmorphia. Find one thing that looks noticeably improved every week and roll with it. If you obsess about it, youāll just be very negative and its hard to stay positive and focused when your angry.
MS
Being actually psychologically disassociated from the reality of your physical state is one thing, and can be very bad. Legit anorexia and bulimia is a problem that needs addressing. But that level of disassociation and compulsive behavior is fairly rare.
I am of the thinking that too much behavior is pathologized by modern psychology, which seems to me to be very sure of itself as far as schools of thought go. I am somewhat obsessive about my health, including appearance. Like you said, itās a spectrum - Iām not even remotely as obsessive as some people are. But thatās a behavioral trait I carry in to many facets of life. Iām āobsessiveā about my work, and that makes me a pretty successful software engineer. Iām āobsessiveā about making sure my children have the sort of father they need. Iām āobsessiveā about essentially everything I do, and I reap the benefits of that. In fact, I wouldnāt call it obsession. I would call it interest and dedication. Right now, while I still have a modicum of youth, Iām interested in physique, and I donāt have any problem with that. At some point I will enter another season of life where interest will tend toward other priorities.
All that to say, maybe youāre not really all that obsessed. Maybe youāre just interested and dedicated, and maybe now that you have a new life on the way itās time for a different mode of being for a time. Itās OK to let things go, to let interests wane, and to release the past. As nature demands, as Aurelius writes.
I donāt know that you need a shrink for that (although I am a big proponent of CBT). If I was going to recommend any book to a new father, or anyone else approaching such change, it would be Aureliusā Meditations.
Just out of curiosity have you ever considered developing an obsession for moderation? I wonder if that would work. When you say āobsessiveā are you referring to being a perfectionist in regard to these things? Therefore imperfection causes you a great deal of stress and anxiety? The typical āA Typeā developed by insurance companies to identify those at highest risk for stress induced maladies. I think you see my direction. Iām not judging, just following a thought pattern while I type.
I got a great piece of advice from someone 15 or so years ago, before my first of 3 was born, when I asked what parenting books I should be considering. They said, āthe type of person who is seeking ANY parenting book is already on their way to being a good parent.ā
This is 100% me. As @spinup described, I carry this behavioral trait into many facets of life ā physique, career, relationship, finances, etc. I want to be the best in every areaā¦yet canāt always define why. When I think about it objectively ā consider my mortality ā it doesnāt make much sense.
Breaker refers to it as interest and dedication, and discusses how it reaps rewards, which I have certainly seen (and am very grateful for). I think a lot of guys around here can relate. High achievers.
So, I like that reframing ā but I fear I go over the line sometimes.
Itās healthy to be interested and dedicatedā¦unhealthy to be obsessed. And often us āType Asā flirt with the boundary. I reached out to a therapist looking for CBT, which should help me better understand this blessing/curse and how to best channel and understand it.
I got into Stoicism a few years ago but didnāt go deep enough and could use a refresher. Time to revisit Meditations.
Yeah drive is great until it isnāt. If it will lead you to an early grave then that is a high price to pay for perfection, which doesnāt exist. I would argue that those who find happiness in moderation in all facets of life, including drive and perfectionism, live longer and happier lives overall because they are not burdened with perfection. Wabi-sabi in all aspects of life.