TRT Causing Big Muscle Gain but Also Fat Gain

Training Over 35 Lifter
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All, first time poster

I’m 50 years old - 208 lbs. Athletic build. I’ve been taking TRT for over a year. Lately I’ve cut back the TRT dose to half because of significant acne and muscle gain. I mean I had gained 15 pounds in 60 days and was worried my T levels were too high.

However, since I’ve cut back the dose, I’ve noticed more belly fat and I’ve gained at least 3 lbs more of fat. Muscle levels are still the same. I’ve even cut my calorie intake to under 2000

Anyone have any recommendations or guidance here? I’m traditionally a person that struggles to keep the fat off, but I’m still 12-15% bodyfat pre TRT treatment. Now I am more like 20%. I thought TRT reduced fat levels due to increased muscle mass?

Anyway, I appreciate any help you can give me.

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Hey @MarkRider,

The change in your dose may have affected your body’s response to TRT, which could contribute to the changes you’re seeing.

You should give your body some time to adjust to the new TRT dosage. Changes in body composition can take time, so try not to be too hard on yourself during this period.

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TRT is not causing you to gain fat. Your diet is.

BTW, most of the weight you gained is likely water weight due to increased estrogen a la TRT.

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If you had a bad hormonal imbalance before then it can help but fat mass is mostly determined by your nutrition. What were your pre TRT numbers like? What are they now?

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Thank you

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They were 700 now they are 1300

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TT alone would not be enough info. But if that’s solely what we know then you didn’t need TRT in the first place and now your excess hormones are having a negative impact on your weight. Would want to know before and after FT/E2 to make judgment.

My original point was that if you had very low T/FT and moderate or high E2 then yes TRT would like aid in fat less from the simple hormonal changes sans other input. That doesn’t sound like you.

I’m guessing in your case that your E2 may be high since your TT is and some guys really retain fluid with high E2. That would be initial gain and then usually poor nutrition habits get amplified with excess hormones in general. That’s why people use anabolics to bulk.

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Why would you take TRT with that level? A doctor prescribed you TRT with that level?

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Get an experienced trt doctor, like an endocrinologist or urologist. If no change in diet, increased water retention should be answer, except that happens usually in first few months of treatment, not after “over a year”.

But it does affect guys in different ways.

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All, I just want to thank the community for your responses. I took your advice and created a intermittent fasting diet and it’s working well. Losing about 1lb a week of mostly fat.

Thanks for giving me the information and confidence to focus on the diet instead of the TRT.

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