Hunger

[thomasruss12]

I lost about 40lbs over the last few years through religious diet and exercise. I started 200mg test about 4 months ago. Holy hell. My appetite is just insane. I'm hungry legit all the time. My estradiol is borderline elevated and started low dose AI but that hasn't helped much. I really don't want to take GLPS. I'm still about 10lbs overweight. I'm hitting about 2500 calories and about 200g of protein. How does everyone respond to testosterone hunger?

 

[accidentaljedi173]

I also became ravenous when I started test. Idk, if I'm just used to it or what. On that note I'm always hungry still after 2 years.

 

[Ghoul]

I lost about 40lbs over the last few years through religious diet and exercise. I started 200mg test about 4 months ago. Holy hell. My appetite is just insane. I'm hungry legit all the time. My estradiol is borderline elevated and started low dose AI but that hasn't helped much. I really don't want to take GLPS. I'm still about 10lbs overweight. I'm hitting about 2500 calories and about 200g of protein. How does everyone respond to testosterone hunger?

Check your TSH and Free T4 levels. Obesity can fuck your thyroid function in a persistent way even after weight loss, and in the northern hemisphere, if that's where you're located, the season can worsen it, making you crazy hungry, and potentially lethargic and depressed. Testosterone can lower T4 further, spiking ravenous hunger,

Just one of many possibilities, but an easy one to check and fix. Know many people who lost substantial weight after correcting thyroid levels.

 

[Palifter]

My advice: embrace the hunger. You know what’s worse than being hungry…having no appetite at all. Just my opinion but I look and feel my best when my appetite is high. Off-season or contest prep, I ensure appetite is there. Appetite is a great indicator that insulin sensitivity and other markers are in check, most of the time.

It’s not so much testosterone causing the hunger, but more likely your body composition being in a more favorable spot overall. I realize testosterone could attribute to this phenomenon but I digress.

I would be curious to see your bloods. Thyroid markers and E2 specifically.

 

[PermaBlastingTren]

when i started test i became extremely hungry as well. i didn't match the food to the hunger and ended up recomping

 

[Eddie.]

Same here, from the moment i started gear my appetite went through the roof. Before i had just cravings for fats and sugars, now i can devour rice, cream of rice, oats, greek yoghurt etc and still be hungry.

Before gear my maintenance was about 3000kcal and i was happy with it, i thought it was nice food volume. On my previous push phase i reached 4800kcal with 720gr carbs and i could easily eat one or maybe two meals more if i needed too.

 

[thomasruss12]

Same here, from the moment i started gear my appetite went through the roof. Before i had just cravings for fats and sugars, now i can devour rice, cream of rice, oats, greek yoghurt etc and still be hungry.

Before gear my maintenance was about 3000kcal and i was happy with it, i thought it was nice food volume. On my previous push phase i reached 4800kcal with 720gr carbs and i could easily eat one or maybe two meals more if i needed too.

Did your maintenance end up going up or did it stay the same?

 

[thomasruss12]

My advice: embrace the hunger. You know what’s worse than being hungry…having no appetite at all. Just my opinion but I look and feel my best when my appetite is high. Off-season or contest prep, I ensure appetite is there. Appetite is a great indicator that insulin sensitivity and other markers are in check, most of the time.

It’s not so much testosterone causing the hunger, but more likely your body composition being in a more favorable spot overall. I realize testosterone could attribute to this phenomenon but I digress.

I would be curious to see your bloods. Thyroid markers and E2 specifically.

TSH/T4 all normal. E2 borderline elevated.

 

[Eddie.]

Did your maintenance end up going up or did it stay the same?

It's about 1200 kcal higher but i'm doing a more taxing job as well.

 

[xrayphoton13]

TSH/T4 all normal. E2 borderline elevated.

What is your TSH? Normal range does not mean optimal. It should be under 1 and close to 0. My TSH was 3 which is normal range but my doc wanted to optimize so put me on 60mg NP thyroid. I can't believe the difference. I wish I had tried this years ago. So much easier to diet now. Not tired in afternoon. Random boners throughout the day like high school lol. I thought trt was a huge upgrade to my life. Thyroid took it to the next level

 

[thomasruss12]

What is your TSH? Normal range does not mean optimal. It should be under 1 and close to 0. My TSH was 3 which is normal range but my doc wanted to optimize so put me on 60mg NP thyroid. I can't believe the difference. I wish I had tried this years ago. So much easier to diet now. Not tired in afternoon. Random boners throughout the day like high school lol. I thought trt was a huge upgrade to my life. Thyroid took it to the next level

With all due respect, why would you want your TSH to be close to 0? Your body naturally regulates thyroid production with TSH initiating that process through he H-P axis. Getting TSH close to zero means that you've fully shut down HPA. If your fT3 and fT4 are within normal range, then there is no utility in shutting things down. Thyroid hormone isn't like an anabolic where overshooting has a benefit. That being said, to each their own.

 

[xrayphoton13]

With all due respect, why would you want your TSH to be close to 0? Your body naturally regulates thyroid production with TSH initiating that process through he H-P axis. Getting TSH close to zero means that you've fully shut down HPA. If your fT3 and fT4 are within normal range, then there is no utility in shutting things down. Thyroid hormone isn't like an anabolic where overshooting has a benefit. That being said, to each their own.

Dr. Keith Nichols explains it here like my doc did. Made sense when he explained it and I feel better. It's not like testosterone where you could be permanently shut down. Your body will start right back up if you come off:

View: https://youtu.be/3WAshfBPOKw?si=dHXxooldaudIaBst

EDIT: I should add I've been fat my whole life. I have worked so hard 3 times now to get the weight off and I always eventually slip up and put it right back on so easily. This is the first time in my life if I eff up for a few days (vacation/holidays) I don't throw on a stupid amount of bodyfat almost overnight. And I log every workout. I'm not losing strength while cutting so I know I've not gone catabolic from higher t3. So maybe I had an issue with the signaling from TSH to actually producing free t3. I know they say in the video that young elite athletes have a tsh well under 1 and high t3 naturally. That's what we're aiming for and it seems to have really made a difference for me. Your right though, doesn't mean it will work for everyone