First try at using steroids

[Dingalanga]

Data:

Male
35
6'2
220
~30% BF
Fertility not a concern

Most recent bloodwork attached.

I have an appointment with a urologist coming up, but I am 90% sure I won't be given a prescription for testosterone. I have however decided to finally give it a go, with the plan being to just stay on year round, and incorporate one blast a year when I am down to 10-13% body fat.

The plan is to start off with 20mg subQ daily, 140mg weekly. 4-5 weeks in, I'll do another round of blood work. Adjusting the test dose to keep estrogen in check without using an AI, although I will keep Arimidex on hand just in case.

I want to use this log to keep track of how I feel, as that is my main motivation for doing this. See introduction for more details on that matter.
I also appreciate all advice you guys might have. Any pointers to my blood work is awesome!

Current status:

Lack of motivation in all aspects of life.
General mood bad, irritable. Libido nowhere to be found. Zero progression in lifts, but at a ~1k cal deficit that is to be expected. No pains or aches.

Feelz-rating™ - 2/10
Bod-rating™ - 5/10

As soon as I get done with the no doubt polite "not going to happen"- reply at the urologist office, I am starting this. Stay tuned.

 

[Biggerisbetternl]

Goodluck bro

 

[Cman90]

I think this sounds like a decent plan, but I'd wait until you are a healthy body weight and fit before starting TRT. You aren't hypogonadal, your low T levels are probably because you're obese (25%+ bf).

I think going from obese to fit can make a world of difference in just about every metric in your life. This could be all you need to improve your mental health. Often times using gear makes mental health worse and not better.

Are you doing anything to address your ALT? A GLP-1 could help improve those values along with weight loss. Also cleaning up your diet and cardio is a good idea too if you aren't doing that already.

I think if you do those things, you'll fix the problems you have. TRT probably isn't the magic pill you are looking for.

Edit: Just saw you are on Reta — nice. Probably a good idea to add some liver supplements.

 

[Duraclear]

I agree that it's probably best to wait before starting TRT, and it may not do for you what you expect. However, if you do decide to go this route, 140mg/wk sounds reasonable, although I suspect that you would not see much difference at a safer dose of 100 or so. You probably won't need an AI at 140, but good to have it on hand in case. Also consider maybe some Tamoxifen.

Be prepared for it to take muuuuuch longer than you like or expect to go from 30% bf to 13%. I undertook a similar journey after letting myself go during covid. It took me nearly two years, and I already knew what I was doing. However, you are a decade younger than me, so it may go a bit faster.

 

[Dingalanga]

I appreciate the advices guys. I just made an appointment to get a DEXA next week to have more than just my estimate to go by. I'll postpone the urologist, and figure out how much I have to lose, what time frame is realistic without losing too much muscle and go from there.

My diet and training is pretty decent and has been for a year +. Down ~90lbs total over the past 3 years, with Reta added to the mix a few weeks ago.

I'll update once the results from the DEXA is in.

 

[Billbo98]

Contrary to what everyone else says if you are able to hop on TRT and commit for life I say go for it and get un fat. It will help

 

[Flatriggerman]

If you get knots from sub q, use 1cc syringes with a 27g in the delt. 21g to draw. What dose of reta are you using? split or once a week. Reta is your weapon for weight loss, test for mood. If your Dr. won't prescribe find another. Shop around. More Dr's are changing to feels versus numbers imo. To a certain point. If you have a natural 750 total test you'll never get a script.

 

[hellerhiwater]

I appreciate the advices guys. I just made an appointment to get a DEXA next week to have more than just my estimate to go by. I'll postpone the urologist, and figure out how much I have to lose, what time frame is realistic without losing too much muscle and go from there.

My diet and training is pretty decent and has been for a year +. Down ~90lbs total over the past 3 years, with Reta added to the mix a few weeks ago.

I'll update once the results from the DEXA is in.

urologist appointments are a bitch to get where im at. if nothing else you can go for an in-person medical opinion based on your specific chart.

also trt isnt a cure all.

i did 8 months of hard training starting at 405lbs with infant baby girl levels of testosterone, high as fuck prolactin, and mild anemia.

i lost 80 lbs absent any/all "motivation, good feels" and anything else positive.

it fixed my depression and i powered thru. but i did finally cave and hop on trt after the anemia became severe enough to hold me back from lifting (coudlnt handle anemia PLUS mega low T, had to pick a struggle and trt could and did fix both)

anyways. i see the trt being a cure all idea being thrown around a lot. no doubt a symptom of the giant marketing push its had, and it absolutely can be helpful. but a lot of people in the normal range of testosterone going to a normal range of testosterone just without the LH and FSH will feel very similarly. just my two cents

 

[Flatriggerman]

Easy, don't go to a urologist. Do a search here and use telehealth members use or a wellness clinic that uses insurance. I go to a wellness dr and pay 10 bucks with insurance. No wonder, urologists are notorious for being dicks (NPI). A urologist is always going to be behind the curve. TRT protocols have passed them over. Do yourself a favor and go to someone who knows what they're doing and up to date on protocols.

 

[Dingalanga]

Contrary to what everyone else says if you are able to hop on TRT and commit for life I say go for it and get un fat. It will help

I have the means to do so, and clinics who offer blood work for decent money close by. It is hard for me to identify the obvious down sides if I am being honest.

If you get knots from sub q, use 1cc syringes with a 27g in the delt. 21g to draw. What dose of reta are you using? split or once a week. Reta is your weapon for weight loss, test for mood. If your Dr. won't prescribe find another. Shop around. More Dr's are changing to feels versus numbers imo. To a certain point. If you have a natural 750 total test you'll never get a script.

Thanks, I have actually purchased said needles just in case subQ isn't for me. Shopping around for doctors is a non starter for me because of where I reside - it would cost me a small fortune to do so.

urologist appointments are a bitch to get where im at. if nothing else you can go for an in-person medical opinion based on your specific chart.

also trt isnt a cure all.

i did 8 months of hard training starting at 405lbs with infant baby girl levels of testosterone, high as fuck prolactin, and mild anemia.

i lost 80 lbs absent any/all "motivation, good feels" and anything else positive.

it fixed my depression and i powered thru. but i did finally cave and hop on trt after the anemia became severe enough to hold me back from lifting (coudlnt handle anemia PLUS mega low T, had to pick a struggle and trt could and did fix both)

anyways. i see the trt being a cure all idea being thrown around a lot. no doubt a symptom of the giant marketing push its had, and it absolutely can be helpful. but a lot of people in the normal range of testosterone going to a normal range of testosterone just without the LH and FSH will feel very similarly. just my two cents

Thank you. One of my biggest concerns in all of this actually relates a lot to that last part. The absolute worst thing that could happen is that it doesn't change a thing. I would go from feeling stuck to hopeless I think.I am trying to power through, it's just been a 15 year long battle at this point, getting sick of it.

Easy, don't go to a urologist. Do a search here and use telehealth members use or a wellness clinic that uses insurance. I go to a wellness dr and pay 10 bucks with insurance. No wonder, urologists are notorious for being dicks (NPI). A urologist is always going to be behind the curve. TRT protocols have passed them over. Do yourself a favor and go to someone who knows what they're doing and up to date on protocols.

Solid advice, however not applicable in my case. The country I am from is very strict when it comes to operating privately run clinics, as well as being extremely strict about prescriptions in general.

 

[DimitarGrgv]

Data:

Male
35
6'2
220
~30% BF
Fertility not a concern

Most recent bloodwork attached.

I have an appointment with a urologist coming up, but I am 90% sure I won't be given a prescription for testosterone. I have however decided to finally give it a go, with the plan being to just stay on year round, and incorporate one blast a year when I am down to 10-13% body fat.

The plan is to start off with 20mg subQ daily, 140mg weekly. 4-5 weeks in, I'll do another round of blood work. Adjusting the test dose to keep estrogen in check without using an AI, although I will keep Arimidex on hand just in case.

I want to use this log to keep track of how I feel, as that is my main motivation for doing this. See introduction for more details on that matter.
I also appreciate all advice you guys might have. Any pointers to my blood work is awesome!

Current status:

Lack of motivation in all aspects of life.
General mood bad, irritable. Libido nowhere to be found. Zero progression in lifts, but at a ~1k cal deficit that is to be expected. No pains or aches.

Feelz-rating™ - 2/10
Bod-rating™ - 5/10

As soon as I get done with the no doubt polite "not going to happen"- reply at the urologist office, I am starting this. Stay tuned.

Good luck!

 

[adrenalytic]

I have an appointment with a urologist coming up, but I am 90% sure I won't be given a prescription for testosterone.

If you are gunning for a script you can just shut yourself down with a few T shots and then stop taking it for about a week (depending on ester). You will easily show low test.

This takes a couple weeks though so if your appointment is soon you might want to postpone it.

 

[Prze1]

Data:

Male
35
6'2
220
~30% BF
Fertility not a concern

Most recent bloodwork attached.

I have an appointment with a urologist coming up, but I am 90% sure I won't be given a prescription for testosterone. I have however decided to finally give it a go, with the plan being to just stay on year round, and incorporate one blast a year when I am down to 10-13% body fat.

The plan is to start off with 20mg subQ daily, 140mg weekly. 4-5 weeks in, I'll do another round of blood work. Adjusting the test dose to keep estrogen in check without using an AI, although I will keep Arimidex on hand just in case.

I want to use this log to keep track of how I feel, as that is my main motivation for doing this. See introduction for more details on that matter.
I also appreciate all advice you guys might have. Any pointers to my blood work is awesome!

Current status:

Lack of motivation in all aspects of life.
General mood bad, irritable. Libido nowhere to be found. Zero progression in lifts, but at a ~1k cal deficit that is to be expected. No pains or aches.

Feelz-rating™ - 2/10
Bod-rating™ - 5/10

As soon as I get done with the no doubt polite "not going to happen"- reply at the urologist office, I am starting this. Stay tuned.

I was in a similar situation to yours and started with HRT (TRT and GH) along with Reta before doing a proper cycle. It was worth it

 

[BigDadd7]

I didn't read all of the replies....

If you're not hypogonadal, 140 is a complete waste of time. And sub q is dumb. It's a tiktok thing that needs to die. Why pin daily when c/e has a 5ish day half life? It's just dumb and makes no sense.

30% bf is pretty steep. Aromatase enzyme, which is found in fat, will turn most of that low dose into estrogen. Ironically, estrogen will signal your body to store more fat in a vicious cycle.

Run a course of tirzepatide for a few months and drop that body fat. Eat high protein and hit the gym 4 times a week. You will be super happy with the transformation. Friends/family/co-workers will all notice and comment positively.

After that, you can consider test. It’s not going to do what you’re hoping it will at this point.

 

[thejumpingsheep]

Lack of motivation is personality trait. You have to change the way you approach life and nothing can do that for you. There might be some happy juice out there that can make you feel ok temporarily but it wont last. You need to power through and change how you approach things.

30% BF at 6-2 220 doesnt make sense unless you are new to weight lifting. No shame in that. But I need clarification.

When you say "no gains" what are we talking about exactly? What exercise and what weight, reps, sets are you doing?

And when you say you are on a 1000cal deficit, does it mean you are losing weight properly as a result? Why has this been a 15 year battle?

Your T level is not low. Its average. Its where I was in my 30s and I was extremely athletic and very strong for a natty but I did work out or play sports since high school... But point is your T is enough to build. You can add more but it might not do much for you yet.

As other said, probably best to first tackle the glaring issue of BF%. But im not sure what to recommend without answering the questions above.

 

[Dingalanga]

Thanks guys - I read all the comments and greatly appreciate the advices!
I'll answer the questions asked:

When I say no gains I just mean I am not experiencing any progression in lifts at the moment, but I do attribute that to the 1-1.5k average calorie deficit daily. I do full body split every other day, these are my current numbers:

All movements are performed to or very close to failure (1 RIR), in sets of 3. The numbers below represent the average number of reps on the first set.

Incline bench: 70 kg (154.3 lbs) x 6
Strict dead hang pull ups x 2 (going to 7-ish total with partials)
Cable lat raise: 15 kg (33.1 lbs) x 10 (2:1 exchange on cables)
Straight legged DL: 130 kg (286.6 lbs) x 5
Chin up (bicep focused) x 4 (going further with partials)
Cable overhead tricep extension: 70 kg (154.3 lbs) x 8 (2:1 exchange on cables)
Leg curl: 50 kg (110.2 lbs) x 10
Cable face pull: 55 kg (121.3 lbs) (2:1 exchange)

I am losing a steady KG a week at average.
I am guessing my BF based on physical appearance.

I have struggled with depression for 15 years. I am not saying its because of low T. It's probably a combination of being overweight, insecure, lazy and maybe a genetic predisposition. I am just looking for the easiest possible way out.

 

[hellerhiwater]

I am just looking for the easiest possible way out.

From the heart, there is no easy way out from the things you described.

Not saying you have to wait to start addressing certain things in the way you want to address them. But the internal work will have to be done regardless of the path you take.

 

[Dingalanga]

I didn't read all of the replies....

If you're not hypogonadal, 140 is a complete waste of time. And sub q is dumb. It's a tiktok thing that needs to die. Why pin daily when c/e has a 5ish day half life? It's just dumb and makes no sense.

30% bf is pretty steep. Aromatase enzyme, which is found in fat, will turn most of that low dose into estrogen. Ironically, estrogen will signal your body to store more fat in a vicious cycle.

Run a course of tirzepatide for a few months and drop that body fat. Eat high protein and hit the gym 4 times a week. You will be super happy with the transformation. Friends/family/co-workers will all notice and comment positively.

After that, you can consider test. It’s not going to do what you’re hoping it will at this point.

I thought dosing subQ daily has been shown to give slightly more stable levels and less potential issues with E2. Being fat I know I'll probably struggle with keeping E2 in check, and I want to do what I can to avoid using an AI.

I am on 6mg of Reta and losing weight steadily while working out every other day. I am just being a tired, little bitch looking for a short cut - and that is the honest truth. I am done having kids, I have spent too much of my life feeling like a fat, pathetic loser - however I do need to be realistic and not start until doing so will help me progress in the right direction. My diet and exercise is locked in. Not superb by any means, but I am consistent and not taking any shortcuts in that regard. It has been for a couple of years, besides a tiny stint after having a second kid where I just went absolutely apeshit and gained like 40lbs from over eating.

 

[Dingalanga]

Fuck it, here's a picture of my current physique, with pump. Or as much pump as can be had with the current body composition.

 

[Prze1]

Fuck it, here's a picture of my current physique, with pump. Or as much pump as can be had with the current body composition.

You're on your way. Congrats.