I took a new picture of myself today because I did not know how a small angle made a big difference in impression. The smartphone camera's depth of field is so shallow that distortion seems unavoidable. My legs are definitely a weak point but I think they are better than the first picture suggests. I tried to hold the phone close to my core instead of the chest.
Now that is out of the way, I will go over some unanswered questions and explain myself.
- Yes, I am Asian American.
- Bloodwork is impossible to get without a doctor. (NJ) My doctor is a nice and intelligent guy, but I doubt he would write anything that might come back to haunt him. I do believe he will be willing to check up on me and help me clean up any mess I might create, if it comes to that. So if I go on a cycle, I plan to ask him for mid-cycle and/or post-cycle bloodworks. (any hints on doc handling would be appreciated)
- As to the motive, I am not just trying to take a shortcut to get big. While that is a big part of it, if that was all there is to it I might not bother with gears. What I have been dreaming of is not what I can achieve naturally - namely the thick neck, broad shoulders, thick upper-chest, etc. I have always wanted that manly look, and I know that I am just not built for it.
For example, what is the part of my body that received most attention from me via isolation movements at the gym, after I finished compound exercises? Answer: My neck. This year I trained my neck at least twice a week. No other body part received that much care. But after 10 months of training, my neck grew precisely zero. All other parts of my body improved either by muscle growth or fat loss, but my neck has nothing to show despite taking up the most time I spent at the gym. (again, after compound movements)
My research tells me the only way for me to get what I want is through gears. I wish that was not so, but that is the reality.
My current goal is to lose 15 lbs in 2 months while growing muscles. I know I can lose weight much faster than that, but I want to attain what is sustainable. Eating lots of vegetables and drinking a lot of water helped a ton losing weight, so those will continue. I will incorporate more protein in my diet and see what happens. I really appreciate all the help I have received so far. (I really like the idea of not eating unless I can have 35g of protein - sounds like an easy enough direction to follow)