After a year on TRT I thought I would give an update as I found this type of thing very helpful when I started.
First off things are much better 1 year in, so for me this has been a resounding success. Right off the bat I noticed a difference. It wasn’t as big as I hoped it would be but it was enough of a catalyst for me to make the other changes I needed to to end up in a much better place.
The problem
I had been suffering from fatigue and low libido for some time but had mostly chalked it up to the fog of having young kids and getting older. Luckily my GP decided to test my testosterone based on some of my symptoms and I had numbers in the low 200’s, she suggested I see a specialist.
The solution
I found a Urologist that specializes in low T that put me on a protocol of 180mg per week. Over time this has been adjusted up until my T numbers were over 700mcg/dL and right now I am on 240mg per week which I take subQ every two days.
The Good
- My Libido is functional which has been very good for my marriage.
- My energy levels are up big time
- My weight is down and I am in the best shape of my life, probably since collage (if maybe still a little too fat).
The Bad
The only real side effect I had that bothers me is I got hairier. I now have hair on my back which I am not a fan of but in the grand scheme of things is totally worth it. I also had hi hematocrit at my last blood test and gave a pint of blood. I’ll need to monitor that over time.
What I have learnt.
I think the biggest thing that I learnt from this is that overall TRT is not magic. You don’t go to bed and wake up the next day looking like The Rock. I had to work hard this year to make the progress I did but TRT gave me the push, motivation and energy to work hard. I was obese when I started TRT and I though the weight would melt off once I started injecting. This did not happen, in fact I put on 20 lbs in the first few months and this didn’t come off until I started to work on my diet. I also started to workout initially 3 days a week strength training. Now I do 6 days a week strength and cardio. I have also mostly given up alcohol and I have quit taking Adderall.
Summary
If you were like me, TRT can be the push to get things back on track but it won’t happen without you also putting the work in, diet, exercise, sleep, stress. Use this as an opportunity to get everything in order and you can see great results.
Progress Pic
This isn’t exactly a true reflection as the pic on the right is after about 6 weeks on TRT and I had bloated up quite a bit after starting TRT. I put on about 20lbs (240lbs to 260lbs) when I started TRT. Pic on the left is today and I am at 225BS. Goal is to get under 200 by the end of the year.
Ultimately I was waiting for the TRT to kick in and my weight to drop, which never happened so at the start of this year I actively went on a diet to cut weight.
I have a post linked below that discusses in detail with weight changes over time on TRT.
