Finished 1st Test E Cycle, Where from Here?

Pharma / TRT
1

Finished First testosterone E only cycle.

Added 20lbs over the course or 10 weeks. Feel like I’ve added abit fat as i weren’t holding back on the calories to make the most of gains (but clean) (Or could this be off water retention making me look like this)

Was wondering where to go from here?

Expecting to lose around half of that due to water weight.
Was wondering to eat at around maintenance and let the excess fluid come off that way and see where I’m at in terms of needing to cut down further?

Or jump straight into a slight calorie deficit let the water weight come off + straight into a little cut?

Also how long to lose all the excess water weight from coming off cycle?

Also feel I added few extra Lbs (6-8lbs) in lockdown should have probs lost before starting cycle, easier looking back tho. Also part the reason I’m more towards Jumping straight into a cut cause my face looking fat as fuck atm but think it’s off few extra lbs + bulk + water retention.

Any help?

2

Id eat at maintenance for a few weeks at the very least. That should give you time to assess how much water weight you were holding. Then go for a small deficit if you arnt lean enough

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3

I wouldn’t do this. Even with a PCT you’re going into a cut without fully recovering your HPTa. Do maintenance for a bit, the water retention will start to come off, then you can decide the next steps.

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4

Not even a question, eat at maintenance. You just added muscle, now you’re going into a low testosterone state during pct. The last thing you want to do is starve that new muscle of calories. You can cut later. Your main goal is keep what you just worked your ass off to get.

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5

Taken on board thank you! Just curious how long for the excess water weight to come off would you say approx? Obviously different from person to person I know

6

By the end of week two it should be noticeable. By the end of week four you should have pretty much shed any excess water and glycogen.

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7

Would yous still recommend keeping the same high protein in take even tho can’t synthesis as much protein? Or knock this back down to about 1Lbs to 1gram of protein? And keep the daily calories at maintenance

Any suggestions?

8

Eat what makes you comfortable. You don’t need to keep it at such a high rate, but if you do it won’t kill you.

9

In an ideal situation you would run your pct with maintainance cals, give it an additional few weeks for the pct drug to leave your system and your hormones to reach homeostasis again, blood test to be sure all is in check, then fall into a cal deficit from there. Most dont do this though.

The key here is to ensure you continue training hard and dont skip any meals while going through pct and recovery. As @iron_yuppie said eat what makes you comfortable. Moderate protein is fine.