Hi all. I have been having some weight loss issues and lots of weight gain. Currently 5’11 weight 200lb about 26-28% bodyfat per Biometric scales.
I have recently lost 20 odd pounds doing 75 hard and have put about 50% back on. i have had a lot of sleep issues (usually takes me an hour to fall asleep, and my tracking says I don’t seem to get into good deep REM sleep)
I am seeing a neurologist who got me a lot of tests and recently completed a testosterone labs with others. I was looking to first post my results here to see if anyone could guide me. After speaking with the Dr my total testosterone apparently was within range but one other was a little low. They didn’t recommend TRT but they recommended clomid, the limited research I did said it wasn’t fully tested for guys.
My symptoms appart from sleep include lack of energy, lot’s of brain fog, forgetful memory, seemingly worse that in my younger years ( I am 47)
I just want to get back to normal, 15% b/f would be great and more energy so I can surf and do more active stuff.
I have a knee injury I am working on, but other than that not much else.
I have posted my results. I am of the opinion that I need to increase my testosterone, and maybe not using TRT is a good way, so another natural or over the counter option that could help boost testosterone, but need guidance. Maybe it is my Thyroid.
Thanks.
I recommend fixing sleep to the maximum extent possible before pursuing TRT based on bloodwork. Sleep plays a huge role in testosterone production, as well as training effectiveness and ability to lose weight (lack of sleep increases cortisol, which can effectively replace lost fat with water, meaning you see no progress).
I have tracked my sleep. Changed my nightly routine, no tv/electronics, read a book. i take Melatonin to assist sleeping which seems to work great. Reduced my caffiene intake and stopped after 11/12
Tried cold showers of an evening, meditation, binary beats. Done a lot. I can work on getting to sleep faster with the melatonin, but it is the deep REM sleep I don’t seem to get into or stay in long enoguh which is the repair sleep.
I lost the weight because I did 75 hard, I think the fact I was doing 2 x 45 min workouts a day was a main factor, my diet didn’t change much, it was intermittent fasting with healthy food 80% of the time. I ddin’t really prioritize protein, but I didn’t eat a day of carbs/pasta/rice either.
About what % of your sleep is REM and what percent is Deep sleep (the two are not the same)? Have you had any sleep studies done?
I’d suggest addressing this first if your goals are weight loss/being leaner.
Given your age, TRT could be warranted - it’s just a lifelong commitment for things that could be better addressed via lifestyle changes. Personally, id recommend fixing as much as you reasonably can via lifestyle changes - then see if you still have low T symptoms.
Also wanted to see if my labs for other issues such as thyroid came up… the results attached say all normal, but that is western medicine normal… maybe they are a little out of range, but I am not really up with labs to know…
If you want more traffic on this thread, I recommend editing your first post and changing from #coaching-forums to Testosterone Replacement. I didn’t realize what board you had posted this to - there are others here with more knowledge than myself.
There’s a big difference between being normal and being healthy, healthy testosterone levels are above 550 ng/dL.
Below 550 ng/dL and your risk of a heart attack or death from any cause goes up 30%.
Men with the highest quartile of testosterone are at less risk for cardiovascular problems, recover from physical therapy, surgeries faster and are much more likely to have a positive outcome from emergency situations
Below this point and you’re at 30% greater risk of heart attack and death from any cause!
Understood. that is why I said “western ranges” and that they may be off.
Given that it is 440, I am under the impression that the rest of your post applies to me, meaning that it is a little low and those risks can start taking affect.
Not boosting testosterone “naturally”. The serms and HCG would shut down the HPTA axis and you lose the pulsatility.
As for whats normal verus healthy, your health insurance company is in the business of making money, not dish out boat loads of money so that you’re the healthiest version you can be.
