My other threads on other forums have turned into a bunch of guys fighting with one another to prove who knows the most, and have gone wayyy off topic…so I hope you dont mind me asking you all some more questions that I’ve been wondering about, since I got my newest labs back…Here goes…
In April, my Vitamin D was 23 and my B12 was 221…my total t was 252 and free T was 53…bodyweight was 280 lbs…
September 30, I had new labs (so 5 1/2 months later). At that time, I was 260 lbs. I had dropped to 252, but wanted to eat at a small surplus for a while before my labs…my Vitamin D was 30 and B12 was 265…my TT was now 315 and free T 62 (but if I use a more accurate online calculator, it was 68.7)
I had been taking 2500IU D3 and a multivitamin about 4-5x per week and eating too much junk, still, even though I’d lost weight…and I hadn’t trained in several weeks due to busy schedule at work/home etc. I have a desk job, 10 hours a day…
IF I am able to get down to 220lbs (I’m almost 6’5"), double my Vitamin D levels to 60 and B12 to 400-500…eat a more paleo/whole food diet and lift 3-4x per week with lots of walking etc mixed in (now that fall is here and my schedule is more free)…I also have a huge warehouse that I manage, that I can get away from my desk and walk a few miles per day…
What would be a reasonable expectation of where I could get my TT and FT naturally, if I chose to NOT start the 100mg testosterone injections that my Dr prescribed? I’ve really been pondering these things, and it has left me on the fence. I’ve filled my script for a 10ml vial of testosterone cypionate and have my pins…but would have no issue leaving them in the cabinet for 6 more months, if it ends up I dont “need” them yet.
For the record I know the most and anyone who says otherwise is just jealous of how jacked and tan I am. Now to the less important stuff, you don’t see many people raise their numbers up enough to make a difference naturally. It happens but doesn’t seem too happen often. There are advantages of TRT that someone with natural levels doesn’t get. Someone will post to tell you to wait it out but I think it’s just delaying the inevitable.
For B12 this is what I take. I’m at the top of the range for B12 now using it and it feels amazing every day that I take it.
1000mcg methylcobalamin sublingual
$8 for 2 months worth
Don’t expect either of those to have any meaningful impact on test levels. You might feel better, but it is not likely to affect test levels. You should try and determine why your natural level of D and B12 would be low. Better to identify the problem first than simply mask it with supplementation. Personally, I wouldn’t bother waiting either. It is what it is, if there’s nothing medical you can fix that is causing low T, why live like that?
In my opinion you don’t usually fix things when scoring at the bottom of the ranges. By fix things I mean going from the lowest FT scores all to the optimal ranges, this will not happen without TRT.
Sure you might be able to increase FT, but most of the time there are still lingering symptoms.
Over the last 10 years or so I had natural T levels (before or in between different forms of T treatment) between 220 and 390. T levels fluctuate during the day, with season, after sex etc etc.
Some studies demonstrated an impact of Vitamin D supp on T and others not.
I think you won’t be able to achieve sufficient high T levels naturally. I would go for it in your situation.
I think you show try your lifestyle change first. You can Always go on t.
It’s a win win.
Also when you do decide to go on t after u tried the lifestyle and supps, it will be a confident decision. Some that just go on t they always wonder what if…
I had a similar experience. I went to a TRT doctor and got a scrip and decided to fix some other things first. Spent 2 years on life style changes. I got my TT up to 475-500 from about 350. My free T went up a hair although it’s still very low, but my SHBG has always been really high.
I have a very hard time sleeping. I think these changes in my numbers were mostly due to being diagnosed with sleep apnea and put on a CPAP and Trazodone. I also quit my desk job so I was more active during the day which resulted in a little less stress and daily fatigue. I stopped working out because I just couldn’t recover, even with one workout a week it was too much to recover.
2 years later and I still have a lot of Low T symptoms: Anxiety/stess, lack of focus, reduced libido, exhausted by about 3pm, and no motivation.
I just started TRT at 120mg/week with E3D injections. Only had one dose so far.
So in my own experience, I was able to raise my levels, just not by an appreciable amount.
Here’s another example, I did everything I could to try to raise my T number, working out hard, diet, etc. I managerd to get from 170 to 204, and both those numbers were after I started using a cpap. I’m still pretty heavy (even for an American) but, it just wasn’t going to happen, at least for me, so I started trt. I feel a small bit better, but am still trying to find the right dose.
