TRT and Managing My New Life

[iron_yuppie]

Hello everyone. Been lurking around here for a while and finally decided to join. I'm already so impressed by the vast knowledge of this place and I hope that I can be a productive member here.

Here's my story (condensed version):
-I got fat
-I relearned how to eat properly
-I ceased to be fat
-I started working out again
-I knew something was wrong so I saw a doc
-Diagnosed with low T
-Started TRT

So here's what I need for you guys...how can I maintain my healthy diet and lifestyle when now ALL I THINK ABOUT IS FOOD? I expected to eat at a surplus when I started lifting again, but after 11 weeks of my TRT protocol I'm finding it impossible to control my appetite. I spent 18 months going from 198lbs to 145lbs with a good diet and clean living. Today I can barely keep myself under 175lbs. Granted I've put on some solid muscle, and I'm mostly happy with the results, but man... I want to eat everything I see, all day, every day. It's really discouraging. I went from a 38 waist to a 31, and I was really proud of that. Today I'm a 33. I feel like I'm just fighting against the tide. How do you guys stay motivated and keep your diet in check when every ounce of your being wants to just eat?

Obligatory stats:
5'7"
174lbs
35 yrs old
TRT- 200mg Test Cyp ew; .5mg Adex 2xW; 50mg Anavar ed; 25 iu HcG 2xW
Workouts- 6 days a week, mostly weightlifting with some cardio and core strength work

I feel better than I have in years, but I'm constantly afraid of gaining weight and looking like the fat shlub that I once was. Any advice you have for keeping that mental fire burning would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[dungeondweller]

50mg Anavar ED. Is this part of your TRT protocol?

So you are eating maintenance calories and are always ravenous? Maybe more fiber and water? Sometimes dehydration manifests as hunger. A lack of sleep can also do that to you.

You really shouldn’t be hungry all the time if you’re not losing weight, unless you bored or always in the presence of food or something.

There rarely can be an inability to be satiated. Have you always been hungry all the time?

[systemlord]

A lot of guys start gaining weight at first when starting TRT, it tapers off after a while. Eleven weeks is still far too early in treatment to expect drastic changes, your body will find a new balance in the first 6 months with continued improvement even beyond the first year. My appetite has been all over the place lately, one week I’ll eat like crazy and other weeks I hardly eat at all. I’m only at week 15.

[iron_yuppie]

Yes, the Anavar is doctor prescribed.

I’m eating above maintenance on some days, but that’s not my goal. If I really push through I can have maybe two days in a row where I eat at or just below maintenance, but that takes a level of willpower that I seem to no longer possess. I take 20mg Adderall ed and that used to cause a ton of appetite suppression. Now it does not. It’s just so odd.

Thanks for the input. I appreciate everything and anything you guys can tell me.

[jasmincar]

Fucking lol, where do you live, I’ll go work and do TRT there

[azwildcats]

“testosterone definitely affects the two most well-known appetite and hunger hormones, gherlin and leptin.”

I just recently read about this, and may be what you’re experiencing. I know nothing about this, how the hormones interact, but found it interesting and a great reminder of how intricate our endocrine system is. Search around, there’s some good stuff out there.

[iron_yuppie]

Ohio. The endo runs a wellness clinic, so he prescribes all kinds of good stuff. The only drawback is that Anavar is insanely expensive when you get it legally. $8/pill is steep.

[systemlord]

A year ago I was on Vyvanse, talk about appetite suppression! It was too intense as I couldn’t regulate my thoughts at a slower Pace it was always full speed. It also shrunk up my you know what! I’m done with ADHD medication, TRT is doing more for me anyway.

[dungeondweller]

Some people say Anavar suppresses appetite. Damn, I wish I had doctor prescribed 'Var! Especially if insurance would cover it. God, I love that stuff! And I only did 1 cycle of 40mg ED.

“Speed” things like Adderall, ephedrine, phentermine, caffeine, suppress appetite but you build a tolerance. Cycling on and off them works best. For me 2 weeks on/2 weeks off seems like the sweet spot.

[iron_yuppie]

I’m pretty pleased with my doc, though it’d be cooler if insurance would cover even $1 of my TRT. Every penny is out of pocket, hence my complaint about the cost of the Var.

[blshaw]

Need recent labs. Without them, nobody can help. You shouldn’t be running Var on a TRT program. Running it long term is bad news bears.

[KSman]

You do not need Anavar unless your body cannot convert T–>DHT.

With high T levels, your body can be starving for proteins and eating and snacking may not satisfy. Try a large amount of a whey protein shake when hungry and see what happens. I also had the hunger that kept going.

Post your lab work with ranges.

Thyroid issues can drive fat gain. “Normal” thyroid lab results are not good enough.

Suggest that you inject 100mg T twice a week and take Adex at that time.

You are injecting 250iu hCG, do not report insulin iu volumes. Adex does not work well with changing T levels, it is a competitive drug that needs to match T levels.

Please read the stickies found here: About the T Replacement Category

• advice for new guys - need more info about you
• things that damage your hormones
• protocol for injections
• finding a TRT doc

Do this:

• Evaluate your overall thyroid function by checking oral body temperatures as per the thyroid basics sticky. Thyroid hormone fT3 is what gets the job done and it regulates mitochondrial activity, the source of ATP which is the universal currency of cellular energy. This is part of the body’s temperature control loop. This can get messed up if you are iodine deficient. In many countries, you need to be using iodized salt. Other countries add iodine to dairy or bread.

KSman is simply a regular member on this site. Nothing more other than highly active.

I can be a bit abrupt in my replies and recommendations. I have a lot of ground to cover as this forum has become much more active in the last two years. I can’t follow threads that go deep over time. You need to respond to all of my points and requests as soon as possible before you fall off of my radar. The worse problems are guys who ignore issues re thyroid, body temperatures, history of iodized salt. Please do not piss people off saying that lab results are normal, we need lab number and ranges.

The value that you get out of this process and forum depends on your effort and performance. The bulk of your learning is reading/studying the suggested stickies.

[iron_yuppie]

The labs I have are from 12 weeks ago, before I started TRT.

Free test was 14.3
Test was 322
E2 was 11.9

I get labs done in six weeks, per the program.

Why do you think running Anavar during TRT is bad news? Aside from the hepatoxicity what’s the risk?

[blshaw]

It will negatively affect cholesterol, blood pressure, and DHT concerns

[iron_yuppie]

Interesting. The cholesterol wasn’t something the doctor seemed worried about, given my baseline levels. The DHT side effects like hair shedding are definitely something that worried me, but I don’t seem to have any sides at all. It’s weird, frankly. But next time I get bloods I’m going to have to look at cholesterol and see if it’s been negatively impacted. Thanks for the input, man. Appreciate you taking the time.