40yrs Old on TRT, Looking to Cut 20lbs Few Questions

[hirez]

Hello all, new to the forum and I think it is phenomenal. I have been diagnosed with low testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), just around the low normal range. I am forty now, workout fairly consistently, and am looking to do a few things.

100 ml per week prescription currently.
385 Total T currently

1. I play basketball but my knees are bad arthritis, so I am really looking to drop about 20lbs from 210 down to 190. I am sitting at 5'10'' now and for the last few years have really focused on the weights and basic cardio. But I have the itch to be competitive again so I am going to give it a go. I can play in moderation, but I feel with the combination of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and dropping weight.

2. Secondly, now that I am 40 I want to compete in a masters physique competition in May of next year when it comes back to my city. I feel that both of the goals work together, 190 for basketball and stress reduction on my knees as well as getting to within spitting distance of competitive weight for the physique competition.

Right now I consume between 200 and 250 grams of protein per day, and range between 2000 and 2750 calories per day.

To achieve my goals over the next 5 or 6 months, what do you all recommend I should do now that I am on testosterone to get there outside of what I have been doing?

Also, do I have to worry about getting boobs if I stay in the normal range? Thanks in advance.

 

[Spunkey71]

I too am new to testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and have a lot of weight to drop, I contacted 3J who is a sponsor on this site and he designed a diet for me and it is working wonders! He is very affordable and works with you every step of the way.

3J Nutrition

 

[Megatron28]

Hello all, new to the forum and I think it is phenomenal. I have been diagnosed with low testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), just around the low normal range. I am forty now, workout fairly consistently, and am looking to do a few things.

100 ml per week prescription currently.
385 Total T currently

1. I play basketball but my knees are bad arthritis, so I am really looking to drop about 20lbs from 210 down to 190. I am sitting at 5'10'' now and for the last few years have really focused on the weights and basic cardio. But I have the itch to be competitive again so I am going to give it a go. I can play in moderation, but I feel with the combination of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and dropping weight.

2. Secondly, now that I am 40 I want to compete in a masters physique competition in May of next year when it comes back to my city. I feel that both of the goals work together, 190 for basketball and stress reduction on my knees as well as getting to within spitting distance of competitive weight for the physique competition.

Right now I consume between 200 and 250 grams of protein per day, and range between 2000 and 2750 calories per day.

To achieve my goals over the next 5 or 6 months, what do you all recommend I should do now that I am on testosterone to get there outside of what I have been doing?

Also, do I have to worry about getting boobs if I stay in the normal range? Thanks in advance.

"Boobs" come from high estradiol levels. Testosterone aromatizes into estradiol. Generally, the higher your TT the more aromotization. The key here is monitoring your Estradiol (E2) levels. Make sure they don't get too high. You can do this through a simple blood test. One simple thing that you can do to reduce your aromatization (and thus Estradiol) is to inject more frequently than once a week. Injecting 50mg every 3.5 days would be better. So for example, inject on Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings.

Best thing to do to get back into shape and lose weight now that your TT levels should be coming back to normal is lift weights. Add muscle back. The added muscle will burn calories 24/7.

Is the 385 your trough? How long have you been on TRT. That is a pretty low level to be at. If it is your trough, I am guessing that your peak is a lot higher. But you might be having quite a bit of aromatization. Have you checked your Estradiol at your peak? Let me give you an example from my experience. When I started testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), I was on 100mg once per week too and no Aromatase inhibitor (AI). That gave me a peak TT of about 1000 and a trough TT of about 400. But my estradiol was over 100 at my peak. Ideally your estradiol would be between 20-40. I had estradiol levels that many women have at certain times of the month and it made me feel terrible. Splitting my dose into 50mg every 3.5 days eliminated my estradiol problem.

 

[hirez]

Thanks

"Boobs" come from high estradiol levels. Testosterone aromatizes into estradiol. Generally, the higher your TT the more aromotization. The key here is monitoring your Estradiol (E2) levels. Make sure they don't get too high. You can do this through a simple blood test. One simple thing that you can do to reduce your aromatization (and thus Estradiol) is to inject more frequently than once a week. Injecting 50mg every 3.5 days would be better. So for example, inject on Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings.

Best thing to do to get back into shape and lose weight now that your TT levels should be coming back to normal is lift weights. Add muscle back. The added muscle will burn calories 24/7.

Is the 385 your trough? How long have you been on TRT. That is a pretty low level to be at. If it is your trough, I am guessing that your peak is a lot higher. But you might be having quite a bit of aromatization. Have you checked your Estradiol at your peak? Let me give you an example from my experience. When I started testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), I was on 100mg once per week too and no Aromatase inhibitor (AI). That gave me a peak TT of about 1000 and a trough TT of about 400. But my estradiol was over 100 at my peak. Ideally your estradiol would be between 20-40. I had estradiol levels that many women have at certain times of the month and it made me feel terrible. Splitting my dose into 50mg every 3.5 days eliminated my estradiol problem.

Great advice. The doctor never suggested to split the shot up into multiple doses over the week or did trough peak range. Also I am unsure what my estradoil is, I will check my blood work chart. I can tell I have just a little boobage added but I am not sure if it is from a higher body fat or the T. I have been on for about a year at 100, but I took about two months off simply because I wanted to see what would happen without it after reflecting that I am going to probably have to stay on for the rest of my life, so in that regard the 385 is not surprising. It dropped to about what I was originally diagnosed with but honestly I didn't feel to bad at all.

I am in moderate to ok shape now, I lift 3 times a week and do dynamic stretching and cardio 3 days, but my goal is to really get the weight down to be able to play basketball at least once or twice a week and minimize the stress on my knees. So that is the 190 target. I have been pretty consistent with the weights, I have pretty good size and my knees actually feel great. I just know that from past experiences when I get back on the court I am simply too heavy. Also I want to do the physique competition so either way I am still looking at a good 20lb drop.

 

[Spunkey71]

If you had Gyno you would have felt an itchy feeling around your nipples and feel lumps in that area as well. I would guess that you have what many of us have and that is "Man Boobs" which are a result of being over weight. testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is great and you will not lose weight as a result of it, you have to put in the work in the gym, with your cardio but more importantly with your diet. It is all about the diet and there is a difference between cutting calories to lose weight and a proper diet with a calorie deficit.

Best of luck to you!