Weight gain stopped, am I still making gains?

[mrricco2012]

So the past two weeks the scale hasn't changed much it's been around 148.5-149. Bout 2 weeks ago it was 148.5, earlier this week and end of last week it was 149, today I weighed my self an im 148.8lbs. Before the stall I upped my calorie intake by another 500 since my calorie intake was getting a bit low, and added in a small dose of T3 of 40mcg ED. Anyways when I upped the calorie intake by 500 i really didn't go much of anywhere. And now im thinking I need to up it more, beginging of cycle was eating 2800 calories and gaining weight, but then again I've gained around 14 lbs so far. My macros are usually 3500 calories 400-450 carbs, 280-320 protein, 70-85 fat.

But over the course of these 2 weeks it looks like im leaning out a bit in my legs, and my stomach I thought at first was getting pudgier may just be my abdominal muscles growing bigger pushing the belly out more. Could it be im gaining muscle, and losing bodyfat at the same time? Im just worried about not eating enough and my mass I've gained going to shit. At the end of week 9 now, but the other day started taking 50 mg ED of Anavar which I'll do for 8 weeks up until PCT.

 

[3J]

you added 500 caloires and added t3?? your tring to gain weight why add the t3?? theres your problem.. t3 is catabolic..

 

[mrricco2012]

I added a small dose of it, trying to get a protein synthesis benefit from it. It shouldn't make a big impact if im running AAS with it right?

 

[Jonnie187]

Yes it will effect it.. Sometimes the scale will stay the same have you checked your inches? Before and after? Are you gaining?

 

[mrricco2012]

Yes it will effect it.. Sometimes the scale will stay the same have you checked your inches? Before and after? Are you gaining?

My clothes waist wise all fit fine, and don't seem to be any tighter. I know my shirts are a bit tighter. I can defiantly feel my leg muscles beginning to grow, I think that they are just leaning out because they used to be alot of fat with no muscle in it. I'd say all my bodyparts are a bit more bigger with the extra muscle. But I can tell my stomachs a bit more pushed out, I don't think im gaining fat though, but I never really had a core to begin with so maybe im getting a big more abdominal muscle making the stomach a bit bigger? Other then the weight everything fine, gym time is great everything progressing. I just can't stand to eat that many damn carbs, I thought 350 was bad, but now doing around 450 is bleh an extra 100 would be cringeworthy.

 

[DreDay187]

First off T3 does not solely affect protein synthesis. It also effects your basal metabolic rate. Therefore regardless of the reasoning you used to take T3, you're at supra physiological levels of T3 so clinically you're hyperthyroidic. An extra 400 calories might not be enough to blunt the effect on your metabolism.

Secondly, I'm sure you've read on here that T3 is catabolic and should not be ran off cycle. T3 increases protein synthesis ONLY IN hypothyroidic patients but the who are euthyroidal or sub-clinical thyrotoxic patients it increases protein synthesis BUT ALSO increases proteolysis to A GREATER DEGREE. It breaks down proteins more than it builds them in other words. T3 is mainly used as a fat burner and only on cycle for this reason. It will break down muscle tissue more than increasing protein synthesis but will raise metabolism at the same time so that's why it's recommended to be used on a cycle, to prevent GREATER muscle breakdown. So what you're effectively doing at the moment is burning more calories, possibly losing muscle mass, and trying to bulk. You're all over the place and should have stuck to your original plan. If you're bulking, lay off the T3 or use it to help minimize fat gain but at the expense of muscle built. If you're cutting, use it to burn more fat while increasing basal metabolic rate but again at the expense of muscle loss.

Conversely, we have previously shown that in hyperthyroidism, protein synthesis and degradation are increased (11).

View attachment 551902

Response of Leucine Metabolism to Hyperinsulinemia in Hypothyroid Patients before and after Thyroxine Replacement

^^^the graph on the right is proteolysis (protein degradation) as a function of T3 dosage and the graph on the right is protein synthesis as a function of T3 dosage. You'll notice the graph on the right has a steeper slope meaning the effects are greater than those of the left the higher the dosage.

 

[mrricco2012]

Well do you know the lowest dosage you need with T3 to get the protein synthesis +

 

[DreDay187]

Well do you know the lowest dosage you need with T3 to get the protein synthesis +

Your body makes somewhere around 25mcg T3 naturally, assuming you're euthyroidic, so anything less than that and you're really just slowing your metabolism down bc you'll suppress natural production just to take an exogenous dose that's less than what you make naturally.

Then there's the fact that if you look at the graph, there's really no point on it where synthesis >than degradation. That's the whole reasoning behind it being CATABOLIC. I don't know where you got your information it only increases protein synthesis or that it would do so to a greater degree than degradation but it just doesn't happen. Of you take T3 you assume the risk of muscle loss, you just can't avoid that fact. The fact that you're on test E means you're slowing the muscle loss from T3 or breaking even. In any case, testosterone increase the rate of pristine synthesis by itself so by taking T3 you're reducing your overall synthesis by taking T3. That's why T3 is for cutting purposes not bulking purposes UNLESS you're willing to accept less muscle mass gains as a result.

If you read the study you'll find the only way they were able to increase synthesis more than proteolysis is by adding insulin. That was one purpose of the study to test insulin a affect with T3. I wouldn't suggest starting insulin now just to counteract the T3. I'd suggest just stopping the t3 during a bulk