Overweight TRT Considerations

PAPoots said:
Something to think about with weight loss. When my cholesterol dropped I had to up my TRT dosage from 200 to 230mg weekly. i lost more weight and my cholesterol has dropped more and my doc is asking me if I want to up my TRT dose. I said I'd wait another 8 weeks for my next set of labs to be done. In the mean time I've eaten a little less "clean" since my cholesterol numbers are so low, I had some room to play and eat some tastier meals. I got back for BW on the 28th and I'll try to remember this thread to provide an update on the BW.

Even though TRT provides exogenous testosterone, your body still needs cholesterol for:
  • Conversion to DHT
  • Conversion to estradiol
  • Supporting Leydig cell function
  • Maintaining cell membrane integrity
  • Producing pregnenolone (the “mother hormone”)
So low LDL doesn’t stop TRT from working — but it can blunt the downstream hormone ecosystem.
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This is great to have in mind. My cholesterol is not low right now (180 down from 255), but it's trending down with the weight loss and lifestyle changes. I will definitely watch the correlation. Thanks for the heads up!
 
msyntakz said:
Sorry, I think I need more context. Or my brain is not braining.
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It's okay mate. I got my answer elsewhere. I have the flu right now. I took 2 supplements I received today and I am feeling much better. It was keto-flu I was thinking of. I was wondering if the Reta worsened my flu, but it didn't. I just need to get over it. So, did you decide on what version of TRT you wanna pursue?
 
Smiter said:
It's okay mate. I got my answer elsewhere. I have the flu right now. I took 2 supplements I received today and I am feeling much better. It was keto-flu I was thinking of. I was wondering if the Reta worsened my flu, but it didn't. I just need to get over it. So, did you decide on what version of TRT you wanna pursue?
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Oh man, feel better soon, hopefully.

Yeah, went with a clinic to start, and I'm on 120mg weekly, split into 3 SubQ injections. Hoping the split and delivery method allows for smooth/steady release. Two down and one to go for the first week. So far no PIP or lumping. All good.
 
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msyntakz said:
Oh man, feel better soon, hopefully.

Yeah, went with a clinic to start, and I'm on 120mg weekly, split into 3 SubQ injections. Hoping the split and delivery method allows for smooth/steady release. Two down and one to go for the first week. So far no PIP or lumping. All good.
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SubQ TRT? Really? Explain. Don't skimp on details. Free yourself. Let it all flow out. Oh btw. There is one thing- What test esters are you taking? That's of the utmost importance to know.
 
Smiter said:
SubQ TRT? Really? Explain. Don't skimp on details. Free yourself. Let it all flow out. Oh btw. There is one thing- What test esters are you taking? That's of the utmost importance to know.
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120mg Cypionate, for the simple answer on ester.

As for the SubQ reasoning, it's a two-part answer. One... if I don't have to harpoon myself and/or have muscle soreness, I'd like to avoid it. I know I can still do IM with smaller gauge needles, but that still leaves the possibility of muscle soreness when working out. I have heard anywhere from "it's a non-issue" to "that quad injection left me limping". So, just avoiding if possible.

Reason two: I am overweight. E2 is already higher than I want. Aromatization is a concern for me, and I don't want to use an AI if I don't have to. I want to manage E2 but not crash it out. So, based on the forum/reddit/youtube research I have done, that can be managed in two main ways with injections - frequency and tissue. The higher the frequency, the more even the levels, and the absorption is slower/more even in SubQ tissue.

So, hopefully, going about it this way, I can avoid high peaks leading to high aromatization and keep E2 to a minimum. Also, with those smoother levels, mood is also said to be much more even, and I am on this stuff for the mental benefits more than the physical. The physical benefits are a cool bonus, IMO.

I am doing M/W/F currently for injections. If I get E2 sides, I will increase to EOD or even daily if needed, just while I am still in the weight loss phase.
 
If SubQ is not working for me after the first 8-10 weeks, and levels are crazy lower than expected, I will try IM and look for a difference.
 
Smiter said:
SubQ TRT? Really? Explain.
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That can't be surprising to you? I'm also injecting SQ.

I get soreness in my quads doing IM, even with a 29g.


msyntakz said:
If SubQ is not working for me after the first 8-10 weeks, and levels are crazy lower than expected, I will try IM and look for a difference.
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If your levels are low and labs are otherwise fine... increase the dose. I went from 120mg/week to 180mg/week. Main variables I'm tracking now are DHT and hematocrit. I'll have my ~8 week labs for the increase Monday week.
 
msyntakz said:
120mg Cypionate, for the simple answer on ester.

As for the SubQ reasoning, it's a two-part answer. One... if I don't have to harpoon myself and/or have muscle soreness, I'd like to avoid it. I know I can still do IM with smaller gauge needles, but that still leaves the possibility of muscle soreness when working out. I have heard anywhere from "it's a non-issue" to "that quad injection left me limping". So, just avoiding if possible.

Reason two: I am overweight. E2 is already higher than I want. Aromatization is a concern for me, and I don't want to use an AI if I don't have to. I want to manage E2 but not crash it out. So, based on the forum/reddit/youtube research I have done, that can be managed in two main ways with injections - frequency and tissue. The higher the frequency, the more even the levels, and the absorption is slower/more even in SubQ tissue.

So, hopefully, going about it this way, I can avoid high peaks leading to high aromatization and keep E2 to a minimum. Also, with those smoother levels, mood is also said to be much more even, and I am on this stuff for the mental benefits more than the physical. The physical benefits are a cool bonus, IMO.

I am doing M/W/F currently for injections. If I get E2 sides, I will increase to EOD or even daily if needed, just while I am still in the weight loss phase.
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Thank you for the detailed reply. The reason I asked was because I hate IM injections myself and would have loved subQ shots. What needles are you using? Okay, you're using Cypionate. Alright, you know that this is one of the esters with the shortest half-life, right? CharlieBrown here is using a really great blend. It's not true that the higher the frequency, the more even the levels. It depends only on the esters we use. If we use long-acting esters, the release of test would be streamlined for longer periods. I, too, am sensitive to E2, which is why I would use anastrazole on and off. But if you want to see the results of a blend, look up @CharlieBrown, there is nothing brown about him. He should be Charlie WhiteRipped AF. Worse, he is in Canada of all places. No Canadian has any business looking that ripped. They should be looking 'ripped off' instead.
As for mood and mental benefits, coincidentally, I just posted the result of two new supplements I took. BEAST MOOD, I tell you.
 
woundcarping said:
That can't be surprising to you? I'm also injecting SQ.

I get soreness in my quads doing IM, even with a 29g.
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Buddy, dont even get me started on that. All my gear-life, I had to deal with IM, and Fvck it to hell is what I will say. Even last year, one last shot gave me such a painful lump on the arse that I ended up inventing some new curse words. If subQ is legit in terms of effects, I need to know everything. I will research the fvck out of it, even more than the deep dive I did in the Mitrokhin archives case.
 
Smiter said:
Buddy, dont even get me started on that. All my gear-life, I had to deal with IM, and Fvck it to hell is what I will say. Even last year, one last shot gave me such a painful lump on the arse that I ended up inventing some new curse words. If subQ is legit in terms of effects, I need to know everything. I will research the fvck out of it, even more than the deep dive I did in the Mitrokhin archives case.
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In 2021 I stopped doing TRT after 3 weeks of doing IM because of the soreness and needle anxiety.

I've injected SQ since mid January. 8 week labs for test came back fantastic everything test related except my DHT was low. Went from 120mg/week to 180mg/week to see if I can get the DHT up without having to donate.


SQ's main limitation is injection volume. I do 3x/week splits for my dosing which works fine for me. You wouldn't want to inject blast volume SQ, is my guess.
 
woundcarping said:
In 2021 I stopped doing TRT after 3 weeks of doing IM because of the soreness and needle anxiety.

I've injected SQ since mid January. 8 week labs for test came back fantastic everything test related except my DHT was low. Went from 120mg/week to 180mg/week to see if I can get the DHT up without having to donate.


SQ's main limitation is injection volume. I do 3x/week splits for my dosing which works fine for me. You wouldn't want to inject blast volume SQ, is my guess.
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That sounds sweet, now all I need to know is syringe and needle size and the shot location you guys use.
 
Smiter said:
That sounds sweet, now all I need to know is syringe and needle size and the shot location you guys use.
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1/2" 29g for drawing and pinning... just like anything SQ, you just need SQ fat. I normally put it in my abdomen, easy access, plenty of SQ to inject into, and a large area to rotate.
 
Smiter said:
That sounds sweet, now all I need to know is syringe and needle size and the shot location you guys use.
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I plan on rotating between delts, quads, glutes and abdomen. Not that the muscle groups matter SubQ, but just more sites to rotate, since I am also using my peptides in my abdomen. So far, both delt shots were painless.
 
Lovedog100 said:
It never hurts for a man to know his testosterone levels. I have learned from my mistake from listening to a gym bro. He talked me into taking his "low maintenance dose" of testosterone. A month into it my son demanded that I get tested to see if I really needed it. It took a few more weeks to notice that I was screaming at other drivers on the road. I was thinking roid rage, I should get checked. I tested at 1800 ng/dl which is 800 more than an athlete a third of my age. I hadn't had a shot for a week at that point. Two weeks later I was down to 1300, then three weeks after that it was 224. My body had quit making it's own testosterone and I was way low.
Since then I've watched it slowly go back up as my body started making it's own again. I'm mid-range for a man my age today. I should have had the information before I started. Your needs are probably different than mine, however having test results first helps in making the right decision.
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Yeah, bodybuilder low maintenance is about 300 to 350mg lol, definitely were on roids for a bit. Nothing wrong with being a bit above 1000 though, so long as your hemacrit and BP are fine.
 
msyntakz said:
If SubQ is not working for me after the first 8-10 weeks, and levels are crazy lower than expected, I will try IM and look for a difference.
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Don't do quad injections, those are the most painful. Inject in ass or delt. I've recently switched to delt injection from glute and use a 1/2 inch needle and no issues.
 
sfkid said:
Don't do quad injections, those are the most painful. Inject in ass or delt. I've recently switched to delt injection from glute and use a 1/2 inch needle and no issues.
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Hell yeah they are, and I get way more bleeders there also.
 
I get lumps, often, but they’re not visible and not problematic for me. They help me keep track of where I should stick next.
 
woundcarping said:
I'm 39, 40 next month. Started Tirz in December at 282lb, switched to Reta in January, currently 235lb.

I had a Dx of low T back in 2021 but didn't comply with sticking the drinking straw in my thigh for IM injections.

You can test your hormones without seeing a doctor using a place like Fitomics (who I use) for discount labs that you can take to a TRT provider (which can be online, I use TRTNation). Without knowing your levels, it's hard to offer advice. More fat will convert more to estrogen, but that's not a reason to not do it, IMO.


If you have low T, being on TRT will help preserve lean mass as you drop weight... not to mention the typical benefits of having in range test levels.

I took 40mg 3x weekly for the first 8 weeks, labs came back with everything being good except my DHT. I bumped my dose to 60mg 3x weekly and will retest next month if not before. I'm expecting my hematocrit to be elevated and require corrective action.



The main thing that stuck out to me in your post was the low dose of both Reta and Tirz. Typically low doses are more commonly touted as effective by the smaller portion of the population.
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I'm a little late to this conversation, but I’m entering my 7th week on 50 mg of testosterone 2x a week. I’m also using TRTNation, but unfortunately I live in the over regulated hell of NY State and can’t use any cost-saving labs at all (to my knowledge). I'm a 40-year-old/6'1"/290-pound chunky monkey with an endomorph/meso frame.
 
Moonshine72 said:
I'm a little late to this conversation, but I’m entering my 7th week on 50 mg of testosterone 2x a week. I’m also using TRTNation, but unfortunately I live in the over regulated hell of NY State and can’t use any cost-saving labs at all (to my knowledge). I'm a 40-year-old/6'1"/290-pound chunky monkey with an endomorph/meso frame.
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Quest Diagnostics has offices in NYC. Goodlabs uses quest. Best place I've found for labs.
 
Moonshine72 said:
I'm a little late to this conversation, but I’m entering my 7th week on 50 mg of testosterone 2x a week. I’m also using TRTNation, but unfortunately I live in the over regulated hell of NY State and can’t use any cost-saving labs at all (to my knowledge). I'm a 40-year-old/6'1"/290-pound chunky monkey with an endomorph/meso frame.
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I donated blood yesterday after labs last week showed elevated hematocrit from raising my dose. I cut the increase in half and will continue monitoring.
 
Fordhayes said:
My brother I wish you luck. TRT definitely helps you even if you’re fat. I was fat when I started. I started TRT and Sema at the same time 2.5 years ago. I am 6’3 and was 269lbs 30% body fat when I started. My weight now fluctuates between 220-230 and my body fat is 15-18%. I bet I could have healthy natural T levels now that I’m not fat and also when I started this health journey I got diagnosed with sleep apnea and I use my cpap every night. Untreated Sleep apnea lowers T. Don’t be afraid to go grey for testosterone 🤣 more like UGL.
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-edit-
“I’m sorry I am responding to a months old response”. I’ll do better looking at dates next time.
—-


I don’t think UGL is actually grey. Pretty sure it’s a lot darker than that. I mean I’m still considering it but isn’t it categorically different in consequences if your shipment gets inspected?

Also I’ve done months of research and studying bloodwork and all the hormonal systems involved. And I still would prefer and a Doc to review labs, so at least someone with more medical expertise can help me interpret results. Self managing TRT is a bit higher risk profile (right?)

Don’t get me wrong I’ve got bookmarks for potential future orders.
 
Moonshine72 said:
I'm a little late to this conversation, but I’m entering my 7th week on 50 mg of testosterone 2x a week. I’m also using TRTNation, but unfortunately I live in the over regulated hell of NY State and can’t use any cost-saving labs at all (to my knowledge). I'm a 40-year-old/6'1"/290-pound chunky monkey with an endomorph/meso frame.
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That first two months is awesome. I think half of it is psychological (the relief/satisfaction of finally being on it) and the other half physiological (your body still producing while TRT is poured on top). As your body's production winds down, the honeymoon period also winds down. Keeping a journal helps you remember what you felt like before starting so you don't somehow believe it's no longer working at 6 mos. Many guys expect that honeymoon high to be permanent and then, when things level out and they feel just normal, they begin to think "this is expensive" and/or "this routine is inconvenient" and they quit.
 
Smiter said:
SubQ TRT? Really? Explain. Don't skimp on details. Free yourself. Let it all flow out. Oh btw. There is one thing- What test esters are you taking? That's of the utmost importance to know.
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Not just the ester, but the carrier oil matters for sub q. Some test is suspended in grapeseed oil, cotton oil, and mct oil. I think mct might be the smoothest for sub q but might want to fact check as I am not on trt.
 
sfkid said:
Quest Diagnostics has offices in NYC. Goodlabs uses quest. Best place I've found for labs.
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When getting testing through Goodlabs, which labs are you most commonly getting? Do you do the "Men's" panel, or a la carte selections of specific tests?
 
msyntakz said:
When getting testing through Goodlabs, which labs are you most commonly getting? Do you do the "Men's" panel, or a la carte selections of specific tests?
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I do ala carte. I dont really care for all the markers in their pre-canned tests. Oh and 20% off code if you want: XPKNDZ
 
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