Big guy w/ low T trying to lose weight

[maxmuscle1]

Dr. Now (Bariatric Surgeon) is always getting asked by his patients, "what if I get malnutrition on 1200 cals?" He explains they basically have 3-4 years of food stored in their bodyfat and the liver has plenty of micronutrients stored up for a several day fast if they wanted to. When they fail to lose significant weight, he always tells them that they clearly are eating too much and sure enough they admit to cheating on their diet.

So the simple truth is that if you aren't losing weight it's because you are simply taking in too many calories - that's all there is to it. You can blame metabolic adaption and all these other excuses to eat more food but you are only fooling yourself.

I went through Army BCT myself and I went in at 145 and got up to the 150s. I didn't feel that bad just fatigued most of the time due to all the training and activity (esp in the heat). Why didn't I lose weight? Because I ate like a horse - I would ask for double servings of eggs in the morning, etc.

I'm not suggesting go extreme 1200 cals, but as the other guys have mentioned 1700-1800 is probably a good start.

So true.. people even lie to their themselves(via proxy by phone/app, lol) when nobody even sees it! I watched a girl put a lower amount of carbs and bump up her protein and she isn’t on a forum, doesn’t post, doesn’t share her info or anything; so I asked her, “ why did you do that? Nobody sees it but you” she said, “ IDK, I have been doing it since I started, I guess it makes me feel better..”. It baffled me but it turns out that a lot of females lie about weight, bf%(not always their fault). Males tend to lie about height and dick size! . It cracked me up but, it goes to show you; the true pandemic in America is Overweight and Obesity(then leads into diabetes/heart/joint problems that start in the ankles, move to the knees, hips, low back, neck... surgeons and drug companies love obese people!! (Where are all the ma huang plants ??, cannot blame illegal dugs on Ma huang powder in its natural form, but they lump it in with pseudo/eph hcl, sulfate. Why is this okay? Why can’t these(combined billions of $$ in health supplement sales Giants go and lobby for real fat burners? Bring Ma Huang standardized to 6% alkaloids, Back!!

June, 2108
Currently, 72 percent of men and 63 percent of women are overweight or obese (people who are overweight have a BMI of 25 to 29, people who are obese have a BMI of 30 or greater). In Dec 2020, 83 percent of men and 72 percent of women are overweight or obese. Actual Obesity has been over 40% since 1988!! This is real shit! Fast food nation isn’t just a moniker for the US either, it is a problem in most major countries! I will say this, I have been all over Asia and genetics definitely play a role but; I saw so many overweight kids all over Japan and the Middle East. Now, riddle me this? How is it the US sets sodium at 2,000 or less than 2,300mg daily but, the average sodium intake in most major Asian countries it is 6,000-7,000 daily and they (Japan/Korea) have the lowest heart disease(France too)? Now, IDK the answer because the internet is filled with conflicting statistics but, I do think that the high omega fatty acids and mono/poly fats in fish, plants, fruit, other, could be a factor. I am a huge fan of the Mediterranean diets, but, any healthful information I can use, I give it a go. Genetics is always behind a lot of debates but one thing is; people are severely overweight and are only getting bigger. I am overweight but that is part of bodybuilding, but I monitor myself and that is about the only thing I can do, whether 188-235lbs, I am still considered obese on paper(if they had no pic or test) and overweight no matter what! Can’t win so, F*** stats. Idk how some of these guys pass their PFT, AFPT, PT’s in the military!?? GD waivers and stall tactics.

Max

 

[bigbear]

I don't really want this thread going on tangents about everything else but my questions. I do recognize your general comments and concerns though. Sounds like coaches pretty much need to lie on calorie limits to undersell it so that trainees hit the ACTUAL value when they "cheat a little."

I'm sure good fats like omega-5 from fish oil would help. I despite all sea food, so that'll have to be gained elsewhere. Plants or suppliments. 6000 mg of sodium is insane, period. Just what little I study in biochemistry classes points that out. That's certainly not healthy, even with healither diets and more active lifestyles.

I know you "can't exercise away a bad diet," but you can't diet away everything either. Where can I go for a complete workout training program? Or better yet, how do I find a coach to help tailor one to me? A coach who knows dieting too would be awesome for the "full package."

 

[Posmx]

I don't really want this thread going on tangents about everything else but my questions. I do recognize your general comments and concerns though. Sounds like coaches pretty much need to lie on calorie limits to undersell it so that trainees hit the ACTUAL value when they "cheat a little."

I'm sure good fats like omega-5 from fish oil would help. I despite all sea food, so that'll have to be gained elsewhere. Plants or suppliments. 6000 mg of sodium is insane, period. Just what little I study in biochemistry classes points that out. That's certainly not healthy, even with healither diets and more active lifestyles.

I know you "can't exercise away a bad diet," but you can't diet away everything either. Where can I go for a complete workout training program? Or better yet, how do I find a coach to help tailor one to me? A coach who knows dieting too would be awesome for the "full package."

I believe earlier in this thread “Montego” offered to help you. Super knowledgeable person that can steer you in all the right directions. Send him a PM & take him up on the offer.

 

[bigbear]

I've reached out to him.

 

[wesley_swolle]

...

I didn't choose the swolle life, the swolle life chose me~Wesley Swolle

 

[ArgonCoagulator]

So true.. people even lie to their themselves(via proxy by phone/app, lol) when nobody even sees it! I watched a girl put a lower amount of carbs and bump up her protein and she isn’t on a forum, doesn’t post, doesn’t share her info or anything; so I asked her, “ why did you do that? Nobody sees it but you” she said, “ IDK, I have been doing it since I started, I guess it makes me feel better..”. It baffled me but it turns out that a lot of females lie about weight, bf%(not always their fault). Males tend to lie about height and dick size! . It cracked me up but, it goes to show you; the true pandemic in America is Overweight and Obesity(then leads into diabetes/heart/joint problems that start in the ankles, move to the knees, hips, low back, neck... surgeons and drug companies love obese people!! (Where are all the ma huang plants ??, cannot blame illegal dugs on Ma huang powder in its natural form, but they lump it in with pseudo/eph hcl, sulfate. Why is this okay? Why can’t these(combined billions of $$ in health supplement sales Giants go and lobby for real fat burners? Bring Ma Huang standardized to 6% alkaloids, Back!!

June, 2108
Currently, 72 percent of men and 63 percent of women are overweight or obese (people who are overweight have a BMI of 25 to 29, people who are obese have a BMI of 30 or greater). In Dec 2020, 83 percent of men and 72 percent of women are overweight or obese. Actual Obesity has been over 40% since 1988!! This is real shit! Fast food nation isn’t just a moniker for the US either, it is a problem in most major countries! I will say this, I have been all over Asia and genetics definitely play a role but; I saw so many overweight kids all over Japan and the Middle East. Now, riddle me this? How is it the US sets sodium at 2,000 or less than 2,300mg daily but, the average sodium intake in most major Asian countries it is 6,000-7,000 daily and they (Japan/Korea) have the lowest heart disease(France too)? Now, IDK the answer because the internet is filled with conflicting statistics but, I do think that the high omega fatty acids and mono/poly fats in fish, plants, fruit, other, could be a factor. I am a huge fan of the Mediterranean diets, but, any healthful information I can use, I give it a go. Genetics is always behind a lot of debates but one thing is; people are severely overweight and are only getting bigger. I am overweight but that is part of bodybuilding, but I monitor myself and that is about the only thing I can do, whether 188-235lbs, I am still considered obese on paper(if they had no pic or test) and overweight no matter what! Can’t win so, F*** stats. Idk how some of these guys pass their PFT, AFPT, PT’s in the military!?? GD waivers and stall tactics.

Max

C'mon Max, you know I'd never lie about my 10 inches! LOL

I'm half Korean (mom's side) so I've spent a good amount of time around some "real deal" South Korean immigrants and they may take in alot of sodium from all the soy sauce, ramen noodles and various sauces, but they eat way more vegetables and fish in general than any typical American family I've spent time around. They don't rely so much on meat the way we do. Meat is more like a supplement to their meals, just as all the tofu and various vegetables are. Rice or noodles is usually the base. So I'd say their diet is high carb, moderate protein and lowish fat. They would rarely eat and I never saw them get burgers or pizza, etc - it would just be take out vietmanese like Pho or something they're not used to making.

Alot of their health and longevity probably does stem from genetics too. Asians tend to not carry good muscle building genes like ACTN-3 and various other markers that promote strength and performance but also promote diabetes and heart problems. They do have higher blood pressure on average but it doesn't seem to be shortening their lifespans. I myself have issues with BP unfortunately, but hopefully as long as I eat healthy, stay active and under 200lbs I'll be alright. Fingers crossed.

 

[ArgonCoagulator]

I don't really want this thread going on tangents about everything else but my questions. I do recognize your general comments and concerns though. Sounds like coaches pretty much need to lie on calorie limits to undersell it so that trainees hit the ACTUAL value when they "cheat a little."

I'm sure good fats like omega-5 from fish oil would help. I despite all sea food, so that'll have to be gained elsewhere. Plants or suppliments. 6000 mg of sodium is insane, period. Just what little I study in biochemistry classes points that out. That's certainly not healthy, even with healither diets and more active lifestyles.

I know you "can't exercise away a bad diet," but you can't diet away everything either. Where can I go for a complete workout training program? Or better yet, how do I find a coach to help tailor one to me? A coach who knows dieting too would be awesome for the "full package."

Oh, you don't want tangents on your thread.

Well I'm sorry this thread isn't quite living up to your expectations but tangents are what help make these forums go around.

As far as what you said, studies are showing that diet is far more important than exercise for weight loss. Your body adapts fairly quickly to increased exercise and you'll no longer burn excess calories from the activity. Studies also show combining both does speed results, solidify the weight loss and prevent rebound. But if you picked one or the other to focus on it would definitely be diet.

I've rarely ever tried to lose weight but I know for myself doing sprint intervals 2-3 times per week for 15-20 shrank my waist quick. So I suspect that doing sprint intervals, a little weight training and a controlled diet should get you looking like a studly mofo in no time.

 

[maxmuscle1]

C'mon Max, you know I'd never lie about my 10 inches! LOL

I'm half Korean (mom's side) so I've spent a good amount of time around some "real deal" South Korean immigrants and they may take in alot of sodium from all the soy sauce, ramen noodles and various sauces, but they eat way more vegetables and fish in general than any typical American family I've spent time around. They don't rely so much on meat the way we do. Meat is more like a supplement to their meals, just as all the tofu and various vegetables are. Rice or noodles is usually the base. So I'd say their diet is high carb, moderate protein and lowish fat. They would rarely eat and I never saw them get burgers or pizza, etc - it would just be take out vietmanese like Pho or something they're not used to making.

Alot of their health and longevity probably does stem from genetics too. Asians tend to not carry good muscle building genes like ACTN-3 and various other markers that promote strength and performance but also promote diabetes and heart problems. They do have higher blood pressure on average but it doesn't seem to be shortening their lifespans. I myself have issues with BP unfortunately, but hopefully as long as I eat healthy, stay active and under 200lbs I'll be alright. Fingers crossed.

Lol. 9.5! Ha ha. Yeah, I do think the overall genetic makeup has to be some type of factor; just like BB. One thing I will say is I love Asians and their food! One thing I make a lot is pho! Yes, it has meat but also a ton of Thai basil, cilantro, parsley..I use a lot of Keffir lime leaves, galangal, and lemongrass. IDK if it makes a huge health difference but; I feel like it does! Oh..cannot forget all the hot Szechuan and Seafood! My all time favorite is Korean BBQ w 20 condiments, lol. We need more joints!!

Max

 

[ArgonCoagulator]

Lol. 9.5! Ha ha. Yeah, I do think the overall genetic makeup has to be some type of factor; just like BB. One thing I will say is I love Asians and their food! One thing I make a lot is pho! Yes, it has meat but also a ton of Thai basil, cilantro, parsley..I use a lot of Keffir lime leaves, galangal, and lemongrass. IDK if it makes a huge health difference but; I feel like it does! Oh..cannot forget all the hot Szechuan and Seafood! My all time favorite is Korean BBQ w 20 condiments, lol. We need more joints!!

Max

Ok ok, maybe not 10" but let's settle on slightly above average. Lmao!

That's cool you make your own pho. I love big bowls of noodles soups like pho. Something I tried through doordash the other day for a change is a monster Korean seafood noodle soup call "Champong". Man, it's spicy and so good! Mussels, scallops, squid, shrimp and all these veggies. It's like a K-Gumbo. Crazy good! lol

 

[maxmuscle1]

Ok ok, maybe not 10" but let's settle on slightly above average. Lmao!

That's cool you make your own pho. I love big bowls of noodles soups like pho. Something I tried through doordash the other day for a change is a monster Korean seafood noodle soup call "Champong". Man, it's spicy and so good! Mussels, scallops, squid, shrimp and all these veggies. It's like a K-Gumbo. Crazy good! lol

Definitely ordering Champong for lunch! I love Cioppino or Bouillabaisse so, I will surely enjoy it! Love Spicy food!!

Max

 

[bigbear]

You don't have to be a dick. You know as well as I how easily threads can get sidetracked and go completely off the rails. I'm just asking not to let it. Don't like that? Don't respond.

That being said, I appreciate your advice on diet vs exercise and asain cuisine. I fully admit that my diet needs to change. You're right, asains do tend to eat more vegetables and fewer starches than Americans. Which I need. I'm not a huge fan of vegetables. Honestly, my parents sucked at cooking them when I grew up, and I didn't learn how different ways of preparing them changes the taste and what dishes I like them in until I was in my late 20's.

Asain dishes, like various stir fries with sauces, are some of the easiest ways for me to eat vegetables, though. Those are also the most common leftovers I'll eat. So I should look more into those types of recipes and prepare big batches for prepared meals.

Do you have any suggestions on what I should try? Seafood dishes are out. I've never tried tofu. Been... hesitant due to texture and taste issues. But supposedly you can make it taste like many different things? If you have ideas on recipes with lots of spices and flavors for a better diet (not necessarily hot spices), I'd appreciate any suggestions.

 

[Multislacking]

Do you have any suggestions on what I should try? Seafood dishes are out. I've never tried tofu. Been... hesitant due to texture and taste issues. But supposedly you can make it taste like many different things? If you have ideas on recipes with lots of spices and flavors for a better diet (not necessarily hot spices), I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Wait until Monte gives you a diet. If you're like most of us, you're going to end up preparing bulk meals. IE, tons of chicken. I will usually cook enough chicken to last a week, maybe a little more. I'll rotate what spices I use, sometimes using the prepackaged mixes (taco, asian, etc). I don't like most of MY cooking. But I can get it down without wanting to puke it back up.

The bulk of my prepared food goes into an instapot (ninja foodi). Chicken first for 20 mins. Use the chicken broth that is left and make the brown rice (really helps to give it flavor and chicken fat keeps it from being sticky/gummy). After that, I brown my lean ground beef. I can prep a week's worth of meals in about an hour. And there's only one dirty pot. Voila. I'll freeze about half the chicken and pull it out later in the week as needed. The rice and ground beef will keep for a week in the fridge. I used to freak out about leftovers that were older than 4 days, but rice and beef have never went bad on me in that time.

The nice part about doing meals this way is you never wonder what's for dinner. You *know* what's for dinner. It's already cooked. Nuke it and go. The biggest downside is family living with you and giving you shit about what you're eating (or NOT eating with them). You gotta do it though.

 

[Motojg]

Bro, 2600 cals per day with an endomorphic bodytype, low T and a slow metabolism? Hell naw bruh.

Have you not seen "My 600 pound life"?

Dr. Nowzardaren would be shaking his head at your right now while saying, "You need to get on 1200 calorie per day diet, high protein, low carb and you will lose 80-100lbs in a month".

Of course you won't lose that much in a month if you aren't extremely morbidly obese, but you get the picture.

This is funny because this is exactly what I was picturing reading his post.

 

[bigbear]

Wait until Monte gives you a diet. If you're like most of us, you're going to end up preparing bulk meals...

The nice part about doing meals this way is you never wonder what's for dinner. You *know* what's for dinner. It's already cooked. Nuke it and go. The biggest downside is family living with you and giving you shit about what you're eating (or NOT eating with them). You gotta do it though.

I am married, and we're both overweight and looking to get better. Out of the two of us, I'm the picky eater. So if I can change, we'll be fine. I will say though, carbs are definitely my weakness. I already know I eat too much of them. Especially having grown up on box dinners like Hamburger Helper. Hopefully rice is a "better" carb, because I can plow through it with stir fry.

I might need to do 2-3 recipes using the same ingredients cooked in different ways to avoid things getting "stale" and craving "cheat meals." Cook them all up on Sunday and package them. Knowing what can be frozen and what can't will be handy. And for how long it can be frozen. That way I can stockpile diversity better. I have a real problem wanting to eat the same meal twice in a row. Or within 2 meals.

Food for though for me, I guess.

 

[ArgonCoagulator]

You don't have to be a dick. You know as well as I how easily threads can get sidetracked and go completely off the rails. I'm just asking not to let it. Don't like that? Don't respond.

That being said, I appreciate your advice on diet vs exercise and asain cuisine. I fully admit that my diet needs to change. You're right, asains do tend to eat more vegetables and fewer starches than Americans. Which I need. I'm not a huge fan of vegetables. Honestly, my parents sucked at cooking them when I grew up, and I didn't learn how different ways of preparing them changes the taste and what dishes I like them in until I was in my late 20's.

Asain dishes, like various stir fries with sauces, are some of the easiest ways for me to eat vegetables, though. Those are also the most common leftovers I'll eat. So I should look more into those types of recipes and prepare big batches for prepared meals.

Do you have any suggestions on what I should try? Seafood dishes are out. I've never tried tofu. Been... hesitant due to texture and taste issues. But supposedly you can make it taste like many different things? If you have ideas on recipes with lots of spices and flavors for a better diet (not necessarily hot spices), I'd appreciate any suggestions.

I'm not being a dick bro, just a smart ass, lol.

I'm on a little tren so I care very little about how I appear or what people think of me. The only thing regulating my actions is my own vision of what I consider appropriate which is different from what a typical person's might be, LOL. Alot of people are like that on gear, so try not to take it personally. Once you start saturating your receptors you'll be able to relate.

As far as carbs, you don't need to go zero carb, but start trying to lower the amount you eat. Try to have some meals where you don't eat any at all. Rice is not a good carb at all for weight loss, it's about as good as white bread or cane sugar. Brown rice and yams would be much better but still limit the quantity.

I naturally shy away from carbs in the morning because they slow me down and make me feel tired. I'll literally have a ketogenic meal for breakfast such as eggs and bacon, Oikos Greek Yogurt and/or a big protein shake using a scoop of weight gainer and a scoop of protein powder - very low carb. By lunch, I can handle carbs and not get tired so I'll have a large grocery store sandwhich and maybe some chips and a sugar free energy drink or diet soda. Dinner is just whatever - I rarely cook at home but I make healthier choices like a Chik-fila chicken sandwhich or power bowl from taco bell, or a chicken plate from Chilis or Applebees. At night I'll usually have another big shake same that I mentioned for occasional breakfast, which contains about 45-50g of protein. I maintain about 185lbs and that's all I eat.

I'm no nutrition expert, but from my experience I can tell you that I feel better since giving up sodas. I rarely eat big carb meals and that has raised my energy level. High carb just isn't necessary for survival - it just makes you want to sleep and gain fat.

 

[money2blow]

When I was overweight at 19 and low testosterone (between 300-350), no amount of diet or cardio seemed to help me lose weight at 240lbs. Once i started trt shots, the weight began coming off at about 2lbs per week. I've never looked back and im 29 now. Life is much better on T.

 

[Multislacking]

I am married, and we're both overweight and looking to get better. Out of the two of us, I'm the picky eater. So if I can change, we'll be fine. I will say though, carbs are definitely my weakness. I already know I eat too much of them. Especially having grown up on box dinners like Hamburger Helper. Hopefully rice is a "better" carb, because I can plow through it with stir fry.

I might need to do 2-3 recipes using the same ingredients cooked in different ways to avoid things getting "stale" and craving "cheat meals." Cook them all up on Sunday and package them. Knowing what can be frozen and what can't will be handy. And for how long it can be frozen. That way I can stockpile diversity better. I have a real problem wanting to eat the same meal twice in a row. Or within 2 meals.

Food for though for me, I guess.

Hehe...yeah, I can kill some HB helper given the opportunity. Money was tight (and time) starting out and we lived on that stuff. Any given week it was HB helper 3 times and tuna helper another night.

Hopefully you can help each other out. Mine pretty much sabotages me. "It's just one meal, it's just one night, it's just one day"....before long, both of us would be completely off the wagon. I didn't make real progress until I just did my own thing. I'll still get flak for it, but it's manageable. And they can't argue with results.

 

[bigbear]

We're trying. And I'm trying to learn "tricks" for mak8ng and packing big meals. I made chili Friday night. Normally we eat, then put the rest in a big container in the fridge. About half of that gets eaten before it goes bad. This time we put it into several tubs and froze the leftovers to reheat later. Seems obvious, but I'm not really used to thinking like that yet.

I'd love to experiment more around with stuff like that. Spend Sunday cooking two meals on the stove and one in a crockpot, then see what we freeze and what needs to be left in the fridge. Stockpile meals that way so there's left pressure to cook every day for variety, and also less to deal with the other 6 nights of the week. Or 3 nights, and do it twice a week. Whatever works.

My biggest problem with meals (besides picky eating) is simply having variety. Knowing what I can cook altogether in bulk dishes and what I can run out to eat and switch things up is going to help a lot staying on a diet. I just can't eat the same thing every single meal. I know I don't have that in me.

 

[ArgonCoagulator]

We're trying. And I'm trying to learn "tricks" for mak8ng and packing big meals. I made chili Friday night. Normally we eat, then put the rest in a big container in the fridge. About half of that gets eaten before it goes bad. This time we put it into several tubs and froze the leftovers to reheat later. Seems obvious, but I'm not really used to thinking like that yet.

I'd love to experiment more around with stuff like that. Spend Sunday cooking two meals on the stove and one in a crockpot, then see what we freeze and what needs to be left in the fridge. Stockpile meals that way so there's left pressure to cook every day for variety, and also less to deal with the other 6 nights of the week. Or 3 nights, and do it twice a week. Whatever works.

My biggest problem with meals (besides picky eating) is simply having variety. Knowing what I can cook altogether in bulk dishes and what I can run out to eat and switch things up is going to help a lot staying on a diet. I just can't eat the same thing every single meal. I know I don't have that in me.

The biggest thing you have to try to wrap your head around is just limiting quantity. Chili can be decently healthy depending on how you make it. The Myfitnesspal and other calorie tracking apps can help keep you accountable with how many calories you're eating per day.

 

[MonsterMaker]

Complete and utter newb here. So forgive me if I come off an idiot or ask really stupid questions on basic, fundamental stuff.

To begin, I'm in 35 and really overweight. Was working on it for 1.5 years before COVID hit and closed everything down. Kept my diet at ~2600 cal/day (according to myfitnesspal.com). Powerlifting workouts 3x a week burning 1300-1700 calories each time (according to fitbit watch). And in a year and a half, I lost 8 fucking lbs. Just 8! And only 1.5" off my waste. So it's not like I lost craploads of fat and gained tons of muscle. I got practically nowhere in 1.5 years.

So back in October '20, I got my test checked at a TRT clinic. It was at 200. Which is less than half what it's supposed to be for my age. Had a lot come up in my life and wanted to think over treatment first. A month ago, I got routine blood work done by my physician and asked him to toss in a check on my T. Again, 200. The TRT clinic will supposedly get me on shots and testing for $200/mn (doesn't accept insurance). My doctor, though, won't do shit unless if my dick doesn't work.

Here's the thing: My weight's at an extremely unhealthy level and I'm fed up with making ZERO OR NEGATIVE gains on it. I don't give two shits if it's "cheating" with roids to get an edge. And I'm willing to put in the work, as I proved before this pandemic. Am I crazy to get on TRT and/or use other gear to help me build muscle and finally drop the fucking weight?

I'm trying to find a nutritionist now for dietary advice. And a trainer (preferably that does bodybuilding and powerlifting) for workouts. Preferably they will be one and the same person. But I'm hoping getting my test up too helps to correct things and make building muscle and losing weight finally possible.

Does any of this make sense? Am I thinking like an idiot or missing something major? I want to loose 100 lbs, and that's just for starters to get to "merely overweight." Am I starting out right, or am I just charging at windmills here? I know jack squat about cutting weight. I just know one powerlifting coach on it who had low but better levels than me get on it and lose 30lbs fast, and another 30 in a year of working out regularly while building muscle. I could really use the help and am hoping getting my hormone levels right can yeild similar results.

If you only lost 8lbs in one year of trying to loose weight you’re eating too much. Bottom line. You should have lost that in a month.