Getting smaller and Bigger at the same time

[Meetketchup]

I posted a screenshot with explanation to the best of my ability. App is Cronometer

That would be a 3.5lbs/week deficit.

 

[SmallGains88]

That would be a 3.5lbs/week deficit.

I am not arguing that fact. I put all the calculations into the app, on top of my smart watch activity and that is what it shows. I just share with you all, what the app shows me. I will say that prior to the test and the activity since the log had started, I was eating trash and I wasnt staying hydrated and was definitely not very active. I was only using Reta for weightloss and the last time I had worked out was 2+ years ago and before that was early 20s. I feel stronger than I did 3 weeks ago, I can walk longer with less pain and I can fit in clothes that used to be uncomfortably tight. I know I am making progress, I can feel it. I just wish the scale showed the same.

 

[SmallGains88]

37.5 taken daily is roughly 263mg per week. But I don’t think that’s your problem. How are you getting 4,500 calories expenditures with a food intake of 2281? Something in the calculation has to off. With that expenditure, you should have dropped at least 5-8lbs.

I have no clue how the app calculates that information. I just share with you all, what the app shows me. Without a mask and a computer hooked up to my face all day, there is no true way if knowing how many calories if burned in a day or what my metabolic rate is. That is why I always put it in quotations.

 

[Meetketchup]

I am not arguing that fact. I put all the calculations into the app, on top of my smart watch activity and that is what it shows. I just share with you all, what the app shows me. I will say that prior to the test and the activity since the log had started, I was eating trash and I wasnt staying hydrated and was definitely not very active. I was only using Reta for weightloss and the last time I had worked out was 2+ years ago and before that was early 20s. I feel stronger than I did 3 weeks ago, I can walk longer with less pain and I can fit in clothes that used to be uncomfortably tight. I know I am making progress, I can feel it. I just wish the scale showed the same.

I’m in no way criticizing you. I was just pointing out the fact that that number as we all know is silly. You’re doing great keep at it and you’ll get to where you wanna go.

 

[SmallGains88]

Yeah so something is weird. You need to change something so things start going in the right direction. My unsolicited amateur advice to you would be as follows.

Your test is probably too high and you are retaining water maybe? I would drop your test to like 125mgs a week or something like that. Should really find your trt dose with blood testing but... 250mgs is basically a baby cycle. And at this point you should be shooting for trt not cycle test levels.

Your gonna get hurt training like that most likely. No warmup sets... Plus your focus should be to drop body fat not gain lean mass. I would higher volume. add sets. And at this stage you dont really need to go to failure you could keep a couple in reserve. You dont want to overtrain and over stress yourself cause you are already in a huge calorie deficit so your stress and fatigue are getting redlined. If you want to go to failure maybe do a myorep for the last set of any given exercise. But yeah. More movement. More volume.

You might want to do a fasting day or a liquid only day or something just to shock the system into gear and try to get some of that water off. I'm just speculating that you are retaining a lot of water from the high test and no e2 management.

idk those are my thoughts. Keep on keepin on. Dont give up. You can do it!

Thank you for the input and the advice. Im definitely not giving up.

 

[NecroPhil]

Have you had your thyroid levels checked? Have you run a full blood pannel?

Here is a discount code if you want to use Private Labs MD. They have alot of decent premade pannels like the bodybuilder specific pannel. It might shed some light on whats happening. But honestly I think the first big change I would make is adjusting the training ethos. High volume sets and HIIIT cardio.

OR................ you could just start a DNP protcol! JK dont do that.

Here is the link for privatelabs md. You will get $200 off labs with this link.

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[SmallGains88]

For those asking for lab results. These were drawn on the 17th. Before I started meal plans. Macro tracking, working out or "trt". At this time, the only thing I was doing was trying not to eat like a complete idiot and taking Reta. I was also taking 30mg of Zinc daily for almost 2 months. Next lab work will be mid June.

 

[SmallGains88]

Captains Log, Stardate 2026.04.05

Starting weight @ 0800. - 344lbs.

Cardio: 45min (treadmill)

(10,257 steps)

☆Chest - Incline DB press 18 reps 30lbs
Decline press 15reps 114lbs and 164 for 8

☆Shoulders - cable Fly 16 reps ea. 10lbs

☆Triceps - seated overhead Tricep extensions 10 reps 30lbs then 70lbs for 11 reps

☆Lats - Chest supported row machine (close grip) 90lbs for 15
0p!!

☆Upper back - Chest supported row machine (wide grip) 14 reps 90

☆Delts - dumbell lateral raise 2x 8 reps 30lbs

☆Tricep - tricep pushdown 66lbs for 16

☆Bicep - Hammer curls 2x 8 reps of 30lbs

☆Hamstring - Leg curls 10 reps 140 then 10 reps at 200lbs

☆Quad Compound - Leg press 10 reps 240lbs then 15reps at 380lbs

☆Quad Isolation - Leg extensions 10 reps 145lbs then 225lbs for 12reps


Daily workouts

☆Calf Raises - 2 sets of 20 body weight.
☆Abs crunch machine - 2 sets of 20 45lbs

massage bed.


Macros

Meal 1) 310.0. 55g protein, 7.5g carbs and 5.5g of fat.
Meals 3, 4 and 5 were evenly split from the following macros.
1838.7cal, 119.5g protein, 157.9g carbs, and 42.5g of fat

112fl oz of water.
Total of 2148 cal for the day.

Stack
37.5mg of Test-E US Pharmacies
30mg Zinc
1000mg Antarctic Krill Oil/240mg Omega-3
125mcg Vitamin D3
5g Creatine Monohydrate
100mcg Vitamin K2
5mg Tadalafil
10mg Ezetimibe

Happy Easter!

 

[SmallGains88]

Captains Log, Stardate 2026.4.06.

Light day

Starting weight @ 0600 - 347.01

Fasted BG - 109mg/ml

2hr after first meal 106mg/ml

BP - 140/74

Steps: 9,865


Meal 1) 468cal. 63g protein, 26g carbs and 8g of fat.
Meal 2) 373cal. 34g protein, 33g carbs and 5g of fat.
Meal 3) 373cal. 33g protein, 34g carbs and 6g of fat.
Meal 4) 441cal. 50g protein, 32g carbs and 12g of fat
Meal 5) 442cal. 50g protein, 32g carbs and 13g of fat.


Daily Totals) 2097cal. 240g protein, 166g carbs and 44g of fat.

120oz of water and counting.


Stack
37.5mg of Test-E US Pharmacies
1000mg Antarctic Krill Oil/240mg Omega-3
125mcg Vitamin D3
5g Creatine Monohydrate
100mcg Vitamin K23
10mg Ezetimibe
5mg Tadalafil
30mg zinc

 

[SmallGains88]

Drove for 17 hours yesterday/this morning. Got about 4 hours of sleep last night. Macros were minimal and activity was almost non existent yesterday. Will hit it this evening and log.

 

[SmallGains88]

Captains Log, Stardate 2026.04.09

Macros (estimated) for the day.
1329cal, 75g protein, 137g carbs and 46g of fat.
80 Oz of water

7,569 steps.

Full training in the morning. Better meal tracking tomorrow. I brought everything but the scale so it might be Wednesday before I can get an accurate weight measurement. Will see if family has a decent bathroom scale but it wouldnt be a fasted weight so it wouldn't be accurate. Going to get a good night's rest and hit it hard in the morning.

Missed my reta dose yesterday so dosed 5mg this morning. Took omega 3 before bed. Tomorrow will be my first full day here and back to regularly scheduled programming.

 

[SmallGains88]

Captains Log, Stardate 2026.04.10

Sleep 5:39

Fasted BG 89
2 hours after first meal 85

BP 138/78

Macros
1,778Cal, 142g protein, 145g carbs and 53g of fat.

96oz of water

30min of cardio (treadmill for steps)
8,830 steps

Chest - Incline DB press 35lbs ea for 10

Shoulders - Seated OHP 20lbs ea for 10

Triceps - tricep kickbacks. 30lbs for 8

Lats - Close grip Chest supported db rows. 35lbs for 15

Upper back - wide grip Chest supported rows 35lbs for 10

Delts - forward arm circles 5lbs til failure. Then dumbbell side to front Raises with 5lbs for 10

Tricep - Overhead extensions 20lbs ea for 12

Bicep - db Hammer curls 35lbs for 9

Hamstring - RDL 40lbs for

Quad Isolation - heel-elevated squat. Bodyweight for 10

Calf Raises - 2 sets of 20

 

[SmallGains88]

Light day.
Fasted BG 93 missed fed bg.
BP 143/73

8729 steps.
112oz water
1791 cal, 172g protein, 142g carbs and 42g of fat.

Stack
37.5mg of Test-E US Pharmacies
1000mg Antarctic Krill Oil/240mg Omega-3
125mcg Vitamin D3
5g Creatine Monohydrate
100mcg Vitamin K23

Full training in the AM.

 

[SmallGains88]

Captains Log, Stardate 2026.04.12

Sleep 5:57

Fasted BG 96
2 hours after first meal missed measurement

BP 142/75

Macros
1,909Cal, 156g protein, 89g carbs and 45g of fat.

126oz of water

30min of cardio (treadmill for steps)
8,244 steps

Chest - Incline DB press 35lbs ea for 12

Shoulders - Seated OHP 20lbs ea for 11

Triceps - tricep kickbacks. 30lbs for 9

Lats - Close grip Chest supported db rows. 35lbs for 15

Upper back - wide grip Chest supported rows 35lbs for 10

Delts - Dumbbell side to front Raises with 10lbs for 12

Tricep - Overhead extensions 25lbs ea for 10

Bicep - db Hammer curls 25lbs for 15

Hamstring - RDL 40lbs for 10

Quad Isolation - heel-elevated squat. Bodyweight for 10

Calf Raises - 2 sets of 20

Tomorrow I will be driving for 17 hours. Regularly scheduled programming will resume on Tuesday.

 

[SmallGains88]

Got home this morning at 2am after driving all day. Going to rest, get some chores done and hit the gym hard and heavy first thing in the morning. Will log activities tomorrow afternoon.

 

[SmallGains88]

Captains Log, Stardate 2026.04.15

Sleep 8:00

Fasted BG 114mg/dl
Fed BG 91 mg/dl

BP 146/78 mmHg

Starting weight @ 0800. - 346lbs.

Water 132oz

Macros
2057Cal, 192g protein, 235g carbs and 42g of fat.

10,263 steps

☆Chest - Incline chest press 15 reps 120lbs

☆Shoulders - DB front raise 15 reps ea. 20lbs

☆Delts - dumbell lateral raise 15 reps 20lbs

☆Triceps - Tricep extensions 16 reps 60lbs

☆Lats - Chest supported row machine (close grip) 130lbs for 14

☆Upper back - Chest supported row machine (wide grip) 17 reps. 130lbs

☆Tricep - tricep pushdown 30lbs for 13 ea

☆Bicep - Hammer curls 17 reps of 25

☆Hamstring - Leg curls 10 reps at 200lbs

☆Quad Compound - Leg press 370 for 10

☆Quad Isolation - Leg extensions 180lbs for 15



Daily workouts

Calf Raises - 2 sets of 45 lbs
Abs crunch machine - 2 sets of 20 45lbs

First day back in the actual gym since my vacation. Didn't lose any strength or stamina. Solid workout. Tomorrow is Cardio only.

 

[eazy_]

First day back in the actual gym since my vacation.

glad to be back, or ready for next vacation?

thank you for posting the sale.

 

[SmallGains88]

glad to be back, or ready for next vacation?

thank you for posting the sale.

Both. Gotta start planning my vacations around Crunch gyms. The "Fitness Center" at the hotel was horrible. Meal planning is next to impossible. Happy to be back in a steady routine.

 

[SmallGains88]

Captains Log, Stardate 2026.4.16

Light day

Starting weight @ 0600 - 346.35

Fasted BG - 114

2hr after first meal missed

BP - 141/82

Steps: 10,465

Macro's
2250cal, 200.7g protein, 227.6g carbs and 49.5g of fat.

128oz of water.


Stack
37.5mg of Test-E US Pharmacies
1000mg Antarctic Krill Oil/240mg Omega-3
125mcg Vitamin D3
5g Creatine Monohydrate
100mcg Vitamin K23
10mg Ezetimibe
10mg Tadalafil EOD
30mg zinc
5mg Reta dosed twice a week for a total of 10mg per week.

 

[eazy_]

Steps: 10,465

well done