Drilling down on recomp

[mcs]

On a serious recomp this time.

Current DEXA data:
Age: 64
Ht: 67"
Total wt: 188.6lbs
Lean: 133.9lbs
Total BF - SUBCUTANEOUS ADIPOSE TISSUE (SAT): 49lbs
DEXA Total BF %: 26%
DEXA - VISCERAL ADIPOSE TISSUE (VAT): 4.13lbs (optimal is <1.00lb)
The majority of my genetic fat distribution is ANDROID (central adiposity: abdomen, chest, shoulders, nape of neck), common in aging males and which increases VAT and MetSyn.

Est. Goal:
Wt: 175lbs
Lean: 153lbs
Total BF: 22lbs
DEXA Total BF %: 12.5%
DEXA VAT: <1.00lb

Hormone data summary:
TT: 789ng/dL
FT: 134pg/Ml
ULTRA-SENSITIVE ESTRADIOL: 31pg/mL
FSH: 7.1mIU/mL
LH: 7.2mIU/mL
TSH: 0.66 mIU/L
FT4: 1.2ng/dL
FT3: 4.1pg/mL
RT3: 15ng/dL
HEMOGLOBIN A1c: 5.3
IGF-1: 195 ng/mL (400+ when on GH peptide cycle)

I am using 25 mg enclomiphene citrate to naturally boost my TT and FT which it has almost doubled in approx. 12 mos. Zero sides.

I also use a variety of injectable peptides from a vetted source (tesamorelin, ipamorelin, CJC-1295, BPC-157, TB500, IGF1LR3, etc.) + carnitine, choline, etc. injections, Metformin @ 2g/day. I know all these compounds help, but they aren't like AAS, and if I keep eating at a surplus and not adding LBM, I am just wasting $$$$.

Avg macros:
Before recomp:
Kcals: 2200-2500
Pro: 150-180g
Carbs: <100g
Fat: 125g

Now - PROTEIN SPARING MODIFIED FAST (PSMF):
Kcals: <1500
Pro: 135-150g
Carbs: <50g
Fat: <40g

My journey has started with a PSMF diet for a few days in which I have already dropped nearly 10lbs since my DEXA scan (probably mostly water at this point). This diet will be for as long as it takes to drop SAT and VAT to optimal levels. Usually, such diets are for short-term only due to the severe restriction of carbs and fat.

Main concern: since I have blamed everything under the sun for why I have failed at sustained recomps in the past, I have no clue as to how much lean mass I will lose along with bodyfat.

What I am doing to retain LBM during CR (essentially that same advice given to those taking a GLP-1):
- keeping protein intake @ no less than 1g/lb of fat-free mass
- moderate resistance + cardio training 3-5x's/week (I cannot train with more intensity or heavier since I have sustained many joint issues; perhaps increase the volume but with less resistance)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only thing I can see left when it comes to LBM retention during a cut is:
- protein synthesis
- anabolism

I can only guess that those will decrease with genetic aging.

Not much more I can do with protein synthesis, but that ties in with T levels as does anabolism/hypertrophy. The question then is whether enclomiphene is going to be effective enough to do the job or if it's only making me look pretty on paper and not giving me the actual subjective benefits vs frank TRT as many have reported and in terms of at least retention of LBM which is the golden ticket here. Same argument some guys make over GH peptides vs 2iu of pharma GH. There is only so much my genetic setpoint will allow in terms of anabolism (adding more muscle to my frame) at this age sans chemical enhancement.

Side note: BIA vs DEXA: DEXA by far the gold standard on composition analysis.
*BIA scales can be highly misleading and showed me at 19.2% BF and 141.5lb lean, a 27% difference on the same day as my DEXA scan.

*InBody scales might be a few degrees more accurate than the $30 scales you can pick up online, but still nothing compared to DEXA. Too many variables can throw off your reading (i.e. fluid and solids intake, time of day, etc.).

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

"the only thing I can see left when it comes to LBM retention during a cut".

As Dr. Fung says, the Holy Grail of fat loss is maintaining or increasing metabolic rate. You may want to consider doing lower cals 2 or 3 days per week and normal cals the other days. Also, consider walking with a backpack and/or ankle weights. FWIW, when first realized I needed to lose some mid-section fat, it took me about 18 months to really get it reduced, and I had about the same amount as you to lose.

 

[mcs]

Update:
Coming up on the big two months.

Another month from doing a DEXA follow up.

Still a work in progress, however, it's thus far been the best progress ever made in my case. I attribute the majority of that to the PSMF diet. It actually works.
I manage to drop about 20 lbs overall, mostly fat and a little lean mass (4-5lbs) which actually increased a couple pounds as weight decreased. Some loose skin has formed where the most fat loss occurred (sub-navel).

Enclomiphene citrate @25mg/day has taken my total T to 950, the highest ever, however my SHBG increased to from the mid 40s to 62 and my E2 went from sub 30 to 45. Free T has been hammered from 125 (when my Total T was in the high 700s) to 88.9 because of SHBG. LH 5.2, FSH 6.5 have remained flat during treatment.

I see that clomiphene can increase both E2 and SHBG, but I haven't found a study showing that happens with enclo.

The effect of clomiphene citrate on sex hormone binding globulin in normospermic and oligozoospermic men - PubMed

The effect of clomiphene citrate (CG) on sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) was studied in 10 oligozoospermic patients with varicocele and 6 normospermic men. Plasma SHBG, testosterone (T), oestradiol (E2), FSH, LH, Prolactin (Prl), thyroxine (T4) and 17-OH-progesterone (17-OH-P) were...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

What to do to reduce SHBG to free up fee T and what to do to reduce E2? AIs are not an option.

I feel ok, no sides that I can tell.

From an aesthetic point of view, I need to now deal with the residual pseudogyno or lipomastia in the pecs and subcutaneous fat in the rear love handles.