IronKnight's body recomposition challenge

[IronKnight]

TLDR, progress so far

Some background on my TRT protocol and blood results so far:


As I discovered the hard way that high body fat screws up TRT by excessive conversion of T into E, I set the following goals:
- Primary Goal: Achieve 12% body fat by October (-11kg in 3 months so far, ~25kg of fat left to loose)
- Secondary Goal: Get LBM up to 90kg (~3kg of muscle/liquid lost in 3 months so far, 8.5kg left to gain)

I went to 150mg / week to have higher T levels and protect muscle mass during this process (hopefully gaining some mass as well, if the planets align ^^)
​

To be on track I must lose about 1kg of fat / week and the last two weeks progress has been slower (0.5kg / week), here is what I am doing right now:

Estimated Body fat at start: 34,70%
Estimated Body fat now: 29,60% (-5,1% Body fat of progress in 3 months)


NOTE: My problems with E2 are discussed in detail here, will keep updating that thread with more information, so far 1mg of Anastrozole EOD is not enough and I'm experimenting with stacking rounds of Arimistane on fasting days (will explain there soon) as I found its effect to be additive to Anastrozole.

NOTE 2: Experimenting with Berberine (1200mg / day, in 4 x 300mg doses with food) and 12k IUs of Vitamin D / day from this week. The idea being that Berberine could help with insulin sensitivity and help me lose weight Metformin-style. Vitamin D was a bit low (< 40) last time I checked so trying to get that over 70, will hopefully also lower SHBG, resulting in higher free T.

Changes this week:
- Reduced calories in breakfast: -10g of olive oil in breakfasts (=no more olive oil on breakfasts) = -84 calories, -oats&bran on Sundays (non-training day, -194,55 calories), -50g frozen strawberries (50g left) = -15 calories. = -700 calories / week.
+ Calories left in breakfast: 89,2 (20g pumpking seeds) + 194,55 (50g oats) + 70 (220g broccoli) + 15 (50g strawberries) + 573 (150g of WPC, contains 121,8 protein, 4,35 fat, 11,7 carbs) = 941 / 2 = 470,5 calories / breakfast
+ Calories in WPC shakes: 65g of powder = 248,3 calories [ 52,78g protein, 1,9g fat, 5g carbs ]
- NO CARBS in lunch & dinner (no rice, no pasta), heavy on vegetables.
- Started to walk upstairs: When leaving or coming home, going down and then go up all stairs, takes 1 minute and gets heart rate up a bit. In a normal day this might be repeated around 8 times (done in both office & home apartments), might burn around 100 calories total, so -700 calories / week roughly. When fat loss gets harder, the plan is to increase that to x2, x3, etc.

Mistakes of previous week & attempts to fix:
- NEW: Eat less at lunch & dinner, zero carbs
- NEW: No cheat treats even on Sunday
- NEW: Light dinners
- NEW: Seems I am losing muscle: Add bedtime shake to fasting days: 30-35g WPC (25+g Whey protein) + 90-100g Micellar casein (81+g Casein protein)
- Avoid overeating
- Seeds strictly 20g y olive oil now 0.
- Eat little cheese at dinner and use sardines or eggs instead where possible
- STOP Iron supplements, will restart after upcoming blood donation to get Ferritin back on track


Training days: (NEW CHANGE: From March = 4 workouts x week, for improved protein synthesis stimulation)
- Tuesday: Arms & shoulders (dumbells @ home gym)
- Thursday: Deadlift, cable rows and lat pull downs
- Friday: Back, Chest and Traps (dumbells @ home gym)
- Saturday: Leg press, leg extension, cable rows and lat pull downs

2 Full fast days (~24 hour fasts): Monday & Wednesday (= power work days, caffeinated, no food distractions)
- Cardio: 2h 15mins of static bike on fasting days. (45mins x 3) <-- This did not work and also takes way too long, so changing to HIIT next week.
- NEW TWEAK: Add bedtime shake to fasting days: 30-35g WPC (25+g Whey protein) + 90-100g Micellar casein (81+g Casein protein)
Caffeine: Limited to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.


Typical feeding days:
1) Before breakfast: 3-4g ALCAR + 200mg L-Theanine (+4g B-alanine on training days)
2) Training days:
Breakfast & 2nd Breakfast (blended and split into 2 meals): 220-240g frozen broccoli / brussel sprouts, 50g strawberries, 35g oats, 15g rye bran, 15g curcumin (organic turmeric powder), black pepper, 150g Whey Protein Concentrate (about 120g of protein = ~60 x breakfast), 20g sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds), 4g Citrulline Malate, 8g B5, 2g NAC, 2g Choline, black pepper (to increase Curcumin absortion), 1 lemon (to avoid oxidation of 2nd breakfast in a pot).
----
NEW: Non-training day (Sunday): Remove oats & rye bran (no point in having carbs on a non-workout day)
Breakfast & 2nd Breakfast (blended and split into 2 meals): 220-240g frozen broccoli / brussel sprouts, 50g strawberries, 15g curcumin, black pepper, 150g Whey Protein Concentrate (about 120g of protein = ~60 x breakfast), 20g sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds), 4g Citrulline Malate, 8g B5, 2g NAC, 2g Choline, black pepper (to increase Curcumin absortion), 1 lemon (to avoid oxidation of 2nd breakfast in a pot).
3) Lunch: Whatever wife cooks but without carbs, try to eat 1 plate only (avoid eating too much in 1 meal = gaining fat)
4) 17:00: 60g Whey Protein Concentrate shake (about 48g of Whey protein)
5) Dinner: Whatever wife cooks, normally [ 4-6 eggs or sardines / Cheese / Meat / Fish ] with vegetables
6) NEW Tweak: Changing pre-bed shake to 30-35g WPC (25+g Whey protein) + 90-100g Micellar casein (81+g Casein protein), never wake up to pee at night, so don't use 2nd WPC shake.

TRT protocol:
+ Testosterone enanthate: 50mg x 3 / week: Wednesday morning, Friday night, Sunday night
+ HCG: 390 IUs x 3 / week (same injection as Testosterone)
+ Anastrozole 1mg EOD is not enough, experimenting with rounds of Arimistane to complement that and bring E2 < 40.

Iron protocol to get Ferritin back on track: <-- ON HOLD until upcoming blood donation (this increases Ferritin +20-30 in 1 week)
Sorbifer Durules 100mg Fe (Ferrous Sulfate) + 60mg Vitamin C:
+ Fasting days: 4 x 100mg morning-evening
+ Feeding days: 3 x 100mg = 100mg before breakfast, 100mg lunch AND dinner
(or together with DHEA, ZC, pregnenolone 1h before bedtime shake)

Supplement stack:
Omega 3: Risking pain in Varicocele --> 2-3g / day (surgery soon, will increase after that, if I go higher than 2g a day I get a lot of pain in my left testicle after a few days)

~1 hour before bed:
+ B vitamin complex
+ Zinc (45mg) + Copper (3mg)
+ Pregnelone = 50mg / day
+ DHEA = 25mg

Other stuff:
+ DIM = 100mg x 3 / day (around breakfast, lunch and dinner)
+ DHEA = 75mg / day = 50mg after 2nd breakfast (this puts me on 400 ug/dl during the day, optimal), 25mg before sleep
+ Magnesium = 200mg in breakfast & shakes (800mg / day)

New since 29/03/2018:
+ Berberine: 4 x 300mg with meals (1200mg total / day, only on feeding days)
+ Vit. D: 12000 IUs / day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Before breakfast (fasted, just mixed with water):
+ ALCAR: ~3-4g/day
+ L-Theanine: ~200mg/day
+ Beta alanine: 4g on training days (inside breakfast on Sundays, non-training day)
+ Citurulline Malate: ~7-8g always

1st & 2nd breakfast (blended with food):
+ Curcumin: ~15g / day
+ NAC: ~2g / day
+ Choline: ~2g / day
+ B5: ~8g / day
+ Creatine: ~12g / day
+ Citurulline Malate: ~4g / day
+ Beta alanine: 4g on non-traiding days (Sunday)

Questions:
- Any suggestions to accelerate these fat loss results without risking losing muscle (or ideally increasing muscle)?
- Anything I could improve?
- Anything you would change in what I am doing so far?
- Is it possible to upload pictures with higher quality?

Thank you!

 

[Dave B.]

Questions:
- Any suggestions to accelerate these fat loss results without risking losing muscle (or ideally increasing muscle)?

- Anything I could improve?

- Anything you would change in what I am doing so far?

Thank you!

Cutting calories and losing weight usually doesn't go hand-in-hand with growing muscle. It is possible though if you're un-trained (with 30% bodyfat you're basically untrained). Also TRT should help you hold on to muscle so that is less of a worry. Losing fat is your #1 goal. All that said, the key is lifting heavy and low reps (like 5) after a thorough warm-up. Getting (or staying) strong involves putting more weight on the bar, not in lifting little dumbbells or doing 10 different exercises. Make your workouts simpler and heavier, and forget about devoting a whole day to arms. Just add chin-ups to your other workouts if you must and lose "arm day".

I don't want to add more compounds to your already over-complicated routine, but Clenbuterol is a time-tested drug that helps with weight loss. I don't know if that's legal in your country or not, or whether you want to take the risk in taking it, but I'm just throwing that out there.

With your high bodyfat %, high lipid profile (high triglycerides?) along with overweight, you are likely pre-diabetic or working toward actual type 2 diabetes. Sugars in food are your enemy, not just carbs.

You're working on a low-carb diet, which is great, but you really need to consider cutting out all grains as well as sugars. You're throwing berries and oats and barley into your shakes, which is like putting a slice of bread in there. And then you're still talking about occasional "cheat days"? I hope you dropped those by now because even one cheat day a week will slow or destroy your progress. Totally eliminate grains and sugars for 30 days, including oats and barley, and see what happens. Cutting down on olive oil is exactly the wrong thing to do. Fats and proteins control not only blood sugar but appetite. Pay more attention to the glycemic index of what you're putting into your body, calorie-obsessing is the wrong approach.

Also I'm not a huge fan of drinking your meals. Drink a protein shake, fine, but actual meals need to be chewed. Solid foods and even the act of chewing itself work on the brain's satiety center.

- Anything you would change in what I am doing so far?

The 1,000-supplement routine is not as important as you think. Strive to simplify your routine and make your life easier. Your lipid profiles and overall health will improve drastically with weight loss.

Changing to the HIIT workout is the right thing to do. 30 minutes and 4-5 intervals of 45 seconds to a minute should do fine, but you have to hit your intervals HARD.


- Is it possible to upload pictures with higher quality?

As for updating pictures, maybe post them to an outside imaging host (imgur?) and then provide a hyperlink here. Just a thought. Best of luck!

 

[Nashtide]

Cutting calories and losing weight usually doesn't go hand-in-hand with growing muscle. It is possible though if you're un-trained (with 30% bodyfat you're basically untrained). Also TRT should help you hold on to muscle so that is less of a worry. Losing fat is your #1 goal. All that said, the key is lifting heavy and low reps (like 5) after a thorough warm-up. Getting (or staying) strong involves putting more weight on the bar, not in lifting little dumbbells or doing 10 different exercises. Make your workouts simpler and heavier, and forget about devoting a whole day to arms. Just add chin-ups to your other workouts if you must and lose "arm day".

I don't want to add more compounds to your already over-complicated routine, but Clenbuterol is a time-tested drug that helps with weight loss. I don't know if that's legal in your country or not, or whether you want to take the risk in taking it, but I'm just throwing that out there.

With your high bodyfat %, high lipid profile (high triglycerides?) along with overweight, you are likely pre-diabetic or working toward actual type 2 diabetes. Sugars in food are your enemy, not just carbs.

You're working on a low-carb diet, which is great, but you really need to consider cutting out all grains as well as sugars. You're throwing berries and oats and barley into your shakes, which is like putting a slice of bread in there. And then you're still talking about occasional "cheat days"? I hope you dropped those by now because even one cheat day a week will slow or destroy your progress. Totally eliminate grains and sugars for 30 days, including oats and barley, and see what happens. Cutting down on olive oil is exactly the wrong thing to do. Fats and proteins control not only blood sugar but appetite. Pay more attention to the glycemic index of what you're putting into your body, calorie-obsessing is the wrong approach.

Also I'm not a huge fan of drinking your meals. Drink a protein shake, fine, but actual meals need to be chewed. Solid foods and even the act of chewing itself work on the brain's satiety center.

- Anything you would change in what I am doing so far?

The 1,000-supplement routine is not as important as you think. Strive to simplify your routine and make your life easier. Your lipid profiles and overall health will improve drastically with weight loss.

Changing to the HIIT workout is the right thing to do. 30 minutes and 4-5 intervals of 45 seconds to a minute should do fine, but you have to hit your intervals HARD.


- Is it possible to upload pictures with higher quality?

As for updating pictures, maybe post them to an outside imaging host (imgur?) and then provide a hyperlink here. Just a thought. Best of luck!

30%bf to 12%bf is ambitious to say the least! I don't think you understand the sacrifices necessary to reach that level of leanness and then to maintain that lifestyle.

 

[IronKnight]

Proper image quality from imgur:
Progress summary in the first 3 months: https://imgur.com/a/vR40m
TRT protocol details and blood work results: https://imgur.com/a/efNwt

@Nashtide: I was there before, and on a good pace to get down there again (just lost 11kg of fat in 3 months, 24-25 to go, getting there). Don't underestimate me and my ability to withstand pain (this is actually not hard for me btw)

@Dave: Thanks! There's a lot of valuable info in there, will keep updating this thread with progess in the coming months <3

 

[IronKnight]

I think I have gotten down to around 18% from 36% body fat in 6 months, lost 37kg of which 29kg are fat.
I have been slacking a bit in the last 2 months (because holidays, travelling) but now trying to get back on track to aim to 12% or maybe the single digits (until E2 is hopefully under control without Anastrozol). Right now I can see my upper and middle abs if I flex them, the lower abs have some fat over them, unfortunately this is not enough to avoid Anastrozol so I have to go lower, ideally where I don't need anything or otherwise will try to experiment with Calcium D-Glucarate

Current TRT protocol:

• 150mg T enanthate 3 times x week: M/W/F morning
• 0.25mg Anastrozol 3 times x week: Monday morning, Wednesday evening, Saturday morning
• HCG: 390IUs 3 times x week, together with T injection (adding ovitrelle drops on top of pre-loaded T syringe)
• NOTE: I am trying to lower Body % to see if I can avoid Anastrozol

Latest blood work at this lower body fat %:

• Total T: 1100 ng/dl
• Free T: 32,15pg/ml
• E2: 36,93pg/ml
• NOTE: Feeling quite OK here, need to sleep less now, more energy, etc.

Currently experimenting with a combination of PSMF, cold and higher calories/carbs/cheating around training.

For those more experimented in body fat %: Does the pic to the right look like 18-19% body fat? or am I lower than that? (i.e. as I can see my upper and middle abs when I flex them).
According to my records pics correspond to the following:

• 2017-12-31: 126cm waist, approx. 36.1%BF, 130,3kg
• 2018-04-02: 115cm waist, approx. 31,20%BF
• 2018-06-02: 99,5cm waist, approx. 21,6%BF
• 2018-07-05: 95,5cm waist, approx. 18,9%BF, 94,8kg

 

[Nashtide]

I think I have gotten down to around 18% from 36% body fat in 6 months, lost 37kg of which 29kg are fat.
I have been slacking a bit in the last 2 months (because holidays, travelling) but now trying to get back on track to aim to 12% or maybe the single digits (until E2 is hopefully under control without Anastrozol). Right now I can see my upper and middle abs if I flex them, the lower abs have some fat over them, unfortunately this is not enough to avoid Anastrozol so I have to go lower, ideally where I don't need anything or otherwise will try to experiment with Calcium D-Glucarate

Current TRT protocol:

• 150mg T enanthate 3 times x week: M/W/F morning
• 0.25mg Anastrozol 3 times x week: Monday morning, Wednesday evening, Saturday morning
• HCG: 390IUs 3 times x week, together with T injection (adding ovitrelle drops on top of pre-loaded T syringe)
• NOTE: I am trying to lower Body % to see if I can avoid Anastrozol

Latest blood work at this lower body fat %:

• Total T: 1100 ng/dl
• Free T: 32,15pg/ml
• E2: 36,93pg/ml
• NOTE: Feeling quite OK here, need to sleep less now, more energy, etc.

Currently experimenting with a combination of PSMF, cold and higher calories/carbs/cheating around training.

For those more experimented in body fat %: Does the pic to the right look like 18-19% body fat? or am I lower than that? (i.e. as I can see my upper and middle abs when I flex them).
According to my records pics correspond to the following:

• 2017-12-31: 126cm waist, approx. 36.1%BF, 130,3kg
• 2018-04-02: 115cm waist, approx. 31,20%BF
• 2018-06-02: 99,5cm waist, approx. 21,6%BF
• 2018-07-05: 95,5cm waist, approx. 18,9%BF, 94,8kg

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Great transformation! May I ask how you are measuring bf%? I'm guessing it's some sort of bio impedance device since your numbers are so specific. I'd say you are in the ballpark of 18-20%, but my experience is limited.

 

[Dave B.]

You're still at 20% minimum.

People carry fat in different areas of the body, but most carry it around the waist, glutes, and thighs. The mid torso/upper abs is a lean area, so people tend to think they are leaner than they really are when those top two abs appear. But that's just the start.

Everything you're doing is working! Look how much your rear end has shrunk. Major fat storage going on there and your waist. Keep up the good work.

Glutes and quads together make up the largest muscle groups in the body. If you want to rev up weight loss and muscle gain, do squats every workout. I do low-bar squats 3 times per week, and after having undefined quads for years I can now finally start to see quad growth and separation between the muscles. Squat, squat, and squat some more. Going on short bike rides of a couple miles, or short jogs of a mile or so, will help work out muscle soreness. Doing lots of squats will also strengthen your back and help out your slumping posture.

I'm at 13% bodyfat according to my Tanita impedance scale but 18% according to TrimCal bodyfat calipers. The calipers are much closer to the truth, I'm afraid.

 

[IronKnight]

Thanks for the feedback!
I'm using the US Navy method, which is based on waist and neck measurements, so this seems to be quite accurate then as I was around 18,9% in my peak pics.

I don't squat due to a shoulder issue, but I do leg press, deadlift, bench, overhead press, pull downs, rows, pull ups, etc. every week, so I am pretty confident I'm hitting "everything"

Will try to update this as I make more progress, really looking forward to see if I can avoid Anastrozol.

 

[Vince]

Wow, you're really transforming your body. Great before and after pictures, your hard work is paying of. Keep up the awesome attitude.

 

[Dave B.]

Thanks for the feedback!
I'm using the US Navy method, which is based on waist and neck measurements, so this seems to be quite accurate then as I was around 18,9% in my peak pics.

I remember seeing that US Navy method. I just ran my numbers through their calculator and it says I am 30% bodyfat, which is not even close. I'm short but have always had a huge neck, so it's distorting my results.

I bought these calipers and from what I've read about them, the method is within a couple percentage points, and often the same, as expensive DEXA scans and "bod pod" measuring techniques. My wife used to work at a weight loss clinic and this is what they used.

 

[Nashtide]

I remember seeing that US Navy method. I just ran my numbers through their calculator and it says I am 30% bodyfat, which is not even close. I'm short but have always had a huge neck, so it's distorting my results.

I bought these calipers and from what I've read about them, the method is within a couple percentage points, and often the same, as expensive DEXA scans and "bod pod" measuring techniques. My wife used to work at a weight loss clinic and this is what they used.

Calipers can be great when used correctly and very inaccurate when used incorrectly. They generally work better when someone else does it for you and they have experience.