Hi, I've been lurking on the forums and trying to implement various Ray Peat methodologies with a specific increase on increasing androgens. I'm looking for more directed help on getting T up to the 1000s range, if that's possible and DHT to whatever genetic potential I can take that to.
Some background as well: I took accutane when I was 16 - 17 for about a year to clear up some cystic acne. I've only since found out how damaging this drug is. I think related to this, I had my gallbladder taken out when I was 19.
Since this time, I've done the journey I think a significant number of us have: LeanGains, Primal, etc.
I've got two sets of incomplete results, which I know is a limiting factor in help and I apologise for that.
Symptomatically, I just don't feel virile. Not sure how else to describe it. It's a vague lacking feeling, like I'm not as potent as I should be or I'm underdeveloped or something. I don't get morning wood, haven't since I was like 16. My body fat has always been really soft, like baby fat. I look very young for my age.
Reference ranges in brackets, but I'm not sure how helpful those are.
11/08/16:
Testosterone: 14.8 n/mol (8.0 - 30)
FSH: 3 IU/L (1-8)
LH: 3 IU/L (2-8)
Prolactin: 181 mIU/L (45-375)
Progesterone: 2.8 nmol/L (<4.1)
DHEA: 7.0 umol/L (4.8-13.9)
TSH: 3.56 mIU/L (0.5 - 5.0)
08/10/13:
Testosterone: 14.9 n/mol (8.0 - 30)
SHBG: 34 n/mol (17-66)
FSH: 3 IU/L (1-8)
LH: 2 IU/L (2-8)
Prolactin: 10.9 ug/L (<20)
TSH: 3.07 mIU/L (0.5 - 5.0)
Free T4: 8.1 pmol/L (9.0 - 25)
Free T3: 5.5 pmol/L (3.5 - 6.5)
In terms of lifestyle, I work as a house painter five days a week. Typical 8 hours a day. The work is semi-intense physically, but obviously not brickie's labourer or anything.
I try and either train boxing, bjj or muay thai (one hour session) a couple times per week as well as bouldering semi-often. I probably only get to the gym three or four times per week. During the 2013 tests, I was weight training and walking only.
In terms of diet, I am looking to cut body fat. I am currently eating around 2000kcal per day in an effort to drop to around 8% body fat. I am currently sitting around 12%, I think. I've been doing this cut with occasional diet breaks and beers, etc, every so often, for around 8 weeks now.
I had a brief exchange with haidut via email and he was extremely helpful and generous with his time. He recommended that I look to elevated metabolism to achieve this goal, rather than reduce calories.
I am also looking to address the underlying issue that's causing the low T, not exclusively supplement it up with exogenous androgens.
A typical daily diet at the moment looks like this (I had implemented looser Ray Peat principles before test):
7:00am - wake and black coffee with one teaspoon of sugar
Work, maybe more coffees, no sugar
Lunch:
Cheddar cheese 65g (rennet)
Spinach 150g
Onion 100g
Jalapeños for flavour
Casein 30 - 60g
4 tablespoons gelatine
500ml grass fed 2% milk
Coke 285ml somewhere in here
Coffee with one teaspoon of sugar somewhere to stave off hunger
Dinner
Grass fed ground beef 250g
Gelatin 2 tablespoons
Potato 500g
Coconut oil 2 tablespoons
I usually only have about 2 - 3 teaspoons on sugar in coffee over the day.
I'm also doing 8 drops of estroban a day, half ingested/ half topical.
Looking at this now, I can see LeanGains habits die hard. But in terms of the 3 year gap between so much dietary style change, there doesn't seem to be that much effect one way or the other.
Aside from house painting, I'm also a performer so I really can't afford fat gain in a cut throat, image-oriented world.
I hope I've provided enough detail and thank you guys in advance for any help you can offer.
Some background as well: I took accutane when I was 16 - 17 for about a year to clear up some cystic acne. I've only since found out how damaging this drug is. I think related to this, I had my gallbladder taken out when I was 19.
Since this time, I've done the journey I think a significant number of us have: LeanGains, Primal, etc.
I've got two sets of incomplete results, which I know is a limiting factor in help and I apologise for that.
Symptomatically, I just don't feel virile. Not sure how else to describe it. It's a vague lacking feeling, like I'm not as potent as I should be or I'm underdeveloped or something. I don't get morning wood, haven't since I was like 16. My body fat has always been really soft, like baby fat. I look very young for my age.
Reference ranges in brackets, but I'm not sure how helpful those are.
11/08/16:
Testosterone: 14.8 n/mol (8.0 - 30)
FSH: 3 IU/L (1-8)
LH: 3 IU/L (2-8)
Prolactin: 181 mIU/L (45-375)
Progesterone: 2.8 nmol/L (<4.1)
DHEA: 7.0 umol/L (4.8-13.9)
TSH: 3.56 mIU/L (0.5 - 5.0)
08/10/13:
Testosterone: 14.9 n/mol (8.0 - 30)
SHBG: 34 n/mol (17-66)
FSH: 3 IU/L (1-8)
LH: 2 IU/L (2-8)
Prolactin: 10.9 ug/L (<20)
TSH: 3.07 mIU/L (0.5 - 5.0)
Free T4: 8.1 pmol/L (9.0 - 25)
Free T3: 5.5 pmol/L (3.5 - 6.5)
In terms of lifestyle, I work as a house painter five days a week. Typical 8 hours a day. The work is semi-intense physically, but obviously not brickie's labourer or anything.
I try and either train boxing, bjj or muay thai (one hour session) a couple times per week as well as bouldering semi-often. I probably only get to the gym three or four times per week. During the 2013 tests, I was weight training and walking only.
In terms of diet, I am looking to cut body fat. I am currently eating around 2000kcal per day in an effort to drop to around 8% body fat. I am currently sitting around 12%, I think. I've been doing this cut with occasional diet breaks and beers, etc, every so often, for around 8 weeks now.
I had a brief exchange with haidut via email and he was extremely helpful and generous with his time. He recommended that I look to elevated metabolism to achieve this goal, rather than reduce calories.
I am also looking to address the underlying issue that's causing the low T, not exclusively supplement it up with exogenous androgens.
A typical daily diet at the moment looks like this (I had implemented looser Ray Peat principles before test):
7:00am - wake and black coffee with one teaspoon of sugar
Work, maybe more coffees, no sugar
Lunch:
Cheddar cheese 65g (rennet)
Spinach 150g
Onion 100g
Jalapeños for flavour
Casein 30 - 60g
4 tablespoons gelatine
500ml grass fed 2% milk
Coke 285ml somewhere in here
Coffee with one teaspoon of sugar somewhere to stave off hunger
Dinner
Grass fed ground beef 250g
Gelatin 2 tablespoons
Potato 500g
Coconut oil 2 tablespoons
I usually only have about 2 - 3 teaspoons on sugar in coffee over the day.
I'm also doing 8 drops of estroban a day, half ingested/ half topical.
Looking at this now, I can see LeanGains habits die hard. But in terms of the 3 year gap between so much dietary style change, there doesn't seem to be that much effect one way or the other.
Aside from house painting, I'm also a performer so I really can't afford fat gain in a cut throat, image-oriented world.
I hope I've provided enough detail and thank you guys in advance for any help you can offer.