Cutting Log

[Dustin07]

I haven’t been able to sleep on my back without snoring for over a decade.

do you think it's weight related? I was one of the few in my family who never snored until the past year, now it sometimes wakes me up when my wife and I were in mx back in nov we got a couples massage and she said she could hear me snoring on the table

 

[Hyde]

do you think it's weight related? I was one of the few in my family who never snored until the past year, now it sometimes wakes me up when my wife and I were in mx back in nov we got a couples massage and she said she could hear me snoring on the table

It’s always weight-related, specifically the weight of the neck. Muscle or fat or water even when bloated/on gear, when you sleep it relaxes and then the weight of it collapses the airway. Longer necks can get away with more, shorter necks get thicker faster (which concentrates weight in an area faster).

Laying on the stomach with head turned changes how the airway is supported. I don’t know any of the science of it, just that even at 220 I will snore on my back and I can get away with 260s sleeping on my belly still.

If you are snoring you are blowing your REM sleep.

 

[Dustin07]

Laying on the stomach with head turned changes how the airway is supported. I don’t know any of the science of it, just that even at 220 I will snore on my back and I can get away with 260s sleeping on my belly still.

given you have put more mass on than me, but when I reached the +20lb range I had to start sleeping in different positions just to figure out where my arms would fit. it's been mostly in the past few months that I apparently picked up this snoring habit as my weight finally sustained a stable 202+lbs

will be interesting to see if my sleep improves then with this small cut I'm running.

 

[Hyde]

given you have put more mass on than me, but when I reached the +20lb range I had to start sleeping in different positions just to figure out where my arms would fit. it's been mostly in the past few months that I apparently picked up this snoring habit as my weight finally sustained a stable 202+lbs

will be interesting to see if my sleep improves then with this small cut I'm running.

They go overhead, in my scenario - kinda wrap them around the pillow. But you have to be mindful how you set the shoulders, and if you tuck them too much arms can go numb/to sleep from weight of head/upper body.

 

[Dustin07]

They go overhead, in my scenario - kinda wrap them around the pillow. But you have to be mindful how you set the shoulders, and if you tuck them too much arms can go numb/to sleep from weight of head/upper body.

I couldn't even explain the bizarre pretzel that I finally found worked for me. But yes, it took a couple sore mornings to figure it out lol.

 

[MrKleen73]

Yeah, finding a comfortable sleeping position as you get bigger is a challenge. My right shoulder makes lying on my stomach hard but if I kick one leg out to the side a bit and get a slight angle I can find a decent position. Just sometimes I wake up with a majorly stiff shoulder. I know I have sleep apnea because my wife has told me I gasp for air during the night on occasion and wake her up. I keep telling myself I will get a sleep study, but honestly I can't even imagine trying to sleep with something over my nose like that. I feel like I would feel almost claustrophobic, even the covid masks made me feel that way.

 

[Hyde]

Yeah, finding a comfortable sleeping position as you get bigger is a challenge. My right shoulder makes lying on my stomach hard but if I kick one leg out to the side a bit and get a slight angle I can find a decent position. Just sometimes I wake up with a majorly stiff shoulder. I know I have sleep apnea because my wife has told me I gasp for air during the night on occasion and wake her up. I keep telling myself I will get a sleep study, but honestly I can't even imagine trying to sleep with something over my nose like that. I feel like I would feel almost claustrophobic, even the covid masks made me feel that way.

But this would be pumping in fresh air, the opposite of any mask you’re used to. I’m sure there will be claustrophobia to tame; everyone with one says there’s an adjustment period and it’s really tough for some guys. But it’s not suffocating you, and you can get nose only or full mouth.

 

[Dustin07]

Yeah, finding a comfortable sleeping position as you get bigger is a challenge. My right shoulder makes lying on my stomach hard but if I kick one leg out to the side a bit and get a slight angle I can find a decent position.

yeah I normally think I put both arms under my pillow, on my stomach, I lost the flexibility for a while so I was on my side with one arm like perpendicular out to the side of the bed, but it was comfortable lol

 

[akboom87]

My snoring improved a lot losing weight, still on occasion I will. The adjustable bed also helps I feel for when I’m on my back but it sucks because if you want to be in another position you have to hit the button to lay flat.

 

[MrKleen73]

But this would be pumping in fresh air, the opposite of any mask you’re used to. I’m sure there will be claustrophobia to tame; everyone with one says there’s an adjustment period and it’s really tough for some guys. But it’s not suffocating you, and you can get nose only or full mouth.

This is what I keep telling myself. There is air being forced in, it should be better.

yeah I normally think I put both arms under my pillow, on my stomach, I lost the flexibility for a while so I was on my side with one arm like perpendicular out to the side of the bed, but it was comfortable lol

Yeah I do that sometimes, or my right arm down to my side.

My snoring improved a lot losing weight, still on occasion I will. The adjustable bed also helps I feel for when I’m on my back but it sucks because if you want to be in another position you have to hit the button to lay flat.

The wife and I are probably going to get an adjustable next. We spend a lot of our time sitting propped up on pillows watching TV and figured that would be perfect, plus the help with both of our snoring at this point. She hasn't complained over it in a while since I leaned up so maybe I haven't gotten big enough in the neck without the excess fat to kick it back up yet. I am definitely not complaining about it.

 

[akboom87]

This is what I keep telling myself. There is air being forced in, it should be better.
Yeah I do that sometimes, or my right arm down to my side.
The wife and I are probably going to get an adjustable next. We spend a lot of our time sitting propped up on pillows watching TV and figured that would be perfect, plus the help with both of our snoring at this point. She hasn't complained over it in a while since I leaned up so maybe I haven't gotten big enough in the neck without the excess fat to kick it back up yet. I am definitely not complaining about it.

They are pretty nice I really like the zero gravity setting for my back. I also got the built in massagers while kinda loud it does feel pretty nice and puts me to sleep

 

[MrKleen73]

They are pretty nice I really like the zero gravity setting for my back. I also got the built in massagers while kinda loud it does feel pretty nice and puts me to sleep

Yeah, we will probably get the bells and whistles when we pull the trigger. My current mattress still feels great and has no sunk in spots at 5 years old so going to let it finish it's life out before dropping that kind of cash.

 

[Dustin07]

My current mattress still feels great and has no sunk in spots at 5 years old so going to let it finish it's life out before dropping that kind of cash.

my side is sunk in a bit. my wife rotated the mattress one time for my benefit for some reason and I was like WTF, i want my side back, I had it worn in just the way I like it, your side is all flat and hard

 

[MrKleen73]

my side is sunk in a bit. my wife rotated the mattress one time for my benefit for some reason and I was like WTF, i want my side back, I had it worn in just the way I like it, your side is all flat and hard

Amen to that, I didn't want to get rid of our old one but the wife insisted. Ours has an 8 year replacement warranty if it starts losing its shape or anything. So far it has been great, and living up to expectations. It is a little thin for my dense ass to sit on for very long but perfect for sleeping.

 

[rascal14]

Right on time for a monthly check in lol

Works just getting busier and busier and life isn't much better in general either.

Training updates
- around 3100 calories on training days and 2800 NTD
- weight around 209 still, dropped for a few weeks but slowly crept back up
- dropping test to around 250-300/wk in anticipation of TRT bloodwork coming up. Will eventually drop to 150 for bloods, then hopefully back up to 300 for a few months.
- training is OK, joint pain been holding me back alot for weight increases. Ordered some BPC to shoot into my knees and shoulders
- bodyfat has stayed relatively the same since end of cut.

Sleep
- did sleep study 1.5 weeks ago, awaiting results. Ironically didn't snore much that night so who knows what they will be.
- my dad sent me a cpap (resmed 11 or something) from his work to use in the interim. I can use it and sleep good as long as my nose isn't stuffy (cialis/allergies). It records apnea epsiodes. Majority of my episodes are labeled as central apnea by the machine. May need a different style machine or mask if this is the case. I thought the mask would give me crazy claustrophobia as well, but it isn't bad as long as I'm tired. My wife did confirm I do not snore at all when wearing the mask.

Life
- Zoloft increased to 100mg/day and has really given my anxiety a kick in the pants. Overall happy I took the plunge and started the SSRI. Only concern is I still have insane amounts of daytime sleepiness. I will fall asleep at my desk if I don't stay busy, and some days are worse to where I will have to shut my eyes for a second then I'm overtaken with sleep and lethargy. Other than that, no side effects to note. Still can't blame tiredness on Zoloft 100% yet, do have a CPAP im using, but still only getting 5-6 total hours which isn't abnormal for me, and I never had this tired issues before starting the Zoloft. I will take the trade off for the time being.
- Still working out of town, haven't had much time at the new house to finish any projects. Wife is thinking of moving back and not coming down to Arkansas with me anymore. Will be a tough transition for us both, but me especially as I have very bad separation anxiety (never lived on my own) and even though its only for 4-5 nights a week it should be OK, but it is likely what's best for us and the animals so I'm the only one driving 3 hours to and from the house to jobsite twice a week.

 

[rascal14]

Another update - ended up getting the flue which then turned into walking pneumonia which put me out a good 8-9 days of missing meals and no gym. Ended up around 201lbs flat, got a calorie bump though so I’m now at 3300TD and 3100NTD all calories added being carbs, minus a half serving of peanut butter.
The good thing about being sick was realizing how much water I’m holding and not just getting fat lol

I imagine I’ll be back to 208-210 end of this next week once things stabilize. Goal would be 230? At similar bodyfat. That’s a lot of muscle mass to add but doable if we go slow.

Started bpc in both knees, going to start MT2 once I get tanning figured out.

 

[akboom87]

Another update - ended up getting the flue which then turned into walking pneumonia which put me out a good 8-9 days of missing meals and no gym. Ended up around 201lbs flat, got a calorie bump though so I’m now at 3300TD and 3100NTD all calories added being carbs, minus a half serving of peanut butter.
The good thing about being sick was realizing how much water I’m holding and not just getting fat lol

I imagine I’ll be back to 208-210 end of this next week once things stabilize. Goal would be 230? At similar bodyfat. That’s a lot of muscle mass to add but doable if we go slow.

Started bpc in both knees, going to start MT2 once I get tanning figured out.

Glad to see things are still progressing. Sorry to hear about the flu turned pneumonia. Keep after it!

 

[rascal14]

Ignore my inability to pose please lol

This is after a few meals so not real check ins, but was sitting at 202 exactly this morning. Lost a few lbs since being sick. Need to learn to pose (and breath)

Side note - home sleep study was inconclusive for the 3rd time, lack of pulse ox data. I have to do an in lab study now, which I asked for to begin with.

 

[Segansational]

Sorry to hear about the illness and the potential life change scenario. Wishing you well.

 

[rascal14]

Sorry to hear about the illness and the potential life change scenario. Wishing you well.

Thanks man! Will be an OK change. I’m the last person to want/tolerate change but I think it will be a nice chance of pace. Weekdays are so busy we mostly feel like roommates so at this point I think it may be doing more harm than good having her travel with me every weekend.
It’s just gonna be a trial period, nothing is ever permanent.

 

[rascal14]

Don’t recall if I mentioned it, started BPC in both knees and MT2 on Saturday. Also been using minoxidil on my face to try and grow a beard, right now I just get random hairs with no infill. Been 4 months almost and definite improvement but I need probably double that to get anything presentable.

 

[Hyde]

Glad you are bouncing back from the sickness; at least it helped lean you out.

We do need to talk about the Christmas tree still being up, though

 

[rascal14]

Glad you are bouncing back from the sickness; at least it helped lean you out.

We do need to talk about the Christmas tree still being up, though

You will be saddened to see in the next photos it is still up... lazy mainly. We only get about 38 hours in the house on weekends so we are busy doing other chores!! We got the living room tree down to the first level ready to go to the basement, but still need to tackle the bedroom tree lmao

 

[rascal14]

Strength been pretty stagnant, weight is hovering 206lbs. Started cycle last week of test/mast after TRT bloods for doctor. Was running 300mg test up to a few weeks before bloods and my bloods looked better than ever.

Will see how far into this coach wants to get bloods. Also MT2 is a miracle drug, no side effects and I'm tanner than I've ever been. it's not very tan as a whole, but for me its very impressive as I am usually super pale lol

also been minoxidil-maxxing the last few months trying to get some growth. Definitely need some surgery/laser treatment and derma filler on my acne scars. Wife won’t let that happen before she gets a boob job though

This was last weeks checkin photo and then a photo post meal bloated and off day so no pump just to show tan lol -

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

Keep us posted on the BPC

 

[rascal14]

Keep us posted on the BPC

Will do, nothing so far. Increase dosage yesterday to 500mcg in each knee.
Starts to get pricey going for two separate areas each day lol

 

[rascal14]

Started 500mcg each knee and also started doing the knees over toes stretches. Knees are killing me today.

was able to get back to 265x10 on squat this week, hadn’t hit that weight since I was taking the Anavar which is cool I guess. Need a gym with a hack squat, regular squats just destroy my knees and they’re already pretty fragile lol

 

[PolishHamm3r77]

MA Research?

 

[rascal14]

MA Research?

No sir, I have a couple different buddies who run their own research chem companies now that I switch back and forth between. Purely because they give me a discount code so pricing is hard to beat.

haven’t used MA research in a long time but I wouldn’t hesitate to use them if I needed to.

 

[akboom87]

Strength been pretty stagnant, weight is hovering 206lbs. Started cycle last week of test/mast after TRT bloods for doctor. Was running 300mg test up to a few weeks before bloods and my bloods looked better than ever.

Will see how far into this coach wants to get bloods. Also MT2 is a miracle drug, no side effects and I'm tanner than I've ever been. it's not very tan as a whole, but for me its very impressive as I am usually super pale lol

also been minoxidil-maxxing the last few months trying to get some growth. Definitely need some surgery/laser treatment and derma filler on my acne scars. Wife won’t let that happen before she gets a boob job though

This was last weeks checkin photo and then a photo post meal bloated and off day so no pump just to show tan lol -

Nice progress man! Looks like you have been killing it.

 

[MrKleen73]

How tall are you again, looking nice and lean!

 

[rascal14]

How tall are you again, looking nice and lean!

Been a while since I’ve checked lol hopefully still 6’1”!!

I like the height but damn if it doesn’t get discouraging how much it takes to look like you’ve actually filled out at this height lol I feel scrawny still

 

[rascal14]

Think we’ll be adding in metformin, BG has been a little high in the mornings and we are still not really even pushing food that hard. Plus I’ve been interested in taking it for the general longevity it is being studied for, so I’ve got no problem adding it in.

 

[akboom87]

6’ 1” crew checking in!

 

[MrKleen73]

6’ 1” crew checking in!

5' 8" crew checking under!

 

[Facetoface]

Think we’ll be adding in metformin, BG has been a little high in the mornings and we are still not really even pushing food that hard. Plus I’ve been interested in taking it for the general longevity it is being studied for, so I’ve got no problem adding it in.

I am on TRT: 200 mg /week and started metformin about 3 weeks ago for the same reasons you mentioned. There are no side effects to speak of, but I was thinking of dropping it after reading about it hindering muscle growth ,through blocking Mtor. Although, it does actually help preserve muscle and protect from wasting, so it may be great for a cut, just not building. I'm always trying to do both lol. Do you think being on a trt level of the test (I am also taking 1mg/day of tesamorelin) would override metformin's hindrance on muscle building?

 

[Hyde]

I am on TRT: 200 mg /week and started metformin about 3 weeks ago for the same reasons you mentioned. There are no side effects to speak of, but I was thinking of dropping it after reading about it hindering muscle growth ,through blocking Mtor. Although, it does actually help preserve muscle and protect from wasting, so it may be great for a cut, just not building. I'm always trying to do both lol. Do you think being on a trt level of the test (I am also taking 1mg/day of tesamorelin) would override metformin's hindrance on muscle building?

Are you an elderly sedentary person eating 80g protein per day with low hormone levels, or a middle-aged man performing resistance training most days of the week that’s also eating ~200g protein daily & injecting high normal levels of testosterone?

If you don’t remotely fit into a cohort in a study, you need to seriously question whether that study has any application for you. Think for yourself.

 

[MrKleen73]

Are you an elderly sedentary person eating 80g protein per day with low hormone levels, or a middle-aged man performing resistance training most days of the week that’s also eating ~200g protein daily & injecting high normal levels of testosterone?

If you don’t remotely fit into a cohort in a study, you need to seriously question whether that study has any application for you. Think for yourself.

I was thinking wasn't this based on sedentary people, not people training for hypertrophy. It is so easy to get stuck on the minutia of things without looking at the big picture. It doesn't help that things are marketed to either induce fear or attraction like they are a big deal. Some fitness enthusiast see this, makes a post and hypes it up as a bigger problem than it is for some notoriety. Then we have people it is not going to effect negatively stressing over if they should use it or not.

 

[Hyde]

I was thinking wasn't this based on sedentary people, not people training for hypertrophy. It is so easy to get stuck on the minutia of things without looking at the big picture. It doesn't help that things are marketed to either induce fear or attraction like they are a big deal. Some fitness enthusiast see this, makes a post and hypes it up as a bigger problem than it is for some notoriety. Then we have people it is not going to effect negatively stressing over if they should use it or not.

The truth is that those actions of Metformin exist, BUT you need to weigh whether it does or doesn’t fit into the sum of everything you are doing.

If a bodybuilder is taking half a vial of GH daily year round, there’s going to be a net effect in anabolism even if they need Metformin to maintain healthy blood glucose levels.

And a man eating 4x a day lifting weights pinning test is going to grow muscle and lose fat best without being prediabetic. So if insulin sensitivity isn’t maintainable without it, then it should be used. If you have a fasted glucose of 80, then maybe Metformin is a big waste of time.