Sparkss journey to recovery

weight didn't move, still at 185.4. I didn't measure my waist as it looked about the same.

Yesterday was an odd day. I got out of bed, took my ignit3, waited about an hour and a half, drank my normal PWO (including a bit of carbs + protein) did my (short but intense) workout and then drank my normal post shake about an hour later. Not 20 minutes after that my wife brings me a (double meat) burrito from Moe's. I was still feeling a little hungry, so I ate half of it (along with more of their chips than I care to admit). I could have kept going, but I decided to reign it in and save the second half for dinner (it was a pretty big burrito). That was around noon. Outside of a cup of coffee (only 3 shots of espresso this time) around 3 PM I didn't have anything to eat the rest of the day. I headed off to bed around 9:30, drinking a BCCA drink w/ some Agmatine (I like how it leans me out when I take it at night). I wasn't overly hungry or anything. I didn't eat, not because I was purposefully fasting, but because I genuinely wasn't that hungry.
 
In supp news I have several PWOs on the way for testing. Radiate and Quake, both should be here by EOW.

I also have some EvoMuse Gut Health that should be here tomorrow. I am hoping that will help with any number of plans I have (bloat from MK, fat loss due to better digestion/less hunger, etc.).

I also picked up some PLCAR and GlycoMx from EvoMuse (same shipment/same arrival day). That combination goes in the PWO category. Depending on how I like the GM I may start adding that to my shake instead of the Karbolic that I use today. GM is less expensive and on paper looks better. It will all come down to taste :).

Day 4 of MK and no sides yet to speak of. But I am also still at only 10mg per day at bedtime.

I am on week 5 of Sup3r-Shred and Sup3r-7. I am technically on week 5 of Ignit3, but I took off from taking that while on vacation last week. I may or may not continue it to the end. I may keep it for more acute usage (IE: fasted cardio days when I finally get my elliptical fixed)

I took advantage of the NV sales and have some Rauwolscine (BOGO) on the way, so I plan to try that and compare to the broader Ignit3 profile, at least for each one's effects on me.

I already have LGD and MK on hand. I also picked up from Sup3r-1 (also during that sale). With all of the stacked discounts (frequent customer, AM discount and current running sale) an 8 week (60 day) supply at 330mg per day came out to just over $80. I didn't look around a lot but that seemed like a good deal for 1-ad. I am researching if I want to stack that with LGD (I know others have) or run them solo.
 
Interested in how LGD will treat you! The MK .... well, be prepared for some sides, especially bloat and hunger.
 
hairygrandpa said:
Interested in how LGD will treat you! The MK .... well, be prepared for some sides, especially bloat and hunger.
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4 days in and so far no unmanageable hunger or bloat. But again, still at only 10 mg. Time will tell. Sleep is pretty deep, even when getting to bed later than I would like (which has already happened once in the last 4 days *sigh*).
 
Sparkss said:
4 days in and so far no unmanageable hunger or bloat. But again, still at only 10 mg. Time will tell. Sleep is pretty deep, even when getting to bed later than I would like (which has already happened once in the last 4 days *sigh*).
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At your conservative dose, it may never give you bloat.
I started at 30mg and ended at 50mg/day after 5 month of use.
Bloat started about 4 weeks in for me. Hunger by week 2.
 
I am 2 days from 5 weeks on Sup3r-Shred, Sup3r-7 and Ignit3. Looking back I dropped just shy of 10 lbs across those 5 weeks. And I have not seen the scale move in almost 2 weeks. I need to do more exercise, but am pretty lethargic currently. I am not sure what is going on, but whatever it is, it has been going on for a couple of weeks now.

I am going to have blood drawn next week (shooting for Wednesday morning, but still working out my schedule to make sure that I can fit it in). I am throwing a bunch of tests in that I don't normally run, to see if I can narrow down the root cause. I am waiting until next week due to the time since the pellets were implanted. They recommend at least 4 weeks post for everything to normalize (another reason I think I will be happier when I make the switch to shots).
 
weight at 185.8 this morning, but I allowed myself to eat a bit more yesterday. Not going to sweat the minor fluctuation. I added forskolin back into the rotation this morning. I had taken a break from it to ensure it was remaining effective. I had good luck with it in the past. I will keep on w/ Ignit3 until the Radiate shows up on Saturday, then I will switch over.

I did a short workout this morning, one compound exercise per major body part. I used a weight where I could just squeeze out 3 sets, 15 reps. Squats, bent over underhand BB rows, reverse grip BB press and upright rows. I had a decent little sweat going and could have kept going, but I had to stop to get to work.

My energy level is still on the low side. I did not want to start the exercise, but once I got going I found a renewed energy. I took 2 Ignit3 (vs my normal morning 3) and used Conquer Unleashed for my PWO. I felt a little jittery, but my BP and other markers were still within the safe ranges. I also doubled up my Sup3r-Shred based on feedback I read on the forum from an OL rep. They reported that they had seen better results from taking both SS pills PWO versus splitting them up.

I was able to bump my blood draw to Monday morning. I really want to find out what is going on w/ my energy levels. Could be nothing that will show up in the tests I have scheduled, but I covered a pretty broad area, so am optimistic. I could have gotten it done tomorrow, if I wanted to fast through to an 11:45 AM draw appointment. I opted for a 10:30 AM draw on Monday :). With the additional tests the turn around time extends to 7 business days, so I will have to wait a bit more than I am used to for the results this time.

I got an update on my Evomuse order, it won't be here until tomorrow now. But so will almost everything else I have on the way, with the exception of the Radiate, which will be here Saturday.
 
I'm interested in the lab results. Vit B12 injections could help.
If nothing shows, maybe a nootropic can lift you up.
 
hairygrandpa said:
I'm interested in the lab results. Vit B12 injections could help.
If nothing shows, maybe a nootropic can lift you up.
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I did get in on the EvoMuse Clear Edge pre-sale. Hopefully that will ship before the end of next week.

I am also thinking that the gut health product might help, if it helps clear any toxins out. While I like and believe in a good probiotic I am somewhat skeptical about "life changing" results. But since that shipping was delayed (several challenges) it won't arrive until tomorrow late afternoon, and due to the 5-day "loading" phase and impacts I have read about during that time, I don't want to start it until after I get back from my blood draw on Monday. After that I can be relatively assured to be no more than 15 minutes from a bathroom at any given time. Then again I may take the plunge this weekend and just deal with it. I often get impatient and throw my initial plans out the window :)
 
Weight was 185.4 this morning, which shocked me. Yesterday I gave into my appetite a bit more than I normally do. I ate clean, but a fair bit more than "normal" for me (normal as of lately, while on my cut). I had an extra protein bar + grilled chicken quarter (just chicken, no sides), they were spread out through the late afternoon evening hours. Plus, since I worked out, I had my post shake, which has a fair bit of protein and some carbs in it. the only "bad" thing I did was my wife and daughter brought back fast food (they brought me a grilled chicken salad, so no harm there) but they had a child's cup of Sprite that they dropped on my desk while I was in a meeting. So I sipped on that during my last two meetings of the day. It took me over an hour to finish that small cup, so not like I gulped it down, but TBH I felt guilty afterwards *sigh*.

I think I was on too severe of a caloric restriction lately and that may be why the fatigue. I know some people can cut deep and long, but I think my body is just not "tuned" for that. Some other observations are that I now think that some ingredient in Ignit3 may be causing my symptoms. That or a combination of the deficit and supp. Here is why I think that. While on vacation I did not feel this lethargy. I took all of the same supps as now, except I did not take Ignit3 at all while on the trip. I also ate a little bit more than now, not bad, but more. Even though our room had a full kitchen, we ate out a fair bit (mainly used kitchen for breakfast). When dining at a restaurant it is hard to do portion control so much as content (you can pick the healthy food choice, but not necessarily how much they bring) and many places were too far from the place we were staying to bother with left overs. So we either finished it or left it, and I hate to waste food or money :).

On other news my Gut Health showed up last night after 6 PM (even though tracking showed it arriving today). I didn't even hear it get dropped off, I found out while checking on all tracking #s last night before bed and went out to bring it in. I took my first loading dose of GH this morning.

I dialed back Ignit3 this morning to 2 capsules, since I wanted some coffee and also thinking about trying out the PLCAR I got from EvoMuse and didn't want to be stimmed out. Interesting thing is that as I was sipping my coffee (just started) I noticed that I was jittery/shaky as I picked up the cup. However I am still tired. So jittery like I am over stimmed, however still tired and fatigued. Lovely combination *sigh* :( Blood draw in 3 days, Monday morning, so hopefully that will hold some answers.
 
You are not overweight. Suggestion is to hit that gram of protein per pound of body weight number and shoot for 200-300 cal. Below maintenance.
Hint: I use my kcal calculator to maintain my current weight, chose I sit at a desk all day and don't exercise. I use that number as my cal. Goal. That way if I go over a few times a week I won't feel like I failed.
Hope that made since.
I try to lose a pound every 2-3 weeks. This is key for me to keep my strength , muscle and energy up.
You don't need to lose too much too fast. Unless you have an underwear photo shoot coming up. We are too old and ugly for this anyway. Lol. Still got to live life and enjoy a baby sprite every once in awhile!
Protein is the key and chicken is your friend!
 
Curious to see how that MK works out for you. If I deside to stick up toe into the dark side I might try something like that. Maybe....
 
Studhorse said:
You are not overweight. Suggestion is to hit that gram of protein per pound of body weight number and shoot for 200-300 cal. Below maintenance.
Hint: I use my kcal calculator to maintain my current weight, chose I sit at a desk all day and don't exercise. I use that number as my cal. Goal. That way if I go over a few times a week I won't feel like I failed.
Hope that made since.
I try to lose a pound every 2-3 weeks. This is key for me to keep my strength , muscle and energy up.
You don't need to lose too much too fast. Unless you have an underwear photo shoot coming up. We are too old and ugly for this anyway. Lol. Still got to live life and enjoy a baby sprite every once in awhile!
Protein is the key and chicken is your friend!
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I hear ya, and I am already adjusting my dietary plans. I look at the pictures from last week, and while I am not thrilled, I am not appalled either. I know I won't ever have a waistline like BEAST73 or sparks2012, and I can live with that (in silent envy). I just don't want to back slide to where I was a couple of years ago, but I agree that I may be taking that to an extreme w/o much return on investment. I am upping my protein intake and still trying to keep my appetite in check, but am more than likely going to switch gears to a normal run in about a week (after my blood test), at or just above maintenance, adding in the LGD to my supplement stack. If I up my intake that will hopefully bring my energy levels back up, then I can focus on hitting the weights like I used to and in the process burn more calories than I am now.

At least that is the hope :)
 
Studhorse said:
Curious to see how that MK works out for you. If I deside to stick up toe into the dark side I might try something like that. Maybe....
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I am 6 days in and so far no real sides to speak of. Although I am on the low side of the dose currently. Last night was the first night that I did not get a good nights sleep. That may or may not be an indicator that my body is adjusting and it is time to up my dosage. Although I thought the typical interval for going to the next dosage tier was monthly, not weekly. I know "everyone is different" but that is a pretty big difference. If I still feel like this into the weekend (past my 7 days at this dose) I will go up to the next dosage level (20 mg).

From what I have read and how I understand it MK is not really meant to be a standalone cycle type of supplement, but that it really only shines when paired with another compound. I just started it now due to how long it may take to "build up" and because it can run longer than other compounds (like LGD, etc). I also wanted some time on MK by itself to assess its impact/affects individually.

From what HGP says the sides did not hit him until 2+ weeks in at 30 mg per day (IIRC)
 
weight went up this morning, hitting 186. I got in a workout this morning, 5 compound exercises, 3 set, 15 reps. Deadlifts, Pendalay rows, bent over rear delt flyes, Hex DB press and front DB military press. I was pretty fatigued due to dropping all stims to try out a new pre (see my quote from another thread below) but I still managed to work up a sweat. But the fatigue was physiological. I was wiped out between sets, like I had just run a marathon, that kind of fatigue.

Sparkss said:
I tried it for my workout this morning also. I am a pretty heavy stim-junkie, but to better judge the PLCAR affects I took it more or less solo today (in so far as stims are concerned). I work out first thing in the morning, which is also why I normally rely on stims to "get me going".

My PWO consisted of the PLCAR, GlycoMyx plus ~25g of protein (Vanilla flavor), 8g of BCAAs and ~1g of agmatine. My Intra is an EAA blend that includes a carb source (Carb10).

I did not feel that it was too heavy or that the taste was overpowering in any way. I also added ~ 1/2 scoop of GlycoMyx to my post shake (I already had a carb source there and did not want to overload it). I am going to be picking up more of the GlycoMyx, but will need to play with dosages for the PLCAR as I did not "feel" it this morning, at least no acute affects. But again, I am a heavy stim user, part of the nature of the beast due to my job, so it takes quite a bit to "move the needle" with me.
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I had dropped my afternoon dose of Ignit3 yesterday, so that I could 1. have a cup of coffee (ok, quad-shot of espresso, don't judge :)) and 2. so I could try a dose of PLCAR, which is supposed to help with fatigue. It helped a little yesterday, but didn't really do a lot for me, but as I often mention, I am not normal when it comes to stims.

Sleep was pretty bad again last night. I am bumping the MK to 20 mg tonight. That should make a difference (but time will tell).

My shipment with Radiate arrived today, so I gave that a shot, going for about 1/2 scoop. It felt pretty good for about an hour or so. I did not feel any crash at the end either. I didn't notice any significant appetite suppression, but more testing is needed. All in all so far I like it. I am not sure how it tastes on its own because I mixed it with something other than water. tomorrow I will give it a try on its own (with just water).

I received lots of Scivation goodness, including a bottle of Flexatril (yes, Studhorse, you convinced me to give it a try). As I am not working out in any significant way right now I am thinking I will save it until I get my energy levels back and really start hitting the weights again. That will be the true test. :)

I did get my Quake 10.0 also, but am not sure when I will give that a shot. Maybe later this week, maybe I will hold it back and give Radiate a try for the next couple of workouts. I will decide after my next dose or Radiate tomorrow morning :). Either way I have lots of options and am looking forward to exploring all of them!
 
How's your joints feeling when you don't workout, Any aches or pains?

This is the first thing I noticed within the first few days of loading the Flexatril is no to minimal pains in my joints throughout the day. About day 7 my bad left shoulder started feeling better when I was lifting? This has not happened for almost a year.
 
Studhorse said:
How's your joints feeling when you don't workout, Any aches or pains?

This is the first thing I noticed within the first few days of loading the Flexatril is no to minimal pains in my joints throughout the day. About day 7 my bad left shoulder started feeling better when I was lifting? This has not happened for almost a year.
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I have the same "pain" expereince as you, when lifting heavy. But right now with my only working out every other day and not going heavy I am not experiencing any significant joint pain at all. That is why I want to keep it for when I finally can get back to hitting it heavy, when I will really need it, if that makes sense?
 
So I awoke to 185.2 on the scale. I was shocked. yesterday was all over the place, dietarily, but looking back I guess I didn't really go over my macros plus I did workout enough to work up a sweat. I slept relatively good last night, waking a couple of times for the bathroom, but I have been hydrating a lot lately, so that was expected. In between those bathroom visits I slept pretty soundly, and had some vivid dreams. All told I slept over 9 1/2 hours. I guess my body had some sleep to catch up on?

I decided to completely switch from Ignit3 to Radiate for the next week to see how that works out. I liked the way I felt yesterday afternoon, even noticing a bit of a mood lift (could have been anything, but a week's worth of using Radiate will tell me if it played a role in it). I have about a week left on Sup3r-Shred and Sup3r-7. But if my energy levels don't improve I may stop both of those early and save them for when I am able to really capitalize of those compounds by pairing them with some good workout or cardio sessions.

Oh, and I am still playing communication ping-pong with my elliptical manufacturer. It is still not fixed *sigh*. I may just bite the bullet and ask for a service tech be dispatched (and pay the service fee, which I know will be high *sigh*).
 
I did the blood draw today, so I had to stay fasted until 10:30 AM (much longer than I normally do). I weighed when I got up and came in around 185.6. I took a shower before leaving for the Lab and weighed after coming out of the shower, that rang in at 184.6. I weighed myself 3 times to be sure I was reading it right. I was wearing basically the same as I sleep in, so the clothes were not the difference.

I am on my 4th loading day for EvoMuse Gut Health. Still taking Super-Shred, Super-7 and Forskolin. Nothing else (outside of my normal supps, fish oils, multi, etc.)

I am loving Radiate right now. I already sort of crave my daily glass. Today even more so since I did not have my morning coffee. I am already starting to sweat :).

Energy levels are still not where I want them to be, but my libido has been on a steady incline for the last week+, which is a welcomed change.

I am hoping to get a workout in tomorrow, or at least by Wednesday (all dependent on my work schedule). Elliptical manufacturer rep has gone dark on me. I may need to submit a new service ticket to re-engage. It is still not repaired (and still in pieces here).
 
Sparkss said:
I did the blood draw today, so I had to stay fasted until 10:30 AM (much longer than I normally do). I weighed when I got up and came in around 185.6. I took a shower before leaving for the Lab and weighed after coming out of the shower, that rang in at 184.6. I weighed myself 3 times to be sure I was reading it right. I was wearing basically the same as I sleep in, so the clothes were not the difference.

I am on my 4th loading day for EvoMuse Gut Health. Still taking Super-Shred, Super-7 and Forskolin. Nothing else (outside of my normal supps, fish oils, multi, etc.)

I am loving Radiate right now. I already sort of crave my daily glass. Today even more so since I did not have my morning coffee. I am already starting to sweat :).

Energy levels are still not where I want them to be, but my libido has been on a steady incline for the last week+, which is a welcomed change.

I am hoping to get a workout in tomorrow, or at least by Wednesday (all dependent on my work schedule). Elliptical manufacturer rep has gone dark on me. I may need to submit a new service ticket to re-engage. It is still not repaired (and still in pieces here).
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Weighting a pound less after showering, LOL !
That's a new one!
Who knows what fell off during the shower.
 
hairygrandpa said:
Weighting a pound less after showering, LOL !
That's a new one!
Who knows what fell off during the shower.
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LOL, I hope nothing I am going to need any time soon!

I figured it was a combination of my morning bathroom visit plus any water weight lost in the steam shower.

EDIT: It also highlights how a weigh in can change in just 3 hours, that or the batteries in my scale need replacing (also very possible).
 
Due to the scale flakiness I skipped weigh in this morning. :)

I have been thinking about my ongoing battle with fatigue and really think it is a low cortisol issue. Historically I have had less than stellar results with cortisol control products. I always assumed that I was either a non-responder (to the various compounds I tried) or that I just did not have a spike in cortisol that needed to be reduced. Although if that is the case this Sup3r-7 is the first one to be effective enough to tank my cortisol (if that is what happened). The symptoms of low cortisol pretty much match what I am experiencing (but they also match a number of other possible causes). The list is pretty long, but I do have several of them. Then again the list can also be caused by a combination of several other causes too, which is what I originally had attributed them to.

The symptoms of low cortisol, or hypoadrenalism, include:

Mental and psychological ailments such as depression
Faintness and dizziness
Weakness and fatigue
Heart palpitations
Emotional hypersensitivity
Inability to cope with stress
Social anxiety
Muscle weakness
Headache, scalp ache, or general body ache
Severe or dull lower back pain
Extremely sensitive skin
Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting
Abdominal pain and hunger pain despite an empty stomach
Extreme craving for salty foods
Anxiety and jitters
Clumsiness and confusion
Motion sickness
Insomnia and dark circles under the eyes
Low bladder capacity and symptoms of IBS
Irregular or non-existent menstrual period
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OMG, I absolutely have several of those, especially that last one.. completely non-existent. It must be low cortisol!!!!

Ok, joking aside I am on the fence about ordering a cortisol test. It runs $200 and takes up to a week to get the results back. It involved taking 4 saliva samples throughout the day, but I could pick up the supplies and start tomorrow morning. Either way I am going to stop the Sup3r-7 for now to see how I start to feel.

I have most of the tests in this "fatigue panel" already ordered/covered with the blood draw yesterday: Invalid Link Removed

with Cortisol and the anemia ones not being covered. But I eat well enough and am not donating blood frequently (not at all this last year) so I should be fine regarding anemia, but those are my next stops based on the current test results (which I won't have until next week).
 
hairygrandpa said:
MK-677 causes some lethargy, have you looked it up?
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Yes, I know it is possible, but the lethargy started well before the MK, although that is not to say that it isn't contributing, or that the previous issue causing lethargy didn't self-resolve (IE: was related to test levels and the new pellets took care of it) and then MK overlapped causing more lethargy and continues to. Also why I take MK at night time only, as it does knock me out when I take it. But I also wake up more or less rested, since I started taking MK. The blood results will help eliminate that from the root cause, unfortunately they will not be available until next week.
 
Sparkss said:
Yes, I know it is possible, but the lethargy started well before the MK, although that is not to say that it isn't contributing, or that the previous issue causing lethargy didn't self-resolve (IE: was related to test levels and the new pellets took care of it) and then MK overlapped causing more lethargy and continues to. Also why I take MK at night time only, as it does knock me out when I take it. But I also wake up more or less rested, since I started taking MK. The blood results will help eliminate that from the root cause, unfortunately they will not be available until next week.
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My opinion is that MK-677 has more drawbacks than benefits. The bloat, lethargy, changing in sleep pattern and hunger cravings are too detrimental.
 
hairygrandpa said:
My opinion is that MK-677 has more drawbacks than benefits. The bloat, lethargy, changing in sleep pattern and hunger cravings are too detrimental.
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So far no hunger cravings, the sleep pattern change so far is a welcomed one (but also achievable via melatonin). Also no "hand numbness" in the morning. If it is causing my lethargy then it will have to go. I don't have that much invested in it, so if it goes, it goes. I know others have taken it long term with little to no sides, but everyone is different. I was hoping I did not fall into that "sides" category, but perhaps I do. I still would like to wait until next week to see 1. the blood test results and 2. what 1 week off of 7-keto does for me. If neither of those bear out then all roads lead to MK being the culprit. Which if it turns out that way will be too bad. I was looking forward to seeing how well it stacked with other compounds, but also why I started it more or less solo, to evaluate how I responded to it.
 
The more I thought about it the more I wanted to add that my "lethargy" is actually a lack of energy, not just motivation. Before when I felt lethargy, once I got going in a workout I would "find energy" and be able to finish. Right now I get winded doing exercises that are no where near my weight limits. It takes me a minute to catch my breath before I am ready to hit another set. Maybe that is the same level of lethargy others have reported, but for me it is a new thing. I am completely depleted in between set, to the point it takes me a few seconds to steady myself enough to stand up (like I just ran a marathon and can't stand). I am providing a level set in case it does end up being the MK, or anything else as of yet un-thought of.

EDIT: If I don't do anything to exert myself, I can go about my day like a normal person, with no limitations. It is only when I try to exercise in any meaningful way. Although I felt a little more energy this past weekend, while tackling some outdoor chores, than I did the preceding week. I have not yet tried to apply that new energy towards lifting, only due to work schedule interfering. Tomorrow morning I will not have that block (or excuse).
 
Let me know how the workout goes. The way you are getting tired is a little concerning! Almost like a blood oxygen issue. I don't like to play Dr.
Hope it was a fluke. Don't know much about lethargy. I call it too tired to workout.
Nice thing about being natty. I really want to go to one of those men's clinic but my wife reads all the crap and far as she is concerned I'm ok cause I can still cop wood. Lol
 
Studhorse said:
Let me know how the workout goes. The way you are getting tired is a little concerning! Almost like a blood oxygen issue. I don't like to play Dr.
Hope it was a fluke. Don't know much about lethargy. I call it too tired to workout.
Nice thing about being natty. I really want to go to one of those men's clinic but my wife reads all the crap and far as she is concerned I'm ok cause I can still cop wood. Lol
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That sounds like a good idea to check! I pulled out my oximeter and it read 99% O2 saturation prior to starting. The lowest it dropped was 91, at one point just after a set. After that it never dropped below 94% and would rise back up to 99% within seconds each time.
 
Weighed in at 185 this morning. About midway through my workout I stepped out to get some more water and my wife commented "why do you look more lean today?" I laughed and said that it was the Radiate helping me lean out. Partly because I believe that and partly because she tried it yesterday and didn't like the aftertaste (which I cannot taste myself). When I got back to the weights I grabbed the tape and measured my waistline at the widest point. It still rang in around 36" (just below my navel). I think that I look leaner because the spare tire has less vertical "height" than before. They say that a man loses weight from the top down. That line is finally moving low enough to make my love handles look "less", even though at their peak they have not diminished.

I felt moderately motivated today, but not really energized. I threw a half scoop of Radiate into my PWO (which already had 1 scoop of OL CU in it + a carb and protein source to fuel the workout. I stuck to isolation movements today, partially because the big compound ones tend to wear me out these last couple of weeks. Abotu 45 minutes into the workout I started to get a second (more like a first) wind and carried it through to the end. All exercises were 3 sets/15 reps, unless otherwise noted.

1-Arm DB Row 70 lbs
Incline Rear Delt Flyes 20 lbs
Incline Flyes 20 lbs
Front Delt Raise 20 lbs
DB Curl 30 lbs
Triceps Extensions 30 lbs
Shrug 70 lbs
Back Hyper Extensions 20 lbs (30 reps)
Crunches 25 reps

It was not about targeting any specific muscle group or building any strength or size, but more about easing back into an exercise routine and evaluating my overall energy level.
 
Sparkss said:
Weighed in at 185 this morning. About midway through my workout I stepped out to get some more water and my wife commented "why do you look more lean today?" I laughed and said that it was the Radiate helping me lean out. Partly because I believe that and partly because she tried it yesterday and didn't like the aftertaste (which I cannot taste myself). When I got back to the weights I grabbed the tape and measured my waistline at the widest point. It still rang in around 36" (just below my navel). I think that I look leaner because the spare tire has less vertical "height" than before. They say that a man loses weight from the top down. That line is finally moving low enough to make my love handles look "less", even though at their peak they have not diminished.

I felt moderately motivated today, but not really energized. I threw a half scoop of Radiate into my PWO (which already had 1 scoop of OL CU in it + a carb and protein source to fuel the workout. I stuck to isolation movements today, partially because the big compound ones tend to wear me out these last couple of weeks. Abotu 45 minutes into the workout I started to get a second (more like a first) wind and carried it through to the end. All exercises were 3 sets/15 reps, unless otherwise noted.

1-Arm DB Row 70 lbs
Incline Rear Delt Flyes 20 lbs
Incline Flyes 20 lbs
Front Delt Raise 20 lbs
DB Curl 30 lbs
Triceps Extensions 30 lbs
Shrug 70 lbs
Back Hyper Extensions 20 lbs (30 reps)
Crunches 25 reps

It was not about targeting any specific muscle group or building any strength or size, but more about easing back into an exercise routine and evaluating my overall energy level.
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Good to hear the energy was a little better today!
 
FireTitan said:
Sparkss your determination is killer bro!! Are you still liking the Radiate?
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Yes, very much. I take it every day, early afternoon right now. For some reason I didn't get the "heat", but I had a lot going on and also had a pretty full stomach when I drank it (I actually like and am starting to crave the flavor each day). :)
 
Sparkss said:
Yes, very much. I take it every day, early afternoon right now. For some reason I didn't get the "heat", but I had a lot going on and also had a pretty full stomach when I drank it (I actually like and am starting to crave the flavor each day). :)
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Good to hear! Keep pushing brother..youre doing great
 
weighed in at 184.4 this morning. Did my workout, and felt pretty good doing it (finally)

All exercises were 2 sets 15 reps.

Squat 145
Incline BB Row 125
Bent Over Rear Delt Flyes 30
Hex DB Press 40
Front DB Press 30
DB Curl 30
Triceps Extensions 30
Shrug 70

I will go up in weights next week to see where my strength is at now. I took my normal PWO, which was 1 scoop CU + carbs (fast and slow acting) + protein (hydro and whey) + a healthy dose of BCAAs. This morning I added another 3/4 scoop of CU + 2g of PLCAR. It all took a while to kick in, but when it did I had energy to spare. I did my BP about half way through and it came in at 144/77, which is expected during a workout. Now, several hours later it is reading 126/71

I stopped the Sup3r-7 3 days ago (my last dose was at bedtime 3/27). So no more cortisol reduction, and I seem to be feeling a lot better. I ran some errands yesterday (picked up garden soil and a planter plus a couple sheets of plywood from Lowes, and wasn't wiped out afterwards). But that is also why I skipped lower back hyper extensions today, my back was hurting a little from moving that heavy *ss planter/pot yesterday.

Still taking MK 20mg per night + 1 600mg timed release Melatonin. That seems to get me through the night, most of the time. My dreams are still pretty unreal and easier to recall the next day.

If this keeps up I may start LGD next week. I should have my blood work results back on Monday or Tuesday.
 
Studhorse said:
Glad to hear you finally had a good workout. that has to make you feel better?
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Thanks, Much better! I feel energized going into the weekend. Going to tackle a lot of the honey-dos that have been piling up :).
 
I totally missed it, but I got my test results via Email earlier this afternoon, a couple of days ahead of schedule. Everything looks good, a bit too good. My lipids came down, just barely above the "good" range, but still down from the last check. My triglycerides came down a lot. The thing that caught me off-guard was that my total and free test were through the roof. Total test would not even register, just >1500. My DHEA-S came in towards the higher end of the "good" range, which surprised me. 25mg twice daily (morning/evening) seems to be my sweet spot.I know that too much DHEA can cause as many problems as too little. I will post the full results in the morning (or maybe later tonight if I get to it). My liver functions all came in better than before I started anything. That Tudca must really be helping. Kidney functions look good too.
 
Sparkss said:
I totally missed it, but I got my test results via Email earlier this afternoon, a couple of days ahead of schedule. Everything looks good, a bit too good. My lipids came down, just barely above the "good" range, but still down from the last check. My triglycerides came down a lot. The thing that caught me off-guard was that my total and free test were through the roof. Total test would not even register, just >1500. My DHEA-S came in towards the higher end of the "good" range, which surprised me. 25mg twice daily (morning/evening) seems to be my sweet spot.I know that too much DHEA can cause as many problems as too little. I will post the full results in the morning (or maybe later tonight if I get to it). My liver functions all came in better than before I started anything. That Tudca must really be helping. Kidney functions look good too.
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That is great news. Maybe the lack of energy was just a temporary thing.
 
Studhorse said:
That is great news. Maybe the lack of energy was just a temporary thing.
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Yea, it makes that lethargy even more baffling. That blood test was taken Monday, I still felt a little lethargy through to Wednesday, appearing to clear by Friday. Making me think it was something else causing it, unrelated to testosterone levels. I am, chomping at the bit to start LGD now that I know I have that huge test buffer/reserve. I do not expect my levels to stay where they are for more than a month or two. I suspect it is the old pellets still dissolving and releasing enough to keep my levels elevated. Plus, the doc put an extra pellet in this last time, which should have propped me up to around 800 (not over 1500). Either way I feel like this round will last me longer than the last one, at noticeable levels. I am just surprised that my E2 was not out of control.
 
Studhorse said:
Dam nice numbers! Wierd you were tired?
Might as well get that LGD rolling if you feel up to it. From what I have seen it takes 4-5 weeks to really kick in.
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Great minds think alike :). I started the LGD yesterday afternoon (when we got home from a school festival in the morning), just took the second dose this morning. And yea, still scratching my head about the lethargy. I still think it was tanked cortisol. My energy started to come back after I stopped the Sup3r-7. I guess you could take that as a testament to how strong it is. For me I think 3 ~ 4 weeks will be my limit if/when I use it again (I still have a bottle left).

So right now I am taking 20 mg MK at night, and 8 mg LGD in the morning. I also finished my loading phase for EvoMuse Gut Health and am on the normal daily dosing schedule. I started Forskolin last week, still taking it morning and night. So in the morning, immediately upon waking on rest days I take 1 LGD, 1 Forskolin and 1 Rauwloscine. Then I eat about 45 minutes ~ 1+ hour later. We will see how that works now that I added in the LGD. On workout days I don't take the Rauwloscine since I am not working out fasted at the moment (wanting to keep my energy levels up) and I drink my PWO shake (that includes carbs + protein) within 15 or so minutes of waking.

Speaking of being tired, I got pulled into a work call yesterday afternoon that ran through to 11 PM. So two nights in a row I was up to after 11 working. There was a possibility that I would be paged back in at 2 AM so I didn't take a melatonin last night, not sure how much that really affected me sleep, if at all, but I did sleep until pretty late this morning (and thankfully they didn't need to page me out in the middle of the night).

Due to not getting any work done around the house yesterday today will be a honey-do day, so my next workout will be tomorrow.

I expect to start Flexatril this week. I am already feeling a little in my joints from pushing it a bit last week. My mind is ahead of my body in terms of what it expects under the weights. :)
 
Yesterday ended up being a wash. I got pulled into another work call until after noon, after which I was jut spent and relaxed the rest of the day.

One thing I did notice is that I was super hungry yesterday, and a little fatigued, like I get when I haven't eaten. Hard to believe that I am going hypo that much more frequently or easier after only 2 days on LGD. It is reported to be a good nutrient partitioner, but that is too soon for it to be the culprit. Either way after my morning LGD + Forskolin I feel like I go hypo pretty darned quick right now.

Today I weighed in just above 185. I seem to keep hovering around that #. I was tired when I woke up, but again, it was more like "I need food" tired, than anything else. I drank my PWO shake and then work cracked the whip. Almost an hour later I finally was able to touch the weights. I got a decent workout in, picking up momentum and energy as I went. The interesting part was that as I was getting up off of the bench after my last set of crunches my legs felt a little wobbly, but I wasn't really "tired", just like I needed a bit more gas to keep going.

I took a short break then drank my post shake, afterwards I felt fine.

Here is the workout, again shooting for 2 sets of 15 reps, unless otherwise noted.

Squat 145 (max weight avail)
Pendalay Row 125
Reverse Grip BB Press 105
Cav Crossover 55
Upright Row 85 (x10)
Side Lateral Raise 10
Seated Concentration Curl 30
Triceps Extensions 30
Back Hyper Extensions 20 (x25)
Single Leg Calf Raise 40 (x25)
Crunches 25

I did back off of the upright rows as I started to feel a "clicking" in my shoulder and while it didn't hurt, it just didn't feel "right". So I threw in some low weight side lateral raises, just to sort of stretch out the shoulders a bit.

I wrapped that about an hour ago and am already feeling hungry again *sigh*.
 
I think water weight is starting to set in. I hit 186.6 on the scale this morning, and that is after a morning BM (sorry for the TMI). I am also feeling a little more bloated around the midsection than I have been the last couple of weeks. Yesterday was a pretty "heavy" eating day, with more carbs than I normally take in, but I just had these crazy cravings and was super hungry in general. I also drank a lot more water than normal. I actually woke up in the middle of the night for 2 BMs, which even just one is pretty rare for me.

On the up side I woke up feeling energized and not really that tired, despite the sleeping interruptions (had to take a leak several times plus the BMs) and I got to bed a little later than normal, but I still did not feel the overall malaise that I had been feeling. I am really starting to think that my fatigue was due to not only tanked cortisol but also low glycogen in general from my "dieting". When I open the floodgates, food wise, I seem to feel much better. I knew a caloric deficit would reduce energy levels, just not to the degree that I have been experiencing. Then again the timing could just be coincidental.

Today was a rest day so I took my Rauwloscine, Forskolin (F95) and LGD this morning. There was a bad storm so I ended up taking my daughter to school, which delayed my eating for just shy of 2 hours post supplements. That should have been enough to give the Rauw sufficient time to "do its thing" :). I did notice an increase in body temperature for the first hour, to the point where I was just starting to sweat a little.

I have not had any Radiate since Saturday evening (had a half scoop around 6 PM to help me make it through the work call, as I was dragging). I am trying not to take it every day to avoid becoming desensitized to it. I really do enjoy it though. Looking forward to my "after-lunch" drink this afternoon :).

Not ready to pull the trigger in starting Flexatril yet. My joints are a little sore, but nothing to complain about, and I want my run of it to be a true test, which means I still need time to get back into heavy lifting so that I can truly see and assess the results.
 
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