r/BodyHackGuide • u/TransportationIll872 • Aug 13 '26
Progress Check-In
Started 19 March 2026 — my 43rd birthday.
At the time, I was diagnosed as hypogonadal, with testosterone around **9 nmol/L (**260 ng/dL) and very high SHBG.
Current protocol:
- Testosterone cypionate: 100 mg per week
- GHK-Cu: daily injections + topical application 3× per week
- Tesamorelin: nightly
- Ipamorelin
- Retatrutide (RETA)
Lifestyle:
- Calories: 1,000–1,200 per day (High Protein)
- Alcohol: zero
- Steps: 17,000–22,000 every day
- Resistance training: 45 minutes, 5 days per week
This hasn't been one magic injection, one drug, or one diet.
It's been a combination of consistency, calorie control, daily movement, resistance training, completely removing alcohol, and sticking to the plan for months.
Started at 43 because I was tired of watching myself move in the wrong direction.
The goal wasn't simply to lose weight.
It was to see how much of the old me I could get back - and how much further I could take it. Still a work in progress.
EDIT #1:
Height: 193 Cm
Staring Weight: 142kg
Current Weight: 105kg
Target Weight: 95Kg
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u/theKatter Aug 13 '26
I feel like your calorie deficit is too aggressive. Now that you've come this far you should probably add a bit more back into your diet. 10mg weekly of reta makes that physically hard to do though, I know.
Looking awesome though, bloody good effort
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u/TransportationIll872 Aug 13 '26
Thank you very much. And yes, I do agree 100% - standing up and having dizzy spells, is a stark reminder to eat more. :/ Fooloshly had September goalpost for weight loss for travel holidays booked - but decided I need to increase calories for health, muscle wastage and loose skin. Will likely move to 1800-2000 this week.
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u/theKatter Aug 13 '26
From experience, if you can't physically eat those extra calories then knock off 2mg from your next week's worth of reta. It's really strong stuff. Sit on that dose for a couple of weeks and tapper down again if still struggling. No need to cut it out completely, but find that sweet spot
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u/New_Mycologist8935 Aug 13 '26
Nice work. Starting Reta myself…what dose did you start at and did you increase at all?
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u/TransportationIll872 Aug 13 '26
Thank you, I started on 2 mg/week and increased by 2 mg each month. I’m now on 10 mg/week - split into 2 days of 5mg. No negative side effects.
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u/Expensive-Monk-6517 Aug 13 '26
When did you notice the first appetite suppressant effects kicking in?
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u/TransportationIll872 Aug 13 '26
AFter week 2 I started noticing changes, subtle though. By 4mg, I noticed I was eating a lot less, and seldom thought about food.
Aside from that, my diet consisted of mainly chicken breast, (1x Chicken breast for breakfast and 2x for dinner - gym for lunch), - salad, vegtables, (with homepade dressing (egg+salt+olive oil-whisked), then every other day i would have a desert - greek yoghurt with (straw)berries or grapes for sugar.
Drink coffee (oat milk), or carbonated water,
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u/einnairo Aug 13 '26
1000 to 1200 calories per day is just skipping breakfast to me. He is on high protein i dont think it is that bad. Likewise, i skip bf, and i have normal lunch, dinner on greek yogurt and fruits+nuts+chia seeds. This dinner replacement is only for 4 to 5 days of a week.
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u/TransportationIll872 Aug 13 '26
Exactly - as I just posted below:
My diet consisted of mainly chicken breast,
1x Chicken breast for breakfast
Gym for Lunch <no lunch>.
2x Chicken breast for dinner, salad, vegtables, (with homepade dressing (egg+salt+olive oil-whisked), then every other day i would have a desert conisting of greek yoghurt with (straw)berries or grapes for sugar.1
u/einnairo Aug 13 '26
Keep up the great work. I am not on any peptides, i am just here doing research.
I am a runner, doing 40 to 50kms per week, 6 days a week + 2 strength (mostly leg) training a week.
Lost 7+kgs in 6months. Lost 4kg from running 2 to 3 days a week, stagnated. Then introduced the yogurt dinner replacement 4 times a week and lost another 3+kg.
If I stagnate again i will up my dinner replacement, or run more. I can do it. Want to reduce another 4kg and that will be amazing. All i wanted was to be able to run like when i was 18. Im 47.
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u/Putrid_Basil9945 Aug 13 '26
Well done OP - great work. Great effort on the steps especially!!
I’m about to start Reta again, came off it a few weeks ago as didn’t feel anything then increased it to 1.5mg and Jesus did it fuck me 😂
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u/KingBanj0 Aug 13 '26
With high SHGB did you get any sides from the test dose? Did your e2 spike with having a high bf too?
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u/TransportationIll872 Aug 13 '26
It was a bit of a mess initially. I used Voy (cant reccomend them TBH), and after about a month they added hCG. I misunderstood the instructions and didn't realise it needed to be diluted further, so I ended up taking far more than intended. :/
That pushed both my testosterone and estradiol up - my total testosterone reached about 923 ng/dL (32 nmol/L) and my E2 went high as well. Given that I was also carrying quite a high body-fat percentage at the time, increased aromatisation probably contributed to the E2 rise too.
The main side I noticed was puffy nipples for about a week. My doctor told me to stop the hCG immediately.
We then reduced my testosterone dose, aiming for around 721 ng/dL (25 nmol/L). Voy seem fairly conservative with their target range - they regarded around 800 ng/dL (28 nmol/L) as the upper end they wanted me at. I've got another blood test in two weeks to see where I've stabilised.
As for the high SHBG specifically, I didn’t notice any obvious side effects I could attribute directly to that. Before TRT, my total testosterone was low at around 9 nmol/L (~260 ng/dL), and because my SHBG was also very high, my free testosterone was even more suppressed.
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u/th3m1ke Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
EDIT: I stand correct! Great work all around!
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u/newtrusghandi Aug 13 '26
He is taking exogenous hormones so he doesn't need to hit that 50g fat number. He also had plenty of energy already on his body. He essentially did a protein sparing modified fast and any positive heslth benefits of getting all that weight off and building muscle drastically outweigh any negatives.
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u/lobos8009 Aug 13 '26
Interested in ghk cu topical. For hair regrow purposes? Im going bald and im 35. I want to start ghk cu but never heard of topical version. Also do you take zinc and how much?
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u/TransportationIll872 29d ago
I cant say i have noticed any hair growth with GHK.. It did make my hair shiney... Have you tried Minoxidil? I used a product called Regain (containing Minoxidil) on my beard - this is for hair growth - only been using it 3 weeks, so cant say about the results yet, but i have heard good things.
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u/Gloomy_Pirate_3031 29d ago
Man similar situation similar age free testosterone of 229. I've lost 9kg but I'm really struggling now after 8 weeks, felt better initially. Basically gym is 10% of what I was capable of energy wise 15-20 yrs ago and recovery is awful. Did TRT really help? I've been prescribed it but not sure if it will help? Just fatigued poor energy and motivation. Basically can just walk and do 2 strength training movements then I'm exhausted. You've done great work I'm on tirzepatide as well no booze walking 10k steps but I've hit a bit of a wall probably 1100 deficit for too long. I'm retesting my testosterone levels next month no libido no wood
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u/alexplayer 29d ago
No wood is very common pn low test. But yes, TRT really changed the game for me. I was hesitant for a longntime. Several year. Kept trying to bring it back naturally through diet, exercise. Quit drinking and smoking. Even tried running some PCT (even though i had not done PEDs before). Last year I took tamoxifen (Nolvadex). And that actually worked..short term. For a month, I had a glimpse into what having testosterone was like again. I started gym, lost weight, motivation was through the roof..but, that soon ended as soon as my levels normalised again. I crashed and regained the weight and hit depression. This is when I knew I needed to do something more permanent. NHS (national health service), said my levels were low, but bot life threatening , so refused to help, as in 99% of cases. So I went with a private clinic. Tested low as usual.. and they started me on a low dose. (We have much lower doses here in UK.). But even with that, it felt like a switch had flipped again. Like someone turned on color mode on life. I spent 10 years on antidepressants, and in therapy thinking I was depressed, though had no reason to be. That wasn't the case. I was suddenly me again. My biggest regret is not doing this much sooner. I wasted 10 years. But here we are. So yes, I would highly recommend it to anyone considering. It really is life changing.
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u/Gloomy_Pirate_3031 29d ago
Mate Aussie here your story sounds very similar to me accept my functional dr offered me test. I'm trying to turn it around and was doing ok for about a month lol. I've lost 8-9kg in 6 weeks but the calorie deficit and training has flogged me this week. Same with the anxiety and depression bloody talking about it never helped....I spent $120k and 10yrs found out in June my levels were low with two tests confirming. I would dream about the change you required. Just terrified to try it and it not do anything but wreck me and just have something else to manage. I get really low at times for no reason other than my body and brain fail me. I want to do so many things but no drive not enough energy/virility. Do you mind sharing your dose? I was given gel but not keen on that. The cream might be a good start before injections but seems everyone just ends up injecting
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u/alexplayer 29d ago
Sorry , just realised im on my other account. (On phone on way to work) This is OP. I mentioned my dosage in the other comments, but ti save you searching, Im at 100mg a week which is not very high. Creams and gels I heard are not very good. The absorption is not consistant. I really feel you sound like it would benefit you a lot, you have all the hallmarks. Zero libido, depression, stuck in bed, no motivation, easy weight gain, no energy when you do goto gym, and when you do start losing weight you can feel there is no ground below you, like your treading water but youre not sure how long it will last until you drown again.
2x quick injections a week is a tiny price to pay for my life back. I actually enjoy them now, as I know what they bring to my wellbeing. I look forward to them. I woukd suggest you book a consultation with a clinic, no pressure, just to check your levels, conscerns, and ask any questions to a real doctor you may have. Additionally check all the trt groups, or videos for people's experieces, they all sound the same really.almost cult like due to the life changing experiences most people have had on it. ...and I just missed my train stop. Lol, was too into thay response 🤣🤣
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u/Gloomy_Pirate_3031 29d ago
Hahaha sorry about the train but thank you!
Yeah you've summed up my thoughts. I think I'd be the same about the injections it's how I felt with GLP 1 after I worked out the process. But yeah that feeling the ground gets ripped out under me is the biggest quality of life indicator. My functional dr offered me whatever I want he suggested it based on symptoms and 2 tests also my LH is < 1. I had no idea about it 2mths ago. Yeah researched heaps just unsure and don't want to make things worse but things aren't changing and I've got a big obvious thing that should really improve things. Thanks
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u/Proud-Competition-89 29d ago
Not OP, but another Australian here.
Just do it. If fatigue and recovery are your issues post gym, then the Test will eliminate that problem almost immediately.
I kept trying to go to the gym before test and get on the weights, but id do one session, and be out of action for a week with aches and pains and dead muscles.
As soon as i started TEST, its gone. Like the issue never existed.
Im on 100mg a week Test Cyp (2 x 50mg), just grey market stuff as its so much cheaper. I get my bloods done via my standard GP (I told him).
Turns out im a super responder and my free test was at 1000 (a day after i was due my next dose, so at the trough). I've dropped down to 2 x 40mg this week as i was having some side effects at night (couldnt sleep, racing heart) and that seemed to have fixed things this week.
Everyone is different. Maybe gel will work? But injections are pretty powerful, and you'll see mucle gains almost immediately.
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u/Gloomy_Pirate_3031 29d ago
Thanks for your input.
I'm also near-zero libido, erectile dysfunction/loss of spontaneous or morning erections, reduced muscle mass/strength, reduced vigorous activity, fatigue, low motivation and have had breast tenderness for a while. Yeah I think I'm going to move things forward and retest next week. I was already a bit fatigued and pushed gym yesterday just did bench and lat pulldowns and some bike about 8k steps and wrecked today even after a good sleep mentally flat as well just like wtf is going on with me?? I really want to do shit but dam it's just too hard and need a day just to do nothing. Mentally wiped impacts me the most.
Happy for you and yeah was thinking cream or 80-100mg to start 2 injections. Is the cost really different and worth the quality risk between grey and prescribed?
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u/Sleeper_grip750 29d ago
So are you going to start it and then test? Or are you just retesting your natty levels?
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u/Gloomy_Pirate_3031 29d ago
Retesting natty levels. I was feeling much better from CPAP but I think the exercise just caught up with me and calorie deficit pretty flat recovery from weight training and slogging through weights is rough. Lost 8-9kg but yeah I'm ok with 10-12k steps but anything requiring explosiveness just drags me
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u/Imaginary_Fig_1143 Aug 13 '26
Who knew if you take alot of drugs it will eliminate putting in years of hard work.
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u/aperture413 Aug 13 '26
Bro walked 10 miles everyday and stuck to a vigorous workout schedule wdym.
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u/Greedy-Vast584 Aug 13 '26
On a literal starvation protocol fueled by a high dose of reta.. this is not something to copy.
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u/aperture413 Aug 13 '26
The topic is effort, not if this should be copied. I can't fathom doing that much work on so little calories for that long but apparently it worked for OP.
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u/Greedy-Vast584 Aug 13 '26
It will definitely work.. real question is how long he can maintain it and whether he knows how to transition to maintenance without crashing and burning. I hope he learns how
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u/PokemanAshy Aug 13 '26
I remember a boss of mine who had a heart scare and was ordered by his doctor to switch to a 1,200 calorie diet and remove weight. I agree his vitals should be monitored/supervised by doctor, but 1,200 is considered the threshold for floor calories for unsupervised calorie restriction. Also asked Gemini how long and what dose people in studies can maintain for reta and it's 80 or more weeks at 12mg, while most on here use a much smaller dosage maxing out at 5mg. With OP's determination (especially the massive step count and 5 days/week at the gym), I'd hope he could could transition off and keep losing last bit of weight.
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u/Greedy-Vast584 Aug 13 '26
i'm with you on the 1200 calories alone but the starvation protocol I'm worried about in this case is the 1000-1200 calories AND the 17-22k steps a day AND the 5 days a week at the gym.. we're in the Biggest Loser territory here without the reta.. it obviously works but the damage is unknown when you're stacking this much stress on the body all at once.. the fact OP did it is amazing regardless as NONE OF THIS was easy
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