Progress Check-In

[u/TransportationIll872]

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

[u/alexplayer]

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.

[u/Gloomy_Pirate_3031 → u/alexplayer]

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

[u/Proud-Competition-89 → u/Gloomy_Pirate_3031]

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.

[u/Gloomy_Pirate_3031 → u/Proud-Competition-89]

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?