Will Weight Loss Affect HT Yield?

[corvettester]

Gentlemen,

 

I'm thinking about dropping some weight and I'm interested to know if it will in any way affect the yield from my recent HT. I'm just 6 weeks post-op so I want to make sure to play it safe.

 

I will maintain my strict multivitamin routine to ensure that I'm getting all my micronutrients.

 

Does this sound like it will in any way affect my growth yield? Any advice is welcomed.

 

 

Corvettester

Edited September 30, 2011 by corvettester

[scar5]

All the stuff I read about diets and hair (apart from the BS that suggests healthy veganism will save your MPB shedding hair (and the world)) seems to be directed at keeping a high or consistent levels of testosterone, not reducing DHT, in order to create optimal muscle growth. These guys say starving yourself does reduce testosterone and this, I suppose we can safely assume, has an impact on DHT levels. If you are overweight and over thirty, they say estrogen is higher, and reducing it is a good thing. if you are on propecia then, I guess, you've altered the switches a bit anyway.

 

Triggering a shed, when you are in the midst of the post-HT doldrums, especially if you are lucky enough to have held on to would-be-shock-loss type hair so far, wouldn't be ideal.

 

So taking the minerals and vitamins (including zinc) a good thing. Just make sure you don't deprive yourself of food. Eat less, more frequently, if that is possible, rather than skipping meals. Standard stuff, I guess. BTW, you hardly look like a porker in your pic, but I'll take your word for it, when u say losing a few pounds is in order.

 

Oh..edit, don't stop eating fat, if you want to maintain testosterone, they say at http://www.muscle-health-fitness.com/raising-testosterone-levels.html.

Edited October 1, 2011 by scar5

[Danny1976]

It's a known fact that strict weight loss diets can cause telogen effluvium. But if you lose weight slowly and don't cut your caloric intake too much, it probably shouldn't be much of a problem. If you'd get a shed it would also probably just be temporary. But just to be safe, isn't it better to wait until the HT has grown out before making any drastic dietary changes?

[corvettester]

Thanks for the inputs guys.

 

You're right, I'm no porker. I'm 5'11" at 155lbs. I've been artificially maintaining extra weight for the past 10 years by consuming lots of protein (protein shakes and energy bars) in conjunction with daily weightlifting. I'm actually interested in losing muscle mass. I no longer need or want the extra muscle I have. To that end, I plan on dropping 10-15lbs.

 

I currently work out 7 days a week. I do weights, cardio, yoga and I walk a lot too. Yes, I'm a health nut! I plan on phasing out the weights altogether and just sticking with low-impact cardio and yoga.

 

I definitely won't stop eating fat either. It's the protein that I plan on eating less of. Currently, protein makes up about 30% of my diet, with Fat being about 20% and the rest are Carbohydrates. I plan on dropping the protein to about 10% and filling the gap with Carbs. This is because my body responds extremely well to protein.

 

I eat about 3,000-4,000 calories a day because I live such an unusually active lifestyle. So I plan on lowering my caloric intake to about 1,500-2,000 a day, hardly starving myself. Basically, I'm going to cut out all the extra protein I take from post-workout protein shakes and protein rich energy bars, which will easily decrease my daily caloric intake by 1,000 calories.

 

 

Covettester

[Danny1976]

I think 1500-2000 calories per day sounds a bit low. The basic need for the average person is about 30 kcal /kg/day, that is 2100 kcal for a person with a weight of 70 kg. But if you have a higher metabolism than average or if you're physically active you'd need more. If you want to lose the muscles, it would probably be enough to just stop weight lifting. Why not start by cutting down the caloric intake to 2500-3000, since you still will be doing cardio? If you don't accumulate fat with that diet, just continue with it. With a BMI of 21.6, you're already at the low end of the scale. An energy deficiency will just make you weak, uninspired and lacking energy in your exercise, job and daily life.

Edited October 1, 2011 by Danny1976

[corvettester]

I'm 155lbs at 5'11".

 

Cutting it to 2,500-3,000 sounds smart. It's probably the protein shakes and bars that put me over what I need.

[mattj]

I'm with Danny1976, it's probably best to do it more gradually. You're taking in a lot of calories at the moment, and your proposed drop is a whole 50%. Tapering down your calorie intake while reducing your body's need for those calories (stopping weightlifting) should result in losing muscle mass, shouldn't it?

 

I'm surprised you feel you no longer need your muscle mass. Your reasons might be private and if so I respect that, but if you can explain then you'd satisfy my curiosity.

[aaron1234]

Corv - Yeah, I'm surprised you'd want to lose weight at 155lbs when you are 5'11. You could probably gain another 20 pounds and still be considered just about right for your height. But like mattj said, I don't know your reasons why and they could very well be valid.

[corvettester]

Matt & Aaron,

 

I'm naturally much thinner. If it weren't for all the weights and protein, I'd be around 140lbs. I've been artificially augmenting my size via weightlifting and protein supplementation for years now.

 

I simply no longer like the look or all the effort it takes. I'm getting burnt out on weights and it really isn't necessary to have so much muscle mass. Not to mention all the effort it takes to maintain it, in time, energy and money. I spend a lot of money on food and too much time at the gym. I'm going back to the Sid Vicious look!

 

I'll definitely tapper down naturally as I'll still be active. I'll make sure to always get at least 2,000 calories in a day. But back to the original question, do I have anything to worry about in regard to my yield?

 

 

Corvettester

[hairthere]

Why not just scale back on the days you lift or lift differently? I used to lift heavy weight/low reps but started doing less weight and higher reps recently (2-3 days a week). Yoga is great, but trust me as a man once you hit your mid-late 30s the ability to maintain muscle mass is very difficult and it really helps burn fat (although it sounds like you have a very fast metabolism).

 

Regarding yield: You'll be fine, imo. Plenty of guys have done whole body transformations and I have yet to see one where it effected their HT.

[aaron1234]

hairthere is right. Unless your weight loss is caused by some medical reason the grafts will yield fine. For example, check out this one Hasson patient. His blog showcases not only an amazing hair transformation but with his weight as well. Hair Restoration Site for shlomo35 Granted, it looks like most of his weightloss happened after his hair started growing in.

Edited October 1, 2011 by aaron1234

[teach77]

Hey Corv,

 

I really don't think it'll make too much of a difference, especially if you're cutting out the protein shakes and protein bars. After my first HT, I went back and forth between quite a bit of supplemental intake and none at all. I had been taking supplements while I was lifting but I took a three month break after the first HT. First I just stopped lifting and kept taking the supplements, because I was doing cardio. But then I got bored of running and gained weight from the supplements so I stopped the shakes and bars.

Then, I decided to do P90x and picked up all the supplements again, then it was too time consuming so I stopped that. Then, I started running again and dropped my weight down. So, I'd say over the first ten months after the first HT, my weight fluctuated between 155 and 170, depending on what I was doing. I'm also 5'11" and I'm about 155 now because I've been running like a beast since HT 2. I don't think I'm physically capable of getting much lower than that, but you're starting from my low point, so I think you should be fine with the 10-15 lb fluctuation if the supplements are keeping you up.

 

Of course, that's just my experience and since I was all over the place, I don't think it will affect yield, since it definitely didn't affect mine. As long as you keep everything else healthy.

 

BTW, have you been doing yoga since this HT? Last time I waited about 4 months before attempting to get back into it and I lost so much of my flexibility (which I lose very easily) I completely stopped doing it. But I want to again. Did doing it have any effect on your scar? That's the only thing I was/am concerned about with the yoga.

 

Happy growing...we're getting to the good part soon enough..

 

teach77

[Speegs]

5 '11 and 155 is perfectly healthy, in fact a grown man shouldn't weigh much less than that at your height, you can even be up 175, depending on your build, and not be overweight.

[corvettester]

BTW, have you been doing yoga since this HT? Last time I waited about 4 months before attempting to get back into it and I lost so much of my flexibility (which I lose very easily) I completely stopped doing it. But I want to again. Did doing it have any effect on your scar? That's the only thing I was/am concerned about with the yoga.

 

Teach,

 

Glad to hear you've been taking care of yourself. I'm just like you, it's not uncommon for my weight to fluctuate 10-15lbs within a month or two either. It really just depends on how much I'm eating and what I'm doing in the gym.

 

Yes, I started doing yoga on my own at 4 weeks post-op. I'll probably start back in the classes in another month or so.

 

 

Speegs,

 

Yes, I understand that my current weight is healthy. I'm not trying to lose weight, per se. I'm just no longer interested in lifting weights and taking in so much protein via supplementation. As mentioned earlier, my current weight of 155lbs is due to the fact that I drink at least one protein shake and a protein bar a day, which easily adds 800 calories, if not more, to my diet.

 

I know that once I stop the protein shakes and bars and weightlifting, I'm going to drop serious weight. It always happens that way. I was only concerned that it might affect my HT yield. I will still eat plenty of food, a minimum of 2,000 calories a day, and take multivitamins as usual.

 

 

Corvettester

Edited October 4, 2011 by corvettester

[Bobilero]

'Yoga is great, but trust me as a man once you hit your mid-late 30s the ability to maintain muscle mass is very difficult and it really helps burn fat (although it sounds like you have a very fast metabolism).'

 

Have to disagree with the above statement. Most bodybuilders peak in their 30's and really fill out in to their frames. A lot of people make the mistake of training with less heavy weights as they get a little older. This is to blame for losing mass in a lot of cases.