I'm starting testosterone injections soon and I was just wondering how to approach the physical aspect of testosterone, assuming this is going to be puberty: the sequel.  When teenage boys go through puberty, they seem to eat...everything.  I'm not that much older, so should I be doing high protein diets?  Should I just try to bulk up on calories, overall?  I don't want to shortchange myself physically by not getting enough or the right food to help with any growth or changes.

How much did your diet change once you started testosterone?  How long were you on T before your diet became more...normal?  Also, this is just out of curiosity but did you notice a shift in the foods you wanted?  Like, were you a donut person before but now you're going through beef jerky by the crate?

I work out too, but with T it'll be easier to build up my muscle mass, and I'd like to minimize the appearance of my hips.  Should I bulk up my thighs/obliques so that my hips look narrower in contrast?  I intend to do a full workout, but I definitely want to take care of my hips.  Also, for those who worked out while on T, but before having top surgery: what effect did building up your pecs have on the appearance of your chest?  Did it help or hurt?  Thanks!

hey Quick,
I've been on T for less than 3 months or so. I noticed that I never seem to get full now. Or if I do, it's only temporary, as in an hour later I'm eating. Before T, if I had a big meal, I would be set. Now, it doesn't work like that. I've turned into a human garbage disposal.

edit: another thing is that I feel hunger pains more acutely and frequently. louder and more frequent growling.

I'm 6 months on T and my food consumption has greatly reduced from what it was during the first 4 months on T.  However, it's also the middle of summer and heat generally makes my appetite reduce drastically (cold has the opposite affect).  I've also not been weightlifting regularly for the past couple months.  Even when I was pre-T, I had a very large appetite when lifting weights regularly.  So I don't think my appetite reduction is entirely due to 'getting used to' the T; there are other factors.

As for food, I would load up on high-quality protein (chicken, eggs, nuts).  Helps with muscle-building and it also helps with feeling full.  Try not to load up on a lot of high-calorie, high-fat junk, though it will be tempting when you're feeling ravenous (seems it's always the junk food that is the quickest to grab and eat).  On T, I seem to crave protein more than I used to.  Otherwise, my diet is pretty much the same as it has been for the past several years (heavy on the fruits, veggies, lean meats, and whole grains, limited junk food).  I do eat more bread and pasta now.  I rarely used to eat them, but now I rather like them because it seems easier to get full on that stuff compared to fruits and vegetables.  Just go easy on it.  Try for a sane balanced diet (heavy on the protein if you're doing a lot of lifting).  If you're constantly hungry, so be it.  Eat.  Just don't go for the junk; keep in mind that T may also raise your cholesterol levels and blood pressure--take care of your heart.

As for hips: if you carry fat on them, do cardio and work on losing it.  Work your obliques to widen your waist and reduce any hourglass shape.  Quad work isn't a bad idea either.  And of course work the upper body, particularly your back (latissimus dorsi--great for a widening effect) and shoulders.  Thus far, I've experienced a fair bit of widening of my back and shoulders--but my hips actually increased in size at first.  They've begun to go down in size in the last couple months, but they're still nowhere near where I'd like.  I've also gained nearly 20 lbs. since starting T.  It's a mix of muscle and fat.

Also, you may feel very energized and want to push yourself with the exercise.  That's fine, but pay attention to your body when lifting.  Joint pain is distinctive from the muscle ache of lifting, and if you feel it--stop the exercises that make it feel worse and give it time to heal.  I get the feeling that working out when just starting T can result in muscle growth that outstrips ligament/connective tissue growth.  Shoulders have been an issue for me.

I work my pecs.  I think it improves the appearance of my chest, but I also have a small chest.  You can see the contour of the top portion of my pecs (from the side, it makes my upper body look thicker), but the bottom is obscured in breast tissue.  If you have a large chest, it may make it harder to bind--but I defer to someone who can actually speak of this from experience.

Finally: in these last two months of laying off weightlifting, I have been surprised that my body still seems to be slowly putting on muscle.  Out of curiosity, I grabbed my weights and tried lifting the amounts that I left off with.  Then I tried upping the weight 5-10 lbs to see if I could do it (couldn't before)--and I could.  Crazy. 

*Disclaimer: I'm not an MD, dietitian, or health expert of any sort.  This is just what I've been doing.

I'm hungry way more than I used to be and when hungry it's more intense. I've noticed I've craved more protein, too. I still eat healthy and eat normal meals with little snacking because I don't want to become huge (also losing some weight would help). So, I'm hoping if my metabolism has increased but I don't eat more than before then hopefully I'll lose some weight.

I have been on T about 4 months and I noticed the last week or so my appetite is back to normal. I have not worked out as much as I wanted but still working out enough to put on some muscle and can lift a lot more than I could pre T. I am having top surgery next week so no working out for 6 weeks after. I am hoping to get my energy back after the surgery (or at least stop sleeping so much) and be able to work out 5 days a week again after the six weeks off. I have always eaten a lot of protein so I am just eating more of that.
Cheers,
Myles

Food! Whos got it!!!!

Yeah I have a problem like Nero said I am always hungry and never feel fulfilled/satisfied ever!

However I have gained a massive amount of weight and on T it has been really hard to shift it. I have talked to my doctor who said that there was no point on me trying diet pills as they wont work with the T. I tried the new diet drug recommend with exercise and just like he said it didn't work. Its very annoying I ran every day for 2 weeks ate sensibly and lost absolutely nothing and it is dis-heartening, as I have always been a big guy. I gained about 2 stone whilst being on T, and I have only been on it for just over a year now.

Jay

After 12 months or so on T, my appetite is still quite increased from before T. However, before I went back on T the last time, about 5-6 months ago, I started a diet, or rather just started eating more healthily and less of what I had prior. This helped quite a bit, because I was already into a structure, so I was accustomed to eating less. Yes, I get incredibly hungry, but I just suppress the feeling. T is a miracle worker, however, in terms of weight (in my opinion)... I've lost 40 lbs since getting back on it this past March.

I haven't noticed any difference in cravings since being on T, and my food tastes haven't really changed, though my actual TASTE seems to have changed a bit... things taste different than I remember. Could just be me, though.

As per building muscle mass, I went to the gym and weight-lifted every day for a month prior to getting back on T this time. I lost a slight bit of weight off my thighs in that time, but didn't build any noticeable muscle. However, once on T again, I was unable to go to the gym... and my muscle mass has increased exponentially regardless. My mom actually has been commenting quite frequently on it, but she won't accept it's due to testosterone.

SD