Hey everyone, I started running Test about 5 or 6 weeks ago at 250mg a week, splitting the doses bi-weekly.
The thing is, I'm supposed to be cutting at a rate of about 1lb per week, but the scale isn't moving at all. Since I started the Test, my weight actually went up a bit and has just stayed there ever since. I know for a fact my calories are dialed in - I've been bodybuilding for over 8 years, so I'm not new to tracking.
I realize that Test causes some water retention, but is it really enough to totally mask a fat loss phase? I’ve been in a deficit for nearly 2 months now and I’m somehow up 3lbs from where I started.
I feel like I might look a little leaner in the mirror, but it's hard to tell. My perspective is usually pretty skewed and I always end up thinking I look worse than I actually do, whether I'm in prep or at my best. Anyone else deal with the scale stalling like this right at the start?
also 1lb per week on paper doesn’t always show clean week to week either, sometimes it’s just a flat line then a sudden drop later. if your waist is slowly coming down or the mirror says you look a bit tighter i’d trust that more than the scale right now tbh.
the mirror usually tells the real story in these situations. if waist is coming down and you look a bit tighter but weight is stuck, that’s usually just recomposition + water noise doing its thing. scales are kinda dramatic and not very smart lol.
yep happened to me too. scale didnt move for like the first month and i was losing my mind thinking my deficit magically stopped working lol. then all of a sudden the water dropped and i looked way leaner basically overnight. test can definitely play games with your head early on
Trust me, the scale is a total liar during those first few weeks of a blast. Test is notorious for making you hold a massive amount of intracellular water and glycogen, especially when your muscles are soaking up everything you give them. If you’ve been at this for 8 years, you know your body isn't magically defying the laws of thermodynamics—if the calories are low, the fat is melting. The fact that you’re up 3lbs but think you look leaner in the mirror is the ultimate sign that you're undergoing a crazy recomp. That water weight can easily mask 5 or 10 pounds of fat loss in the beginning. Put the scale in the closet for a month and start taking progress photos or using a tailor's tape instead. If the strength is staying up or climbing while your waist feels tighter, you're doing everything right. Don't let the mind games get to you!
bodybuilding really turns us all into insane detectives staring at mirrors and scales trying to solve mysteries 😂
