Did fat loss actually move your total T on labs?

Waist down 5 inches is huge — were both labs drawn at the same time of morning?

Systems question: were both draws under identical conditions? Mine swung ~80 ng/dL just from sleep debt, a hard session <48h out, and being deeper in a deficit.

I started logging draw conditions like lab metadata: hours slept, last lift, calories, alcohol, illness. Total T tracked sleep way more than the scale; SHBG moved opposite of insulin/carb intake.

If you're still losing at a decent clip, the free T number may lag. What's your current deficit size and training volume?

That'd tell you whether this is a new set point or just ongoing stress.

Congrats on the 46 — that waist change alone is huge. I’m in maintenance now. What I saw: total T kept drifting up for a few months after the scale quit moving, and SHBG rose first, so free T lagged before catching up.

My GP also repeated labs at maintenance rather than mid-deficit. Were both your draws at the same lab, fasting, and around the same morning time?

One of mine was afternoon and looked like a totally different person. I’d want a couple of stable-maintenance points before making any big call.

Same pattern here: total T climbed ~100 ng/dL after 40 lb down, SHBG rose, free T barely budged. What helped me interpret it was standardizing draws: same lab, fasted, 8–9 a.m., no lifting 48h, decent sleep.

My worst-looking free T was right after a brutal cut and a 5x/week fasted cardio block. Once weight loss slowed and sleep hit 7.5h, free T looked better even though total was similar.

Sharp question: were both labs drawn under the same conditions? If not, you’re comparing noise.

Also, waist down 5 inches and better sleep are real wins; I’d want more data before treating one number.

Similar arc here: about 50 lb down, total T went from low 300s to low 400s, but free T barely moved because SHBG climbed too. What finally helped mine was a full maintenance phase—same lifting, but calories up and stress down for 3–4 months—not another cut.

My sleep, recovery, and libido tracked better than the lab swing at first. Has your SHBG come down when you held weight steady, or only while actively losing?

Not the same numbers, but lab timing bit me. I had two draws six weeks apart: one at 3pm after bad sleep, one at 8am fasted, and total T differed by about 90 ng/dL. Same lab, roughly same weight.

Made me realize I was chasing noise. Are yours both morning/fasted? Also, did you track neck or waist alongside weight?

For me neck dropped an inch before total T really moved, and that matched how I felt way more tan the number. I’m in the regain-and-restart mess too, so I get the frustration.

Longtime lurker/occasional poster here. There was a big thread last fall about SHBG and rapid loss—several guys saw free T look disappointing while total T climbed, then things settled once they held weight for a few months.

Your waist/sleep/lifting changes sound like the real story so far. One concrete thing I'd track: the rate of loss over the last 8–12 weeks and where your free T sits on the actual lab range, not just the number.

Was the 46 lb pretty linear, or did it come off fast early and stall lately? That context usually matters more than a single recheck when you're still actively changing.

honestly the shbg curveball is so real lol, congrats on

Honestly, new here and only week one, but this is really encouraging to read—thanks for sharing.

I’m in the recomp-not-shortcut camp, so I’d be asking what symptoms are actually driving this. My total T moved similarly after ~30 lb down, but free T only followed when sleep and lifting stayed consistent.

More useful for me was tracking waist-to-height, lifts, morning energy, libido, and recovery weekly. If those are trending up, one lab isn’t the whole story.

What’s your waist-to-height now, and are your main lifts still holding or gaining in the deficit? That context matters way more to me than a clinic pushing while you’re still visibly changing.

SHBG curveball, man. Congrats on the recomp.

Congratulations on 46 lb and five inches—that is a lot of consistent work. One thing I would want clarified: did your GP give a specific target for “lose more,” such as waist measurement, body-fat estimate, or a symptom score, or just the scale? I track weekly averages for sleep

Travel pro tip that messed with my tracking: I now note lab conditions like I note airport meals—time zone, sleep, whether I lifted in the 24h before, and any drinks. My one scary-low T draw was after a red-eye plus two hotel gym sessions; the next one looked way better after normal rest.

Did you retest under the same morning-ish/fasted-ish conditions and same lab? That’s the first thing I’d want before deciding if the 312→428 is a real trend vs travel chaos.

Also, 46 lb with that schedule is no joke.