Total testosterone rose substantially and free testosterone barely moved, which took a while to make sense of.
What I am trying to establish is why total and free can move differently here, and which of the two is worth tracking.
Numbers rather than impressions, if you have them.
TirzTom said:Total testosterone rose substantially and free testosterone barely moved, which took a while to make sense of.
Sex hormone labs after weight loss on the hormone panel — for the men in this thread:
Testosterone: 309 → 549 ng/dL (dramatic improvement!)
Free T: 6.4 → 14.9 ng/dL
Estradiol: 56 → 27 pg/mL
SHBG: 23 → 43 nmol/L
Visceral fat contains aromatase which converts testosterone to estrogen. As you lose visceral fat, this conversion decreases and testosterone naturally rises. I feel 10 years younger.
JessicaH_TX said:Sex hormone labs after weight loss on the hormone panel — for the men in this thread: Testosterone: 309 → 549 ng/dL (dramatic improvement!) Free T:…
HPA axis assessment on the hormone panel: rarely ordered but informative for understanding the stress-metabolism connection:
4-point salivary cortisol:
- Morning: 15 ng/mL → 15 ng/mL (improved)
- Noon: 9 ng/mL → 6 ng/mL
- Evening: 5 ng/mL → 2 ng/mL
- Night: 3 ng/mL → 1 ng/mL
The cortisol curve is normalizing — less flat, better diurnal variation. Reduced visceral fat = reduced cortisol overproduction. The metabolic benefits cascade into stress hormone regulation.
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View ResultsTirzTom said:Total testosterone rose substantially and free testosterone barely moved, which took a while to make sense of.
Can confirm. Same sequence, different timescale. I had assumed I was the exception until I read this.
Adding the clinical framing, because it changes how the question reads.
Hormone panel changes on the hormone panel — relevant for anyone curious about endocrine effects:
- Testosterone: increased 35% (weight loss reduces aromatase in adipose tissue)
- Estradiol: normalized from elevated baseline
- SHBG: increased appropriately
- Free testosterone: increased 22%
- Cortisol AM: within normal limits, no significant change
My reproductive endocrinologist says the testosterone improvement alone could explain the energy and mood benefits I've experienced.