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  1. #51
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    Still feeling good since my last post over a week ago. The glycine and magnesium have been amazing for sleep. I still tend to wake up at least once in the middle of the night, but I'm falling asleep faster now. Whereas I used to toss and turn for like 40 minutes before finally clocking out.

    Also now that I'm on my daily gut regime of bone broth, goat kefir, probiotic pill and probiotic foods, my bowel movements have been really healthy. I actually was having an issue with soft and loose stools for the last four months or so, and this seems to have really done the trick.

    I still haven't ordered the rhodiola or started the daily PP, but may jump on that after the holidays. Last week I did a boys trip, with three straight days of drinking. Ate out for every meal too. I kept my orders as clean and paleo as possible, but it's always a gamble eating out as you have no idea what kind of oils they're using. Happy to report that it's been 5 days since the trip and I'm still feeling fine.

    Hope everyone's doing well!

  2. #52
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    Well that was like, 12 days I think, of feeling good. But I hit another downswing three days ago.
    As much as I need to get out of the habit of running to this site in despair every time I have a downswing, I actually find great comfort in picking a user who's recovered, reading through their journey, and seeing all of THEIR posts about downswings and panic. It reinforces the reality that these ups and downs are expected.

    As god as my witness, 2022 is the year I put this shit in the rearview mirror. I've ordered Rhodiola, but because I'm leaving tomorrow to visit family for the holidays, I probably won't be trying this herb out until the new year.

    Also really plan on starting Pine Pollen daily when I return as well. If you recall, I tried doing PP daily in the summer of 2020. I had FANTASTIC results initially, but then it quickly went away, and then I experienced a couple of bad downswings that I probably incorrectly linked to the PP, so I ditched it. Now that I've been on a proper herb rotation for 6 months, I think it's time we try this again. When people start doing PP daily, what dosage do they start at? When I tried it last year, I think I jumped the gun a bit and was doing 3 - 4 teaspoons a day. Should I ease into it, with maybe 1/2 a teaspoon and gradually make my way up? Right now when I reach Pine Pollen in my rotation, I only do 2 teaspoons.

    Finally, if by the Spring I'm still feeling like I'm not progressing as much as I'd like, I'm gonna do an ultra hard cycle. But to be honest I don't really understand much about these prohormones, except for the fact that I see a lot of people having success with them. So if I cross that bridge, I'm definitely gonna need some guidance haha

  3. #53
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    Was bored so came to check the boards, figured I'd give a little update.

    This past 30 days or so I've been feeling pretty great. I'm definitely at a new baseline. I haven't had any crashes or bad days. Been getting morning wood on most days, the numb pain is gone, the hourglass bend is gone, the sensitivity to cold is gone, my bowel movements have been normal and healthy, my energy levels are great and my sleep has been great too. It seems that the final hurdle is getting my libido back to normal. But there's definitely been a few crazy upswings in the past month where my libido revved up out of nowhere.

    The protocol is doing its thing. One other thing I should mention is last month I stopped eating grains, and I instantly felt an improvement. I'm sure grains aren't terrible occasionally, but man I was eating them way too much. Oatmeal in the morning, oatmeal in post workout shake, white rice at dinner, oat milk in my coffee etc. I feel much better now without them and using potatoes and fruits as my backloads. Every now and then I'll backload with red lentil pasta and I've been fine.

  4. #54
    Moderator Feedback Score 0 Cdsnuts's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by flamingpie View Post
    Was bored so came to check the boards, figured I'd give a little update.

    This past 30 days or so I've been feeling pretty great. I'm definitely at a new baseline. I haven't had any crashes or bad days. Been getting morning wood on most days, the numb pain is gone, the hourglass bend is gone, the sensitivity to cold is gone, my bowel movements have been normal and healthy, my energy levels are great and my sleep has been great too. It seems that the final hurdle is getting my libido back to normal. But there's definitely been a few crazy upswings in the past month where my libido revved up out of nowhere.

    The protocol is doing its thing. One other thing I should mention is last month I stopped eating grains, and I instantly felt an improvement. I'm sure grains aren't terrible occasionally, but man I was eating them way too much. Oatmeal in the morning, oatmeal in post workout shake, white rice at dinner, oat milk in my coffee etc. I feel much better now without them and using potatoes and fruits as my backloads. Every now and then I'll backload with red lentil pasta and I've been fine.
    LOVE when that happens, lol.....always does.

    I'm glad I caught you poppin in.......nice post!! I caught the positivity!

    Yes, grains do make that much of a difference. Technically we have only been eating them as a whole species for a millisecond of time.
    Total Male Optimization "People who say it can't be done shouldn't interrupt those that are doing it"

  5. #55
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    Ok I've got a lot to say and a few questions for the class!

    First off, the last 3 weeks were basically going great, but these last 4 days I've had an awful downswing. Like the worst I've had in a long time. Again, probably par for the course. The only thing I was doing differently was eating more lentils & chickpeas on backloads, and kinda ditching my intermittent fasting routine. I probably would've had a downswing regardless, but just in case I think I'll go back to my IF and legume free diet.

    Second, just ordered Horny Goat Weed to add to my rotation, excited to try this! I also ordered Schisandra with it, as the Schisandra I've been using for the past 7 months wasn't from Lost Empire (it was from Micro Nutrients). This brand I've been using is like a brown color, and I've realized that pure authentic Schisandra should be a bright red. I'm realizing that the herbs I use that give me the most notable effects are all LEH brand, and the most ineffective ones are off-brand. Lesson learned!

    Third, one weird effect I've noticed in the last month is that my arm pits have been smelling AWFUL! I ditched traditional deodorant years ago and have been using either nothing at all, or sometimes mineral deodorant. Never had an issue. But now the stench is unbearable haha. I just ordered Pretty Frank deodorant. Seems natural enough (basically arrowroot powder and coconut oil). Hopefully that does the trick! But its been making me wonder if PFS caused like no sweat in my armpits, and now that the protocol is doing its thing its turning back online?

    Ok now for my questions lol. I'm thinking to also add Butea Superba and Gotu Koba to my arsenal, however Lost Empire doesn't sell them and the links on TMO aren't working. Does anyone recommend a specific brand for these?

    I'm also trying to figure out ways to gain weight while staying on protocol diet. I've always been skinny, even before PFS. I'm currently 6'2" and only 163 pounds. Any secret weapons people suggest to add on the pounds? I know most nuts are frowned upon during recovery, but what about macadamias? They seem to be very calorie dense and have testosterone boosting properties.
    For reference, my diet is typically:
    Breakfast: 3 eggs, 1oz goat cheese, bacon, bone broth, black coffee with ghee and sometimes cacao powder
    Lunch: 8oz ground beef, butternut squash, asparagus, spinach
    Post workout shake: banana, berries, spinach, honey, collagen powder
    Dinner: 8oz chicken, broccoli, sweet potatoes. Sometimes a cup of fruit afterwards.
    Use EVOO and ghee to cook. I think my calories come out to 2300 a day

    Ok I think I wrote way too much lol
    Last edited by flamingpie; 02-19-2022 at 01:39 PM.

  6. #56
    Moderator Feedback Score 0 Cdsnuts's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by flamingpie View Post
    Ok I've got a lot to say and a few questions for the class!

    First off, the last 3 weeks were basically going great, but these last 4 days I've had an awful downswing. Like the worst I've had in a long time. Again, probably par for the course. The only thing I was doing differently was eating more lentils & chickpeas on backloads, and kinda ditching my intermittent fasting routine. I probably would've had a downswing regardless, but just in case I think I'll go back to my IF and legume free diet.

    Second, just ordered Horny Goat Weed to add to my rotation, excited to try this! I also ordered Schisandra with it, as the Schisandra I've been using for the past 7 months wasn't from Lost Empire (it was from Micro Nutrients). This brand I've been using is like a brown color, and I've realized that pure authentic Schisandra should be a bright red. I'm realizing that the herbs I use that give me the most notable effects are all LEH brand, and the most ineffective ones are off-brand. Lesson learned!

    Third, one weird effect I've noticed in the last month is that my arm pits have been smelling AWFUL! I ditched traditional deodorant years ago and have been using either nothing at all, or sometimes mineral deodorant. Never had an issue. But now the stench is unbearable haha. I just ordered Pretty Frank deodorant. Seems natural enough (basically arrowroot powder and coconut oil). Hopefully that does the trick! But its been making me wonder if PFS caused like no sweat in my armpits, and now that the protocol is doing its thing its turning back online?

    Ok now for my questions lol. I'm thinking to also add Butea Superba and Gotu Koba to my arsenal, however Lost Empire doesn't sell them and the links on TMO aren't working. Does anyone recommend a specific brand for these?

    I'm also trying to figure out ways to gain weight while staying on protocol diet. I've always been skinny, even before PFS. I'm currently 6'2" and only 163 pounds. Any secret weapons people suggest to add on the pounds? I know most nuts are frowned upon during recovery, but what about macadamias? They seem to be very calorie dense and have testosterone boosting properties.
    For reference, my diet is typically:
    Breakfast: 3 eggs, 1oz goat cheese, bacon, bone broth, black coffee with ghee and sometimes cacao powder
    Lunch: 8oz ground beef, butternut squash, asparagus, spinach
    Post workout shake: banana, berries, spinach, honey, collagen powder
    Dinner: 8oz chicken, broccoli, sweet potatoes. Sometimes a cup of fruit afterwards.
    Use EVOO and ghee to cook. I think my calories come out to 2300 a day

    Ok I think I wrote way too much lol
    Ditch the beans and see how you feel. Add each one in by itself one at a time until you get a reaction.

    Guys......there is a reason why I recommend lost empire herbs. How many times do we have to make that mistake. You will not find a better quality herb company hands down.

    You're getting musty pits because your hormones are coming back online, so congrats. that is a very good thing.

    Butea superba brand is Anterol, Gotu Kola you'll have to experiment with.

    Eat more fat and eat bigger backloads. You should shoot for 3000 calories/day

    If you're still having trouble you can make a super smoothie which can hold up to 1000 calories.
    Total Male Optimization "People who say it can't be done shouldn't interrupt those that are doing it"

  7. #57
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    Hey guys sorry I havent been given an update in a while. I'm just trying to avoid the forums while I go through the protocol and live my life. But last week was my 1 year anniversary of starting the protocol 100%, so I figured now's a good time to give an update.
    Just to clarify, I've been doing the protocol for a year now, but I've had PFS for 13 years. Urghh I get so mad at myself for waiting so long before putting in the work, but no point in dwelling on the past. Sooooo a year into the protocol. Am I recovered completely? No not yet. But am I doing better than I was before I started? Hell yes.
    My last update was in March, and since then I've had a few ups and downs. The entire month of April was pretty great, it felt like all my symptoms were close to resolved except for my low libido. Then May brought a nasty downswing. But now for the last 2 weeks I've been feeling pretty fantastic.
    I don't visit the forums often anymore cuz there's nothing left to learn, I'm just riding the waves as my body figures itself out. Just read the threads of users who've recovered if you're looking for some reassurance. It's comforting to see recovery stories where they spent like 2 years on the protocol, and seeing that they also saw the ups and downs before getting that permanent baseline.

    I did learn two big things in the last month that I think have really helped me get back on track. First, DONT NEGLECT YOUR GUT HEALTH. Seriously, take your probiotic daily, eat your kimchi, drink your kefir, take an ACV shot in the mornings etc. I notice that when I start neglecting these things my progress gets a little hindered. The second thing I learned is that daily pine pollen is just not for me lol. I'm so jealous, because the way people talk it sounds like a miracle herb. I've been taking it as part of my 14 herb rotation, but whenever I try to take it daily, or even semi daily, even at a low dose, I get these awful side effects. If you've read my thread from the beginning you probably saw me talk about this last year. This was my fourth attempt at incorporating it daily and I get the same nasty reaction, even when I load up on potassium as suggested. Oh well, still seeing great progress regardless.

    So while I'm not fully recovered yet, there are a lot of symptoms that I believe are 100% gone. Hourglass dick, poor sleep, infrequent bowel movements, lack of energy....all of those symptoms have been completely gone for months. I wake up with morning wood 80% of the time, my libido has definitely increased over the year, that numb feeling has occurred only a handful of days in the last 6 months but only during those bad downswings, and even then it's not as bad as it used to be. I also don't get that jittery anxiety attack from coffee anymore. If I really think about it I'm sure there's other minor symptoms that have resolved themselves, but I don't wanna waste too much time rambling. At the risk of jinxing myself I think the only two things I have left to achieve are stronger erections and higher libido. All my sleep, digestive, energy, memory etc. symptoms are fine now.

    For anyone wondering these are the 14 herbs I cycle: Horny Goat Weed, Mucuna, Catuaba Bark, Schisandra, Pine Pollen Powder, Ashwaganda, Black Ant, Tonkat Ali, Goji Berry, Cistanche, Shilajit, Tribulus, Cordyceps and Rhodiola.
    I also take a multi vitamin and Vitamin D daily, Fish Oil on days I don't eat fish, probiotic pill daily, L Citruline and L Glutamine on gym days, vitamin c powder daily, glycine and magnesium occasionally for sleep, and l theanine occasionally with my coffee.
    Use the bathmate 3-4 times a week, try to meditate for 10 minutes halfway through my workday, eat paleo and carb backload, workout 5 days a week, and take a couple of cold showers a week.
    Pretty sure I'm done with tweaking my regime. MAYBE in a couple more months if I'm looking to modify some more I may add Royal Jelly and He Shou Wu to my herb rotation. HSW seems to be a staple in most guy's rotation, not sure why I never picked that one!

    Sorry for such a long post! I just figured if I'm not gonna post as often anymore I should word vomit as much as I could lol

  8. #58
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    One more thing I forgot to mention. I did intermittent fasting for 14 months but recently stopped. I was very strict with it, doing a minimum 16 hour fast every day, sometimes 20 hours. I definitely believe there are great benefits to it. However, as a naturally skinny person already, I was just losing too much weight from it. Going into it I was already a little underweight, and then 14 months later I was down another 14 pounds. So while I definitely believe in the benefits, I think for now I should just get back to a regular eating schedule. I do still find myself unintentionally going 16 hours though on random days when work is just too hectic and I forget to eat breakfast. But it's no longer a daily thing for me.

  9. #59
    Established Member Feedback Score 0 AltRoute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by flamingpie View Post
    Hey guys sorry I havent been given an update in a while. I'm just trying to avoid the forums while I go through the protocol and live my life. But last week was my 1 year anniversary of starting the protocol 100%, so I figured now's a good time to give an update.
    Just to clarify, I've been doing the protocol for a year now, but I've had PFS for 13 years. Urghh I get so mad at myself for waiting so long before putting in the work, but no point in dwelling on the past. Sooooo a year into the protocol. Am I recovered completely? No not yet. But am I doing better than I was before I started? Hell yes.
    My last update was in March, and since then I've had a few ups and downs. The entire month of April was pretty great, it felt like all my symptoms were close to resolved except for my low libido. Then May brought a nasty downswing. But now for the last 2 weeks I've been feeling pretty fantastic.
    I don't visit the forums often anymore cuz there's nothing left to learn, I'm just riding the waves as my body figures itself out. Just read the threads of users who've recovered if you're looking for some reassurance. It's comforting to see recovery stories where they spent like 2 years on the protocol, and seeing that they also saw the ups and downs before getting that permanent baseline.

    I did learn two big things in the last month that I think have really helped me get back on track. First, DONT NEGLECT YOUR GUT HEALTH. Seriously, take your probiotic daily, eat your kimchi, drink your kefir, take an ACV shot in the mornings etc. I notice that when I start neglecting these things my progress gets a little hindered. The second thing I learned is that daily pine pollen is just not for me lol. I'm so jealous, because the way people talk it sounds like a miracle herb. I've been taking it as part of my 14 herb rotation, but whenever I try to take it daily, or even semi daily, even at a low dose, I get these awful side effects. If you've read my thread from the beginning you probably saw me talk about this last year. This was my fourth attempt at incorporating it daily and I get the same nasty reaction, even when I load up on potassium as suggested. Oh well, still seeing great progress regardless.

    So while I'm not fully recovered yet, there are a lot of symptoms that I believe are 100% gone. Hourglass dick, poor sleep, infrequent bowel movements, lack of energy....all of those symptoms have been completely gone for months. I wake up with morning wood 80% of the time, my libido has definitely increased over the year, that numb feeling has occurred only a handful of days in the last 6 months but only during those bad downswings, and even then it's not as bad as it used to be. I also don't get that jittery anxiety attack from coffee anymore. If I really think about it I'm sure there's other minor symptoms that have resolved themselves, but I don't wanna waste too much time rambling. At the risk of jinxing myself I think the only two things I have left to achieve are stronger erections and higher libido. All my sleep, digestive, energy, memory etc. symptoms are fine now.

    For anyone wondering these are the 14 herbs I cycle: Horny Goat Weed, Mucuna, Catuaba Bark, Schisandra, Pine Pollen Powder, Ashwaganda, Black Ant, Tonkat Ali, Goji Berry, Cistanche, Shilajit, Tribulus, Cordyceps and Rhodiola.
    I also take a multi vitamin and Vitamin D daily, Fish Oil on days I don't eat fish, probiotic pill daily, L Citruline and L Glutamine on gym days, vitamin c powder daily, glycine and magnesium occasionally for sleep, and l theanine occasionally with my coffee.
    Use the bathmate 3-4 times a week, try to meditate for 10 minutes halfway through my workday, eat paleo and carb backload, workout 5 days a week, and take a couple of cold showers a week.
    Pretty sure I'm done with tweaking my regime. MAYBE in a couple more months if I'm looking to modify some more I may add Royal Jelly and He Shou Wu to my herb rotation. HSW seems to be a staple in most guy's rotation, not sure why I never picked that one!

    Sorry for such a long post! I just figured if I'm not gonna post as often anymore I should word vomit as much as I could lol
    Congrats man! For the probiotic pill what brand have you been using ? I was on and off on it in the beginning but never was consistent w the probiotics

  10. #60
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    Quote Originally Posted by flamingpie View Post
    One more thing I forgot to mention. I did intermittent fasting for 14 months but recently stopped. I was very strict with it, doing a minimum 16 hour fast every day, sometimes 20 hours. I definitely believe there are great benefits to it. However, as a naturally skinny person already, I was just losing too much weight from it. Going into it I was already a little underweight, and then 14 months later I was down another 14 pounds. So while I definitely believe in the benefits, I think for now I should just get back to a regular eating schedule. I do still find myself unintentionally going 16 hours though on random days when work is just too hectic and I forget to eat breakfast. But it's no longer a daily thing for me.
    Well done, reading your thread with interest and hoping you make it to the finish line now.

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