![Fitness model and menswear designer Weston Boucher poses in two photos – one taken in 2020 before starting TRT and one in 2022 after nearly 2 years of hormone therapy](https://oponame.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Before-and-after-photo-shows-what-happened-when-42-year-old-model.jpeg)
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A 42-year-old man said testosterone therapy helped him build muscle and restore his mood and energy.
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But as a former fitness model, he said it didn’t match his former peak physique.
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He said hormone therapy has drawbacks such as water weight gain, hair loss, cost and time commitment.
Weston Boucher, a 42-year-old menswear designer and model, said testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, helped restore his energy, improve his mental health and gain more than five pounds of muscle , but he thinks he looked better before the treatment.
Despite benefits such as better energy and mental health, he wished he had waited longer before trying TRT, Boucher previously told Insider.
“I want guys to be careful because it’s not a magic pill,” he said in a follow-up interview.
One result was more muscle mass and an easier time maintaining it. But he’s also gained water weight and his overall physique isn’t up to par with his previous peak, he said.
“I don’t really train to build muscle right now, it just stays that way,” Boucher said. “But that didn’t translate into my perception of what lean muscle looks like.”
A lifelong health-conscious athlete, Boucher said careful diet and exercise did more for his physique than hormones, and the main benefits were not related to the mirror but to his mental and physical well-being. .
He said the process of adjusting to hormones, including coping with rising estrogen levels, has been long, difficult and expensive, and anyone considering treatment should be aware of the commitment involved. .
TRT can help treat symptoms in men who have imbalanced hormones
Many men can show clear symptoms of low testosterone, but if their hormone levels were high enough to begin with, a decrease might not match the current low testosterone norm, says Dr. Ananias C. Diokno, urologist, to Insider.
It’s a good idea to test early and know your testosterone levels before age 30 to detect if a big drop could cause problems, Diokno said.
Boucher initially started TRT after experiencing common signs of low testosterone, including loss of libido, brain fog, depression, and fatigue, as well as difficulty maintaining muscle and strength.
The most dramatic benefits were relief from his long-term depression, improved energy and libido, and improved performance in the gym.
Testosterone therapy does not replace diet and exercise
Although there may be cosmetic changes with hormone therapy, it is primarily a tool, with proper medical care, to improve overall health and well-being. Boucher cautioned against men simply using it to gain more muscle and strength without focusing on lifestyle first.
“Switching to any synthetic before dieting and exercising is a huge risk and, in my opinion, will lead to regrets,” he said. “Never underestimate the power of the human body and our biology. When you give the body what it needs, it can understand a lot.”
Boucher said his peak physique was when he was 36 to 40, after years of thorough workouts and strict, low-fat diets to build a lean, muscular look. He has since prioritized health instead.
“I knew it wasn’t healthy or sustainable,” he said. “Now I look at diet much more for general well-being than for a blanket.”
![Model Weston Boucher circa 2018, posing shirtless against a white background with clearly defined muscles](https://oponame.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/1666319472_918_Before-and-after-photo-shows-what-happened-when-42-year-old-model.jpeg)
Adjusting to hormone therapy takes time and side effects can include hair loss
TRT can cause a series of complex changes in the body, including a change in the levels of other hormones. Boucher said it also increased her estrogen levels — a common side effect.
To cope, he said he had to take other supplements and be particularly careful with his diet, in addition to adjusting the TRT treatment over time.
Other side effects have included hair loss and testicular shrinkage.
“Until your hormone levels are balanced, it doesn’t matter if you have really healthy test levels,” he said. “Know that you’re taking this long list of things to counter the side effects. People have to realize that level of commitment.”
Read the original Insider article
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