Calorie deficit - how big?

[Kraken]

How big of a calorie deficit do you guys eat on a DNP run? Last time I did it, I ate 800 calories daily, mostly protein. I don't think I can do that again...

 

[Trump]

I eat maintenance on dnp

 

[Jin]

For what length of time?

 

[Robdjents]

800? End of day one I would have migraines eating that little..regardless if on anything or not

 

[creekrat]

DNP is muscle sparing so I would stay at maintenance like Trump or just a slight, 20% max, deficit depending on what your goal is.

 

[Kraken]

For what length of time?

Planning a 30 day run, depending upon how well it goes.

 

[Kraken]

Okay thanks guys, slight deficit it is. I'm stocking up on my pineapple and PowerAde Zero.

 

[Adrenolin]

I'd run 50mcg t3 with the dnp if you want the best effect, will help to keep you from feeling half dead (from lethargy) on dnp as well.

Calories I'd keep close to maintenance if you're not on any AAS for the run.

 

[Kraken]

Sadly I don't have time to source the T3. I sold my house, and I'm planning to move in with my GF and I don't want her to know anything about this. So I have about 30 days..

 

[Trump]

why would she need to know even if you lived together?

Sadly I don't have time to source the T3. I sold my house, and I'm planning to move in with my GF and I don't want her to know anything about this. So I have about 30 days..

 

[Kraken]

why would she need to know even if you lived together?

Well I would think she'll notice the wet bed when we wake up... Although if I just do 200mg / day maybe the sides will be very mild.

 

[Trump]

the bed won’t be wet at all at that dose you will just have a warm glow

Well I would think she'll notice the wet bed when we wake up... Although if I just do 200mg / day maybe the sides will be very mild.

 

[Adrenolin]

Sounds like the start of a bad relationship if you can't be honest with your girlfriend imo. I honestly don't think you'll get the results you're probably hoping for with only a single run on dnp at only 200mg. I'd bet you'd get better results from splitting it into 2, 10 day cycles. 10 days at 400mg dnp daily, break for a week, and then another run... and even then I wouldn't expect to lose more than 10lbs max.

 

[dragon1952]

I've done two runs recently, one for 11 days at 200mg x 3, 400mg x 4 and 600mg x4 and then I took a week off and am now in day 13 of 400mg/day. I lost 6 lbs on the first run and now close to 7 lbs on the second, so that's ~13lbs over 23 days, but I've had to eat at around a 300-400 cal deficit to do that. The few days I have eaten more than that it seems I put a lb back on :^ /

 

[MrRippedZilla]

50%. Same as it would be without the DNP. Not for the faint of heart but I've always been pretty robotic about this stuff.

I'd have to strongly disagree on the idea of adding a catabolic drug (T3) into the mix. If lack of energy becomes a problem then you can drop the dose to a more tolerable level while extending the length of the cycle, reduce training volume, or go for the plethora of other more direct energy boosters (like simple old caffeine). Plenty of better options available outside of T3.

 

[creekrat]

I've done two runs recently, one for 11 days at 200mg x 3, 400mg x 4 and 600mg x4 and then I took a week off and am now in day 13 of 400mg/day. I lost 6 lbs on the first run and now close to 7 lbs on the second, so that's ~13lbs over 23 days, but I've had to eat at around a 300-400 cal deficit to do that. The few days I have eaten more than that it seems I put a lb back on :^ /

Depending on what exactly you're eating and where you are in your cycle, it could very well be water weight. Higher sodium content and foods that contain more water in them will make you retain a little more.

 

[Adrenolin]

50%. Same as it would be without the DNP. Not for the faint of heart but I've always been pretty robotic about this stuff.

I'd have to strongly disagree on the idea of adding a catabolic drug (T3) into the mix. If lack of energy becomes a problem then you can drop the dose to a more tolerable level while extending the length of the cycle, reduce training volume, or go for the plethora of other more direct energy boosters (like simple old caffeine). Plenty of better options available outside of T3.

Welcome back.

I wouldn't expect 2x 10 day cycles of t3 at 50mcg/dnp@400 to amount to very much of a catabolic muscle wasting effect at all.. or even the 30 days straight through. Curious to your thoughts...how catabolic are the effects of t3 when using anti-catabolic agents like clen/tren with the dnp? I haven't ever noticed any... if there was, it was immeasurable to the eye.

 

[MrRippedZilla]

Welcome back.

I wouldn't expect 2x 10 day cycles of t3 at 50mcg/dnp@400 to amount to very much of a catabolic muscle wasting effect at all.. or even the 30 days straight through. Curious to your thoughts...how catabolic are the effects of t3 when using anti-catabolic agents like clen/tren with the dnp? I haven't ever noticed any... if there was, it was immeasurable to the eye.

Thank you.

The problem is inappropriate use in this context more than the dose per se. If the goal is to counter the lack of energy from DNP, why go for a catabolic option when you have plenty of non-catabolic ones? A replacement dose of DNP, which 50mcg would qualify as, is justified in some of scenarios (including long term dieting to counter the T4 > T3 conversion drop), but this ain't one of them.

The data shows that, ran solo, T3 is a catabolic monstrosity. I recall a study I posted years ago on a private forum that showed a 50/50 split between fat loss and muscle waste. I don't remember the exact breakdown but the number of lbs lost was bad enough to keep a sour taste in my mouth. I agree that when combined with anti-catabolic/anabolic compounds this impact is negligible. Although I don't think that's necessarily a justification for its use either.

To be clear, I can see T3 being used at a replacement level in certain contexts. I can never see it being used above replacement level doses ever. For the OP specifically, better options are available.

 

[Adrenolin]

Thank you.

The problem is inappropriate use in this context more than the dose per se. If the goal is to counter the lack of energy from DNP, why go for a catabolic option when you have plenty of non-catabolic ones? A replacement dose of DNP, which 50mcg would qualify as, is justified in some of scenarios (including long term dieting to counter the T4 > T3 conversion drop), but this ain't one of them.

To be clear, I can see T3 being used at a replacement level in certain contexts. I can never see it being used above replacement level doses ever. For the OP specifically, better options are available.

I can agree with that. Though I do associate the lethargy from dnp as a decline in thyroid function whilst on it. Increasing his iodine may work just as well to help with the conversion of t4>t3 while on DNP.
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/16/8/1026/2719251

 

[Kraken]

Sounds like the start of a bad relationship if you can't be honest with your girlfriend imo.

She would google DNP and after weeding through all the doctorate programs, find the horror stories and freak out.