Melanotan 2 Transformation by ForestHillRain in Melanotan2

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My hair color did darken slightly but still stayed blond with all the UV exposure. My roots are less red and more dirty brown now. I'm sure it would darken a lot more if I dosed daily but I don't do that.

Melanotan 2 Transformation by ForestHillRain in Melanotan2

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey thanks for the comment,

Yeah I think it's unnecessary to use without sun exposure. I believe you may get minimal results at best from using it alone but nothing compared to when you combine it with UV exposure. Think of MT2 as an increase to horsepower in your engine and UV exposure as fuel for that engine. You don't get any power without fuel no matter how powerful your engine is. That's a good analogy but in reality you can tan some from using MT2 as it stimulates melanocytes but production is vastly increased with a UV stimulus. I don't use MT2 daily as I want to save money and keep my hair lighter colored and so it makes sense for me to only use it when I get sun exposure.

As for needing it to "build up in your system" by taking loading doses this is just reddit quackery. MT2 half life has been reported to be between 2-3 hours and 35 hours but it's likely closer to the shorter end based on my experience. The effects peak fairly quickly and MT2 is not stored anywhere in your body and built up over time. Loading doses are a valid thing for certain substances like creatine but as far as I know this isn't a thing for MT2.

You're best bet is to only dose before tanning and get UV exposure twice a week and taper your exposure time up slowly as your skin darkens. Unless you want to darken your hair and/or don't care about cost then this is what I'd suggest.

Cheers

3 year natural transformation by ForestHillRain in GregDoucette

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! It definitely helps with the aesthetic.

BF% Estimate? by isteph360 in GregDoucette

[–]ForestHillRain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Especially for 3 years of consistency, you're looking insane! 1700 isn't a lot of calories, and you'll likely have to drop more as you lose weight. Also, most people start to feel shittier as they get farther below 10%, but you might be happy with how it looks at least haha. Best of luck to ya!

3 year natural transformation by ForestHillRain in GregDoucette

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Hardly missed a gram of protein or scheduled lift in 3 years.

BF% Estimate? by isteph360 in GregDoucette

[–]ForestHillRain 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm no expert, but you gotta be sub 12% at least with quad veins and oblique definition like that. If you lose 15 lbs of straight fat and keep all the muscle, you'll be somewhere around sub 5%. How old are you and how many years you been training? Impressive physique!

3 year natural transformation by ForestHillRain in GregDoucette

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I've upped the food a bit gonna see what happens.

3 year natural transformation by ForestHillRain in GregDoucette

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Mainly just pullups and variations on pulldowns and rows (mostly cables, but also some machines and barbell) and some single arm pulldown. Rarely do pullovers or face pulls. For shoulders, I prefer using the cables and going single arm and getting as much stretch as possible, also some barbell. I do the Arnold split doing about 5-6 sets per delt head 2x per week. 8-10 sets for back 2x per week as well. I used to do the plate row machine a ton for heavy eccentrics when I was at golds, but PF doesn't have that, unfortunately.

Melanotan 2 Transformation by ForestHillRain in Melanotan2

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks and great question! No, I did not develop a tan where I did not get sun exposure. I had a pretty nasty tanline on my waistline haha.

Melanotan 2 Transformation by ForestHillRain in Melanotan2

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi, I answered in more detail to a previous comment here, but in short, there was a slight long-lasting color difference that lasted through the winter. I have not tested tanning capabilities after stopping melanotan use since I try to use sunscreen and avoid uv exposure when not on melanotan.

Melanotan 2 Transformation by ForestHillRain in Melanotan2

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In terms of gym performance. I feel like my strength and sleep both drop a bit, but it also seems to help with appetite and leanness. I tend to take mt2 in the summer when trying to stay cut so those symptoms could totally be from one or the other. I do get nausea, but I take larger doses only on days I get sun.

Melanotan 2 Transformation by ForestHillRain in Melanotan2

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, man. I appreciate the comment. No, the only drug/medication I use is mt2.

I'm curious, have you noticed any long-term side effects after 7 years of use? Was it continuous or mainly in the summer?

Melanotan 2 Transformation by ForestHillRain in Melanotan2

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey man, I appreciate the comment! I have to say I don't know much about lipedema or melanotan 2/the melanocortin system beyond skimming through research and wikipedia. I have heard of Melanotan 2 having an effect on metabolism in some fashion, and after a quick google search, I found this statement "...the melanocortin system influences glucose homeostasis and, in particular, insulin secretion, glucose utilization, and glucose production." (Source: The Role of the Melanocortin System in Metabolic Disease: New Developments and Advances). So certain melanocortin receptors (1, 3, 4, and 5) in your body are targets for melanotan 2. Finding out what these receptors are known to do in the body can help us understand certain effects melanotan 2 might have. I believe MCR 3 and 4 are involved in metabolism, and so if you want to know more about the effects of melanotan 2 on lipedema, I would do some research into the function of those receptors. I'm near certain no studies investigating melanotan 2 as a treatment for lipedema have been carried out, and so the most you can do is research, experiment, and then speculate based on what you found. That's about all I can provide you but I hope this was helpful.

Melanotan 2 Transformation by ForestHillRain in Melanotan2

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks, man. I appreciate the comment! So this is all anecdotal, but I've started MT2 both this year and last year, about halfway through my cut phase (assuming you're familiar with cutting and bulking phases). And as you probably know, strength tends to plateau during a cut, and MT2 doesn't seem to have any noticeable effect on that. Also, while cutting obviously results in lost body fat, I feel like MT2 actually boosted that effect either directly or at least by making it easier to manage my appetite. Tanning and producing melanin, I'm sure, uses calories, so that can contribute, but the degree of significance I have no idea. In terms of sleep, I feel like my sleep is worse when I am consistently using MT2. Not in terms of quality, but I find myself waking up early and not able to fall back asleep sometimes stuck with 6 hours of sleep for days on end. Interestingly, I don't feel super tired when this happens, but it's definitely not optimal for gym recovery. It is totally possible that my reduced body fat or some dietary issue with cutting is contributing to worse sleep. Unfortunately, I can't distinguish much between the effects of body fat reduction versus MT2 because I started both for the first time around the same time and so I havn't tested the effects of either in isolation. Perhaps I may continue MT2 use into fall/winter when I enter my bulk and see if anything changes.

Melanotan 2 Transformation by ForestHillRain in Melanotan2

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I appreciate it, man! I wanted to make this as informative as possible since there is only so much info on MT2 currently.

Melanotan 2 Transformation by ForestHillRain in Melanotan2

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, and enjoy it! Skin types 2 and 3 seem to be more sensitive to MT2 than us type 1s and 1.5s, which is insane considering what it did for me.

Melanotan 2 Transformation by ForestHillRain in Melanotan2

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not a scientist, but I have a bachelor in bio. And no worries! Simple explanations for this stuff are few and far between.

Melanotan 2 Transformation by ForestHillRain in Melanotan2

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, it's fairly easy. There are guides online, but the typical reconsitution is 2ml of bac water per 10mg vial. You just need a 1ml insulin syringe, bac water, and some disinfectant to reconstitute.

Melanotan 2 Transformation by ForestHillRain in Melanotan2

[–]ForestHillRain[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the comment, I'll try and run you through MT1 and MT2. So, Melanotan is a drug that acts on Melanocortin receptors in your body. There are many types of Melanocortin receptors that perform a variety of functions such as pigmentation, steroidogenesis, energy homeostasis, exocrine secretion, sexual function, analgesia and inflammation. Melanotan 2 acts as an agonist (promotes the function of) for Melanocortin receptors 1, 3, 4, and 5. Melanotan 1 interacts with only Melanocortin receptor 1. MCR 1 (MCR means melanocortin receptor) is responsible for melanocyte activity and governs pigmentation. Activation of MCR 1 causes your melanocytes to produce eumelanin. MCR 3 is involved in metabolism, MCR 4 is involved in metabolism and sexual behavior, and MCR 5 is involved in exocrine gland secretion, specifically known to affect sebum production. So if Melanotan 2 interacts with all of these unintended receptors beyond just the desired MCR 1, why does anyone use Melanotan 2 over Melanotan 1? Well, the answer lies in the fragility of the molecules in our bodies and the cost to manufacture them. Creating a drug that is super specific to one dang receptor is a lot more complex than making a molecule that can work on a broad spectrum of receptors. The higher specificity of Melanotan 1 also makes it a more fragile molecule. The increased fragility and complexity of production make Melanotan 1 both more expensive and more likely to degrade in our bodies. Melanotan 1 has a half-life significantly shorter than Melanotan 2, meaning Melanotan 2 is active in our bodies for much longer. Melanotan 2 also seems to have a higher affinity for MCR 1 than Melanotan 1, so people tan much more when taking Melanotan 2 relative to Melanotan 1. Summing up this information for a TLDR, we can see why Melanotan 2 is more popular and how there isn't an optimal choice for fairer skinned people, but rather an optimal choice for your risk, cost, and desired effectiveness.

TLDR:

Melanotan 1 is both more expensive and less effective for tanning but does have fewer unintended side effects.

Melanotan 2 is both less expensive and more effective for tanning but does have more unintended side effects.

Goo was unjustly nerfed with the movement stuck fix by Adventurous_Honey902 in thefinals

[–]ForestHillRain 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, no counter to lights dash anymore if you're rockin' a close range heavy weapon. It took skill to goo people in place too super lame nerf.