Anavar for Weight Loss (Fat Loss): How Much Will You Lose?
Disclaimer: The following article is for educational purposes only and does not promote the use of illegal steroids. If you have any questions or concerns, Dr. Touliatos is currently available for consultation.
Anavar (Oxandrolone) is an anabolic steroid used by both men and women to simultaneously build muscle and burn fat (1).
We deem Anavar’s anabolic (muscle-building) properties to be moderate and thus not equal to bulking steroids that build large amounts of muscle.
However, we have found Anavar’s lipolytic (fat-burning properties) to be potent compared to other anabolic steroids, which is why many men and women cycle it when cutting.
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Subcutaneous and Visceral Fat Loss
Anavar is a unique anabolic steroid when it comes to fat loss, as it burns both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat (2).
Subcutaneous fat is essentially adipose tissue that accumulates externally (around a person’s midsection) and is visible to the naked eye.
However, visceral fat is located nearer the internal organs and cannot be seen, although high levels can push out the stomach, causing a bloated or protruding appearance.
Anecdotally, we see many anabolic steroids decrease subcutaneous fat but increase visceral fat.
This is why many bodybuilders can appear lean with low body fat levels yet possess a large waist, typically referred to as a steroid gut.
Anavar, however, has the opposite effect, creating a notably smaller waist. This happens due to Anavar’s positive effects on insulin resistance and triiodothyronine (T3) levels (3); increasing the breakdown of fatty acids and speeding up the metabolism.
Due to Anavar’s anabolic (muscle-building) effects, we find it often does not cause any weight loss on the scales.
However, Anavar will cause significant amounts of fat loss, particularly in stubborn areas.
Thus, the best way to monitor results with Anavar is to take pictures rather than track weight or BMI, as such readings can be deceptive. Many Anavar users thus lose fat yet gain weight.
In one study, older men took 20 mg/day of Anavar, which produced 4 pounds of fat loss over 12 weeks (4). This is a sizeable amount of fat loss, considering these men were sedentary and not in a calorie deficit.
Thus, for maximum results when taking Anavar, users should perform regular weight lifting or cardiovascular exercise, which is likely to increase this figure closer to 10 pounds of fat loss over a 12-week period. This may not sound like much weight, but visually, this can make a dramatic difference to a person’s appearance.
Furthermore, there are other factors that can influence the degree of fat loss on Anavar, such as genetics, training intensity, nutrition, dosage, and cycle length.
Someone who trains hard on Anavar will amplify the fat-burning effects of this steroid, as will a person who eats in a small calorie deficit (-500).
The dosage of Anavar will also play a role in fat loss, with low dosages having less of an effect.
However, it is worth noting that high dosages of Anavar may not burn significantly more fat than a moderate dosage. In our experience, there is a cut-off limit for diminishing returns, where only side effects increase (and not results). Thus, it is not advised to take dosages over 20 mg/day for men and 10 mg/day for women.
Diligent users will stick to moderate dosages, resulting in significant fat loss and minimal side effects.
For Men
The above dosages are tailored for beginners who have not used Anavar before.
Once novices have built up a level of tolerance to Anavar, they can start cycles at 20 mg/day and increase the duration to 8 weeks.
Anavar has a short half-life of 9.4–10.4 hours; thus, we often see bodybuilders take 2 x 10mg dosages per day—once in the morning and the other in the evening. This will maintain peak serum testosterone levels rather than experiencing fluctuations from infrequent dosing.
This will effectively maximize results (fat loss) and minimize side effects.
Note: When on 15 mg/day, bodybuilders will commonly use a pill cutter to split a 10mg pill in half.
For Women
Women should not take more than 10 mg/day, as we find the risk of developing virilization side effects increases beyond this dose.
Therefore, sticking to a cautious yet effective dose (specified in the table above) will retain women’s femininity while producing significant fat loss.
This anonymous Anavar user lost a significant amount of fat while increasing muscle definition. Furthermore, he appears to have gained some muscle, albeit not exceptional amounts (as he has previously taken other more potent steroids in the past, thus limiting his muscle-building potential compared to a beginner).
This female user has experienced significant fat loss after just 5 weeks of taking 10 mg/day of Anavar. This is a prime example of how Anavar does not cause weight loss, as she has actually gained 2kg, although she is noticeably leaner, especially in her abdominal area.
Anavar’s positive effects on muscle gain, fat loss, and strength aren’t without cost. Although Anavar is one of the mildest and ‘safest‘ steroids based on our tests, adverse reactions can still occur.
Firstly, a user’s aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzymes will rise (5), signifying hepatic stress (liver inflammation).
Generally, our patients’ liver enzymes regulate back to normal post-cycle. However, individuals taking Anavar with already compromised liver function is a potentially dangerous scenario. Thus, users should get a checkup with regard to their hepatic health before taking Anavar (or any oral steroid).
We also record Anavar causing shifts in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, increasing the risk of hypertension and myocardial infarction (6).
We consider Anavar’s cardiovascular risk to be mild compared to other, more potent steroids. However, for users with existing high blood pressure or those genetically susceptible to heart disease, taking Anavar may not be suitable.
Anavar will also suppress endogenous testosterone, causing a state of hypogonadism post-cycle. This typically recovers in a matter of weeks post-cycle; however, abuse of Anavar may lead to long-term testosterone deficiency.
Anavar, however, is FDA-approved for medicinal purposes, indicating its mild nature and relative safety when taken in therapeutic dosages under expert supervision.
Anavar can be stacked with other anabolic steroids for enhanced fat loss. However, if users are looking to maintain low levels of visceral fat, Clenbuterol may be a more suitable option (as many anabolic steroids can cause a bloated look to the abdominal region).
Clenbuterol is a sympathomimetic amine that stimulates thermogenesis, thus dramatically raising a person’s metabolism.
The benefit of such a stack will be enhanced fat loss and greater muscle definition. The downside of stacking Clenbuterol with Anavar is increased cardiovascular risk, as Clenbuterol significantly raises the heart rate (due to higher levels of epinephrine). As a consequence of this cardiac reaction, we have had patients experience heart arrhythmia from Clenbuterol use.
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Over the last 20 years, Dr. O’Connor has successfully treated thousands of men who have taken anabolic steroids, SARMs, and other PEDs, giving him first-hand experience of their effects. Board-certified MD since 2005.
