Quit the alcohol and in a month you will feel better all the time all the way around...trust me

Personal experience tells me the two don’t mix at all and will hurt eventually. Stay healthy

Man cannot serve 2 masters!

..... but weekends involve staying out late (2–3am), drinking, and occasional cheat meals. Weight loss has stalled

.... concerned for muscle loss since alcohol + calorie deficit + sleep disturbance.....On a beach day in the sun I look pudgy.

Could have saved typing a paragraph as you answered your own questions.

It’s either you want the physique you dream about having, or you cave to your emotions like a pussy.

Choose one or another and go for that. There is no having both at the same time.

Why do you need alcohol? Get rid of that shit nothing good about it. Your gains will suffer and everyone I know who drinks that shit has a gut. If you are spending money on gear and trying to get your physique looking good you have to be disciplined and that means cutting out shit food and alcohol.
Now let me give you a pointer, just because you take gear that does not mean you are going to look good, you still have to put in all the hard work at the gym with a clean diet. All gear does is let you get results a little quicker than natural but it still requires the work.

P.S. I do not see any physique photos so have no clue what you look like.

When I started on my journey to stop being a fat fuck I was dialed in M-F, but then would drink Friday and Saturday. After a few weeks I realized that it was hindering my progress almost completely. I would lose weight during the week, but on Monday I would be back where I started the week prior. I was taking in over 2000 calories from alcohol and then also extra BS food I would eat. I cut out alcohol completely and I have not looked back. Now my progress has been much more consisent.

Alcohol has 7 calories per gram and does not do anything for you. It also stops your body from burning fat because it now has to process this poisen in your body. It is also really bad when it comes to visceral fat and is hard on your organs.

I had drank for years and years on Friday and Saturday so the first couple weekends was difficult. Every Friday I would count down until 5 o'clock to go buy a 12 back. Now it doesn't even enter my mind. My labs have also seen a great improvement not only from losing weight, but also not ingesting all that alcohol.

Just drop it completely. It will also save you money to spend on food, supplements, and gear.

why are you on TRT at 25?
Those weekends will fuck you completely

Being serious enough to take gear but not serious enough to not drink is hilarious

Also I don’t really see what you are trying to say when stating your test levels. Test/gear does not dial you in by itself. Someone not drinking on weekends and being dialed through all days a week will cut better even if the other person is on more gear. I love seeing the rude awakening and realization that gear/higher test level alone does not build an impressive physique. It enhances what you’re doing

Fuck alcohol.
It fucking sucks.
It fucks up everything.
If you’re going to drink, don’t do steroids.

Alcohol will 100% fuck up progress no matter the goal. If you need to drink every single weekend when you have a set goal, do some self reflection.
Empty ass calories for no gain (at least real food will have benefits) and hindered protein synthesis.
Pick what you want the most. If you want to enjoy your summer of course, go for it. But don’t think you’re gonna hit your actual potential. No one built a great physique drinking and eating wherever on weekends. Will it destroy ALL progress? No, even 1 day of being dialed in a week is better than 0. Will it significantly hinder where you are trying to be? Yes.
@Tulane81 said it best. Pick what you are trying to do

This is not a judgement or anything. It's just that the "feel" of this post is kind of diluted. "I want this, and that, and also this too, but maybe I could do that instead", etc. Like I said, not a judgement. I have been there way too often, but it has never done me any favors. Laser focus on whatever you want is the best way to get it. My guess is that you know the answer, but you were hoping folks would say that no sleep, plenty of alcohol, and waiting until later is a great plan, lol. We are all human brother. Decide what you really want most and go after it 100 percent! Best of luck.

What is your diet when you are keeping it? Where are your macros? Are you tracking and weighing? If you’re disciplined M-F and holding yourself to a strict 1600kcal diet, it is very, very easy to fuck all that up with 6 beers and a plate of bar nachos…

Calculate your weekly calorie intake, including weekends when the wheels come off and divide by 7. You might find you have to cut hard into your weekday calories to accommodate weekend excesses.

You answered your own question: “ I'm strict with diet and cardio Monday through Friday, but weekends involve staying out late (2–3am), drinking, and occasional cheat meals. Weight loss has stalled.”

Is it necessary to go on the dry to achieve what most people consider “lean”? No. But it is necessary if you want to be truly shredded.

That said, if you’re binge drinking and eating like an ass every weekend, you’re probably ingesting a huge surplus of calories that you’ll never be able to truly outwork, thus throwing yourself into an endless loop of maintenance through the weeks highs and lows.

But that’s just cosmetics, whatever is happening under the hood - with your vitals - is another topic altogether.

Any will ruin progress.

Are you getting blood work done? I’d be more worried about health markers than a stall in weight loss.

TRT a 25? ouch

As an addict/alcoholic... its all relative to the person, the amount you drink, how often etc.
I think its good discipline to remain abstinent when on cycle and just focus on the cycle. Personally... im the worst example. I dont practice what I preach. Ive probably shaved years off my life living fast. I advise ppl not to do what I do. I believe in treating yourself. If you need to let off steam and have some drinks one night... I tend to think a day wasted is actually 2 wasted. Youre 2 days behind where you could be if you hadnt drank for 1 day.

I tend to spend the late fall through late spring strict wirh my diet. Stricter than I am in the summer. I like to run low dose test/primo all summer. I'll have a beer with dinner a couple times a week. Ill have drinks on the weekend. Maybe 3 times Ill go to a concert/show and not set any rules/boundaries for the night/weekend.

I cant really helps ya decide which route you should take with that though. How about ya try to maintain as much discipline the entire way through and treat yourself when you need to? Thats not an option?

If you're drinking alcohol bro you're in the wrong game here

These questions I feel like deep down we know the answers too.

One offs are fine and you get back on track, but consistently straying away from our goals will always stall progress significantly.

If you love the weekend that much just understand it will hurt your weight loss goal, but that’s not a bad thing if you’ve decided partying and enjoying the weekend is what you would rather prioritize.

A lot of guys on here will come off as hardos that never stray and there for sure are some freaks that truly live the lifestyle 24/7 365. For most people though it’s choosing to prioritize your goals and accepting the one offs, but like I said earlier if you want the partying more that’s okay too, just know that you won’t achieve your other goals as quickly.

Fuck the alcohol, cutting that out will make your cut easier and make you feel better. Don’t need alcohol to have fun

If you cant abstain, then you dont want it bad enough. What does alcohol add to your life?

The terms cut & alcohol consumption do not go together. It's as simple as that.

If your goal is to get shredded, I don’t think the issue is your TRT dose or whether you cut now versus September. Based on what you wrote, your biggest obstacle is your weekends.

You’re disciplined Monday through Friday, then you undo a lot of that with late nights, alcohol, and cheat meals. Five good days followed by two poor ones can absolutely erase the calorie deficit you built during the week.

Also, 1500 ng/dL isn’t really “TRT” anymore. If adding hCG pushed you that high, I’d work with your doctor to adjust the testosterone dose rather than just accepting supraphysiologic levels. More testosterone isn’t going to compensate for inconsistent nutrition and recovery.

I’d also be careful about expecting to look “shredded” after only a month if you’re still carrying noticeable love handles. Fat loss takes time, and there’s no shortcut around sustained consistency.

If I were in your shoes, I’d pick one goal:

Enjoy summer: Maintain your weight, train hard, keep protein high, and try to reduce the weekend damage (drink less, get more sleep, don’t turn every weekend into a free-for-all). Then commit to an 8-12 week cut in the fall.
Get lean now: Accept that this means treating weekends like weekdays for the next 6-8 weeks. You don’t have to avoid every social event, but alcohol, poor sleep, and cheat meals have to become the exception instead of the plan.

Finally, I’d ask why you’re on TRT at 25. Unless you have documented hypogonadism, lifelong testosterone replacement is a significant commitment. And if the goal is simply looking better, diet, training, and recovery will move the needle far more than increasing testosterone from 1100 to 1500 ng/dL.