Need Specific Help On Diet and Exercise

[Guest Wanderer89]

Before I start, I feel I have to make some apologies.

First of all, sorry if I've posted in the wrong forum. On the one hand, it seems to cover the issue I'm interested in, but on the other hand I'm neither transsexual nor transgendered. If the topic does belong to another forum, I kindly ask the moderators to move it.

Secondly, I apologize for not using the Search engine. Actually, I did use it, but the abundance of advice got me somewhat confused, and I also didn't find anything really comprehensive or directly applicable to me. The fact that I'm totally new to the issue of looking after my body only aggravates my confusion. So I felt I had to ask for help directly.

As I've already stated in my introduction, I'm a wannabe crossdresser. But before I start experimenting, I feel my body needs some improvement. You see, I'm just a bit on the plump side and still have some sad remnants of my summer attempts to "stay fit" - you can imagine what it looks like. The ultimate goal I've set before myself is to look like this:

Could anyone suggest where I should look for some comprehensive exercise and diet routines to achieve such a figure? I've never done anything but the basic "eating less and moving more", so I'm totally unfamiliar with all this. I will appreciate any possible help. Thank you.

Edited January 3, 2011 by Carolyn Marie
Video link deleted due to inappropriate content

[Guest Wanderer89]

Apologize for leaving an inappropriate link. Guess I still have to learn more about the rating system.

Anyway, my goal is to achieve a really slim body while not building any muscle. I understand that there must be lots of advice, I'm just looking for something more compiled.

[Carolyn Marie]

Here's a link to a helpful post with some feminization videos. Hopefully that will get you started.

http://www.lauras-playground.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15249

Carolyn Marie

[Carolyn Marie]

Apologize for leaving an inappropriate link. Guess I still have to learn more about the rating system.

Not a problem, hon. You're new here. Please read the Terms and Conditions so you know what all the rules are. There is a link near

the top of every page. Thanks.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest Wanderer89]

Not a problem, hon. You're new here. Please read the Terms and Conditions so you know what all the rules are. There is a link near

the top of every page. Thanks.

Carolyn Marie

Thanks, I will.

My problem is that I'm not actually wishing feminization. What I'd really like to achieve is a more slim and androgynous look (as opposed to the poorly-exercised masculine I have now). What effect will the techniques listed in the topic actually have on me (provided that I'm really determined in following them)?

[MaryEllen]

It appears that the video link mentioned is no longer active. Perhaps something may be found on this google page.

MaryEllen

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=weight+loss+videos&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=

[Guest Wanderer89]

I've found this workout in the thread provided:

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/isometric-exercises

Will it be good for me if I don't want a particularly feminine body?

Also, can anyone provide me with advice on diet? I suppose otherwise I'll be lost in the sheer number of suggested techniques.

[Guest MonikaC]

To get the best advice possible, you will need to see a nutritionist and a personal trainer. They will be able to take a lot more into consideration than others as that is what they do for a living.

That being said, here are my 11 simple rules I use to loose weight.

Rule #1: Cardio. It's not just for surviving the zombie apocalypse. A good Cardio routine will increase your metabolism while minimizing how much muscle is built.

Rule #2: Some muscle is good. Muscle requires more energy than fat in your body, thus increasing your basal metabolism (how many calories your body burns just being alive).

Rule #3: To help tone your muscles, when lifting weights, use a lighter weight and more repetitions.

Rule #4: The best weight loss regimens combine Cardio with some weight training.

Rule #5: Avoid fad diets like they are the plague. They will only set you up for failure.

Rule #6: When planning your meals (yes, it is best to plan in advance) there are things to remember. 1. Smaller portions, more often. I eat 5 small meals a day. This also helps increase your metabolism. 2. Vary what you eat. Your body needs a lit of different nutrients, and if you eat the same meals every week you probably aren't getting all you need. 3. Don't forget to treat yourself every now and then. 4. Take it easy on the simple carbohydrates such as sugar and processed grains.

Rule #7: Include Yoga, pilaties, or some other stretching exercise to your routine. This will help elongate your muscles and give them a more feminine appearance.

Rule #8: Remember to vary your workouts in activity, length and intensity. Don't let your body get used to what you are doing and you will see the rewards.

Rule #9: On the days you don't do as much as you would like or you eat too much remember that we are only human and will have days where things don't work out like we think they should, but tomorrow is a new day.

Rule #10: Weight loss is about lifestyle change. If you fall back into your old habits, you will gain back everything you list and then some.

Rule #11: Remember to love yourself how you are in each moment. Don't get caught up in the mindset of "if I could only loose 10 more pounds I will be happy wih myself", because you won't be happy.

I know that there isn't any specific advise on what exactly you should eat, or what exercise you should do. That's because only you know what foods you like and what exercise you enjoy. Use common sense and you will see the pounds fly off.

[Guest Elizabeth K]

I don't think the word 'diet' specifically applies to any of us, because we really want to sculpt our bodies, and maintain our ideal. Sometimes it is possible to achieve what we want, but sometimes we can only approximate it, and that is also important to understand. Anorexia can kill just like overeating is dangerous. Moderation in all things.

Well... there are probably thousands of ways to lose weight. Every person will have one that worked fairly well for them - some will tell you about spectacular results. But YMMV - your mileage may vary. That is a cliché' here. What it means is your body type is gonna set what you can do and what you cannot. THEN there is your lifestyle and your determination level. But remember, unfortunately, 'dieing" is a temporary thing causing 'temporary' results.

So what you need to do is simple - find a way of eating that also 'maintains' you where you want to be.

And all I have is my experience. And it is colored by the fact I have been on HRT for over two years, and have a woman's body chemistry and metabolism now. AND I will have that body chemistry and metabolism forever - my choice.

So I eat food - like everyone - to survive. I also eat food because I enjoy it - and don't really want to be fighting forever to be the size I want.

HUMMMMMM

Me? I am also very tall. BUT my bone structure is medium, to slightly small, (not much). And I have a medium active life, being in good heath, especially physically - and no dibilitory problems at age 63. So my food habits are tailored to that.

THE POINT?

'You' need to determine WHAT you can achieve within the limits you already have. That requires Internet research and trial, and error. What is a REASONABLE weight for you?

THEN you need to understand you are at taking your weight two ways - an actual 'lose weight' diet, and then a maintenance program to stay at what you want ... forever. YIKES

What you asked about was mainly the first part, the diet. But as you will see, they are somewhat tied together.

I lost about 36 pounds in about a year- wanting to lose male fat distribution, so any future gain would be female fat distribution. It is incorrectly said that there is a 'redistribution' when on HRT.

You aren't on HRT - so a simple dieting program will work better.

So principals of fairly rapid weight loss - never more than an AVERAGE of one pound a week - (as worked for me - your results may vary - you may have health problems that preclude some or all of this):

(1) TOTALLY cut out all empty calories - these are fast foods that are eaten for a tempo ray satisfaction of the hunger you feel - and these are usually junk foods. (Chips, dips and such - and especially sugared food, such as candy bars and snacks.)

The good new is it is easily done by just eating regular meals - NO SNACKS. But it also requires eating a real breakfast if that is what you do(NO cinnamon rolls - especially NO donuts or foods like that. Eliminate all sugars, which means cane, beet and corn sugars. NO soft drinks.

The bad news?

Oh my - are you ready? This means PERMANENTLY - for the rest of your life - NO soft drinks, NO snack foods, NO candy bars FOREVER. It seems extreme. Eliminating empty calories is what the slimmer people do, it is part of being on a 'healthy maintenance' food program - AND - if followed STRICTLY, you lose weight rather rapidly... and that weight will not come back.

AND - NEVER EVER CHEAT!

So - okay, you think... I can do that!

But did you see 'no sugar?" That gets complicated Ice cream and cake - NO! Pies - NO! And 90% of convenience foods - NO.

Which brings us to

(2) GENERALLY cut out carbohydrates. This is the more flexible step. The less carbohydrates you eat, the faster you lose weight. AND they also CAUSE weight 'regain', and pretty rapidly Carbohydrates are what make you gain ten pounds after the Christmas feast, its the potatoes and corn rather than the cake and ice cream, that does that - although most desserts also have carbohydrate as well as sugar.

Good news? It's easy to know what to eliminate - starchy vegetables, and breads. If the lose weight 'diet phase' is in effect, you know SOMEDAY you will again be able to eat carbohydrates again. So not so bad as totally eliminating sugar.

The bad news?

Like with sugars, to have a 'maintenance' food intake, which lasts forever - you will eliminate more carbohydrates than you expect. Okay, the obvious foods to eliminate? Potatoes and corn and bread - BUT how about BEER! You have to totally eliminate beer. Pizza? NO MORE pizza pi gouts, and, seriously, VERY little pizza at all.... and worst of all? You will discover you cannot totally eliminate CARBOHYDRATES - even if you try. They sneak into foods when you don't expect it (Breaded Chicken nuggets for example)... and your body needs SOME carbohydrates.

But carbohydrates are the key to both dieting and to maintenance. You will need so study and learn what they are and how to balance them. Read food nutrition labels, for example... many surprises there!

(3) Avoid processed foods. The more 'processed' a food is, the faster it slip-slides into your system. It burns calories to digest food. So, slow digesting foods burn more calories and help keep your body from converting it to FAT. uck!

I mentioned sugars and I mentioned carbs - foods with these are the most usually processed foods - the ones with sugar especially. Pure sugar is relatively rare in nature usually, and our bodies are not really set up to process it in a healthy way. Food in the USA is laden with sugars. So read the 'nutrition' levels carefully - mainly for sugar. If there is more that 6 or 8 grams per serving, you cannot use it. And don't let the label trick you on serving sizes.

The bad news?

This eliminates a lot of foods. AND, again, this is forever.

Watch out for secretly enhanced - processed - foods. This is particularly those white foods (for some strange reason) - potatoes, rice, sugar, and white processed wheat (flour).

There are other strange high sugar foods - red beets and carrots. Strange huh? Eliminate them permanently.

Okay - enough. Some general tips?

(4) Calorie watching is okay, watching fats is okay - but watching sugar content and serving size is essential

(5) Weigh in every morning. Don't be disappointed at the fluctuation - much has to do with water retention. Salty foods, for example aggravate water retention - but you MUST remain hydrated or you will feel bad. Dieting is NOT about feeling bad. If you feel weak or sick, work on re-balance - you need an adjustment. This is very important - this weight monitoring and your general sense of how you feel.

Weighing in will usually show how your body is reacting to whatever you are doing. It takes some practice to know what you are seeing on the scale and the time lags are sometimes deceptive.

(6) The exception to feeling good? If you are doing things right, you Will feel slightly hungry all the time, especially the first weeks of a 'diet.' That 'hunger' is what ruins a dieter's best efforts. After a while your body FINALLY understands you are not dying, and easies up on the severe hunger pangs. Slowly working into a weight loss "diet' can also reduce that constant hunger reaction. Just understand it does get tolerable, that hunger.

And slim people tend to be slightly hungry - they translate it into activity - a higher energy. Strangely, it works.. On the maintenance food intake, if you do not fluctuate or cheat, you stomach does not stretch and that keeps hunger pains away. BUT it is a forever thing - something you pay to gain that body you so want.

(7) YOU CANNOT CHEAT - not even a little. BUT when you have cravings, don't try to ignore them. Trade out - eat that chocolate pudding dessert, but know you cannot have that helping mixed fruit too.

(8) AHA - no sugars, no carbohydrates... What CAN YOU EAT???? There is the fine tuning. Usually, if you tolerate it well, you can have plenty of dairy products, and meat products - and foods with fiber, and non-starchy vegetables, and... fruit! Sugar in fruit? YES - a fructose. The key there is don't eat fruit with a meal. IF you have a sugar craving eat fruit, but later by itself.

(9) Stay hydrated - not a silly twenty glasses of water or something - just understand foods have water. Often when you think you are hungry, you are really thirsty. I drink a carbonated water - no flavoring - but that is just me. A headache can be from low blood sugar levels, but it is most likely to be a mild dehydration problem.

(10) Buy quality foods = the foods you CAN EAT? get the good stuff. You will spend more, but as you are eating less, it trades out. You should plan ahead and KNOW what the next meal is - and look forward to it.

That's how it worked for me. They are a ton of other suggestions - eat slow, eat five small meals, eat this or that... but that stuff is 'fine tuning."

Listen to what your body tells you. Have that weight you want to be and maintain - FIRMLY in mind. Strive to NOT lose and regain - not to yo-yo.

And enjoy what this all does for you as you gain control of your life.

I hope this helps

Lizzy - opinionated as ever...

[Guest Wanderer89]

That's some really nice advice. I don't think I'll be able to follow it all at once, but I suppose I can take it step by step. Thank you very much.

[Guest Miss_Construe]

I hope for the best for you.

A few tools to use that may help are calorie calculators found on the web (like the one on the Mayo Clinic website) and fitness sites like the one for Women's Health Magazine. There they have two great routines, one for a flat stomach, and one for a cinched waist.

Good luck,

Jamie