Weight Gain!

[Guest OverTheHorizon]

Hi everyone! This has been a serious problem for me for a while, so I have decided to ask you girls (and guys) about it. It's been 6 months since I started hormones; and so far the effects have been subtle but nice nonetheless. About a month ago, I decided it was time to start gaining some weight, since I've read everywhere that your body puts new fat on your hips/thighs/bootay. Starting at 117 and 5'6, I worked my way up (over one month) to 125 pounds, but it seems like all of the fat has gone to my love handles. My waist was 27 1/2 and now it's 29 or 29 1/2 and my hips are 34, but it seems like my butt also got a little fatter. My doctor said that 6 months is not long enough for the fat to be going in female places. He said it normally takes between 1-2 years to see a difference with body fat. Should I allow myself to continue gaining weight, or lose the weight and start over. What's your experience with HRT and body fat?

[Carolyn Marie]

I think your doctor has it about right, hon. I suggest you check weight/height charts to see what the recommended range is for a woman

of your height, and aim for that. Then you can adjust up or down depending on how you like the results.

As with everything else involving HRT, YMMV, and what is right for me won't be right for you.

Carolyn Marie

[Drea]

My doctor said that 6 months is not long enough for the fat to be going in female places. He said it normally takes between 1-2 years to see a difference with body fat. Should I allow myself to continue gaining weight, or lose the weight and start over.

My experience is that the longer on hormones the harder it is to maintain weight. After losing muscle mass (thus burning less calories) if diet isnt' adjusted down to lower calories one will start to gain fat.

I think it is best to focus on maintaining a healthy weight. I have known people trying to do what you describe. Seeing their results I can't' say it really did much other than simply gaining weight.

Personally, I think the claims of fat redistibution tend to be over exaggerated. There is some, but most MTF just aren't going to suddenly have wide hips unless they had wide hips to begin with.

Over more than ten years of hearing people make the fat redistribution claim and being able to judge for myself by looking at them(as this was in my therapists support group), it is fairly evident that their belief about redistribution was much more than I could see as an outside observer.

Often the situation wasn't helped as many tended to get clothing in the smallest size that would fit. Often that clothing would compress the hips making their hips look even more narrow.

One thing that seemed to work well for me, was to get to a healthy weight. It doesn't sound like you are overweight, but if one is, losing weight, at some point it is likely one will have a natural waist. Wear the right clothing to accentuate the shape and particular the waist and your set. I personally find going not to the smallest that will fit, but a size larger can add some shape if worn properly.

[Guest ~Brenda~]

Hi honey

The link below is a very clinical description as to one can expect regarding HRT for MTFs

http://www.t-vox.org/index.php?title=Hormone_replacement_therapy_%28MTF%29

Hope this helps

Love

Brenda

[Guest Jo-I-Dunno]

I've lost weight. I'm 6'0'', and used to float around 155lbs, now more like 152. Everything's always backwards for me, though.

The men in my family have a tendency to bulk up easily, and every time I tried starting an exercise routine, I started to look too muscular and manly for my tastes. Now that my testosterone levels are near non-existent, I've started exercising regularly without fear. I'm stronger and more flexible than I ever was.

I've lost weight, but not where it counts. The little fat I had on my body was on my belly. Even though I'm losing weight, I'm gaining it on my butt. There's no question. But I had no butt to begin with.

I never had much of an appetite. My meals are tiny and I rarely snack, so now I'm taking these weight-gain shakes with most of my meals. I really do want to gain weight, as my bones jutt out everywhere!

As always, everyone's different. No predictions can be made about HRT. And I'm young. Etc.