MtF exercise tips. Please help.

[TaraWinter]

I am 5'10" and 220 pounds and I want to lose weight. What are some good workouts that will help with burning fat and tone without adding muscle.

[Dev]

Cardio, cardio, cardio.  A lot of trans women I know have had great success with getting into the habit of swimming every day or every other day.  It's very low-impact and works the body out without putting strain on the muscles.

 

You might also find this site helpful.  It has links to information about trans fitness for both MtF and FtM folks.

[Jani]

OK this is easy. Well determining what works is, implementation is a little more difficult as it involves human nature.  

Start walking.  Its low impact, gets the heart pumping and works a bunch of muscle groups.  After that, some basic exercises (sit ups, leg lifts, etc) or yoga.  I'm doing Hatha yoga which is low impact, stressing balance, breathing and stretching.   

 

Jani

[TaraWinter]

7 hours ago, Dev said:

Cardio, cardio, cardio.  A lot of trans women I know have had great success with getting into the habit of swimming every day or every other day.  It's very low-impact and works the body out without putting strain on the muscles.

 

You might also find this site helpful.  It has links to information about trans fitness for both MtF and FtM folks.

Thank you very much. I looked through the site and saw a few things I want to do. 

7 hours ago, Jani423 said:

OK this is easy. Well determining what works is, implementation is a little more difficult as it involves human nature.  

Start walking.  Its low impact, gets the heart pumping and works a bunch of muscle groups.  After that, some basic exercises (sit ups, leg lifts, etc) or yoga.  I'm doing Hatha yoga which is low impact, stressing balance, breathing and stretching.   

 

Jani

I hear a lot of good things about yoga but don't know where to start.

 

Thank you both. 

                Love, Tara

[Jani]

I found a yoga class at the adult education office at the local school.  I didn't want anything too intimidating to start.  I am enjoying it.

 

Jani

[Cyndee]

I'm with Jani, walking is such good medicine, make your routine as regular as possible and enjoy the benefits.

 

Swimming is great too

 

C -

[Sandra6sandy9sand]

Hi all, I love to walk and ride my bike for exercise.  When I finish my workout, I stretch out and do some balance exercises.  It’s all very important to keep your body and mind fit. 

 

Have fun and enjoy the sun.

 

Sandra

[Sandra6sandy9sand]

Hi all, I thought about my post earlier while I was walking this morning and for me to reduce my weight, I have to be consistent with my exercise program and, the hardest part of all, reduce my calorie intake.

 

What has worked for me in the past is to increase my calorie usage and cut back on what I eat and drink.  Sounds simple but...

 

Sandra

[jae bear]

Hi Tara, 

I started at 230 pounds a while ago ( down to 212 pounds as of yesterday ) and I have been eating mostly vegetables and salad plus protein with every meal to balance, I’ve cut out sugar and drink only water, plus a modest exercise routine at spin class for one hour and 15 minutes every day. Mind you I am not pushing myself hard in spin class I’m just working up a sweat, if I start breathing hard I back off a little until my breathing Doesn’t require huffing and puffing. I used to race  bicycles when I was very young, and focusing on your legs, which are really big muscles that burn a lot of calories, will give you some great-looking thighs! If you don’t want to put any muscle on it’s really quite easy, don’t push too hard and just work up a good sweat, burning those calories is an easy job, just let those large muscles do the work for you. I also love the idea of walking, but with my bad knee it is just is not an option. As soon as the weather warms up around here I will be taking advantage of the pools at our apartment, as I love to swim. Since I’m still in boy mode at ten months HRT I’m going to have to find a way to cover my top for now. HRT is definitely working even if I’m terribly impatient...

Hugs,

Jae

[Jamiexo]

I would agree with Jae Bear. If you want to loose weight it is more about what you put in your body. Eat low sodium, low saturated fats, and reduce sugar. The easiest way to do this is when you grocery store stay on the perimeters and try not to buy things with labels (Fresh produce, lean meat, fruits, nuts, etc). Stay away from breads they are loaded with sugars. If you do need to buy foods that have been processed (packages, boxes, bags, etc), make sure to read the label and ingredients. A little trick is if you read something and can't pronounce it. Don't eat it!

 

It is much more difficult to control calorie count by working them off then it is allowing them into your body. However, being active does have many great benefits! My recommendation is to do activities you enjoy and maybe dable in new actives such as yoga! If you want to get in good shape try to be active 30-60 minutes a day hitting your recommended target heart rate. Not only will your body feel better but your mood will be better too! Exercise can be daunting so it important to do what you like and stick to it! Habits are hard to break (and form) so make a plan to execute your exercise daily. 

 

Best of luck! 

[Daisy Mae]

Swimming. I am also a very tall lady who could afford to lose a few pounds. Swimming is one of the best exercises for the entire body and burns a lot of calories and for me at least it is relaxing. If you are not a strong swimming you can use a kickboard and fins for assistance.

[Kirsten]

Running, running, running!!! That’s how you loose unwanted pounds. It’s awful when you start, but after a few months you’ll be hooked for sure!! Also stretch. If you don’t stretch you’ll hurt ache and probably give up. But the stretching is what really opens up your body to accept the exercise. And afterwards it’s extremely important to drink lots of water. You want to fill in all that ripped muscle with water. You’ll heal faster and be able to do more next time. 

If that’s not your cup of tea, try insanity by the beach body people. Or any of their exercise routines. They’re all pretty great. It’s hard at first unless you’re already in shape. (I was not in shape the first time I tried it and whoa baby!!!). But it is legit. It’ll kick your butt into shape in 3-4 months. And there are lower impact series too. Debbie Siebers has a good one. Slim in 6 I think it’s called. 

And more important than all of this is diet. Yeah. I said it. Diet is how the pounds come off. I did the keto diet for 4 months. I lost 70+ pounds. And I didn’t exercise at all for that 4 months. With no carbs exercise can be hard on the keto diet. And idk if it’s the best diet around. I have a coworker that tried it after me and had to stop. He’s a bigger guy than me and his dr told him his blood was fat. Too much cheese and protein. Lol. But he lost over 30 pounds in 2 months too. 

Whatever you do it’s important to set goals. 3-4 pounds a week is great. Loose weight too fast and you’ll have excess skin hanging off you. (Happened to me). It does go away but it’s kinda gross. And stay vigilant. Just like transitioning, good things come to those with patience. 

I absolutely love fitness. I am no expert but I’d be glad to help anyone that needs it. Having a “coach” or friend to keep you motivated really helps. 

❤️Kirsten❤️

[KymmieL]

I sure could stand to lose some also. I am about 230-240 and I hate it. I would love to loose 100 but even to get down below 200 would be fantastic. I think with my new found self I just may be able to get the motivation to do something. 

 

Kymmie

[Jani]

As Kirsten suggests, run or walk.  That is a great start.  I also have done mild exercises like sit ups, arm rolls and stretches. They all get the endorphins flowing and make you feel good.  I won't kid you that it isn't hard at first but stay motivated. 

 

Jani

[TabithaLynn]

I'm on a similar journey.  I'm significantly overweight and working hard to lose lbs. and inches.  Here is my goal and approach.

 

My goal is to get to my ideal weight over time.  In addition, I want to work toward a body shape that is pleasing to me.

 

I'm currently working hard to break bad eating habits.  I have a daily goal to be at least 1000 calories under maintenance budget.  This should allow me to lose about 2 lbs. per week.  I've been doing good at this lately (my new year resolution).

 

I'm also pushing myself to go to the gym frequently.  I focus primarily on cardio; but am working in some strength training.  My strength training consists of mostly lower body exercises including squats, lunges, etc. which I hope will help me build / maintain hips and back side.  I purposely don't do a lot of upper body exercise because I don't want "manly" muscles.  I'm hoping to achieve a pleasing body shape (androgenous at a minimum).

[Josie Beth]

I’m interested in the combination of Pilates and yoga. Looks like a great way to exercise without bulking up.