Fat redistribution

[ByeBye]

I have a big belly above the waist but virtually no fat below it. I have love handles but still a big belly. Would hormones redistribute my fat below my waist?

[Alainaluvsu]

Probably, over a period of years.

[ByeBye]

OK because I was told I have a high "man's belly".

[Shantel]

The man's high belly is a dead giveaway and will always out you to just about everyone with eyes in their head and especially to cis women who are much more discerning than males. You have to work hard to get rid of it. I eat a very light, lean diet, off of a salad sized plate only and no seconds ever. 150 crunches at the gym five days a week along with 40 minutes cardio. I have worked hard at it for the last several years and have great definition and it's a constant chore but the love handles will never go away, they will have to be lipo-ed away. Being a woman isn't for lazy people, it takes a lot of dedication and work because it doesn't come naturally even with hormones!

[Beverley]

My man's belly has gone and I now have a "lady tummy" - flat from the ribs down to the belly button with  a slight bulge between the belly button and the pubic bone/pelvis. I also have a waist/hip ration of 0.8, well below the male figure of 0.9 (and many males are 1.0 or above).

That took 16 months of dieting and hormones.

[A]

HRT will surely help with fat redistribution, but it's hard to say how much or how fast. I think the most effective way to get optimal results is to lose a lot of weight before HRT - considering one is overweight, of course then putting a little on when hormone levels are well settled. In theory, all the new fat would go to the right spots, I think, whereas if you just wait for your current fat to move, it would be slower, since it would need to be burned and re-stored to move, and if no weight loss happens, that's gonna be long and imperfect (you pretty much always lose the fat you got last first - so all the older fat may not even move in that case).

[Beverley]

In theory, all the new fat would go to the right spots, I think, whereas if you just wait for your current fat to move, it would be slower,

Fat is not static. It is burned and replaced on a constant basis. If preferential locations for its deposition change then older fats, when burned, will not be replaced as the replacement fat will go to the new preferred location. This gives the illusion of fat moving.

[JenJen2011]

Would hormones redistribute my fat below my waist?

Not much, if any. Diet and exercise will do a better job.

[Medusa]

And why not little help it with liposuction and maybe then use that fat at hips and breasts
It is fast, but is there that financial issue 

[JennX]

Fat does not move. With or without hormones. If you've been on HRT for say 2+ years... and start gaining weight, you'll start gaining it in the female areas such as hips, rear, and thighs... but no sort of HRT will make fat move from your belly to other areas of your body. It does not work that way.

Diet and exercise are the best methods.

[Padma]

I've been on hormones for 6 months and my love handles have slipped downwards - my belly and sides (and bum and thighs) are definitely changing shape. I think hormones take different people different ways.

[A]

Fat does not move. With or without hormones. If you've been on HRT for say 2+ years... and start gaining weight, you'll start gaining it in the female areas such as hips, rear, and thighs... but no sort of HRT will make fat move from your belly to other areas of your body. It does not work that way.

Diet and exercise are the best methods.

No, it doesn't move. But every day, you burn a little of it, and gain a little of it, too. You can very well lose some from the belly then gain some in, say, the breasts.

[Alainaluvsu]

No, it doesn't move. But every day, you burn a little of it, and gain a little of it, too. You can very well lose some from the belly then gain some in, say, the breasts.

Very true.

Not to mention muscle loss turns into fat, which is where I think most of my breasts and thighs came from. People seem to think I have really great thighs and amazingly noticeable boobs. I used to have muscular thighs and pectorals. Now the thighs are very fem looking (mass in the back instead of in the front or sides) and I have some rather perky A cups with very noticeable muscle loss all over my pectorals.

I also think the fat around my rib cage is disappearing and I'm getting fatter around and below my belly button.

[Naturally Blonde]

I've been on hormones for 6 months and my love handles have slipped downwards - my belly and sides (and bum and thighs) are definitely changing shape. I think hormones take different people different ways.

After being on HRT and Anti androgens continually for 12 years it's done very little for me in the way of fat re-distribution. I still have more fat on my belly than my thighs!

[Joelene9]

  Belly fat is the hardest to get rid of.  My love handles have decreased, but the belly is still there.  I need to work on that area. 
  Joelene

[Bird]

I think the best way to go is lose a lot of weight then eat your weight back up. It is what I have done and I have a fairly flat belly and fat tissue going to my thighs and butt.

[Naturally Blonde]

I think the best way to go is lose a lot of weight then eat your weight back up. It is what I have done and I have a fairly flat belly and fat tissue going to my thighs and butt.

I'm Skeptical as this is what I did in the first place as I was fairly skinny and all the fat went on my belly. I could try and get thin again and see if it comes back on the belly again or goes somewhere else!

[MacKenzie]

I have a big belly above the waist but virtually no fat below it. I have love handles but still a big belly. Would hormones redistribute my fat below my waist?

Your gonna have to burn off that fat through diet and exercise. Once you do that and have been on HRT for a few months THEN your body will start redistributing fat into female areas.

[A]

Either your hormone levels were not optimal, either you gained it too fast (even females put on fat on the belly, especially if weight is gained fast), either it's just bad luck.

But in general, I believe Bird's method is a good one, especially if weight loss is done before HRT, and the gain starts when hormone levels are good.