Helping fat re-distribution

[sam79]

After about 7 months HRT, very minor fat re-distribution seems to be happening. Although it's likely all my own doing from past mistakes, I'm looking for help to really get the distribution happening quicker. A long time prior to HRT, I was heavy at ~90Kg. Much of that was in my tummy area creating a fair beer gut. Before starting HRT, I dropped all of the weight using cardio only, down to about 66kg which is about my minimum.

After starting HRT, I let little by little amount of weight go back on, seeing where it would go. In the last 7 months, my bum did get a little bigger, and I now have small boobs, but a bulk of the weight still wants to collect around my middle... the tummy and handles. I've been hoping that by holding steady that HRT would help my body re-distribute that, but that doesn't seem to be how it works. I've been holding steady at about 73kg for a few months, and very little has happened.

I really hope my understanding of this is wrong, but I think that while long as those fat cells exist ( and since there's so many of them ), my body will always put weight back on in those old bad areas as it has already. Please tell me I'm wrong!!

So is there much I can do to help it move short of lipo'ing the bad areas??

[Christine167]

Don't fret dear you have two options.
1. Abdominal workouts. While most targeted workouts don't really have a chance of success for dropping fat abdominal workouts are different. As the muscle there grows it has the appearance of pulling the fat in or tightening the belly.
2. Targeted lipo with or without a redeposit of said fat. Removing the fat cells is often the only way in certain tough to get rid of areas. There are scores of plastic surgeons with before and after images of both types of procedures.

And lastly check to be sure that it is in fact fat and not excess skin. Women deleope the "pouch" look sometimes after pregnancy where they have a lot of excess skin that hangs down there with stretch marks galore. The only way to get rid of that is surgery. The body simply will not get rid of it unless you grow into it. I had it in middle school from being overweight and lucked out that I had another foot in height to grow and use it up.

Anyone else have any tips? It sounds like she is down to her tough to get rid of areas. I could use some help to as I have two spots on the left and right of my abdomin that just wont to away.

[Christine167]

I am getting some fat in my "handles" too, but I am going to re-start my cardio exercises. I am also quite picky (most times...) of what I am eating too. I hope that burning fat in random places and then gaining back and repeating this should help me deal with my middle part. Of course, it will turn out that my bewbs will be the first ones to go, but if at some point of time the handles will disappear too, than I would not mind that.

You are always a little faster than me Emily.

[Sammy]

You are always a little faster than me Emily.

But only a litle I am contemplating to add a lot of green tea in my regimen as I have read a lot of reviews about it specifically targeting the abdominal fat area.

[kathyk]

I'm older and my body doesn't accept change well, so my fat redistribution wasn't very obvious to me.  Especially after loosing 70 pounds.  But I asked my doctor for progesterone about six weeks ago, and she prescribed it for a six month trial.  I'm totally surprised with the changes to my breasts and the little bit of fat that moved to my butt.  Yet unfortunately some has gone to fill in my stomach, and I look a little like an overweitht woman now.      Hopefully that'll change as I work off more weight.

You've done great controlling your weight, so take your time and don't worry too much.

[sam79]

For the purpose of hiding my belly, I did do some crunches for a while. While it did kind of work at hiding my belly, it didn't help much with the handles / muffin top.

Oooh progesterone    ... I will ask for that a little later to help finish breast development, though I've never heard of it helping with fat re-distribution? Can it really help with that?

[=celestica=]

i'm starting to get more and more curious about progesterone.
my endo said that it does nothing for MTF's, that it was only helpful for women that have a uterus.

i've been on E and spiro for over  2 years now and my fat re-distribution is okay for someone my weight and body frame
but i really want that extra boob growth

too bad hrt is so expensive already :l

[Seyranna]

You are not supposed to see body redistribution after a mere 7 months... Face is starting to change a lot around 7 months usually but the body can take 2-5 years depending on body fat and where pre-existing fat was located.

EDIT: Also people need to stop deluding themselves with progesterone already there little to NO litterature that reinforces any belief that it does anything for trans women.

[Lara1969]

EDIT: Also people need to stop deluding themselves with progesterone already there little to NO litterature that reinforces any belief that it does anything for trans women.

I do not agree. There are lots of functions in the body. There is also some interaction with Estrogen. There ist no evidence that Progesterone does not work very similar in transwomen and in CIS women besides the very obvious differences because of the missing uterus and some other differences. Progesterone does play a role in the breast development and fat distribution.
There is not much evidence that bio-identical Progesterone has serious side effects. Therefore it should be considered as part of the HRT.

Lara

[KelsieJ]

I'm not going to get involved in the Progesterone/No progesterone debate, but I've noticed the same fat gain around my middle. I gave up smoking at the same time I started to re-assign from my birth-assigned gender, and have gained close to 30 lb. How much can be attributed to hormones, and how much from increased food intake - I'm constantly hungry - after stopping smoking, I don't know.

I did tons of cardio, but didn't lose any weight and haven't gained any since I stopped a few weeks ago.
So I have decided to try going on a reduced calorie vegetarian diet to see if that helps....I'll keep the group posted on any gain/loss while sticking to this diet.

XO
Kelsie

[Miyuki]

Also people need to stop deluding themselves with progesterone already there little to NO litterature that reinforces any belief that it does anything for trans women.

Nobody has ever even attempted to conduct large scale scientific studies on this subject as far as I know. I'm not saying I know for sure if progesterone does anything, but there's no good reason why someone couldn't try it to see if it helped them. There is at least anecdotal evidence that suggests it does help with breast development.

[KelsieJ]

There is at least anecdotal evidence that suggests it does help with breast development.

That's the problem. Some people say it helps, others have said it did nothing. What has been proven tho, is it can cause liver problems and breast cancer - which means for me, until the benefits are proven to outweigh the risks, I'm staying on doctor prescribed medication only.

[Joanna Dark]

I have some, not much, minimal fat redistibution going on but it is only noticable to me. I am very tiny, 5"5 and 125 lbs, and mostly my face has changed and is changing more. I am quite busty at a 32C. Started at 36A. So im lucky there. The bet thing u can do is eat properly and not smoke.

[Janae]

I haven't noticed much myself. I have seen some gain on the love handles towards the back. I was already over weight before starting hrt. I'm not waiting 5yrs for anything to happen. I've accepted the fact that any major changes I want in my body shape I'm going to have to do them myself. I plan to get lipo-sculpture to give me the shape I want. Even though I don't like having my gut in the end it'll end up helping me when I have the procedure.

[Seyranna]

Most people who try P go for 3-4 months on it and stop because either they felt/noticed absolutely no difference or it made them sick.

Until there is valid literature that goes in this direction there is no reason to think P will do anything for you.

[Sammy]

I am taking progesterone for about 4 months and I intend to keep doing so. I cant actually say if it helps or not - but in general I am quite happy with my results. It does not make me sick either - on the contrary, I felt worse when I dropped it for one week...