A question about weight loss pre-HRT

[Emily E]

Hello

And thank you for taking the time to look at my post.

I have been lurking here a little while poking around the forums trying to soak up as much as I can but I have a question which I haven't really seen addressed (at least not directly).

Just so you know I haven't started anything (counseling, HRT, Dressing up as an adult) yet... I've been thinking about it to one extent or another for quite a while (since I was 5 off and on) and just recently realized that I've always wanted to live as a woman and have decided that if I want to be really happy with myself I will have to do something about it.

So now I'm looking for a good treatment program to get into so I can start this process and move forward but I don't want to wait to the last minute on things I can do now so I'm also looking to the future and how to get the life I want and I think that to be successful I need to start doing some things now which leads me to my question.

Over the years I have let my weight shoot up and now weigh so much more then I should (5' 7" 270 LB) which is about twice the weight of what anyone my size should weigh (122 - 158 LB) so I started a diet and working out program so I can get closer to the weight before I really make the move to live fulltime (hopefully to look better as well) the testosterone and muscle I have now will help me lose weight but I will need to reduce my muscle mass as well  to my goal weight of 122 LB (around the weight I would like to be as a woman) and I know that men naturally weigh a lot more than women (of comparable size and shape) so I was wondering is should I get all the weight off before I start HRT or just get to around the size I want to be?

I've seen posts in these forums where people are on HRT talk about arms, legs, hands, and feet thinning out and I'm assuming that this includes the rest of the body other than the breasts, butt and hips (let me know if I'm wrong)

Thank you for your help

[Deborah]

Really, just get to a healthy body fat level right now and develop some physical conditioning.  HRT will tale care  of the rest as much as out is able to.


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[ChloëAri]

I never recommend dieting or weight loss to those starting estrogen replacement therapy who try to be as thin as possible, due to the fact that estrogen needs body fat in order to place it in areas such as the breasts, hips, and butt. However, in the case of obesity, losing weight is a good idea while still under the influence of testosterone because your body holds onto weight much more under the influence of estrogen. In any case, the estrogen will most likely diminish your waist line.

[Kova V]

Welcome to Susans!

There's no magic bullet for weight loss. Basically eating less, do some easy-to-keep-doing exercise and have a log Sunday log book to track your progress. You could start with cycling or walking up and down stairs, it doesnt have to be  crazy running or hundeds of crunches. The key is not to burn yourself out and make it part of your daily or weekly routine.  It also helps to find something to reward yourself with after each milestone in weight loss.

There are tons of people I've seen lose lots of weight, the key thing to keep in mind is "what would a fit person do if they were me" and then try and be that person.

Also have one cheat day on the first of each month, because sometimes you need to go crazy.

[Emily E]

Thank you all for the wonderful advice I really do appreciate it... I know I have a year or more before I will get to the HRT stage and I want to start at the best position physically that I possibly can and with your advice I know what I need to do and that I can get there.

[mfox]

Recognizing what you need to change to be happy is a big step, good luck and keep at it Emily!

[Lady_Oracle]

I never recommend dieting or weight loss to those starting estrogen replacement therapy who try to be as thin as possible, due to the fact that estrogen needs body fat in order to place it in areas such as the breasts, hips, and butt. However, in the case of obesity, losing weight is a good idea while still under the influence of testosterone because your body holds onto weight much more under the influence of estrogen. In any case, the estrogen will most likely diminish your waist line.

yep if you're overweight its best to lose as much as you can in a healthy way, especially since it'll be much harder to lose that weight once you start hrt. Then try to gain some of the weight back since fat redistribution works with new fat cells. However in the case of muscle mass that takes a lot of time regardless of how little you have or not, there's not much you can do about that other than keeping upper body exercise at a minimum.

[ChiGirl]

Hi, Emily
I'm right where you are.  Weight loss isn't easy, but it's not hard, either.  As others have said, eat less, exercise more.  Don't think of it as a diet, think of it as a lifestyle change.  And never forget your end goal.  When I accepted myself, I made sacrifices to lose weight that I never thought I could make.  I've lost 30 pounds since January.  Of course for me, that feels like getting gallons of water off the Titanic. [emoji13]

Don't feel like you have to lose everything before HRT.  Get down to a healthy level, and then keep working on it.  It may take years to get down to your desired weight, but keep going! 

[Laura_7]

You could think about a change in diet, that makes it less likely a jojo effect occurs...
maybe eating more fruit and vegetables, possibly organic and all in a healthy variety... and drinking less high sugar drinks, instead maybe water or herbal teas...

apples or other fruits as snacks... an apple for example consists mostly of water...


hugs

[barbie]

Emily,

IMHO, probably the only way to decrease body weight is regular running, at least 40 minutes per day. I know it is not easy at all. You may first try walking or biking. After decreasing your weight enough to run, then you can run 2 or 3 times per week. Running not only burns your fat, but also help decrease appetite, because our liver starts to supply glucose to our blood system, making us feel satiated.

Controlling out appetite is not easy at all. I am a big eater, but run 2-3 times per week to maintain my current weight. During the winter, I did not run enough, and I run longer to decrease some fat accumulated in my belly.

At first, walking for 1-2 hours will greatly decrease your weight, but the problem is that your appetite will also increase after walking. Then you may walk longer, for example for 3 hours, to decrease your appetite.

After transition, intensive exercise will be more difficult to do.

My recent running activities:



barbie~~

[Blush]

Cut out the junk food, we know what's good or bad for us, we don't need lessons. Drink more water or teas, cut out the soda. Don't eat when you want to, only when your body tells you to. Most people nowadays don't do anything but sit - so you'll probably come up with a grand plan from this advice and get overwhelmed and revert back. Do something simple, walk where you need if you can instead of drive, park further away from your work or school. If fat loss is the goal you don't need weights running shoes gym memberships or extravagant diets.

HRT won't redistribute fat or "do all the work for you." Gaining/losing is like taking water in and out of a bath tub. It's not selective. For the best results from HRT lose all the weight you can, start HRT, and put the weight back on under the influence of HRT. Again to gain keep it simple, pound milkshakes or something.

Also I mean this only in a POSITIVE way not demeaning, mostly from my personal experience!

[DrummerGirl]

I did what Barbie said and lost 70 lbs over 6 months.  Although I'm running a little bit more frequently than her since I'm actively trying to lose weight quickly.  I run 5 days a week and walk one day with one day off.  I normally get in about 30-35 miles a week running, plus the walking day.  Every once in a while, my body will tell me it's had enough and I'll take a few days off.  Really though, what she says does work.  Plus, when you are starting out by walking a lot, you can practice walking as a woman to get that as natural as possible.