Did you ease into full time or jump right in?

[Christine Eryn]

During the past few months, I have been seen by the general public as female no matter how I'm dressed. This was unexpected, as I thought I would have needed FFS to be read as female but that is not the case. As odd as it sounds I wasn't ready for it. I think I've passed the grey area of androgyny and have gone far into male fail. When I'm out and about dressed as myself, nobody does a double take or stares as I thought might be the case. I now comfortably shop freely amongst cis women, where as before I got more attention when I was in "boy mode".

In the back of my mind I do know I have brow bossing and an Adam's apple bigger than the average woman, but people don't seem to focus on those things but it does take away from my confidence a little. I'm at the point where I'm purging my old wardrobe, as it no longer makes any sense to present as male or even try. My voice is not where I want it to be and everytime I think I'm there, I hear a cis female who takes the wind out of my sails. I haven't had a job in a while, so no one of importance is noticing any changes.

Nowadays I find the need to build my new wardrobe and really really go full time, ready or not. I'm still gonna get FFS but it's quite astounding to me that I'm seen as a female anyways. Which is a good thing. 

[stephaniec]

it took me 17 months from starting hormones to go full time

[awilliams1701]

I pretty much jumped right in.

Before I started hormones, I used to have girl time after 8:00pm each day. I would close all the blinds and windows first. One day I realized I missed the curtain on my back door while I was doing the laundry. I was about to drop the laundry to close it. I said F*** it I don't care I'm just going to leave it. The next day I felt so empowered that I decided to push a little harder. I put on a jeans skirt thinking that it could be mistaken for shorts. No one either cared or noticed that day, but a teenager gave me a hard time the next day.

Since he was recording me with a phone, I decided I was coming out on my terms and not his. I posted a message on facebook to my neighborhood. I got a lot of support over it. I was very shocked and surprised how well it went. I contacted HR and came out on their time table. So I was mostly out almost all at once within just a few days and completely out only about a month later. This was all pre-HRT. One of my tickers in my sig mentions my full-time status.

[Mariah]

It' amazing how this can very so wildly. For me I started fulltime a little over two months before starting on hormones. Hugs
Mariah

[marsh monster]

I tripped and fell in, it was embarrassing too.

[Tessa James]

Christine your transition sounds wonderful and I am sure many of us would love to have that experience of male fail regardless of what we wear.  Congratulations and how delightful to be so much more comfortable as yourself.  While your progress was unexpected It certainly seems a sweet introduction to full time.  No doubt we all have moments or days of doubt but this gives us opportunities to reassess and improve. 

I am one of the jumpers and I likened it to my experiences as a paraglider pilot.  That initial fear and trepidation as we stand, face into the wind, raise our glider wings and step off that cliff.  Then to feel the rising thermal and sense of control rather than falling.  Sheer joy!

Part of my jumping into full-time before HRT was being old and waiting too long.  I so admire people who now connect the dots and accept themselves early on with family and community support.

Rock on!

[Jerri]

I struggled with understanding who I was so much, the last 10 years as a male was insane, self medicating, attempted overdoses, after I started to go on a medically supervised hrt and couple years of therapy and detox then I was ready to go full time and let that other person stop running my life. for me it was a life time, for those who knew me they would say I rushed right in.

[Zumbagirl]

During the past few months, I have been seen by the general public as female no matter how I'm dressed. This was unexpected, as I thought I would have needed FFS to be read as female but that is not the case. As odd as it sounds I wasn't ready for it. I think I've passed the grey area of androgyny and have gone far into male fail. When I'm out and about dressed as myself, nobody does a double take or stares as I thought might be the case. I now comfortably shop freely amongst cis women, where as before I got more attention when I was in "boy mode".

I

I jumped in with both feet, but it was only because I came out at work, ended up getting fired and took what I considered, at that time, the biggest gamble of my life and went full time. In the end it turned out to be one of the best things I have ever done.

[crystals]

easing into mine.. currently part time [still cant go full time as i live away from my parents and i come over for weekends and they dont accept]

[Jill F]

I was full time about 2 months in to a low dose.   Once I worked up the nerve to leave my house in a dress and interact with people as a woman, it was pretty much all over.   I also didn't realize how much I hated "boy mode" until I realized how fake it really was.   It was "safe", but I just felt so much better being genuine.  Plus mah bewbs were starting to get sort of obvious anyway and I wasn't about to get another set of boy clothes when I could be out buying girl clothes instead.

Then I had to figure out how to best come out.  It was pretty much like, "Dear family and friends, I'm transgender. I'm on HRT, I've been full time for a month and I'm not ever going back, so please scrape your jaws off the floor now.  My name is Jill, BTW."

Apparently nobody saw it coming, but it seemed to perfectly explain why I was noticeably depressed and sour all the time.  People commented about how they'd never seen me happy before after meeting "the real me" for the first time.

[Nati]

1,5 month of hrt and i jumped in to full time living and never look back, i just felt if i spend one more day as roleplayng male i will just die.
I got a lot of wierd looks but month after month it was better and better.

[Emjay]

I'm still easing into things, mostly because of work.  Outside of work I pretty much never try to present as male anymore.  I'm not necessarily trying to at work either, I just haven't actually said the words yet. 

I need to contact HR soon before I just get aggravated enough to blurt it out one day.....

[April_TO]

To be honest, it didnt hit me until now that I am FT. I started gradually with ear piercings, wearing feminine bottoms, shoes, make up, and starting to come to work fully dressed and no one even bothered to ask.

I am officially going to transition at work on May 11. HR has been amazing and supportive. It also helps that I am in Canada which has one of the most progressive legislation for the LGBT.

[jessical]

During the past few months, I have been seen by the general public as female no matter how I'm dressed. This was unexpected, as I thought I would have needed FFS to be read as female but that is not the case. As odd as it sounds I wasn't ready for it. I think I've passed the grey area of androgyny and have gone far into male fail. When I'm out and about dressed as myself, nobody does a double take or stares as I thought might be the case. I now comfortably shop freely amongst cis women, where as before I got more attention when I was in "boy mode".

In the back of my mind I do know I have brow bossing and an Adam's apple bigger than the average woman, but people don't seem to focus on those things but it does take away from my confidence a little. I'm at the point where I'm purging my old wardrobe, as it no longer makes any sense to present as male or even try. My voice is not where I want it to be and everytime I think I'm there, I hear a cis female who takes the wind out of my sails. I haven't had a job in a while, so no one of importance is noticing any changes.

Nowadays I find the need to build my new wardrobe and really really go full time, ready or not. I'm still gonna get FFS but it's quite astounding to me that I'm seen as a female anyways. Which is a good thing. 

I relate to this a lot.  If male fail is happening regularly it is definitely time to go full time.  For me I did it in two steps.  Out in public, but not work.  And then finally out at work as well.  It's almost been a mouth now that I am out at work and everywhere else.  It's been awesome   I found that being full time, my voice and skills with makeup improved very quickly because I was doing them everyday all the time.  The practice time drastically increased

[Cheska]

I'm not full-time...or even part-time yet but I am easing into it.

[Squircle]

I went full time in November 2013, three months before starting hormones. It was, to be honest, awful. I had short hair so had to wear a wig which I hated, it was so uncomfortable and the more my hair grew underneath the tighter the wig became. I had only just started electrolysis with a bad practitioner so had permanent goatee beard shadow and was making little progress in getting rid of it. And I had no idea what my style was.

The worst thing though was my confidence, it's never been good but it hit the floor.

Was still the right decision though. You don't really know what kind of woman you are until you are full time, in my opinion.

[justpat]

   Had a catastrophic meltdown on 2/18/2013 finally received an appointment with an understanding PCP on 7/22/2013 went fully dressed to the appointment at the VA in front of scores of veterans.Started full time the same day it took a lot of courage but I did it, at least no one was shooting at me. Dumped the man clothes at goodwill and started HRT on 12/25/2013 five months after going full time. I guess you might say I dove in, best decision I have ever made and never have regretted it for one minute.   Patty

[Stevie]

To be honest, it didnt hit me until now that I am FT. I started gradually with ear piercings, wearing feminine bottoms, shoes, make up, and starting to come to work fully dressed and no one even bothered to ask.

I am officially going to transition at work on May 11. HR has been amazing and supportive. It also helps that I am in Canada which has one of the most progressive legislation for the LGBT.

I don't really know when I went full time either. I started changing my attire and appearance  as I lost weight, after the first 50lbs or so my entire wardrobe had changed. I haven't had anyone say much about it at work. I told my boss and HR several months ago, and we are planning on telling the rest of people some time next week. I really don't think anyone is going to be surprised, it is pretty obvious at this point. I wont be able to start HRT till the end of June, that is over 5 months from when my therapist approved it    I haven't wasted the time though still losing weight and getting in shape, my first pair of jeans was a 24 now I am in 14s my goal is to get into a size 10.

[Ms Grace]

I was out and about after six months on HRT, then full time less than three months later. For me the really big scary hurdle was telling my parents. Told them two days before I went full time.

During my first attempt at transition though I was on HRT for 26 months and never got to full time before deciding to throw in the towel and burrow back into denial.

[Valwen]

I haven't actually gone full time yet, my current plans are to spend the next 8 months or so trying to loose 50-75 lbs, get atleast part way through laser and practice my voice which to me seems the hardest part, by December I will have been on hrt for 10ish months.

I would like to try going out part time soon but most of the weight I need to lose its in my stomach and there just isn't allot of clothing for girls with little to no hips/butt and a big stomach. Well mabye maternity cloths.