How Easy Was The Decision To Transition?

[Adchop]

I dont quite understand the last part. Transition is kind of a lifetime endeavor. You can stop estrogen, but you're going to need a hormone either T, or E... otherwise you'll be in to a menopausal state. So stopping after a B cup confused me.

You're going to grow breasts as long as you're on Estrogen. They will get as large as they're going be... not much control over that. Plastic surgery is really the only way to pick your breast size.

Going off estrogen will affect your skin, hair, body hair, pores, fat distribution etc... your breast tissue will stay but the other feminization qualities that you received from HRT will revert. Hope it helps.
[/quote]

Your right, if I do start transitioning, even on low does t I will always keep growing breasts. I had intended to try and transition as far as I could, while still being able to pass as a male. My plan was to take estrogen long enough to grow a feminine body, but not one that would be unable to pass for male. I'm plus size, so I could pass off breast growth as gynecomastia. I just have this odd feeling that If I start hrt my body will be the type that wins the genetic lottery and my breasts will grow quickly. Not a problem for most women here, but for someone like myself that would like to still be passable it could become a problem.

Also, while I want a feminine body, I don't want to kill my testes and cut off all T (essentially killing my libido). My T level is low enough now that I'm hoping that it won't cause massive reversals if I go off estrogen. I've suffered from low libidio the past 10 years, to the point that I have to get intimate to really want sex. I haven't had morning wood in years, not at least until my doctor put me on T. So what I'm saying is I'm ok with the drop in libidio that comes from hrt, just don't want a complete end to my sex drive.

Would cycling on and off estrogen still allow my body to produce enough T that I won't have to go full time on hrt?

[archlord]

Would cycling on and off estrogen still allow my body to produce enough T that I won't have to go full time on hrt?

Going in and out of hormones will create more problems then anything else.  You need to be on hormones for a good moment before your T is low enough and that E actually do something so... you will get feminization the moment T is not dominent  but a consequence of this is lower libido...  HOWEVER for me orgasms after hormones are SO MUCH better then before transition it is wonderful.  I can only think about how good that will feel post-op.

I can still get wood when i want it ( on demand and when i am turned on) but no morning or random errection. ( i truly enjoy this to be honest)

[Adchop]

Going in and out of hormones will create more problems then anything else.  You need to be on hormones for a good moment before your T is low enough and that E actually do something so... you will get feminization the moment T is not dominent  but a consequence of this is lower libido...  HOWEVER for me orgasms after hormones are SO MUCH better then before transition it is wonderful.  I can only think about how good that will feel post-op.

I can still get wood when i want it ( on demand and when i am turned on) but no morning or random errection. ( i truly enjoy this to be honest)

From my understanding of the depo testosterone shot I'm on, the moment I stop taking the T, my T level will drop to next to nothing, since my testes will not be accustomed to producing its own T. That can give me a window of 1-3 months of little to no T production, which would mean that I would be estrogen dominant almost immediately.

If all of this is true, that should mean I will see results faster than most transitioning women, correct?

[AnonyMs]

I don't think I have a liver disease. My GP doctor did bloodwork and determined that my T level was 195, but he also said I had high triglycerides, & my cholesterol was high. He basically said my low T was due to be being over weight, & that I need to lose some pounds. Also told me that I need to cut out all carbs & sugar.

I don't think you can tell from those tests, although I think they both also suggest it as well. I believe what you need is  liver function tests.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_function_tests

If your doctor has not done it I think you should make sure you get it done. Best make sure, doctors make plenty of mistakes.

Here's a recent paper. Some of its easy enough to understand, especially how common it is (and how bad).

NAFLD: A multisystem disease
http://www.journal-of-hepatology.eu/article/S0168-8278%2814%2900933-7/abstract
http://www.journal-of-hepatology.eu/article/S0168-8278%2814%2900933-7/pdf

You might also find some doctors reluctant to prescribe estrogen with this. I think its more dangerous.

[Meghan]

Great and informative post.

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[Harley Quinn]

From my understanding of the depo testosterone shot I'm on, the moment I stop taking the T, my T level will drop to next to nothing, since my testes will not be accustomed to producing its own T. That can give me a window of 1-3 months of little to no T production, which would mean that I would be estrogen dominant almost immediately.

If all of this is true, that should mean I will see results faster than most transitioning women, correct?

Unfortunately no, your body's ability to accept Estrogen, and your age will be the deciding factors. Having little T to begin with may mean that you haven't been overly masculinated which is good if you want to be feminine. The point of HRT is to floor our "T" production so you'd theoretically take different dosages to get to the same estrogen levels as anyone else. But female levels are female levels.

[Eva Marie]

You need a sex hormone (testosterone or estrogen) in your body to avoid getting osteoporosis.

To answer the original question - the decision was both easy and agonizing. It was easy because I was working very hard on drinking myself to death and I simply did not care about anything else - it was a way to escape from the dysphoria and to escape from who I knew I was. It was agonizing because I had an idea of all of the things it was going to cost me if I transitioned so I just kept drinking.

Eventually my stomach was hurting all of the time and I was going to work still buzzed from the night before. I knew that I had reached a turning point and a decision had to be made - it was either to keep going down the dark path that led to a pine box, or transition and take my chances with my fate.

I chose to stay alive and transition. It was extremely hard, but I did it. And yes, I had large losses.

IMO being alive trumps any loss from transitioning.

[KayXo]

I have started a strict low carb, no sugar diet with lots of lean meats, & fresh fruits/veggies.

This can be harmful for you as the lack of carbs and fats (fats are important and need to replace lost carbs, they are healthy as evidenced by recent studies) can result in rabbit starvation. You won't feel good, you will be hungry. It can be fatal.

http://backacrosstheline.blogspot.ca/2007/09/rabbit-starvation-syndrome.html

Fat, including saturated fat is not bad. Please read Gary Taubes, Robert Atkins, Stephen Phinney, Jeff Volek, Peter Attia, Sally Fallon, Mary Enig. And latest studies like these ones

Ann Intern Med. 2014 Mar 18;160(6):398-406.

"Current evidence does not clearly support cardiovascular guidelines that encourage high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low consumption of total saturated fats."

Obes Rev. 2002 May;3(2):59-68.

"Diets high in fat do not account for the high prevalence of excess body fat in Western countries; reductions in the percentage of energy from fat will have no important benefits and could further exacerbate this problem. The emphasis on total fat reduction has been a serious distraction in efforts to control obesity and improve health in general."

Adv Nutr. 2013 May 1;4(3):294-302.

"The focus on dietary manipulation of serum cholesterol may be moot in view of numerous other factors that increase the risk of heart disease. The adverse health effects that have been associated with saturated fats in the past are most likely due to factors other than SFAs, which are discussed here. This review calls for a rational reevaluation of existing dietary recommendations that focus on minimizing dietary SFAs, for which mechanisms for adverse health effects are lacking."

Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Mar;91(3):535-46.

"A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat."

Nutrition. 2012 Feb;28(2):118-23.

" Results and conclusions about saturated fat intake in relation to cardiovascular disease, from leading advisory committees, do not reflect the available scientific literature."

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2013 Jun 15;304(12):H1733-42.

" In conclusion, a low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet reduced blood pressure and improved arterial function in SHR without producing signs of insulin resistance or altering insulin-mediated signaling in the heart, skeletal muscle, or vasculature."

Nutr Metab (Lond). 2005; 2: 21

"We believe restriction of saturated fat is not warranted on a low-carbohydrate diet because of our work showing favorable responses in clinical risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease in low-carbohydrate diets that were rich in saturated fat [2]. In addition, German & Dillard [3] have reviewed several experimental studies of the effects of saturated fats and the results are found to be variable and there is a general failure to meet the kind of unambiguous predictions that would justify the recommendation to reduce saturated fat in the population [3]."

"we believe that the recommendation to restrict saturated fat in favor of unsaturated fat on a low-carbohydrate diet is unnecessary and may even diminish some of the beneficial physiological effects associated with carbohydrate restriction. At the very least, the food restriction required to reduce saturated fat will compromise the palatability of the diet"

Eur J Nutr. 2013 Feb;52(1):1-24.

"The observational evidence does not support the hypothesis that dairy fat or high-fat dairy foods contribute to obesity or cardiometabolic risk, and suggests that high-fat dairy consumption within typical dietary patterns is inversely associated with obesity risk."

Nutr Metab (Lond). 2006; 3: 24.

"Because of its effect on insulin, carbohydrate restriction is one of the obvious dietary choices for weight reduction and diabetes. Such interventions generally lead to higher levels of dietary fat than official recommendations and have long been criticized because of potential effects on cardiovascular risk although many literature reports have shown that they are actually protective even in the absence of weight loss. A recent report of Krauss et al. (AJCN, 2006) separates the effects of weight loss and carbohydrate restriction. They clearly confirm that carbohydrate restriction leads to an improvement in atherogenic lipid states in the absence of weight loss or in the presence of higher saturated fat."

I also want to cut down on fat levels as well.

Dangerous if you are cutting down on carbs as well. Increased fat consumption decreases obesity, not the other way around. I can provide many other studies as well.

Eat Fat And Grow Slim
http://doczine.com/bigdata/2/1367179203_9e0b9b3b62/eat_fat.pdf

The Stone Age Diet
http://www.mitodascalorias.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Voegtlin_1975_The_Stone_Age_Diet.pdf

The Fat of the Land / Not By Bread Alone
http://owndoc.com/pdf/The-fat-of-the-land.pdf

Letter On Corpulence
http://www.thefitblog.net/ebooks/LetterOnCorpulence/LetteronCorpulence.pdf

STRONG MEDICINE
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015003228171;skin=mobile#page/ii/mode/2up
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015003228171;view=1up;seq=7

Adventures in Diet
http://abelix.hive.no/wp-uploads/abelix.hive.no/2011/02/Adventures_in_Diet.pdf

Also the book Good Calories, Bad Calories & Why We Get Fat.

--------------

Also, I can relate to reading MtF fictional stories...for several months and enjoying it very much but I wasn't truly living.

Lack of T might lessen libido but the addition of estrogen (and sometimes progesterone) will enhance libido as well, but in a different way. Hard to explain until you have experienced it yourself. You will only be E dominant if you take E. Bio-identical E does not adversely affect liver, other forms of estrogen can.

Do as much reading on the subject as you can. Best of luck.  

[Adchop]

This can be harmful for you as the lack of carbs and fats (fats are important and need to replace lost carbs, they are healthy as evidenced by recent studies) can result in rabbit starvation. You won't feel good, you will be hungry. It can be fatal.

http://backacrosstheline.blogspot.ca/2007/09/rabbit-starvation-syndrome.html

Fat, including saturated fat is not bad. Please read Gary Taubes, Robert Atkins, Stephen Phinney, Jeff Volek, Peter Attia, Sally Fallon, Mary Enig. And latest studies like these ones

Ann Intern Med. 2014 Mar 18;160(6):398-406.

"Current evidence does not clearly support cardiovascular guidelines that encourage high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low consumption of total saturated fats."

Obes Rev. 2002 May;3(2):59-68.

"Diets high in fat do not account for the high prevalence of excess body fat in Western countries; reductions in the percentage of energy from fat will have no important benefits and could further exacerbate this problem. The emphasis on total fat reduction has been a serious distraction in efforts to control obesity and improve health in general."

Adv Nutr. 2013 May 1;4(3):294-302.

"The focus on dietary manipulation of serum cholesterol may be moot in view of numerous other factors that increase the risk of heart disease. The adverse health effects that have been associated with saturated fats in the past are most likely due to factors other than SFAs, which are discussed here. This review calls for a rational reevaluation of existing dietary recommendations that focus on minimizing dietary SFAs, for which mechanisms for adverse health effects are lacking."

Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Mar;91(3):535-46.

"A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat."

Nutrition. 2012 Feb;28(2):118-23.

" Results and conclusions about saturated fat intake in relation to cardiovascular disease, from leading advisory committees, do not reflect the available scientific literature."

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2013 Jun 15;304(12):H1733-42.

" In conclusion, a low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet reduced blood pressure and improved arterial function in SHR without producing signs of insulin resistance or altering insulin-mediated signaling in the heart, skeletal muscle, or vasculature."

Nutr Metab (Lond). 2005; 2: 21

"We believe restriction of saturated fat is not warranted on a low-carbohydrate diet because of our work showing favorable responses in clinical risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease in low-carbohydrate diets that were rich in saturated fat [2]. In addition, German & Dillard [3] have reviewed several experimental studies of the effects of saturated fats and the results are found to be variable and there is a general failure to meet the kind of unambiguous predictions that would justify the recommendation to reduce saturated fat in the population [3]."

"we believe that the recommendation to restrict saturated fat in favor of unsaturated fat on a low-carbohydrate diet is unnecessary and may even diminish some of the beneficial physiological effects associated with carbohydrate restriction. At the very least, the food restriction required to reduce saturated fat will compromise the palatability of the diet"

Eur J Nutr. 2013 Feb;52(1):1-24.

"The observational evidence does not support the hypothesis that dairy fat or high-fat dairy foods contribute to obesity or cardiometabolic risk, and suggests that high-fat dairy consumption within typical dietary patterns is inversely associated with obesity risk."

Nutr Metab (Lond). 2006; 3: 24.

"Because of its effect on insulin, carbohydrate restriction is one of the obvious dietary choices for weight reduction and diabetes. Such interventions generally lead to higher levels of dietary fat than official recommendations and have long been criticized because of potential effects on cardiovascular risk although many literature reports have shown that they are actually protective even in the absence of weight loss. A recent report of Krauss et al. (AJCN, 2006) separates the effects of weight loss and carbohydrate restriction. They clearly confirm that carbohydrate restriction leads to an improvement in atherogenic lipid states in the absence of weight loss or in the presence of higher saturated fat."

Dangerous if you are cutting down on carbs as well. Increased fat consumption decreases obesity, not the other way around. I can provide many other studies as well.

Eat Fat And Grow Slim
http://doczine.com/bigdata/2/1367179203_9e0b9b3b62/eat_fat.pdf

The Stone Age Diet
http://www.mitodascalorias.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Voegtlin_1975_The_Stone_Age_Diet.pdf

The Fat of the Land / Not By Bread Alone
http://owndoc.com/pdf/The-fat-of-the-land.pdf

Letter On Corpulence
http://www.thefitblog.net/ebooks/LetterOnCorpulence/LetteronCorpulence.pdf

STRONG MEDICINE
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015003228171;skin=mobile#page/ii/mode/2up
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015003228171;view=1up;seq=7

Adventures in Diet
http://abelix.hive.no/wp-uploads/abelix.hive.no/2011/02/Adventures_in_Diet.pdf

Also the book Good Calories, Bad Calories & Why We Get Fat.

Thanks for the information. It seems like a lot to take in right now.

I have a friend who has turned me on to Kerrygold butter from Ireland. It's from grass fed cows, so its much healthier than our american options. He also told me that healthy fat is good for your bodies.

To all the ladies out there, what would you recommend for me diet wise pre-transition?

[KayXo]

Grass fed cows have the advantage of carrying fat that is more abundant in omega 3 (less omega 6 which is inflammatory), vitamin E and beta-carotene (Vitamin A).

I know it's a lot to take in but in the end, it will be worthwhile. Baby steps, one day at a time. It tooks me years to assimilate all of that.

[Adchop]

Unfortunately no, your body's ability to accept Estrogen, and your age will be the deciding factors. Having little T to begin with may mean that you haven't been overly masculinated which is good if you want to be feminine. The point of HRT is to floor our "T" production so you'd theoretically take different dosages to get to the same estrogen levels as anyone else. But female levels are female levels.

My body has also straddled the line between masculine and feminine. I have a masculine chest and shoulders, but small hands, feet, & genitalia. Even though I have lived most of my life as a masculine male, I have never felt that way on the inside. My emotions tended to always be more to the feminine side.

I think these are all reason why I think estrogen might effect my body much quicker than most women, though the only way I will know is giving it a try.

[Adchop]

Grass fed cows have the advantage of carrying fat that is more abundant in omega 3 (less omega 6 which is inflammatory), vitamin E and beta-carotene (Vitamin A).

Yeah, that's what I have read. I actually try and put it in my bowl of oatmeal I eat every morning. My doctor said whole grains would be ok for me.

I think the biggest thing for me will be finding a good feminine diet, since I have always ate food with the intention of packing on muscle and mass.

[KayXo]

I would avoid grains considering your situation, even whole grains. It's indeed true that fiber slows down the digestion and allows sugar to gradually hit the blood but still...fruits, especially sweet fruits can increase the risk of fatty liver. Best is vegetables that grow above the earth like cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, kale, leeks. Cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, olive oil, coconut oil....berries, the list goes on and on. Plenty of nutritious foods that don't raise insulin (and triglycerides) to a significant degree. Nuts are fine too. Macadamia, hazelnuts, almonds.

[Harley Quinn]

My body has also straddled the line between masculine and feminine. I have a masculine chest and shoulders, but small hands, feet, & genitalia. Even though I have lived most of my life as a masculine male, I have never felt that way on the inside. My emotions tended to always be more to the feminine side.

I think these are all reason why I think estrogen might effect my body much quicker than most women, though the only way I will know is giving it a try.

You'll definitely know for sure if estrogen is right for you once you take it... it has a very noticeable effect on your mind.

[Harley Quinn]

To all the ladies out there, what would you recommend for me diet wise pre-transition?

I would consult a nutritionist as part of your transition. To minimize health risks, and provide you the best possible results.

[Adchop]

You'll definitely know for sure if estrogen is right for you once you take it... it has a very noticeable effect on your mind.

That's what I'm somewhat worried about. Once I start, there is a very good chance that I will be so happy, I won't be able to bring myself to stop. Especially if my body really starts to feminize fast. (I deream of being a size D )

[Harley Quinn]

That's what I'm somewhat worried about. Once I start, there is a very good chance that I will be so happy, I won't be able to bring myself to stop. Especially if my body really starts to feminize fast. (I deream of being a size D )

Ha ha ha... don't we all... don't we all...

But you'll know what's right for you when the time comes.

[Adchop]

Ha ha ha... don't we all... don't we all...

But you'll know what's right for you when the time comes.

I think that's the decision I'm coming to. I'm 34, I don't want to late till later in life to give this a try. What effects estrogen has on my body, emotions, and the decisions that come afterwards will just have to all be part of the package deal. No point in turning away out of fear.

[TG CLare]

It was hard to come to the decision to transition. I knew I'd be starting a new life and it would be difficult. There was decisions I had to make but once I had accepted the decision to transition, things became much easier for me. I knew who I was and had my new life to live. Looking back, I wonder why I had doubts as my life is so much better than it was before.

Love,
Clare

[Meghan]

It was hard to come to the decision to transition. I knew I'd be starting a new life and it would be difficult. There was decisions I had to make but once I had accepted the decision to transition, things became much easier for me. I knew who I was and had my new life to live. Looking back, I wonder why I had doubts as my life is so much better than it was before.

Love,
Clare

CLare, just like you I have make decisions on my transition, and now I look forward to my new life. Now my mind are clear that what I want to do.

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