Should I lose weight before starting HRT?

[Cheaney]

In my experience sugar is what makes people gain weight the most so if you cut out the sweets and start taking and drinking "diet-" everything you'll see a difference. I for one love Coca Cola so Diet Coke is my go to drink. I've also managed to find sugar-free chocolate, etc...which I try not to eat much anyway cuz it still has a lot of calories but if you get the cravings for candy there's that option.

I'm not a big sweets consumer normally. But I've found that I eat them more when I don't drink pop. But that's a good tip on sugar free candy when I do crave it.

Vicki

[Charlie Nicki]

I'm not a big sweets consumer normally. But I've found that I eat them more when I don't drink pop. But that's a good tip on sugar free candy when I do crave it.

Vicki

Yeah but I meant cutting off all sugar, for example fruit juices as well, milkshakes, basically anything that is sweetened. I used to drink juice with every meal of the day but I switched to water and that helped me as well.

[jentay1367]

O.P. drops this query on us with 2 posts as a guest and disappears days go. These threads fascinate me. I queried as to her height and received no reply. I mean...she could be 4'8" .........and 173 pounds would look like? Well???...not good. But it turns out she was just another drive by and we've all go down the rabbit hole. Not that this is not an post of interest, but I find this stuff quizzical all the same. I wonder just how many posts this oft handed remark from someone who probably will never be back will generate? Time will tell...

[Cheaney]

Yeah but I meant cutting off all sugar, for example fruit juices as well, milkshakes, basically anything that is sweetened. I used to drink juice with every meal of the day but I switched to water and that helped me as well.

Got ya. The only juice I drink semi regularly is orange juice and I don't think I've had it in a month at least. Got to admit though that I love ice cream/milkshakes so I'm gonna have to really watch how much I eat there.

[Sinclair]

O.P. drops this query on us with 2 posts as a guest and disappears days go. These threads fascinate me. I queried as to her height and received no reply. I mean...she could be 4'8" .........and 173 pounds would look like? Well???...not good. But it turns out she was just another drive by and we've all go down the rabbit hole. Not that this is not an post of interest, but I find this stuff quizzical all the same. I wonder just how many posts this oft handed remark from someone who probably will never be back will generate? Time will tell...

I get your concern. But, it's a valid topic. MtF HRT loses muscle, not fat. It's not a diet program. It's a loss of muscle and if your goal is to slim those arms and legs of muscle, like me, I'm very happy with the results. The issue is how to achieve the best results. Legacy fat from cis male fat distribution will never be "fixed" by HRT. So, I think the learning points of this thread are two things: If you are MtF and are over weight, drop it before HRT. HRT will not move your belly fat to your butt, for example. Existing fat tissue is actually anchored to the body and can only be moved by surgery or suction. The better option is to lose the fat. Exercise, diet, etc, this destroys the fat cells. IMO, once this has been accomplished, then allow HRT to redistribute the fat one consumes in a female pattern. However, HRT will not move beer belly fat cells to your breasts, for example. You need to introduce fat into the body that HRT will place in a female pattern. As stated above, I'm not aware of any research in this area, I'm only talking from my own experience. I have lost significant muscle from my arms and legs, but have seen nice increases in my butt, thighs, and breasts. In fact I have posted that my breast increase is a little over my comfort level at my stage of transition. That said, I do exercise and eat well, but I purposely add fat in my diet as I see it go to the right places. Now, I'm naturally slim and tall, not sure adding fat will help everyone, but it works for me since my body is sending it to the right places.

[Deborah]

Simply adding fat to the diet won't work.  The best way to add bodyfat is to eat often and eat a lot of carbs, especially processed sugar and wheat products.  It also screws up your health long term.

My experience is that if you ever had even a moderate leveled of fat on T then the best thing to do is lose it.  The fat cells are already there and if you gain fat those fat cells are going to fill up and the standard male "fat" shape comes back.  I also found that muscle loss from the lower body is minimal no matter what you do.  That's actually not bad because if you can lose the bulk on top then the bottom staying larger leaves a better overall proportion.


Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote

[Charlie Nicki]

How much weight is enough to lose and keep a female shape when starting hormones? I'm currently one month on spiro, 1.75mt (5.7ft) of height and my weight is 64.5kg (142lbs). I was 71kg like 3 months ago (156lbs) but made a conscious effort of dieting before hormones.

[Deborah]

How much weight is really dependent on your body type and your lean mass amount.  My personal rule is that enough fat is gone when all the belly fat is gone.  I'm getting close.


Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote

[Jennagirl]

This is an interesting thread for me. I have lost 9lbs so far and want to lose another 16lbs. With the posts provided it really looks like I should do it before starting HRT for best results. Many thanks!!!

Jenna

[Brooke]

How much weight is really dependent on your body type and your lean mass amount.  My personal rule is that enough fat is gone when all the belly fat is gone.  I'm getting close.


Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote

I'm still stuck on the last bit of visceral belly fat. It's not budging. Have extra skin there too, but there is still a good amount of jiggle. Dead give away.  My weight loss has also plateaus. Though I'm at a good stable weight (132lbs for about six weeks now). I'm hoping the gradual pound gained and lost going forward will be enough to get rid of the belly fat. I still notice that when I lose weight now, my body prefers to lose it from typically male regions and put it on in typically female regions.

A few corrections in some of the previous posts.

You will always have fat cells in the same number and same place unless you do liposuction or fat transplant.

This is different then fat deposits. That is when you put fat on, your storing it in these pre-existing fat cells. The cells essentially just get bigger when filled with fat. When you lose weight that is fat, your basically extracting the fat from these cells, but not actually damaging/killing/getting rid of these cells.

My understanding is that even once on hrt one still we keep the same amount of fat cells in any given area, the density of those areas are determined by birth sex (and the following puberty).

Basically hrt just changes the order preference of which areas to store and burn fat to/from.  This is why fat "redistribution" will occur over time, many years even if you are at a stable weight. Doesn't matter if that stable weight is within a healthy range or not. We all fluctuate by a pound or two. It's this constant fluctuations combine with preference changes that causes the fat "redistribution".

Beyond breast growth I don't believe there will ever be more/less fat cells in a female/male regions than there already are. Why some transwomen can still put weight on in typically male area if obese. The fat cells in the top areas of preference are completely used up, fat is stored to full capacity. Instead of the body creating more fat cells in the preferred area, it will use the fat cells that are already there, even if the cells are in areas that are lower in preference order.




~Brooke~