Hips- BBL/hip implants or eating healthy and exercising?

[ashw]

I'm 21 and been on hormones for 2.5 years. I was on pills for the first 9 months and my estrogen levels were terribly low so I switched to injections and they slowly went up.

The pills softened up my face and widened my bone structure while the injections after that helped redistribute fat. My measurements are now 31-25-36 and my shoulders are small. I can fit into XS tops.

The issue with having a small bone structure and being small before HRT is that my thighs and hips were terribly skinny. My thighs looked like most people's arms. They've gotten significantly bigger but still cause dysphoria because they're so straight. My body only looks feminine because my bone structure changed. I realize I pass as a petite cis woman but it still makes me uncomfortable. I want to have rounder hips and butt instead of straight hips and a square butt.
I only look good in baggy pants, frilly skirts, and rompers. Everything else like skinny jeans, leggings and tight skirts make my hips look so straight and narrow.

Will squats, lunges, and a healthy diet help this or should I get a BBL to lipo back/abdomen fat to add a few inches to the hips? I have some fat in the back and abdomen but not huge amounts. Definitely grabable though.

Since I have small shoulders, I feel like even an inch or two of fat to the butt/hips would make a huge difference. I just want a rounder look.

[josie76]

Most here were well past the age for pelvic bone changes so kudos to you for that.  I think in general you will find that you fit well within norms for girls of your age.

A couple of thoughts that might improve your body fat placement:

bioidenticle progesterone: You didn't say if you take that. It definitely helps develop breast tissues but seemed to me to make my body put fat on my butt and thighs.

remove all T: T in the body does reduce feminization some even if you are on spiro. If you still have the T makers, getting an orchiectomy may be less expensive and more permanent than a fat grafting procedure.

Squats, lunges, leg lift exercises will help develop the muscles under the body fat so yes it can help.

All that and yes even gaining weight. I know none of us want to feel fat but if you are super lean you have to add some body fat for the body to put it where female hormones tell it to go. Also it is common for even a fit lean woman to have a much higher body fat percent than a man does.

Time: as you get near 30 your body's metabolism will change. You will no longer be naturally so lean. Part of natural aging. 

[ashw]

Most here were well past the age for pelvic bone changes so kudos to you for that.  I think in general you will find that you fit well within norms for girls of your age.

A couple of thoughts that might improve your body fat placement:

bioidenticle progesterone: You didn't say if you take that. It definitely helps develop breast tissues but seemed to me to make my body put fat on my butt and thighs.

remove all T: T in the body does reduce feminization some even if you are on spiro. If you still have the T makers, getting an orchiectomy may be less expensive and more permanent than a fat grafting procedure.

Squats, lunges, leg lift exercises will help develop the muscles under the body fat so yes it can help.

All that and yes even gaining weight. I know none of us want to feel fat but if you are super lean you have to add some body fat for the body to put it where female hormones tell it to go. Also it is common for even a fit lean woman to have a much higher body fat percent than a man does.

Time: as you get near 30 your body's metabolism will change. You will no longer be naturally so lean. Part of natural aging. 

Yes, I do fit in with girls my age. My body looks like Cameron Diaz's but I would really prefer a rounder look to my bottom! As you can probably see if you just google her, she has very straight hips. Definitely looks cis but lacks feminine appeal.

I had to stop progesterone for SRS recently and decided not to go back to it even though I'm already almost 3 months post op. I only take estrogen and testosterone cream now. Oddly enough, I did notice that my thighs lost a lot of weight post op! I never put two and two together until I read your post. I might go back on it now. If what people say is true and SRS really does make the body develop in a more feminine way, I guess I'll be happy! I do see some little hip fat developing in small amounts but nothing to write home about.

[AnonyMs]

Taking testesterone cream at only 3 months post-op is a bit unusual. How did you end up needing that?

[ashw]

Taking testesterone cream at only 3 months post-op is a bit unusual. How did you end up needing that?

Routine blood work showed that my testosterone levels had been 2 ng/dL and I was feeling sluggish and depressed. When I was pre-op, it was around 7 to 13 ng/dL.

[AnonyMs]

Did it work?

[Doreen]

Routine blood work showed that my testosterone levels had been 2 ng/dL and I was feeling sluggish and depressed. When I was pre-op, it was around 7 to 13 ng/dL.

ACHOO!  Oh sorry nose sniffles   Your testosterone, while important, as long as its still 'readable' you should be perfectly ok WITHOUT being on any testosterone supplement / cream.  I'd be concerned far more about its androgenizing effects.  Unless you need it for stamina performance, or increased sex drive (typically reasons menopausal cis women take it) I don't really see the need especially at your age for taking it.  Testosterone will not cure depression.  Sluggishness?  There are other methods other than taking testosterone.. like for instance some imbibe caffeine.  Others work out.. there are multiple ways to combat tiredness. 

Your body should feminize fine at that age & with estrogen.  Realize that many girls don't have kim kardashian butts at your age.  Not to mention the number of butt implants/injections she had.  Be careful of sliding into body dysmorphic disorder where you hyperscrutinize any body part and see it as non feminine.  This is a very real problem in the T* community in general.   If you want to gain weight, then... gain weight.  That's the best way to have it redistribute to female norms.  If you want to remain skinny & petite, do so... but don't expect to have plump fat if you're skinny.  Trust me, this I know.

Good luck with your continued life & working on this issue & dysphoria.   

[josie76]

Progesterone (bioidenticle) tends to help with depression at least for a lot of us. It is the building block hormone of all of the neuro-regulating hormones in the brain among others.

In cis men the testes produce just enough progesterone for the body to build everything else it needs from the adrenal glands,pituitary, and hypothaulamus. When you take out the testes by your SRS or an orchiectomy, you also take away a lot of the raw hormone material from the body.

[Dani]

If you want to gain weight, eat lots of food, but it may not go where you want it to go.

I suggest you exercise your legs and glutes and eat a proper diet. You will change slowly, but you will look much better when the estrogens really develop your body.

[Alexa Ares]

Its probably a good idea to talk to a top surgeon about BBL to get a idea of whats possible. By that I mean one who is highly reputable and does not just want to take your money.

One of my friends who is Cis Female, has had 2 rounds of BBL and the results are very good. The caveat here is she was fairly curved beforehand, so its a case of increasing what was already there. YMMV. See whats possible.
You sound like you have a nice feminine shape already so maybe change nothing?

With exercise, Bret Contreas knows pretty much everything about Glute work. Google him, and maybe buy one of his e books. They are worth the $30-50.....
With Glutes, Hip Thrusts, kettle bell swings and Glute Bridges are the best moves. Squats are way over rated. (I was and still am a PT with over 10 years experience so consider this thought, that Squats are not number 1 for glutes)
As you are post op, gaining muscle here, will be slower but can be done, just do your research and plan well.

The BBL look is a very different one to the trained exercise look. Do you want big soft and POW! or do you want tight, strong curves that are more subtle?

Thats my 2 cents.....
Alexa

[Maria77]

I had one round of BBL and would like to get round two.  These days local doctors do them for 5-7k.   This is one of those things where you don't necessarily have to go to a trans doctor.   
.  This is one of those easy things to get done-low down time and not super expensive.  I did lose a bit, but i'd say maybe 80%survived.