Effect of weight loss on feminine appearance

[Hypatia]

It's a dilemma. I was a bit overweight and I've been dieting to take off pounds in my middle. I've been successful at it, and have lost over 17 pounds so far. My figure is slimmer than it's been in many years, and I actually have curves for the first time.

But I have to weigh that against what is happening to my face. Every time I lose weight it causes my cheeks to sink inward, which outlines my jaw bones-- an effect that is very detrimental to my feminine looks. This is happening now. At this point I have to decide if I should keep on reducing my weight to my ideal proportions, or stop slimming here. I feel like my tummy still needs to be smaller. But I am worried what will happen to my face if I continue.

As far as my curves are concerned, I've taken an inch and a half off my hips too, which is not good either... that interferes with my waist-hip ratio.

How do I shrink my tummy without caving in my face? -- or, Be careful what you wish for!

[Just Mandy]

How long have you been on HRT? I know for me I look much fatter in the
face since starting and I assume that will continue... normally my
face would be the same as you describe... the area under the cheeks
would be more sunken.

I'm willing to sacrifice my face to some extent to make my body look less
masculine... I guess I have more body issues than facial. Of maybe I find thin
faces more appealing... Or maybe that I have a lot of upper body muscle still... not
really not sure what it is but for me... it's the body first.

Even if I'm rail thin with no hips in my mind that is better than muscular.

I'm not sure there is any way... other than HRT, to spare the face and get rid
of other fat, I hope someone has some ideas.

Amanda

[Keira]

Just slow it down Hypatia, your probably just losing weight
quicker than estrogen is putting fat in the gynoid places.

Also, males have more muscles which sometimes makes fat loss
too easy! So, you've got to leave some time for those muscles
to go. Even if you keep the same weight, if you lose 5 pounds of
muscles and gain 5 pounds of fat, your fat % of your body will increase
a lot even without gaining weight and that fat is likely to go in the female
areas. The old fat pre HRT will be in the male areas. I'm not saying to
gain weight, just keep it steady, or lose weight slowly (say 1.5 pound
per 2 weeks for 3 months).

I had the same issue, I'm full of muscles, and if I exercise,
my weight plummets and I lose almost all fat in my upper
body, good for waist, not good for breast size...
lower body seems not to be too affected (I've never
had much fat on my face pre or post HRT, so that's not an issue).

I just cut my exercise to keep my weight stable for awhile
as I kept losing muscle so I'm gaining fat even as my weight
is stable. In a few months, I'll start again to lose weight quick
(but with less muscles, a bit slower).

[Hypatia]

How long have you been on HRT?

Two years. But then I'm in my late 40s.

Posted on: April 25, 2008, 05:22:00 PM

I just cut my exercise to keep my weight stable for awhile as I kept losing muscle so I'm gaining fat even as my weight is stable. In a few months, I'll start again to lose weight quick (but with less muscles, a bit slower).

I have not been exercising at all, except for some dancing and walking once in a while. I never had much muscular development to begin with. I'm happy with the fat-redistribution effects I'm getting from HRT, to the extent that it's happening at all, but its effectiveness seems to be slowed or diminished by my age.

[Ell]

Hi 'patia,

this fat was chewed earlier in another thread. there, it was generally determined that a little fat in the midriff was far preferable to a "sunken cheek" look in the female face.

i agree with that. i lost 20 some pounds when i started my transition, and i was so proud of myself, except then people thought i looked ill.

i loved going from a men's 35 pants to men's 31, then to women's 12 and now at women's size 10.

but it was not good for my face, and i've since put on some weight, somehow remaining size 10.

i'm a Lil' self-conscious about my tummy, but if i sit up straight, it's not so bad. plus, now people don't say i look sick, and i feel more confident overall.

-Ellie

[Laura Eva B]

Leading into transition I shed weight at 3lb a week dropping from 173lb to 133lb in under 4 months.  Waist down from 35in to 27in, so that when I starte RLE I was shopping for a US size 8 wardrobe !

Everyone thought I was ill, my face became really gaunt .....

In the three years since I've put back just a few pounds (136lb), but with hrt my face has filled out to look healthy, plumper and more feminine than before. 

I just think it takes time for your body to adjust to weight loss .... don't use the excuse of maintaining feminine curves to stick with an unhealthy weight !

Laura x

[Lisbeth]

I had extremely stable weight for too many years to count.  When I started HRT, I had a very slight weight gain of about 5 pounds, and this gave a very pleasing shape to my face.  Then in January when my marriage fell apart I started to lose weight.  I don't know what my current weight is, but when it was checked at the clinic last month, I had lost 25 pounds.  During that same period of time, more and more people started to read me.  Whether that was because of my more gaunt facial features or because of my depressed emotional appearance, I don't know.  I have not noticed more than a slight lose in breast size, far less than in other parts of my anatomy, so the net is that they look bigger.  Presumably the weight has mostly come off of male type areas, and if I gain any back, it will be in female type areas.

[Hypatia]

Lisbeth, I think if one is depressed then that would aggravate any gauntness in the face.

Presumably the weight has mostly come off of male type areas, and if I gain any back, it will be in female type areas.

That's my hope.

For now I'm slowing down my rate of weight loss, I think I may have been taking it too fast.

[JENNIFER]

Before I began transition, in facty when I was living as a male before my stroke, I was very muscular due to work environment and my weight was less than it is now.  I could say I was all muscle and as fit as a fiddle.

Then one day, on a day off from work my world fell apart. I woke up, unable to speak, I was walking into door frames, dropping things and my personal needs failed me when it mattered,  I then lost considerable weight in the following weeks which left my face looking like a skull with skin.

Fast forward a few years and my spell of unregulated female hormone intake and my transition.  The weight has been restored to the previous level but the muscle has since become blubber, mostly in the abdominal region.  I have even been thought of as a slightly pregnant woman by some people  ( I WISH  ) , however, it is in the face that my angst resides.  Most people see nothing to suggest maleness ( unless I speak to them ). Some that have known me as a male say that I look better with a fuller face because they saw me in the hospital when i was at my weakest.

The fuller face leads me to think that because I do not have the genetic female skills with make-up the extra fat makes up for it. I may be so very wrong in my view and hope to be re-educated by you all if that is the case.   Finally, my face remains my battleground because I have always known it as a male face and no matter what I do with it cosmetically, it remains a male face in my own eyes and to many people despite what I might be wearing, I get ">-bleeped-<" shouted at me, Milkshakes and half eaten burgers when near McDonalds or KFC or any other outlet get thrown at me, it is a life of abuse because of how I feel about myself and how I choose to live my life.   This is my life in the UK, it might be easier in other nations but I expect a barrage of ' No it is not!!!!' from you all if I am wrong in my assumptions.

The point of this thread was weight loss on female appearence. Can it work both ways?  I believe that it can  because of our individual genetic differences and abilities to adapt to hormone therapy or environmental challenges and the biggest challenge we face just happens to be our fellow human beings.  Such a shame that this is the case.......

[Keira]

If your not on E, its probably that losing weight will make your face less round,
though even at 30 pound in excess, I only had slightly more fat in my face,
where fat goes depends on hormones and genetics.

[Hypatia]

because I do not have the genetic female skills with make-up the extra fat makes up for it.

Speaking of makeup, I am trying to compensate for my hollowed-out cheeks by using lighter tones in the hollows to bring them forward, and a little extra bronzer down and back of there on the jawbones to made them recede.

I don't see how XX chromosomes would have anything to do with makeup skill. To me it depends entirely on study, observation, and lots of practice. A general rule is that lighter areas seem to come forward and darker areas are background.

[Just Mandy]

A general rule is that lighter areas seem to come forward and darker areas are background.

Excellent rule

If you need help try "Making Faces" or "Makeup Makeovers"... both great books.

Amanda

[JENNIFER]

A general rule is that lighter areas seem to come forward and darker areas are background.

Excellent rule

If you need help try "Making Faces" or "Makeup Makeovers"... both great books.

Amanda

May I be stupid and ask how I might obtain or get access these works of art please? 

[Just Mandy]

That's not stupid at all, amazon.com has them... here are the links:

Making Faces

Makeup Makeovers

Other good books

Amanda

[Aiden]

LOL, the only time I use make up is in Klingon costume.  But I remember I asked a Drag Queen how they made parts of their face stand out more, because I wanted my cheek bones to stand out more when in costume.  Still haven't gotten it to work right though...  cheeks are to rounded beh

[Virginia87106]

I was 6'3" 195# for a long time under a low fat, high carb diet.  I always did alot of cardio, running and biking.  # months ago I started the south beath diet, which is basically a low fat low carb diet.  I took the breads, and potatoes, and pasta out of my diet, which was hard.  But I lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks, and another 8 pounds in anothe 3 weeks.  And I feel great at 180#.

Now in a maintenence diet on it, I eat a little of all, and it is holding.  I really recommend the South Beach  diet.