I woke up and was different.

[Valerie Elizabeth]

Today I had my jewelery and metalcraft class.  We are learning how to make jewelery with different metals.  It is really awesome.  I am making some really amazing earrings.  Since we are working with some fun chemicals, torches, and metal just gets you dirty, I don't want to wear nice things.  So, I grabbed one of the unisex t-shirts I had from when I used to be someone else.  Threw it on, pulled my hair back so it wouldn't get sucked into some nasty machine or burned in an annealing booth.  I ran into the bathroom before I left, and was like wow.  I am not wearing any makeup, my hair is up so it's not doing anything for my face.  I am wearing an oversize shirt that I bought some time ago.  I still look pretty darn feminine.  I don't think I could pass as a boy anymore.  (just need to work on that pesky voice).

I haven't been taking measurements in a while, and decided to take them yesterday morning.  My thighs got bigger, my hips wider, my waist skinnier, my underbust went down an inch, my bust went up an inch.  I was like, when did this happen?  My figure changed and I didn't even notice.  On a side note, I have not gained weight, only lost weight.

I also felt like my feet got smaller.  I went horseback riding the other day, and I threw on my boots and the same socks I always wear to ride.  My heels kept coming right out.  I never thought to measure my feet, but they are smaller for sure.  I can put the boots on and off without any trouble, and before it was much MUCH harder.  It's a shame because they are really nice boots (and expensive!).  Oh well, I can sell them because of that.  They are in great shape.


Anyone else find similar things? 

[Autumn]

I almost replied to this thread, but declined about half an hour ago.

I just got back from the bathroom where I looked at my back in the mirror. I have pretty severe scoliosis, even after the operations for it, and my upper curve has become *a lot* more apparent as my upper body's muscle melts off.

I was never a very muscular person by any means and other guys always out muscled me, but damn, I had no idea the difference in musculature in women compared to men. No wonder I was able to overpower female partners of mine who had 20-50 pounds over me.

Also, a couple of weeks ago I tried to wear some jeans of mine that used to fit really well, but now I can't fit my thighs into them!

Oh, and the UNENDING desire for ice cream and chocolate. Uhm. Hm.

[K8]

Congratulations, Valerie!  How wonderful that your body is shifting like that.

I never measured myself but have taken pictures once each month (nude).  I can see some changes but my basic structure seems the same (inverted triangle back - wide shoulders, narrow hips).  I'm gaining a little belly under my belt (a pooch someone called it).  I know things are shifting around because I am the same weight as when I started.

The thing I notice the most is the smoothness of the skin on my face.  I'm still getting laser and electrolysis treatments, so I'm not hairless yet.  Still, the skin is softer and the pores are smaller.  (Putting lotion on twice a day helps, too.)  Having a smoother face helps a lot when trying to look female.

Keep going, Valerie.  With luck we will all get there.

- Kate

[Myself]

Face is really the key for passing

[ceili]

Face is really the key for passing

Actually I think voice and how you carry yourself is, but mostly voice. JMO. I know some who look great but open their mouth and out themselves.

[Hannah]

You are so pretty Valerie, really an inspiration. Congrats to you 

[Myself]

Actually I think voice and how you carry yourself is, but mostly voice. JMO. I know some who look great but open their mouth and out themselves.

trust me.. it's not the voice.. unless it'd s too bad voice

[Pippa]

Today I received a new dress I bought off the internet.   It is just a simple plain black dress.   I tried it on without a bra and for the first time really notice my development.   I have been on HRT for six months and if the changes continue at this pace I am going to be a very happy girl

Pippa

[gnatalie0]

The test that seals it is 'getting on a crowded bus' test.

First, you have to wait in a queue, hoping no one spots you or talks to you.find the seat, sit down

Second, you have to get on and ask the driver for the ticket to where you are going, voice *is* important here.

Third, worst bit, you have to find a seat, as you turn to face the other passengers, they are all looking at you, aren't they? Feels like it.

Fourth, find the seat, sit down and hope that no one talks to you, and that when you want to get up and leave, asking someone, voice again.

In summary, once you can achieve the above with confidence then that's when you know that your transition has succeeded.   

I have been transitioned for 15 years, 11 post-op and it took a long time for that level of confidence to grow to the point where I was happy with the outcome. All I can say to newer transitioners, relax, work hard on your voice, it'll get you through most tight situations. If anyone doubts your appearance, you can usually get away with it if the voice is right. It isn't necessarily the frequency, but the inflections, how you say it and what you say.

Hope that helps someone.

[ceili]

trust me.. it's not the voice.. unless it'd s too bad voice

I'm not going to start an argument and doing so wasn't my intent. I said it was just my opinion and I would appreciate my opinion not being invalidated by your stating that I am simply wrong. Everyone's experience is different, that much after over two years of transition is quite apparent to me. In my opinion, based on my own experience, living with a partner who passes well except the voice, and watching other struggle, voice will make you or break you no matter how good you look. Looks are definitely a major part, but even if you look great but sound like Barry White, you're likely going to get read. By contrast you can look OK or even marginally passable and have voice, including inflections and other qualities mastered and never get read. Again, this is my opinion based on experience and observation, YMMV.

[JodieBlonde]

If any of you have followed any of my saga - I have been rather tricked into where I am today by an overzealous mother who was in all probability just trying to protect me from the world. So be it - but I of late have decided to go the rest of the way even if I don't get surgery. I had a decent enough background in things femme, and I've just decided to go the rest of the way at least as far as is possible at the mo.

But being a non-professional camera person - and as I was shore fishing on a secluded beach I set my camera in VIDEO mode on a cheap tripod and took some scenes of me surf fishing - er -  topless.

I have done so for a few years now and just the other night I decided to review these videos to see if indeed any changes had happened to me that I might be able to see over that time ........or not.

I'm talking about a ten years time lapse and the first shots were pleasant memories, but I was kinda embarrassed by the small, pointy  boobs and sharp muscular definition I had then. My arms were male-shaped with biceps and triceps and a slight 6-pack for a stomach.

In particular, I decided to look in at every other year or so as it worked out - because I figured that I could see the biggest changes at that rate.

Advanced two years - and I had a nice tan - with bikini areas standing out since I love to lie in the sun and get my vitamin D that way.

I noticed some small-ish improvements to the breast definition but more importantly I saw that some of my muscle tone had withered and I was turning into that 90-pound weakling on the back of the comic books who was the "Before" poster boy for the Charles Atlas body building ads. Even though my boobs were pointing outward and they didn't seem to be on the same body at the same time, they were at least growing! Ah, well.

The next two year's video jump was kinda something that took my breath - well, not AWAY, but obviously made me look a lot harder. I was obviously losing a LOT of muscle mass but I was developing a real change in my center of gravity -  my hips and butt were rounder and my buttocks seemed to start a lot higher up from where I remember them in full-male mode.  This was prolly the reason why I now preferred hipster-type panties over the tiny bikini models that I find are not as comfortable any more under my jeans. They seem to get pulled down below where they are comfortable and I am always pulling them up. I thought it was just weak elastics - but they were obviously now sitting too LOW on my behind and I was forced to change to keep them from falling down all the time. Little did I know why until I looked at this video!

As a note here: I found that my waist was now where my elbows bent. Before it had been about half way up my forearm, but with the recent fat deposits and the redefinition of my waist, the narrowest part of my body was where I thought a female waist should be.

Video jump number three made me gasp again as I had now grown a serious set of thighs - and that was the reason why I had to go from 10's to 12's now - my legs had really taken a new tapered look - a "turned" leg like my grandfather would have said! I have never like seeing the "Y-shaped" gap at the top of the legs on girls wearing either tight jeans or a bikini bottom - I dunnow, it just looked like a cheap shot and I always loved to see the inner thighs closed and gently rubbing each other. Now I   had that very look. Even though I wasn't totally naked - (and I now kinda wished I had dropped everything for that year's video) - but I didn't and I was still very impressed by my profile. The boobs not only jiggled but now they would sway with my fishing movements. I marveled at the firmness and elasticity of the breasts and the filled-in undersides that had my nipples pointing very skyward and proud.

Happily now I had serious cleavage too. My breasts not only lay on top of each other when I lie down to sleep, but they are so close to each other that they rubbed together just standing there fishing. A quantum change from the little cones that were wall-eyed at first! When I then cranked the reel, they would sway and rub on each other, lubricated by the sweat between them. Casting into the surf was an act of defying gravity as they jumped and rolled around my chest, making me just look at them. 

Video jump four noticed some subtle changes to my body, but my hair went wild and took a heavy growth spurt - so much so that I had to get it trimmed almost every other week.In this particular video, I had hair almost to the top of my waist from the back and some of those flared out Farah Fawcett bangs.  My male type body strength was all but gone and I find I needed some of the jar openers from Wal-Mart to open the stubborn ones now.

For some reason - and although I've never had much body hair - I noticed that I seemed to have lots less. I don't have to shave my chest or the nipples any more and that's a real relief in the locker rooms! I don't work out, but I like to do a little cardio once in a while to keep things boiling a little. With osteoporosis and bone problems I cannot take too much high impact and I just take it easy. The showers are fun though!

On to video five! Oh wow! This was this past Summer of 2009 and I was almost  totally naked this time but I wore a nude colored thong bottom just for - well, scientific observation - always keeping my eyes peeled for other fishing persons and beach lifeguards too!

The tan was an all-over tan without bra straps or bikini marks and my butt was also capable of jiggling - although I always thought it might be doing that behind my back and out of sight, but just being able to see it from a camera's perspective was really nice. The stomach now had a real female curve to it and flowed into my flat stomach. The rear was even more sculptured than last year and had achieved a real dual-peaches profile over the tops of my thighs.

The new narrow area on top of my hips was a real shocker though. I had gone from a size-male waist to a new 24-incher! This took a lot of looking to see if it was true - but the tape measure wasn't lying! I had some serious hourglass shaping now. When you look down at yourself, you don't get the real picture - believe me.

I know that my jeans were getting snug - sexy-snug my wife says and I was between sizes - 12 or 14 with a natural waistline that was over my belly button by a good two inches nowadays. The swell from there going up to my breasts was the one thing that really made me pause the video. I had to stare at ME! I had real, fully female breasts that just hung there defying gravity and had round and firm undercup areas that would have driven me crazy if I saw them on a girl just a few years ago!

For this last video I did a little swimming but I went out of camera range which was not good as I thought I'd play for the camera a little more. But you won't see THAT footage!

What all this boils down to is that there are changes that we may not see in the everyday mode of awakening, showering, dressing and doing the daily things, but they are there!

I know I have changed radically. I have a serious rack up front and a very sexy rear end that is just like any other female's would be. I have lost some weight - not too much - but I am 136 lbs now, size 10/12 jeans, and a full 38D. My feet are still a little large for me at size 9 1/2 Woman's, and I haven't seen any decrease in their structure for a long while - maybe they won't get smaller! Ah Well!

My hair is really grown a lot healthier and thicker too. I keep it in a business-short style as I need to look sweet/cute and corporate now that I have a job as an IT for a large food-store corporation. I keep my nails short, but lightly colored and try to not look too young and blow my cover. I have to get my hair done ever week to keep up appearances and besides I just wash and wear it at any other time except when I travel and am on the road.

I have to drive a lot and this Friday I have to go to Salt Lake City and then to Roswell and then to Seattle. I drive all by myself and love it. My wife has grandkids at our home to take care of and she's totally immersed in that which makes it easier for me to travel as much as I do. Next February we both go to New Zealand for a few months just because we want to.

Really I didn't want to work as I am retired and thought that time was gonna slip too fast if I didn't slow down a lot. But I find life is more full and satisfying if I am doing something - anything but shopping and trying to look glamorous! That's a joke! I still like to look good.

My size now is 5'9" height (I shrunk a little!) - 140-145 lbs - 39-24-37 - thighs are 27" at the top as high as I can get the tape - over-the-bust is 42".

I wear size 12 or 10 stretch jeans, a size 12 dress/slip/coat, etc and size 9 1/2 shoes.

As a guy I started out at 6' - 185 lbs, size 36 men's jeans, size 9 men's shoes, and 16 1/2 shirts.

Things are possible if you stick with the routine long enough and don't get froggy and jump to the wrong conclusions.

This morning my wife and I swapped clothes (which we have done for years) but somehow we are both the same size now and we are just doing it to see if we can squeeze into size 8 jeans! That's fun for a hobby and really great and all - but a little frustrating. We are both working to get to that 8 in the near future and when we do we're going nude surf fishing again.

Oh yeah - We catch a LOT of fish.