Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hi ladies so my question is this... I have been on hormones for about 6 months and have notice changes in my body... Im tring though to lose some muscle mass especially in my arms and stomache (im not overweight or anything so im not trying to lose weight much, just muscle as i dont like being soo toned.)  I was wondering what do you do to lose muscle mass without getting to skinny??  are there certain exercises you ladies do that dont cause you to be more toned?? thanks!

B~

Exercise makes me tired.  Not the activity...the word.  Just thinking about it tuckers me out.

I try to devote a little time each day to jumping to conclusions, stretching the truth, running off at the mouth and climbing the walls.

Maybe give it a bit longer 12-18months might be enough for that muscle to go? *shrugs* I used to have an exercise regime but all this month I've blown it.. sleeping in and staying in out of the publics eyes.. not good. I'm slowly losing weight but I have more fat in good and bad places. But I wouldn't recommend this method >_>
lol

Hi, the best and quickest way to lose muscle mass is to add/increase your cardio workouts and reduce the amount of protein you take in.  During times of stress and endurance, the muscles call on the glucose stores in your liver for energy.  Once depleted, your body burns muscle for energy.  The only way your body will develop muscle through exercise is by increasing your protein, carbohydrate and fat intake.  So don't be intimidated by exercise--it works both ways to increase and decrease muscle mass.  It all depends on the nutrition.

I believe the usual women's workout is more reps and less weight than for men.  One of these days I'll get off my cute little butt and find out if that works. :P

- Kate

Quote from: K8 on January 30, 2010, 09:10:40 AM
I believe the usual women's workout is more reps and less weight than for men.  One of these days I'll get off my cute little butt and find out if that works. :P

- Kate

Yep.  Less weight is fine but, because muscle mass requires testosterone, using more weight will not necessarily build muscle mass.  It will, however, help build lean muscle mass which is required to burn fat.  Don't worry about losing fat around your hips and breasts either.  I lost muscle mass on my upper chest which in turn made my breasts appear fuller and rounder.  And, although my abs are very tight, I still have that layer of fat around my hips which to me seems impossible to get rid of.  This is all attributed to our estrogen levels which are or should be in line with natal women.  Lean muscle mass is a good thing.  It burns more calories at rest, allows clothes to fit better, increases our energy levels, and straightens out our posture which gives us the presence of confidence.

I always have wondered about this... I'm pre-everything, but I'd like to drop weight before I start transition. Right now I'm doing about an hour a day 4-5 times a week on the elliptical tranier, set in the "weight-loss zone." Is this a good way to go? I hate lifting weights, and don't really want to build muscle, but am I way off on the wrong track?

The best exercise regimen is the one you can stick with.  What kind of training you do is far less important than doing it.  That being said, a mixture of things including specific stuff for target areas should be combined with basic stuff (walk, run, bike, swim) for general health.

Quote from: tekla on January 30, 2010, 12:16:38 PM
The best exercise regimen is the one you can stick with.  What kind of training you do is far less important than doing it.  That being said, a mixture of things including specific stuff for target areas should be combined with basic stuff (walk, run, bike, swim) for general health.

You got that right.  Consistency is the key

thanks for all the helpful responses.  yeah I guess its a little to soon to see muscle lost as a result of homrones as i have only been on it for a short while.  i was just scared that working out would gain me more muscle mass (and cause me to loose the little breast developement i have) which isnt the case, atleast with the muscle mass.  so a low protein diet and more cardio will be on my to do list in the near future.  thanks again.

There is no way to loose weight targeting in a specific area of our body. Our body metabolism does not allow it. The belly is the last area to loose fat by aerobic exercise.

To add muscle, do anaerobic exercise such as lifting weight.
To loose fat, do aerobic exercise such as jogging.

I seldom do anaerobic exercise. After jogging for about 8 years, I feel that my legs become too strong and solid. Nevertheless, muscle is not so much noticeable in my legs, still looking like women's. Almost all women here envy my legs  ;)

I run primarily for loosing fat in my belly, which requires that my body first loose fat in other areas such as shoulder and even fingers. The intra-abdominal fat is the major enemy threating our health, but fortunately this type of fat can be easily decreased by aerobic exercise.

Second, aerobic exercise is very good for maintaining my overall health, including psychological one.

Barbie~~

My methods are fairly average...

I run, I do aerobics (specifically club dance ones) I do dance a lot too... good exersise. I've done pole dance classes with my housemates at university (they do a class!) and that rocks for fitness... it works on tone and muscle very nicely.

Trick to doing it right is eat lots, and work out lots. The combination keeps you toned, but not too skinny, and very fit.

I (as I imagine a lot of people do) do LOTS of research on anything and everything that concerns me or that I have an interest in. This is a subject that has been on my mind the past few weeks, so of course I have been investigating it. I have large calves, and larger (but not huge, just not very feminine) forearms.

Testosterone is a growth hormone, as I'm sure 95% of the people on this forum know. It causes you to gain muscle mass naturally and more easily with exercise. Taking antiandrogens to cut off testosterone will, over time, cause the muscles to shrink. While estrogen will move body fat to various parts of the body to give you more of a girly figure. The average time period for one of these transitions to take place is about 3 years. Yes that's a long time, but over those 3 years your body -will- change.

As for exercises:

Regular walks for 30-45 minutes at a time can help stretch the calf muscles and encourage them to be less bulky. It's slow going, but it's a surefire way to make your calf muscles smaller without sacrificing strength, or doing anything else dangerous. My bulky calf muscles are so not girly that I don't really wear shorter (knee length, or just over the knee) skirts or dresses.

Yoga. Yup. Do Yoga at least 3 times a week about 30-60 minutes per day, doing it every day is better. This stretches your muscles, it's good for your joints, and awesome for your posture. It's not hard at all, and is very relaxing. The stretches in yoga will do so much for you, and certainly, over time, it will stretch your muscles and give you a less bulky muscles. I love Yoga, it's what I look forward to everyday.

Obviously stay off of strength training. Any kind of stretch will help make muscles less bulky. Although none of the exercise methods you can do will give you progress anywhere near HRT. HRT can change your body rapidly, while these exercises can take many, many years to see any type of progress. But keep in mind that regular exercise, even if it is only walks, is good for many reasons. It keeps your heart healthy, burns fat, moves the joints, helps remove toxins. Exercise is better than any medicine for sure. I mean name 1 medicine that has as many benefits as exercise  :D

QuoteI run primarily for loosing fat in my belly, which requires that my body first loose fat in other areas such as shoulder and even fingers.

That is very interesting. I didn't realize that your metabolism eats fat from other areas before eating fat from the abdominal area. Sort of explains a lot.

I agree with everyone.

I go to the gym about 4 times a week and do mainly cardio. I do some work on my legs as my knees are a bit damaged and I want to have supportive muscle around them.
I prefer the gym because in my part of the world it is very hot in summer and very uncomfortable to exercise outdoors, at least for me :laugh:. But sunbaking on the beach watching the surf life savers excercise can get you pretty hot and bothered as well :laugh:

But consistency and enjoyment are the key for me. Excercise is a long term thing and getting to a point were you miss not excercising is, I think, important.

Good luck

Cindy

I'm with you on that Cindy, if I don't do it I don't feel right.  Went out riding in the rain all last week because it was better than not riding at all.

Quote from: ~Principessa Anabella~ on January 30, 2010, 03:26:40 PM
thanks for all the helpful responses.  yeah I guess its a little to soon to see muscle...  so a low protein diet and more cardio will be on my to do list in the near future.  thanks again.

i was on hormones for about 6 months before i suddenly realised i'd got a waist...and then about a year later i got the lovely hips...

thing to remember about hormones is that estrogen therapy takes 15 years off a MtF and gives lovely glossy pink skin while test therapy for an FtM add years and roughens their skin and faces up really noticeably.

try bellydancing.  it's what i do and i love it.

I don't do yoga but do tai chi and the associated exercises.  I love the mind/body conneciton - the meditative state I need to get into to do it even marginally well.  And it seems to keep me limber.

I walk every morning, even when it is 20 below and the wind is howling, because I know that if I don't walk one morning it will be easier to not walk the next morning and so on. :P

- Kate

Quote from: azSam on February 01, 2010, 01:48:37 AM
That is very interesting. I didn't realize that your metabolism eats fat from other areas before eating fat from the abdominal area. Sort of explains a lot.

Yes. It is a very simple fact: our liver burns fat.

Our liver is comparable to an automobile engine. Our belly, hip, or fingers do not burn fat, but they can be a storage. To burn fat, our body should transport fat (oil) from a storage area to the liver where oxygen is required to burn fat (oil). And our belly and hip are a very secure storage area well prepared for starvation or other emergency cases even before primates first appeared in the world.

When we start aerobic exercise, our liver first burn fat immediately available and stored in the liver itself. In 30-40 mins, the liver lacks of fat and begins to transport fat from storage areas (gas tank). As storage areas empty excessive fat, our body weight decreases.

Our belly is the last storage area to empty.

Barbie~~

Recent studies show that fuller hips, thighs, and bottom in women are healthier than being skinny... score one for curvey :)

Hi there,
I'm new here... but you've got to start somewhere, right?!

I'm a runner and really think it helps keep me in the shape I want to be. Great cardio, great buns, great legs, pretty much great all around everything. When I go the gym, I tend to focus on the stair climber and bikes and stay away from the weights and stuff like that. The only kinda bad side is that my legs might be little more ...muscular... then I'd like them to be, but there's a trade off for everything, right?!

I also make sure (read: try really hard!) to get in a yoga session before any workout. Thirty minutes of yoga does absolute wonders for me! It just leaves you feeling so open and relaxed and totally ready to take on a run. And the other benefits are nice, too... Seriously, although I'm 32, I am closer then I've ever been in my life to doing the splits!

I hope that helps you! These are really all great tips! :)
Toodles,
~Jasmine

Quote from: The None Blonde on February 01, 2010, 06:48:42 PM
Recent studies show that fuller hips, thighs, and bottom in women are healthier than being skinny... score one for curvey :)

I was also taken with information the one glass of red wine a day is good for you. So I bought a glass that takes a bottle :laugh: My Dr doesn't agree with my logic for same reason ;D

Cindy

I'd agree, but one glass or red gives me a super headache, and stains my lips, and it tastes nasty! I'll stick to white lol, but i dont drink daily... I save that for freshers week.

Um, first off, if you're attempting to lose muscle, stay off the weights.  More reps, even when going so high as 50 reps, serves to pump to muscle up full of blood, stretch out the fascia, and is overall counterproductive.  Even famous bodybuiders such as Charles Glass advocate high reps for true muscle building, especially in areas like the arms:D 

Right on cue with cardio though.  I think that the real battle, to the dismay of many, is diet.  You are what you eat, and if you're consuming a diet filled with sodium, empty carbs, protein, and meat, then you'll just be feeding your muscles, like adding fertilizer and water to weeds to make them stop growing.  As far as the right diet, people still can't agree on the right diet for the every day American.  There's a lot of things that work and a lot of things to avoid, blah blah, but no set perfect system.

A few of the biggest factors that could assist would be going vegetarian, or at minimum avoiding all forms of red meat, and even eggs.  This drastically cuts down on cholesterol.  Cholesterol is another one of those steroids that's not good for feminization.  Lowering sodium is magic.  I'm not even going to go into it because it's so magical!  I will say that the maximum daily intake of sodium one could ever need is 500mg/daily.  Even 500 is a number I'd reserve for people who are extremely active, athletes, landscapers, etc.  Likely the most effective diet for drastic weight loss, the Rice Diet(http://www.ricedietprogram.com/ (http://www.ricedietprogram.com/)) only advocates for 50mg of sodium a day, or LESS if possible.  That means cutting sodas out, and all those microwave meals and instant meals, fast food.  Please keep in mind that as far as, "belly," stuff goes, excessive sodium and chemically laden foods cause bloating.  Also sticking to a fresh or organic diet puts a lot less strain on your liver, something anyone on HRT should look into considering the strain it puts on the body. 

I went crazy for a long time with tracking down the, "ideal diet," and I couldn't find anything.  I made an effort to speak with every transsexual I encountered who saw great results in transition.  While a lot of it was just natural, like being young or having a predisposition towards being feminine in body, I didn't meet a single top performer in transition who didn't utilize SOME kind of diet.  Some of them were fool hardy and I wouldn't reccomend to anyone, like eating nothing but unflavored and unsalted white rice for months on end.  Maybe for a few weeks but... beyond that is simply ridiculous.  There are the vegans, there are the ramen lovers(they don't use the flavor packs), there's organics and so many others, but all meet the standard of lowering cholesterol, sodium, proteins, and chemicals. 

So if I had to choose between running miles a day or an ideal diet, it'd be diet.  In a perfect setting, do both.  Or, just do exercise, I can't blame anyone for changing their entire lifestyle of anecdotal studies.  At least, now you'll know.

A good form of exercise for those in transition is swimming*.  Low impact, and unless you go at it like Mark Spitz, you aren't going to build lots of muscles.  Simultaneously it is good cardio exercise - as long as you get the rate up - no treading water ;)  Want proof ?  Go to your local pool during lap swimming time and you'll see a majority of the people in the pool will be women ...

As several folks have pointed out, diet is also key.  HRT is going to change how your body uses the fuel it gets, you can't depend on how things have "always been for me..."

* heck, it is good for just about everyone !

Quote from: The None Blonde on February 01, 2010, 06:48:42 PM
Recent studies show that fuller hips, thighs, and bottom in women are healthier than being skinny... score one for curvey :)

I agree!