Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transsexual talk => Male to female transsexual talk (MTF) => Topic started by: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 03:15:40 AM

Title: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 03:15:40 AM
Ok as y'all know I'm gaining weight so my body will hav something to redistribute well I'm having a little problem... I'm gaining 3 to 4 lbs a day and I'm afraid that I'm gonna get fat cause ive heard that the fat u hav before hormones won't go into ur breast and ur butt that it only redistributes new fat. I called my gender tharapist bout it she told me that hormones redistributes new fat and fat u had before but some of y'all told me it only redistributed new fatt so yea I'm a little confused at the moment
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Kelly J. P. on July 06, 2012, 03:22:59 AM
 That's a lot of weight to be gaining daily... it sounds very unhealthy.

I think that fat redistribution is a far cry from the issue that that kind of weight gain is.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 03:24:31 AM
Quote from: Kelly J. P. on July 06, 2012, 03:22:59 AM
That's a lot of weight to be gaining daily... it sounds very unhealthy.

I think that fat redistribution is a far cry from the issue that that kind of weight gain is.
I'm eating like 4000 caleries a day
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Jamie D on July 06, 2012, 03:28:55 AM
Quote from: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 03:15:40 AM
Ok as y'all know I'm gaining weight so my body will hav something to redistribute well I'm having a little problem... I'm gaining 3 to 4 lbs a day and I'm afraid that I'm gonna get fat cause ive heard that the fat u hav before hormones won't go into ur breast and ur butt that it only redistributes new fat. I called my gender tharapist bout it she told me that hormones redistributes new fat and fat u had before but some of y'all told me it only redistributed new fatt so yea I'm a little confused at the moment

That is a lot of weight.  3-4 pounds per day is almost impossible.

The old rule of thumb was, adding 1,000 calories per day to your diet would equate to a one pound per week weight gain.

Here is the "skinny" on fat cells.  Fat cells last you your whole life.  Most of your fat cells form before you are ever born.  When natal women begin puberty, they can form more fat cells, particularly in the butt, hips, and breasts.  (HRT for the MtF can do the same thing.)

Fat can be stored in the fat cells, and later burned as "fuel" for you body.

Since you are starting off pretty slender, if you want to have a round butt, generous hips, and shapely breasts, you are going to have to have something in your body to help build them - that would be some fat in your diet.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Kelly J. P. on July 06, 2012, 03:30:36 AM
 On hormones, new fat is allocated to typically feminine areas. As you live and exercise, you lose weight in general, so fat gradually fades from typically masculine areas, and with the process of life it accumulates to the feminine areas, giving an illusion of distribution of existing fat.

Hormones won't just put your fat into feminine areas. It's biology. It will take time.

I'd also recommend you eat a healthy diet... 4000 calories a day is absolutely crazy. If you want to gain weight once you're on hormones, I'd suggest doing it slower than you are now... half a pound a day would be a lot better, though still rapid. I'm not a doctor or nutritionist, but this is what common sense would suggest.

I do envy your ability to gain weight, though. Perhaps 2000/day would still result in gain for you... and if that's the case, then you're lucky.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 03:32:29 AM
Quote from: Jamie D on July 06, 2012, 03:28:55 AM
That is a lot of weight.  3-4 pounds per day is almost impossible.

The old rule of thumb was, adding 1,000 calories per day to your diet would equate to a one pound per week weight gain.

Here is the "skinny" on fat cells.  Fat cells last you your whole life.  Most of your fat cells form before you are ever born.  When natal women begin puberty, they can form more fat cells, particularly in the butt, hips, and breasts.  (HRT for the MtF can do the same thing.)

Fat can be stored in the fat cells, and later burned as "fuel" for you body.

Since you are starting off pretty slender, if you want to have a round butt, generous hips, and shapely breasts, you are going to have to have something in your body to help build them - that would be some fat in your diet.
so basically ur saying I should just gain a few more lbs. cause I can control my eating habits it's not like I'm doing this on accident I'm forcing myself to eat this much cause I'm that determined
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Jamie D on July 06, 2012, 03:46:16 AM
Angelique, what Kelly is saying is correct.  Don't try to put on too much weight too quickly.

4,000 calories per day is very high, unless you want to be a sumo wrestler.

3,000 is a lot, but since you started underweight, or at the low end of normal, you can handle 3,000 calories per day.  Remember that sample menu I posted for you?

As I recall, you want to get to a target BMI of about 21 to 23.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 03:50:12 AM
Quote from: Jamie D on July 06, 2012, 03:46:16 AM
Angelique, what Kelly is saying is correct.  Don't try to put on too much weight too quickly.

4,000 calories per day is very high, unless you want to be a sumo wrestler.

3,000 is a lot, but since you started underweight, or at the low end of normal, you can handle 3,000 calories per day.  Remember that sample menu I posted for you?
I'm just gonna get up to 135 lbs n just try to maintain it till I get hormones. But yea I remember the menu tho i prolly won't eat most of it lol, I'm a very very picky eater lol
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Nicolette on July 06, 2012, 03:51:46 AM
Quote from: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 03:15:40 AM
something to redistribute

Sorry, but this sounds just a little bizarre. If you are not on hormones now then the weight gained now will be distributed in a masculine pattern. Once that fat is in place, it's anchored, it's not going to suddenly decide to redistribute when you start hormones. Fat does not literally move or migrate to other areas of the body. You would have to lose the old fat cells and then regain new fat cells, hopefully with HRT, to redistribute it in a more female pattern.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Jamie D on July 06, 2012, 03:58:28 AM
Quote from: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 03:50:12 AM
I'm just gonna get up to 135 lbs n just try to maintain it till I get hormones. But yea I remember the menu tho i prolly won't eat most of it lol, I'm a very very picky eater lol

Let's review were you started.  As I recall, you were 5' 7" tall and weighed about 125 pounds.  That means you BMI (body mass index) is about 20.  You want to get you BMI up to at least 22.  That's just average.  For your height, that would be about 140 pounds.

But not all at once.  It is going to take a little time.

(Edited after being spanked by Adam!)
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: GhostTown11 on July 06, 2012, 04:21:06 AM
Quote from: Jamie D on July 06, 2012, 03:58:28 AM
Let's review were you started.  As I recall, you were 5' 7" tall and weighed about 125 pounds.  That means you BMI (body mass index) is about 20.  You want to get you BMI up to at least 25.  That's just average.  For your height, that would be about 155 pounds.

But not all at once.  It is going to take a little time.

25... Are you frigging crazy? Let's aim for the ideal, not average, as this country is full o people busting at the seams.

21-22 would be the ideal "fit" bmi.

A 20 bmi is good though,an in the healthy range for a girl your age. 18.5-21 is usually good for young girls.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Jamie D on July 06, 2012, 04:28:01 AM
Quote from: Adam1 on July 06, 2012, 04:21:06 AM
25... Are you frigging crazy? Let's aim for the ideal, not average, as this country is full o people busting at the seams.

21-22 would be the ideal "fit" bmi.

A 20 bmi is good though, and in the healthy range for a girl your age. 18.5-21 is usually good for young girls.

You know what, you're right.  25 is the high end of normal when I just looked at the Weight Watchers chart.

Yes, there are too many overweight people.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Cindy on July 06, 2012, 04:37:40 AM
My endocrinologist is very fussy about weight. my BMI is 21.5 and she was happy with that, as she should be, Stacking on weight when you are on HRT is a very bad idea. You do have a greater propensity to diabetes. I would go very carefully, if you don't like your breast development you are better off having a BA than putting on weight.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Kelly J. P. on July 06, 2012, 09:08:24 AM
 My BMI is sitting at a lovely 16.6, and even I look fairly normal... so I'm going to guess that 20 is a great place to be; it may be on the slim side, but it's a healthy weight
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Alexis on July 06, 2012, 09:26:22 AM
3-4 lbs per day is quite a lot; just as a point of reference, 1 # of pure fat equals is equivalent to 4082 kcal, so if you're putting on weight like that I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of it is water weight.

If you're active 3000-4000 calories isn't inappropriate. It all depends on you though. There was a point in my life where I was on a 6k cal diet and still losing weight because of swimming. My BMI was like 28 then, but I was dangerously low on body fat which is why it became an issue. Just shows that BMI isn't the best indicator. I'm 6' and my bmi right now is 21.9. I still want to bring this down, but I'm having a hard time because I my body fat is still below ideal. Its muscle that I want to lose.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: crazy old bat on July 06, 2012, 09:28:31 AM
 How much medical experience does your therapist have with trans people?   

And apparently my bmi is at 19.4, so I suppose I'm ok, but I still wouldn't mind a bit more weight so I don't have to buy all new pants. 
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: MadelineB on July 06, 2012, 09:43:15 AM
Just one more reason for caution with weight gain: rapid weight gain is widely believed to cause stretch marks (how severe, and where located, depends on genetics).

Though rapid weight gain is a reality for many pregnant women, it often comes with permanent skin damage and discoloration.

In addition to going very slowly with any weight gain, I would advise you to moisturize moisturize moisturize. Some swear by cocoa butter, etc.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 11:00:56 AM
Quote from: Alexis on July 06, 2012, 09:26:22 AM
3-4 lbs per day is quite a lot; just as a point of reference, 1 # of pure fat equals is equivalent to 4082 kcal, so if you're putting on weight like that I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of it is water weight.

If you're active 3000-4000 calories isn't inappropriate. It all depends on you though. There was a point in my life where I was on a 6k cal diet and still losing weight because of swimming. My BMI was like 28 then, but I was dangerously low on body fat which is why it became an issue. Just shows that BMI isn't the best indicator. I'm 6' and my bmi right now is 21.9. I still want to bring this down, but I'm having a hard time because I my body fat is still below ideal. Its muscle that I want to lose.
I'm not on hrt so ifl how I would hav water weight
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 11:01:38 AM
Quote from: Jaime on July 06, 2012, 09:28:31 AM
How much medical experience does your therapist have with trans people?   

And apparently my bmi is at 19.4, so I suppose I'm ok, but I still wouldn't mind a bit more weight so I don't have to buy all new pants.
She told me she has been dealing wit transgenders for 30 years
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 11:03:19 AM
Quote from: MadelineB on July 06, 2012, 09:43:15 AM
Just one more reason for caution with weight gain: rapid weight gain is widely believed to cause stretch marks (how severe, and where located, depends on genetics).

Though rapid weight gain is a reality for many pregnant women, it often comes with permanent skin damage and discoloration.

In addition to going very slowly with any weight gain, I would advise you to moisturize moisturize moisturize. Some swear by cocoa butter, etc.
I moisturizer with jergens Shea butter deep comditioning moisturizer twice a day. Once in the morning and once before I go to bed
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: crazy old bat on July 06, 2012, 11:14:03 AM
Quote from: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 11:01:38 AM
She told me she has been dealing wit transgenders for 30 years
I'm wondering if your parents comments to her have had any influence on this. I could see her telling you to eat healthy, but to kick up calories that much to gain weight in a hurry?  She needs to either learn more about what she's telling people or just leave the medical advice to regular doctors. But then too, I am always conscious of the fact that in things like this, we are usually getting limited information from one side only.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Nicolette on July 06, 2012, 11:19:15 AM
Quote from: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 11:00:56 AM
I'm not on hrt

Ooops. Vital information. If I were in your situation, I'd stop trying to gain weight until after starting HRT. You'll get a male belly etc. and then have trouble trying to lose it.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 11:27:02 AM
Quote from: Felicitá on July 06, 2012, 11:19:15 AM


Ooops. Vital information. If I were in your situation, I'd stop trying to gain weight until after starting HRT. You'll get a male belly etc. and then have trouble trying to lose it.
I'm just gonna get to 135 lbs just to my make my gender tharapist happy
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: kathy bottoms on July 06, 2012, 11:30:10 AM
Here is a little on subject, and a little off subject. 

Gaining weight may be manageable when your young, but it's so hard to loose once it's on you.  Your system fights you every step of the way, and your brain keeps saying you need the calories to keep going.  A sharp mind and beautiful body only takes a few minutes a day, and I wish I had followed my own advice 20 years ago.  I'm going on HRT again soon and in the mean time the weight is coming off as fast as it can. 

Weight just gave me stretch marks, and love handles where I don't want them.  And that's not even mentioning what else will happen to my breasts and muscles when on HRT again.  I look through the online medical journals when there is time available, and none of them have said that my weight before or during HRT is good.   So to make my life a little easier the excess fat goes now. 

Oh yes, I just can't bring myself to post a picture yet.  But, a real photo of me would be helpful for you all know what I have to work with now.  It's a long haul from being a fat, bearded, and ugly person, to being a passable woman.  And what can I learn from my mistakes?    .......  Nothing I guess, because I keep making them.  And to think that when I graduated highschool at 17, I was 6 foot tall, and weighed 125 pounds.  Still have my old California Drivers License from 1969.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: GhostTown11 on July 06, 2012, 11:40:53 AM
Well, I don't know how things are done in Louisiana, but in the civilized world (NYC)  :laugh: the therapist gives you advice on your mental health and the M.D. Gives you advice on your physical health.

Really though, if you're naturally skinny, there's not much you should change.

My bmi is 17.9 and I have 24 percent body fat. Yup, I'm both skinny and have a lot of fat, not muscle. I need to actually burn fat -_-.Anyone wanna trade? ^-^
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Nicolette on July 06, 2012, 11:44:58 AM
Quote from: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 11:27:02 AM
I'm just gonna get to 135 lbs just to my make my gender tharapist happy

Sounds like plan.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: pretty on July 06, 2012, 01:09:12 PM
Quote from: Adam1 on July 06, 2012, 11:40:53 AM

My bmi is 17.9 and I have 24 percent body fat. Yup, I'm both skinny and have a lot of fat, not muscle. I need to actually burn fat -_-.Anyone wanna trade? ^-^

Yes I do!

My bmi is closer to 21 and bf about 15-17 and I feel ~mildly~ gross. I need to start eating like a cow and exercising like....... something that exercises a lot  :D But who wants to do that in the middle of summer  ::)
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Adrasteia on July 06, 2012, 01:40:25 PM
Quote from: Angelique1994 on July 06, 2012, 11:00:56 AM
I'm not on hrt so ifl how I would hav water weight
Water weight gain happens to both genders
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Nicolette on July 06, 2012, 02:14:12 PM
BMI is a bit of a nonesense. I put on 7 lbs of muscle whilst maintaining my waist circumference. All or most of the added weight is muscle in my lower body. A lot of ultra fit sportsmen and women are supposedly obese. The paradox is that you can be ultra thin with low BMI and still have an unhealthy amount of internal hidden fat with little muscle.
Title: Re: I'm getting a little worried
Post by: Brooke777 on July 06, 2012, 02:20:08 PM
I have well defined abs, and pretty low body fat. Using the traditional bmi measurements I have 23% body fat. But, being measured by a medical team I only have about 8%. I dont put a lot of stock into what is measured by "traditional" methods. As for your weight gain, 4lbs a month is still a lot. I would be very carefull if I were you.