Hi everyone *waves*
so I am starting to transition soon and have a few questions if yall don't mind.
My first one is I have a crapload of muscles, but still a toned body. I weigh around 200 and have a tight tummy, but am worried that if I lose the muscle it will turn into fat? I was made fun of a lot for being fat as a kid and it would annoy me a little. So does the muscle turn to fat? Will just a low calorie diet keep me small?
Second is I pretty much only eat bananas and spaghettios. I noticed that I am not suppose to eat either of these really, so is there anything else that helps and doesn't hurt?
My third is really just more of a worry. I have such a guy face....Idk what to do. I can't afford ffs and it may sound horrible, but I don't want to do all this just to end up a guy in a dress....Idk this isn't a question Idk why I posted it
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Hi Emm,
Welcome to Susan's.
Muscle doesn't "turn into" fat. That's a myth. You will lose muscle over time on HRT, but if you stay fit, and don't overeat, there is no reason why you should put on an unhealthy amount of fat.
Re: your face:
I have to disagree strongly with previous poster. I do not pass perfectly, mostly because of my face, but I still love being treated like a woman, which a lot of people are willing to do even though they know I'm trans. Sure I'd love to pass perfectly, but the treatment I get is well worth the effort I'm putting into my transition and I wouldn't give it up just because I don't pass perfectly.
Your soft tissue may redistribute around your face on hrt to give you bit of a more feminine structure. Won't do anything about your bones, though a hairstyle that frames your face, feminine glasses frames, and prominent earrings can distract from your facial structure and give people a feminine first impression.
As far as your diet, I strongly recommend you educate yourself on nutrition. There's a lot of stuff your body needs, but it's pretty easy to get all of it just by eating a variety of foods.
Good luck Emm. Enjoy your transition. Try not to stress too much about whether you pass or not, just have fun being a woman.
If you know in your mind that transition is really what you must do, the face will be the least of your problems. As said, starting HRT will redistribute soft tissue, and round out the face over time. how much time all depends on the individual's chemistries, and age. At my age, I have no hope of much change (66) but relieving the dysphoria is tantamount for me. Follow your heart.
Barbara
The muscle will go away with time. Well, to some extent, extent which depends on how your genes are. Yes, your body fat percentage is likely to go up. But muscle won't "turn into fat". You'll get smaller-looking, and are likely to lose weight. The only way you'll gain weight is if you eat too much. Metabolism goes down, after all.
A low-calorie diet, of course, will help you be small. But don't overdo it. HRT changes need nutrients to happen properly, just like a normal puberty. So you need to eat well and sufficiently. Of course, bananas and pasta won't do at all. You need a variety of nutrients, and they can't give you that. On top, if you take spironolactone, the antiandrogen most widely used in the US, you're likely to have problems with high potassium levels. And bananas are a high source of it.
As for your face, uhm. Sometimes, just the subtle changes from HRT make a surprisingly big difference. Apart from that, haircut, proper eyebrow shaping and make-up usually get you to at least an acceptable point. That can be a little annoying as it's a bit like disguising yourself, but there's always the option of managing like that whilst saving up for FFS.
Thx for the reply everyone :)
I think yall covered everything I wanted to know, I really appreciate it!
btw I am 21 >< if that helps at all.
Healthy skin and hair is important in passing as a female. Skin and hair is made of protein. Therefore it'd be a good idea to try to up your protein intake. It may sound counter intuitive because everybody is raised to believe protein increases muscle, but without T muscle mass will decrease. Also, look into getting biotin supplements because that particular vitamin is required for cell growth (including hair keratinization). For your body to make the changes you want, you need to educate yourself about what your body needs.
Spaghettios might be delicious, but I'd look into getting fish, beef, chicken, fruit (or fruit juices), beans, peas etc. Also, don't feel bad about taking a multi vitamin every day. Remember, your body is going through another puberty so it is working harder than what you're used to. It'll definitely need the nutrition to compensate for that added cellular activity.
I was definitely planning on cutting the spaghettios out, but I also planning on cutting back on protein so thank you for adding that. I did have a nutrition class in high school, but have never really followed the advice. I think between what I kinda sorta remember and what yall have given me to research with I will be okay. Thanks for adding that in :)
Yeah, you need to give your body -everything- in sufficient amounts. Cutting on things, you can think about that once the "puberty" is behind you. Well, cutting on animal fat and sugar is always good, but anyway, in terms of necessary nutrients. You get what I mean.
Hi Emm,
About your concern on passing, I can talk about my experience. Being pre-everything, and still having to wait a lot of months just to start HRT (sadly that's how things works here) hasn't stopped me of going out.
I can assure you that confidence is the key in that matter, I've been out dressed, objective knowing that I don't pass at all, and just by showing a positive attitude I've been treated very well. Hormones helps a lot, but self-confidence is the key.
Knowing that I will start HRT on my 30s, the same thought has crossed my mind, but in the end I know that transition isn't a choice, so I'm going to do this even if I still look like "a man in drag" for the rest of my life. If you're 21 then don't worry, I'm sure you'll do great.
Learning what kind of makeup and clothes suits you better will do wonders, too ;)