I'm sure i'm not the only one on here who has begun transition under less than admirable physical stature (in terms of personal preference i mean, not saying that there is a "perfect" body to have for transition or anything), and for those of us who may have had a bit of a gut back then, I would assume we would have wanted it gone.
Now, I'm not talking about being overweight or anything drastic, i'm talking about the usual small gut. I'm not necessarily fat but I have a stubborn tummy that I've been working hard to get rid of (it has reduced but i still have a couple of months of working out to fully get rid of it). I guess my question is more for the people who decided not to worry about their small gut...
-Did the gut kinda flatten out as your hips developed? as in, did it meld together with the fat that distributed around your hips? Or did you end up just losing the gut as a result of having a smaller stomach or less appetite or starving yourself etc.
I guess to put it simply: if you had a gut, how did you get rid of it after started HRT, and if you didn't even try to get rid of it and it still went away, how did it go away?
To be a little more clear on what im talking about, im pretty much talking about that stubborn belly fat that most cismen get from too much young-blooded nights of intoxicated debauchery and late night fried food consumption. I'm pretty much thin every else on my body but my stomach is being a pain in the proverbial ass.
Any advice or experience?
In the UK we call that "bear belly"
And its not always caused by bear, and is an atractive trait to some i.e "Shes got room for one" in woman its usually called "baby belly" but its the same thing.
Im not on hormoans so i cant answer your question, but if theirs a chance i can say somthing that might ease the dysphoria about it im going to take it.
Well I am not transitioning but I lost a lot of weight by counting calories. I did not want to workout 'cause I am just too lazy to go to a gym and didn't want to get muscular in the process. I'm not gonna say I starved but I did fast for a couple of days and then limited my caloric intake to around 900 a day. But really it all depends on your metabolism and mine is extremely slow, lazy like me ya' know. Actually I am not that lazy but me and food do not get along. Always though before doing anything like fasting or extreme dieting and so on, check with your doctor because there could be underlying problems such as borderline diabetes or something else. If you are on HRT definately ask your doctor.
BTW I tried all the normal diets, eating healthy, exercise and so on and nothing works for me but counting calories. Losing it isn't the hard part though, keeping it off is.
Thats the thing though, I mean i've not been necessarily counting calories, but I've just been lowering my calorie intake (and I'm sure at this point I eat less than 1000 calories a day because I eat very small portions and I eat a specific diet) AND I'm also doing intense work out and intense cardio.
I had this theory; not sure if I'm just talking out of my ass lol, but I theorize that because I LACK hips/butt fat, the little stomach fat I have stands out drastically, so when my hips/butt fill in, it will fill in the emptiness between my belly and my thighs that is make the belly fat somewhat "pop" out more. I don't know if anyone can back that theory up with any personal experience fact :D
Look around while out and about and you will see lots of CIS girls with the same look, not everyone has the flat, trim tummy that we see on models and the girls on tv shows etc. ;)
Quote from: Michelle G on May 22, 2014, 10:52:18 AM
Look around while out and about and you will see lots of CIS girls with the same look, not everyone has the flat, trim tummy that we see on models and the girls on tv shows etc. ;)
See, this is why i'm having a hard time explaining. I'm not saying that I need a flat super model stomach.. but my stomach sticks out in a way that announces "HEY, this person is a DUDE!" and really kind of impedes my ability to wear a 2 piece bikini without looking strangely shaped. I know that there are all types of cisgirls with big bellies, but there is a significant difference between this:
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.life-without-fat.com%2Fimages%2Fmale-stomach-fat-1-475.jpg&hash=0e54b211cb02f4edc3c6c057188cb3ec1d1cdf12)
and this:
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRsRhY8qGpFK5LuEEiTHYIWU2pw9SEdGNDy4E8EDvMtKKKcnerOxg)
lol. Trust me, I have NO issue with looking like the 2nd picture. i don't find belly's to be ugly, in fact in some cases they are quite cute, but the differences are dead give-aways, no matter how much muscle I lose, its man-gut. Which is why I'm hoping my theory is proven right and that the fat kinda just binds with the fat that will distribute into my hips. because currently my bottom section looks like I'm wearing permanent underwear =/ large quads, bit of a belly, and like nothing but pelvic bone in between. I hope I've described it well enough xD its been hard to explain to people without having a picture for reference.
Btw, those pics are from google :P I'm not the person in the first picture.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not freaking out or anything. I posted this with the intention of just gathering any helpful info :P
I would say my belly still has a masculine shape. I'm 6 months hrt an have had fat distribute to my hips and pubic area somewhat- my partner has a bigger tummy than me but hers looks great compared to mine.. I'm hoping for the same thing- and would like to know how people's fat redistribution in the midsection went... Hopefully now that I'm running again that'll be te first place my body removes fat from...
I probably have a lot of nerve commenting here since I just confessed to having regained 20 of the 60 lbs I worked my ass off to get rid of over the winter months too much partying, alcohol and munchies.
But I can attest to the fact that there are certain places where fat is stored that is tough to get rid of. I recently had my love handles lipo-suctioned away because there is no way that any amount of exercise and diet will get rid of that fat. Bodies store fat from excess sugars and carbohydrate consumption, carbs turn into sugar and then are stored as fat, so cut out all the bread, pasta, potatoes, white rice sugar and processed foods with high fructose on the label, eat a lean diet, cut fats out of meat, pull the skin off of chicken before cooking, keep your caloric intake down to 1000 - 1300 per day and eat about five times a day in small portions.
Your internal stomach dimension is no larger then your fist, no need to stretch it. Exercise daily and do some crunches to tighten the stomach muscles, within a few years you'll be looking great! It took time to put on and it will take time to get rid of it. Meanwhile redistribution of body fat is a joke, you'll get some subcutaneous girly fat on HRT, but there is no major redistribution. Been on HRT for 20 years I should know.
Meanwhile I am going to get on the stick and take some of my own advice because I need to and know that it works.
I danced seriously for most of my life so I didn't start out with a belly, but I stopped training regularly two years ago and did develop one, and that's still where my fat tends to go when I gain weight, and I have a little bit of one right now. I don't think it looks masculine on me even in a swimsuit. I went out on a date at a Russian spa last Friday and the guy was really complimentary. Though I guess even with the fat layer you can still sorta see my ab muscles, which gives it shape.
I'd consider doing pilates maybe? I'm pretty sure that's how I ended up with those contour lines around my belly.
My 26yo adopted daughter gave me an odd look last week when I complained about my belly.. And then showed me hers - which looked much the same as mine... She has had 3 kids though.
I can't say it's high on my list of priorities now..
Exercise and weight loss will only take you so far.
IF and I say IF you have a bit of saggy skin there then you may consider surgery as an option as that's the only way to get rid of excess skin outside of growing into it.
HOWEVER the abdominal area, the belly, is the only area on the human body, that I know of, that reshape itself with exercise to pull that fat in. Love handles and the like will still stick out but the belly proper will shape up if you work hard, change routines so that belly doesn't get used to the work, and give yourself the time for it to reshape.
I need to get back on it myself as I too have a mini belly but I have accomplished this several times in my life. You can too and it doesn't eat up a lot of time during the week to do. I found a 20 minute program on YouTube for it and that was working great until my endo said to stop or the HRT won't have any fat to work with. And of course I see it has been taken down now but I do plan on finding a new one now.
I had the same goal of reducing my belly size from pre-HRT fat gains. Your best bet for weight loss is walking at a decent pace in a fasted state preferably for an hour most days (if not every day) if you can. The main goal is to keep your heart rate elevated constantly throughout the hour. I woke up and went for a walk around town every day for a few months and the pounds came off.
I totally agree with Shantel. I believe people are actually experiencing estrogen reducing the amount of fat that's burned, and that fat being deposited in female areas, giving the illusion that fat is moving around. Fat doesn't move around -- it stays put, and it's first in last out.
My best advice is to lose as much fat from your body as you (safely) can through a strict cutting diet. Supplements can really help this. I used caffeine and baby aspirin supplements to be able to work harder and have a bit of an appetite suppressant, this info is all over the internet. After that you can go back to your normal lifestyle and regain the weight, which now under the influence of estrogen, will deposit in typical female areas giving much better results than going into HRT with your old testosterone influenced fat.
Heh. Well, I kind of went from the first picture to the second, if that helps. :) I still seem to have a tummy, but the fat on it is a bit lower down and resembles the way cis women carry weight. And yes, adding boobs, butt, and hips gives me the impression of a curvier overall figure and distracts from the belly anyway.
Well, I decided to ask my PT and she pretty much assures me that I'll have a regular flat stomach within 1-2 months if I continue on my current path. Intense training, an hour of interval resistance cardio, a low carb diet. I've been losing about 1-2 pounds a week so I'm sure at some point my body won't have enough fat to even support the belly anymore.... I mean I have noticed that my belly has reduced drastically, it's just still stubbornly present.
My Endo told me that dieting and exercise won't negatively effect my fat distribution so :P
Quote from: Jenna Marie on May 22, 2014, 09:56:38 PM
Heh. Well, I kind of went from the first picture to the second, if that helps. :) I still seem to have a tummy, but the fat on it is a bit lower down and resembles the way cis women carry weight. And yes, adding boobs, butt, and hips gives me the impression of a curvier overall figure and distracts from the belly anyway.
Awesome! Exactly what I'm hoping for xD
The best I can do to really help my shape is a waist cincher and feminizing exercises. With a cincher alone, I've lost a ton of weight in that area and after eight months I still am trimming down. I'm going to move into tight lace corseting next to really get things aligned propper.
What cincher do you use?
edit: I wanted to get one that didn't press down on my hips as much as the one I have...
Quote from: LittleEmily24 on May 22, 2014, 10:22:36 PM
Well, I decided to ask my PT and she pretty much assures me that I'll have a regular flat stomach within 1-2 months if I continue on my current path. Intense training, an hour of interval resistance cardio, a low carb diet. I've been losing about 1-2 pounds a week so I'm sure at some point my body won't have enough fat to even support the belly anymore.... I mean I have noticed that my belly has reduced drastically, it's just still stubbornly present.
My Endo told me that dieting and exercise won't negatively effect my fat distribution so :P
That'll do it Emily.
I did flatten up in the belly area a fair bit after starting HRT this time. First time it was the opposite for some reason, different meds though.
Quote from: Debussy on May 22, 2014, 10:55:31 PM
What cincher do you use?
edit: I wanted to get one that didn't press down on my hips as much as the one I have...
I've used this one for a few months now and its been the best one I've had so far. It really gave me shape with great firmness. Though its meant for the lower half of the body. If it was a high waist cincher I would just keep sizing down with this one.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BZ4CFLM/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I just ordered this one and I hope it works out well for me.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EV5GCSY/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Quote from: LittleEmily24 on May 22, 2014, 10:22:36 PM
Well, I decided to ask my PT and she pretty much assures me that I'll have a regular flat stomach within 1-2 months if I continue on my current path. Intense training, an hour of interval resistance cardio, a low carb diet. I've been losing about 1-2 pounds a week so I'm sure at some point my body won't have enough fat to even support the belly anymore.... I mean I have noticed that my belly has reduced drastically, it's just still stubbornly present.
I'm currently pursuing a master's degree in Nutrition, and I would second your PT with that vote of confidence. If you keep losing like you have been, your body will absolutely start pulling that fat out of your belly area, and soon! If you aren't already I'd suggest adding core exercises.
Also just my two bits but if that's you in your profile, you look like you're already at a healthy and nice-looking size...
Quote from: Kyra553 on May 22, 2014, 10:36:13 PM
The best I can do to really help my shape is a waist cincher and feminizing exercises. With a cincher alone, I've lost a ton of weight in that area and after eight months I still am trimming down. I'm going to move into tight lace corseting next to really get things aligned propper.
I like your plan Kyra because we are generally so thick or wide waisted even when in good physical shape. I've recently had my love handles lipo-suctioned like I previously mentioned, but this would be a great way to follow up on that procedure. I had to wear a cincher for a month following that procedure just so the goods would adhere to the body properly afterward, but it was designed for a typical male physique and I have been looking at female cinchers as they are designed to create a shapelier waist. I have noticed that since the fat cells are gone from the love handles that my butt is getting much bigger and fuller looking meaning that the fat has to store somewhere so it's going there. I knew of a trans woman that developed a gorgeous hour glass figure over time wearing a waist cincher, she looked gorgeous in her full figure photos.
Quote from: Kyra553 on May 23, 2014, 03:35:07 PM
I've used this one for a few months now and its been the best one I've had so far. It really gave me shape with great firmness. Though its meant for the lower half of the body. If it was a high waist cincher I would just keep sizing down with this one.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BZ4CFLM/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I just ordered this one and I hope it works out well for me.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EV5GCSY/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I just purchased this one today at lunch ...
http://www.amazon.com/Ann-Chery-Womens-latex-Black/dp/B00ECIYWA0/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1407348113&sr=1-1&keywords=ann+chery+vest
When I got back to work I locked my office door and tried it on. It felt like my birthday, it looked AMAZING. It was quite snug but felt wonderful. It smells a bit funky though, but I have read that goes away. Did it for you?
I'm hoping to air it out so that I can wear it under my work clothes without anyone asking who it is that smells like a tire. Is yours working out for you?
Before this I had a simple cincher from walmart but it kept showing back fat so I was constantly adjusting it.
Toni
I didn't have a belly pre-HRT but thanks to Hormones I now have an unsightly belly!
Try to limit your calories intake by a little than usual for some time, and work out for that area. Don't drink alcohol...
Quote from: Emily29 on August 06, 2014, 01:17:22 PM
Try to limit your calories intake by a little than usual for some time, and work out for that area. Don't drink alcohol...
I don't drink alchohol and I don't eat a lot of carbs. The belly is caused by HRT nothing else! it's at odds with the rest of me being quite thin.
Quote from: ToniR on August 06, 2014, 01:07:04 PM
I just purchased this one today at lunch ...
http://www.amazon.com/Ann-Chery-Womens-latex-Black/dp/B00ECIYWA0/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1407348113&sr=1-1&keywords=ann+chery+vest
When I got back to work I locked my office door and tried it on. It felt like my birthday, it looked AMAZING. It was quite snug but felt wonderful. It smells a bit funky though, but I have read that goes away. Did it for you?
I'm hoping to air it out so that I can wear it under my work clothes without anyone asking who it is that smells like a tire. Is yours working out for you?
Before this I had a simple cincher from walmart but it kept showing back fat so I was constantly adjusting it.
Toni
Yeah the new has been working out well and it smelled slightly at first. But after wearing it for a wear or two the smell has gone away within the washer.
I still have both cinchers and both have held up great! Though I may get the one you found because it covers up those pesky side back fat spots. lol
Mother Nature messed up with the boy parts but made up for it in other ways I guess ;)
I do feel pretty lucky to be in my late 50's and still have this shape, my spouse hates me for it though since now that she just turned 50 her body is changing quite a bit as she struggles with menopausal weight gain.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg4%2FKR3259%2Fodds%2520n%2520ends%2F4A76F60D-3C0C-4A61-A81A-903A8E3D3744-3733-0000025232DD0B05.jpg&hash=ec225e37067092503cda3f579f4c90ab269837cc)
Quote from: Michelle G on October 14, 2014, 10:55:56 AM
Mother Nature messed up with the boy parts but made up for it in other ways I guess ;)
I do feel pretty lucky to be in my late 50's and still have this shape, my spouse hates me for it though since now that she just turned 50 her body is changing quite a bit as she struggles with menopausal weight gain.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg4%2FKR3259%2Fodds%2520n%2520ends%2F4A76F60D-3C0C-4A61-A81A-903A8E3D3744-3733-0000025232DD0B05.jpg&hash=ec225e37067092503cda3f579f4c90ab269837cc)
OK dump on my picnic skinny girl! :D :laugh:
Sorry auntie Shan ;)
Quote from: LittleEmily24 on May 22, 2014, 11:04:39 AM
and really kind of impedes my ability to wear a 2 piece bikini without looking strangely shaped.
You know how many cisfemales feel comfortable wearing a 2 piece? Not many!
I'd love to slip into a 2 piece but even if I lose all my male shape I'll still never really look right in one.
Alice
xx
Quote from: LittleEmily24 on May 22, 2014, 09:54:59 AM
I'm sure i'm not the only one on here who has begun transition under less than admirable physical stature (in terms of personal preference i mean, not saying that there is a "perfect" body to have for transition or anything), and for those of us who may have had a bit of a gut back then, I would assume we would have wanted it gone.
Now, I'm not talking about being overweight or anything drastic, i'm talking about the usual small gut. I'm not necessarily fat but I have a stubborn tummy that I've been working hard to get rid of (it has reduced but i still have a couple of months of working out to fully get rid of it). I guess my question is more for the people who decided not to worry about their small gut...
-Did the gut kinda flatten out as your hips developed? as in, did it meld together with the fat that distributed around your hips? Or did you end up just losing the gut as a result of having a smaller stomach or less appetite or starving yourself etc.
I guess to put it simply: if you had a gut, how did you get rid of it after started HRT, and if you didn't even try to get rid of it and it still went away, how did it go away?
To be a little more clear on what im talking about, im pretty much talking about that stubborn belly fat that most cismen get from too much young-blooded nights of intoxicated debauchery and late night fried food consumption. I'm pretty much thin every else on my body but my stomach is being a pain in the proverbial ass.
Any advice or experience?
When I was transitioning I had a small "pouch" in front that I couldn't seem to get rid of. At one point I dropped my weight down to 146 thinking that weight loss alone would do it. It didn't and all that resulted was that I looked too gangly and actually started to look sickly. The hormones didn't seem to make any differences either. What finally helped is something I found many years after I had finished my transition. Weight lifting. I know what you may be thinking, weight lifting for girls? But there are female weight lifting classes. Lots of effort, eating good food and it took a while, but I finally made it go away.
I've only been on HRT a short time but what I am noticing is it seems a lot harder for me to lose weight. In fact I run four times a week (5kms each time) and eat very healthy. I try to walk 10,000 steps a day but I don't seem to lose weight, it's crazy. Before hrt I would have shed kilos doing that. But things aren't getting worse either, so whilst I'm accumulating some fat around the hips, the belly whilst small is not getting bigger, woohoo!
Quote from: LittleEmily24 on May 22, 2014, 09:54:59 AM
I'm sure i'm not the only one on here who has begun transition under less than admirable physical stature (in terms of personal preference i mean, not saying that there is a "perfect" body to have for transition or anything), and for those of us who may have had a bit of a gut back then, I would assume we would have wanted it gone.
Now, I'm not talking about being overweight or anything drastic, i'm talking about the usual small gut. I'm not necessarily fat but I have a stubborn tummy that I've been working hard to get rid of (it has reduced but i still have a couple of months of working out to fully get rid of it). I guess my question is more for the people who decided not to worry about their small gut...
-Did the gut kinda flatten out as your hips developed? as in, did it meld together with the fat that distributed around your hips? Or did you end up just losing the gut as a result of having a smaller stomach or less appetite or starving yourself etc.
I guess to put it simply: if you had a gut, how did you get rid of it after started HRT, and if you didn't even try to get rid of it and it still went away, how did it go away?
To be a little more clear on what im talking about, im pretty much talking about that stubborn belly fat that most cismen get from too much young-blooded nights of intoxicated debauchery and late night fried food consumption. I'm pretty much thin every else on my body but my stomach is being a pain in the proverbial ass.
Any advice or experience?
I never had much of a belly till I went on HRT. Now I have a belly which looks like I've been on the beer every night or over eating, but the reality is I don't drink and I don't eat that much. It appears hormones have deposited all the fat in one area, the belly. My legs are thin, my body is thin apart from this increasing belly. For whatever reason the fat redistribution isn't happening and all the HRT is doing on me is increasing a male type fat distribution pattern rather than the opposite.
The Skinny On Stubborn Belly Fat
http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/flat-belly-diet/flat-belly-diet-subcutaneous-and-visceral-belly-fat
barbie~~
Mother nature messed up big time on the boy parts but thankfully she made up for it a little bit by giving me a sorta girly figure. my lovely spouse gives my the "not fair" line all the time, lol
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F40.media.tumblr.com%2Fec0cbcfa7e888b35b80b729f7ba1196f%2Ftumblr_mr2gz5EN0Y1rr35nxo1_1280.jpg&hash=812326a32714791b27be864a81fbb22effed3957)
Quote from: Michelle G on August 06, 2015, 01:58:53 PM
Mother nature messed up big time on the boy parts but thankfully she made up for it a little bit by giving me a sorta girly figure. my lovely spouse gives my the "not fair" line all the time, lol
Yeah, old pictures. Before hormone therapy. All it takes for me is not having enough money for more food. ;P
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fnc1ORIT.png&hash=19942ef3c05916f67b5b49ab6b9370af860e899f) (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FWQBDYuq.jpg&hash=f05a534e3e84b838b3cf89a323d31d64d5482a8e)
omg <jealous>... >:-)
You look great!
Quote from: Skeptoid on August 06, 2015, 02:38:04 PM
Yeah, old pictures. Before hormone therapy. All it takes for me is not having enough money for more food. ;P
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fnc1ORIT.png&hash=19942ef3c05916f67b5b49ab6b9370af860e899f) (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FWQBDYuq.jpg&hash=f05a534e3e84b838b3cf89a323d31d64d5482a8e)
We could be twins, lol ;)
I have a bad habit of not stopping to eat once I get working on a project, that and having a spouse on a diet and no snacks in sight doesnt help at all, I have to try to keep weight at a decent level.
That little belly really bothered me so much that I decided to start working out. I also think that hormones tend to have better effects on fit people and I have been having a tough time getting those to kick in lol
Quote from: Michelle G on August 06, 2015, 03:10:57 PM
We could be twins, lol ;)
I have a bad habit of not stopping to eat once I get working on a project, that and having a spouse on a diet and no snacks in sight doesnt help at all, I have to try to keep weight at a decent level.
Beats the opposite - I lose weight, she goes and gets Tiramisu for me to eat... (IE, gain it back right away.)
>:(