I've been on T for nearly two years. I'm post-op. But my body still has feminine curves!
No matter what, I can't seem to figure out what to do about it on my own- exercise and diet wise. From what I understand, the only way is to bulk up on top. Any recommendations on exercises and diet? If it helps. I've already cut soda from my life. (except the rare occasions when I'm mixing it with a drink.) I've been trying to cut back on sugar and watch my calorie intake.
Bulking is the muscle growth phase. In order to bulk, you need extra calories. This is called a caloric surplus, and it simply means taking in more calories than you are burning off. The extra calories should go to building more muscle mass. Here is a pretty good plan for bulking. Good luck. https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw55.htm
You could always join a gym and inform them that you are interested in bulking up.
I'm not sure how much this will help (I'm being silly :)) but beer really helps with a big ol' man belly :)
T may not redistribute fat without the help of getting down to a weight that strips most of it off first. Some people experience a lot of automatic fat redistribution on T, while others find it more stubborn. I would suggest the best way would be to lose weight and try to neutralize your figure first if you want visual results sooner, and then bulk up from there.
Look into Calorie cycling. That is what I did for years while in denial to bulk myself up (boy I wish you and I could just trade body shapes right now). Basically it's eating an excess of calories while lifting heavy. You'll gain both fat and muscle during this time. Then, you go on a "cut" cycle where you eat a calorie deficit while still lifting (although less weight for more reps). This causes fat and muscle to be lost but more fat than muscle. So it ultimately becomes a 2 steps forward 1 step back approach, but it lets you stay and pretty much the same weight, build muscle without packing on a lot of fat, and from my experience it keeps your metabolism in a state where you can easily manipulate your weight.