I don't want to look like a female bodybuilder! I have been going over this and how to pull it of this summer. I toned up being on Spiro but not finding a more laid back job. My face is starting to look pretty but my body has gotten so muscular. I have muscles popping out all over me. I am sick of being asked if I work out by men. for some reason this feels worse then being laughed at. I was looking into getting clothing just to fit what I have to work with. Heck, if i was a guy it would be great but this sucks this is not me either. I'm loosing my desire to work there. I asked to be moved so I'm not moving heavy things anymore. no answer back from them.

Well, maybe you're just toned, not bodybuilder-esque? Take the compliment, girl! 

Are you estrogen too or just spiro? How long? FYI, from the looks of your avatar you sure don't look like a bodybuilder. You're quite pretty and all i see is a slender arm. We're are own worst critics.

Quote from: Joanna Dark on February 22, 2013, 11:16:48 PM
Are you estrogen too or just spiro? How long? FYI, from the looks of your avatar you sure don't look like a bodybuilder. You're quite pretty and all i see is a slender arm. We're are own worst critics.

yes both. will be a year in march. my job is harder know but i push myself to do it. I maybe worried for nothing. I just want to look soft not buff. I posted pictures on my facebook of my arms it is public if you want to look at them link is below.

Okay I looked at the link. It is a little buff. I can't lie. But it's hardly bodybuilder big. Plenty of other women have muscles. Maybe ask the endo to up your spiro dose. Last year I attempted to transition and my T level dropped to zero within a week and I lost all ability to function sexually. I had to stop because because of that and and another reason that's, well, let's just say I was beat up. So, and this just my two cents, so consider the source, if you up the spiro, logic follows your T level should drop. We're not allowed to talk dosage so I won't. But it's possible to drop you levels to zero and that should stop any and all muscle growth in its tracks and reverse any that you have as T is needed to maintain muscles. I wasn't on a high dose at all. I'm going to start HRT again i a week or two and i have some muscles, and I'm hoping they go away. They should. I lost a lot of strength last year. I can't say what your experience has been, but you said you have a heavy-lifting job, so maybe start looking for another job if upping the dose isn't an option.

When I said it was a little buff, I meant it isn't unlike other females. Sometimes I write too fast so I just wanted to point that out.

You don't look like a bodybuilder.



That's a bodybuilder for you.

Quote from: DianaP on February 23, 2013, 06:31:20 PM
You don't look like a bodybuilder.



That's a bodybuilder for you.

looking at this just made me feel better about myself. I suddenly realise my mind is just blowing it up. As usual i don't know why I don't see the signs and can just say that is just my disphoria working on me. I really did not noties that I was buff until the new new guys that come to work there point it out. One even said he would love to have muscles that are this cut. The only good thing is they all thought i was a girl until I started talking about my ex-wife. which is another thing I need to quit doing. I'm still happy that no one tell the new people Im trans. They pretty much let them figure it out on their own.

Interesting thread!

At the start of HRT I found gaining muscle still pretty easy but it became more and more difficult each year. I still train 3-4 times a week with vigorous weights but I hardly get the gains I had "as a man".

There is also this transgender bodybuilder, Christina Bruce. She also has a YT channel and FB page. Over the years she lost quite a lot of muscle. She had SRS last year in Thailand (there's a Facebook group about that too) and FFS I think with Dr Spiegel in Boston. Spiegel was blogging about her some time ago. Today Christinas body still looks very buff but as for most female bodybuilders, a feminine face can compensate that to some degree. Take a look at Dana Linn Bailey:
http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=427724.0;attach=471853;image

Btw, most female bodybuilders get plastic surgery, too (breast & facial surgery and liposuction).

I was always a skinny kid, never could pick up heavy stuff or defend myself, etc. Sometime in my 40s, I realized, hey, I've got testosterone. Why don't I use it? (Didn't think I was trans back then, just a guy who wishes he were a woman). So I started lifting weights. After a few years of this I got actual muscles and I could start lifting and carrying stuff I never could before.

I'm a full-time female with no T left in my system thanks to heavy doses of spiro, but I still lift weights several times a week. I don't want to lose the muscles I worked so hard to gain (and since I'm likely to be a single woman, don't want to be weak).

I see nothing unfeminine about being stronger. Of course it's whatever kind of woman you want to be.

I guess you will always retain a good amount of muscle if you lift regularly. The muscles will probably lean out and change in shape (which can look incredibly sexy - i personally find Dana to be really hot). But as Suzi said it's really about what you want from your body and if you are looking to lose mass, you should probably find a job which removes the heavy lifting and change your diet to a more carb centric meal plan.
I'm trying to shift mass from my shoulders and neck and it's incredibly annoying when i try and go out of my way to not lift anything heavy, or anything at all, only for other female family members to call upon me to lift something into a cupboard etc which they are more than capable of doing themselves.

I always feel better after watching the Olympics with the track and field girls and the swimmers!

And my own sister was a semi pro swimmer with really built up wide shoulders and muscles, we are only a couple years apart and even now that we are older she still has a more boyish figure than I do....that is  one thing that helped me a lot as a confused girl stuck in an icky male body as a teen.

Quote from: jainie marlena on February 22, 2013, 10:32:16 PM
I don't want to look like a female bodybuilder! I have been going over this and how to pull it of this summer. I toned up being on Spiro but not finding a more laid back job. My face is starting to look pretty but my body has gotten so muscular. I have muscles popping out all over me. I am sick of being asked if I work out by men. for some reason this feels worse then being laughed at. I was looking into getting clothing just to fit what I have to work with. Heck, if i was a guy it would be great but this sucks this is not me either. I'm loosing my desire to work there. I asked to be moved so I'm not moving heavy things anymore. no answer back from them.

I am wondering what kind of physical activity you have done. I mean some anaerobic or aerobic exercises.

I have more buff than most typical women, and most women envy my body. Some of them try to touch my leg skin, commenting that my leg muscle is strong and solid. However, my legs look extremely skinny at glance, and nobody think my legs are men's.

I usually do aerobic exercise like running and biking. I avoid lifting or other anaerobic exercises, although some of my friends encourage me to build some muscles.

barbie~~

Quote from: jainie marlena on February 23, 2013, 12:34:21 AM
yes both. will be a year in march. my job is harder know but i push myself to do it. I maybe worried for nothing. I just want to look soft not buff. I posted pictures on my facebook of my arms it is public if you want to look at them link is below.

really you are fine - I think you look great - plenty of females have some definition - and I have been on HRT for 20 years and I still have definition from when I worked out at 19. the only way to cover it up is to get a major layer of fat (when I was over 200 lbs no one could see it, I don't want to go back there) I prefer being 120 and people seeing the slight cut.

Quote from: barbie on August 10, 2013, 10:09:14 PM
I am wondering what kind of physical activity you have done. I mean some anaerobic or aerobic exercises.

I have more buff than most typical women, and most women envy my body. Some of them try to touch my leg skin, commenting that my leg muscle is strong and solid. However, my legs look extremely skinny at glance, and nobody think my legs are men's.

I usually do aerobic exercise like running and biking. I avoid lifting or other anaerobic exercises, although some of my friends encourage me to build some muscles.

barbie~~

i work at place that makes flooring for a trailers like swift trucking. sorry it took so long to respond. i have gotten past this since i first posted this thread.

Interesting thread.

Let HRT do it's thing in combination with a TON OF CARDIO.

No weight training. You *have to* burn your muscles off. You'll lose body fat also which is needed to soften your physique, but you can fatten up again afterwards.

An endurance optimized body is a lean body. That's why you never see muscular long distance runners.

I look petite but when people feel my arms they say I'm musclular.

I did heavy lifting for 20 years. It definitely shows when wearing sleeveless dresses . definitely a bummer

Grrr... Im dealing with the same thing.  The only thing that has been helping (besides HRT of course) is that I started a vegetarian diet.  I'm about 7 months in.  Do you think we should try jogging and aerobics?  I dunno.

In your facebook pics, our bodies seem similar.  Not really buff but a bit muscled.  You look feminine so losing a bit of muscle isn't that big of a hurdle.  You should see my legs. yuck!!

I added you btw.  I hope thats cool!

nice video