First.
I don't work out or anything. (I am skinny because I walk places).  So I can easily rule this out. 

It feels like there is a bruises on my chest (right above each nipple).
They pulsate with pain.
Is this the first signs of breast growth?
I was not expecting anything this soon, especially on such a low dosage.  But the pain started yesterday afternoon.  It just keeps growing, subtlety, but now my entire chest is hurting.  Like its bruised up or some thing. Is this normal? 

(If it is the first signs, yay!  Best pain ever!)

Sure seems like it. Maybe you've got a high sensibility to E. Some do.
Doesn't mean you get bigger breasts or anything (the upper limit is fixed)
but it means that devellopment, getting there, may be
quicker than for some. At your age, I wouldn't be surprised of that.

My nipples were so sensitive in the first 4 months I could barely touch them.
I had 36A cups in 4 months, so anything can happen.

If you feel your way with your fingers, you should feel something hard under the nipple (if not now, within weeks).

Happy for you Amy.

Also if I may add...  If you are on spiro one of the side effects is breast tenderness and swelling.

Steph

Ah, memories...

The pain in my breasts (especially my nipples,) the first few months was, strangely, a constantly soothing reminder that I was on my way finally.  I would notice it while at work and --smi-i-i-le-- to myself...

Karen

Those are the first signs of breast development, Amy.   The  most wonderful pain you will ever feel...

Congrats!

tink

As they swell, you will realise another truth... that door jams and circle clothing racks were made just for you to accidentally crash your chest into. I swear that the circle racks used to hunt me down and my breasts were so sensitive back then.

It seems likely.

That has been the case with me and adjusting to 'dimensional changes' can be a painful process. 

Well weight is shifting all over the place.  The body is without questioning changing.   

Under my ribs has pinched inwards more.  The weight that used to be there is shifting downwards.
There is definite breasts, albeit very small at this point, but they are growing. 

I wish I could say my shoulder muscles are going away, but sadly that is not happening yet. 

This is happening very fast on a very low dose of everything. It was like my body was always meant for this yet somehow was denied.   I was going to ask for a larger dose of spiro than the planned incremental step up.  But I am not sure that will be necessary. 

Quote from: Amy T. on July 03, 2007, 03:24:44 PM
Well weight is shifting all over the place.  The body is without questioning changing.   

Under my ribs has pinched inwards more.  The weight that used to be there is shifting downwards.
There is definite breasts, albeit very small at this point, but they are growing. 

I wish I could say my shoulder muscles are going away, but sadly that is not happening yet. 

This is happening very fast on a very low dose of everything. It was like my body was always meant for this yet somehow was denied.   I was going to ask for a larger dose of spiro than the planned incremental step up.  But I am not sure that will be necessary. 

Well, I mildly 'pseudo-complained' about the wide and muscular shoulders and arms not looking quite 'womanly', but it's really a non-issue for me.

I'm strong, but the build and body is sleek. There are definite advantages to retaining the lean tissue, both in self-defense/deterrence and in mechanical work.

Having said this however, I have indeed noted lean tissue loss. I have not modified my diet at all, in the interests of facilitating feminization of the physical being.

I was in the store yesterday and I noticed the cover of a women's fitness or bodybuilding magazine and following that observation, I'm not at all going to worry about it. I will continue to work out.

But different goals for different women, yes? 

So how does the weight shift work? Does body fat shift downward from the abs to the hips?

Its not really a shift, new fats go to female areas and if you have a healthy lifestyle including exercise, old fats get burned from male areas.

The weight on the abdomen will not fade alone, but if your T level is low and E high, new fat will not accumulate there. The new fats will accumulate in the gynoid areas, thighs, hips, buttocks, breasts, under the arm. Some have a high metabolism and unless they eat like pigs and don't exercise, a very unhealthy lifestyle, they won't get much fats going anywhere; with such a lifestyle, some fats will wind up on the stomach too (like every else its genetics).

If your exercise even a bit, say walk every day, and are on HRT, the visceral fats (the one behind the muscle, which you cannot pinch, but is the one that most makes your abdomen stick out) will go away very fast since that fat is right next to the liver. When you relax your stomach and see the abdomen from top to bottom stick out like kermit the frog, that's visceral fats (love handle are pinchable fat).

The visceral fats will be first used for energy after stored energy in the muscles. The fat over the muscle, is thougher to get rid of, but exercise will get rid of most of it if you reach your ideal weight. There will be a bit of this pinchable fat left even after all of that, but it should be just enough to cover the muscles so your muscles don't stick out.

The fats in the gynoid areas, when on HRT, is the last to go.

People that do lipo usually don't want to go the extra mile to get rid of the pinchable fat.

In a way it does shift towards the hips and other lower places (butt, place between crotch and torso).  You also quite literally shrink (at least I did after a month) because muscle mass goes away.  My shoulders did not shrink much, but nearly every other part of my body did. (PS Rhonda I don't work out, I am just unusually health and a I walk quite a bit.)  Certain cloths do not fit the way they used too (basically much looser), and other cloths fit the way they should.  I could go on, it seems like its happening all at once though. 

I know that this many changes is not normal after a month.  I have people I know that barely got anywhere after three months and had to switch to injections or an extremely aggressive hormone regiment. 

Facially very little is happening.  A little extra barely noticeable cheek fat, but thats it so far.

Quote from: Kara on July 04, 2007, 12:07:06 PM
So how does the weight shift work? Does body fat shift downward from the abs to the hips?

Hips are more from a wider pelvis in women I think... than fat. I don't have any more fat there, though I always had a wide pelvis so I'm happy.

I don't move much, and eat like a crazy woman, so my stomach didn't shrink much... and yet, I have some curves now. I think it's from the thighs and rear expanding... and expanding... and... be careful what you wish for, lol.

But yes, in order of fat appearing for me: breasts, thighs, rear, upper arms, face...

From what I hear, the shoulder muscles can take YEARS to fade noticeably. Mine do seem sorta smaller after 10 months, and my wife *swears* it all looks and feels different (she would know more than I), so I guess it's changing slowly. I don't *really* see it myself much though.

~Kate~

Thanks.

Now I am kinda excited. I only "pig out" on certain weekends, I run 2-3 Times a week and Walk all day at work. In the last 9 months I have lost around 50 pounds. This will be cool.

Be careful Kate, exercise a bit, we don't want you to lose that teen figure :-).

You don't need to exercise a lot. A 20 minute walk 3-4 times a week is already good.
Your stomach will really go down and your hips will more defined (at least for me).
I went from 33 inch stomach to now 28 inch and I still got some visceral fats (that's the one I most want to get rid of, they are very unhealthy), hips and buttocks have not moved at all, I think I lost some muscle and gained fats, still around 39 inch. But now my waist to hip ratio is very good.

I'll probably have an about 26.5 inch waist when I finish, my hips will be smaller because I'm losing weight everywhere these days, so I'm expecting about 37.5.  WHR=0.7