i've always had a healthy appetite. however, lately i've been eating too much, too often. i already have too much fat for an ftm who wants to cover the curves, but i haven't been able to cut down on food. i'm too lazy to work out regularly, i know i should, but i'm too lazy, so a healthy cutting down on my meals, at least the random snacks at odd hours might at least stop me growing any wider. but man! i can't! it's like, eating is one of the few activities that do not remind me of my female self, so i guess i'm too attached to it. i don't eat because i'm hungry, but because i like engaging in that activity rather than doing other things. when it gets hard to get through the day, i almost look forward for the mealtime. any advice? i seriously need to lose some fat.

Well you're motivation comes from within, so no one can tell you what to do. It might be helpful if you have a near by friend or even someone online to become a buddy with and encourage each other. It's the idea behind a lot of weight-loss groups, Weigh Watchers, etc

I don't know if you are on T. T might help as you do eventually lose the curves. OF course, you are going to put the weight on your abdomen as the weight does go there. It's a more male pattern and but since that might be your problem (of not wanting to be curvy), it might help.

--Jay

I've been struggling with this a bit too.

We have three kids and there is always stuff to snack on in the house.  Making a better choice takes so much discipline that sometimes... I just don't care enough.  I know that a big part of the dysphoria for me is not just the trans identity, it's not feeling comfortable or healthy in my body. 

It sounds cliche, but I think it really is mind over matter. Having a clear, well visualized goal REALLY helps me (most of the time!) because I can remind myself of my goal while being tempted to make a crappy choice.  It can't be vague -- "I want to get in shape" "I want to lose weight" -- it's gotta be specific cause that gives your mind something to hang on to and work with.

It's a muscle.  Will power is a muscle.  If you don't use it, it gets weak.  You have to build it. 

I'm talking to myself mostly, but thanks for the reminder!

Best of luck.

Lex

It will be hard to kick the habit...so in the meantime, consider substituting unhealthy foods for healthier options. Don't know if you like fruit, but it is a really good substitute for processed sugary food. Wholemeal bread for white bread, lean meat..etc.
Getting active too...no need for a full on gym routine, but maybe jogging, walking instead of driving to begin with? Also, if your mind is so fixated on food, try out new things to occupy yourself to take your mind off from the temptation to eat.

Good luck.

I've had an unusual response to being on HRT this time around, I find I'm much calmer and my appetite has changed, it's quite weird because I used to be a snacker and a chocoholic, now I only feel like eating when I'm actually hungry and have very little craving for chocolate. Weirder still I've been more motivated to exercise (never really been one for it, usually very sedentary) - nothing strenuous, just daily half hour walking in the park out the back of my home... up a very steep hill! It's been great, I feel much better physically and I've actually lost weight and fat (except for where it counts). Probably not the answer you were looking for and I don't to mean to sound like I'm boasting... I'm not sure what caused the change, the HRT? Maybe, but I was almost the polar opposite last time but that was a different cocktail of hormones so maybe that had something to do with it. Also, I've been vegetarian for over 25 years now, you'd expect I would have been skinny to begin with but I was over snacking, eating too much chocolate and doing little exercise and packing that weight on around my waist, the last place I wanted it. From a dietary point of view the only thing I've really changed is that if I need to snack because I'm hungry then I'll eat almonds, although high in fat it's the right kind of fat and they apparently help to lose weight, so go figure. The thing about exercising is that it will really only help lose weight if your diet is in good shape... little adjustments to both routines and not beating yourself up if you 'lapse' are the best way to build towards something that will give you great outcomes.

What do you do for work?  Perhaps take up a job that is more physical than just sitting around.  Most towns/cities have some kind of cardio program you can join like an aerobics class - I would look into something like that.  Or at least buy an aerobics video and some good music and work out in your living room.

Quote from: YBtheOutlaw on October 12, 2013, 03:46:26 PM
i've always had a healthy appetite. however, lately i've been eating too much, too often. i already have too much fat for an ftm who wants to cover the curves, but i haven't been able to cut down on food. i'm too lazy to work out regularly, i know i should, but i'm too lazy, so a healthy cutting down on my meals, at least the random snacks at odd hours might at least stop me growing any wider. but man! i can't! it's like, eating is one of the few activities that do not remind me of my female self, so i guess i'm too attached to it. i don't eat because i'm hungry, but because i like engaging in that activity rather than doing other things. when it gets hard to get through the day, i almost look forward for the mealtime. any advice? i seriously need to lose some fat.

I love eating too. I have a massive sweet tooth that gets me everytime. Basically, you just need to put up some lines somewhere. I know you said you are lazy , but maybe hitting the gym can be a timee when you are doing something that doesnt remind you of the female you? Cardio. Just try to approach it as a challenge. I want this snack right now and its 2pm. Challenge myself to wait until 3pm or maybe 4pm. By then, it might be late enough to have dinner. Or try another addicting activity. Video games or something kind of lazy that can pull your mind from eating.

you all are being very helpful. just for your information, you won't say i'm a fat person who should start losing weight immediately when you see me. i'm of medium build, but the curves are annoying, like when i see myself in a shop window i get frustrated because the parts i don't really want are quite highlighted. oh and my fat has been accumulating around the belly for an year or two. i have a belly much larger than an average person of the same build and i want to get rid of that too.
something out of the subject, periods always used to be pretty irregular on me and once i didn't have the shark week for like 3 months. then it happened but hasn't occured yet, i don't really pay attention to counting days for that but i'm sure its been more than a month or maybe two. mom says it might be the cause for my fat deposition in belly. is that possible?
i think i forgot to mention that i'm pre-T

Quote from: YBtheOutlaw on October 12, 2013, 03:46:26 PM
i'm too lazy to work out regularly, i know i should, but i'm too lazy,

lol, it a very common problem. Being honest I think 90% of people who work out would rather be lazy. its not really an excuse.
If you want to work out the best thing is to figure out what you like, theres many diffrent ways you can keep yourself active, from joining a swimming team, to doing exercise home infront of the TV or taking dance lessons, you can also think if you rahter do it alone (like I enjoy running listen to music) or if you want to do it as a social thing, somethimes it can be more easy to get started if you are making it a social part of your life where you meet up with friends to do something active together.

But Being honest I dont think Work out is the most important thing to be healthy or lose weight. I belive its good for your health being active (by that I also means simple thing as taking the stairs insteed of the elevator) but if you are to lose weight it more important to focus on what you eat than how much you work out.

Quote from: YBtheOutlaw on October 12, 2013, 03:46:26 PM
it's like, eating is one of the few activities that do not remind me of my female self, so i guess i'm too attached to it. i don't eat because i'm hungry, but because i like engaging in that activity rather than doing other things.

It sound abit like a addiction which for sure is a problem, so you would need to get rid of that habbit and find something ells to turn your focus at. There must be something you like to do beside eating? or even if not maybe you may try to find a new interest you havent tried before.

is there anything you like to do or work on beside?

Quote from: YBtheOutlaw on October 13, 2013, 10:59:09 AM

something out of the subject, periods always used to be pretty irregular on me and once i didn't have the shark week for like 3 months. then it happened but hasn't occured yet, i don't really pay attention to counting days for that but i'm sure its been more than a month or maybe two. mom says it might be the cause for my fat deposition in belly. is that possible?
i think i forgot to mention that i'm pre-T

have you check if you got pcos?

Quote from: Natkat on October 14, 2013, 08:33:25 AM
have you check if you got pcos?

not really. i was quite happy that i don't have to mess with the bloodwork for whatever reason, so i pretty much kept it to myself. but i found somewhere in the forum that it could be dangerous, so i told mom. know what mom said, 'aren't you better off without it?' and i'm not even out to her! but i had to explain her the seriousness but i left out most of it, because she's very disease-phobic. she was worried, but she was not very enthusiastic about seeing a doctor because of the same phobia, she doesn't like going for checkups in case it turns out to be a serious illness. i didn't encourage her either because i like the way it is. but i told her again after seeing your post, and she said 'okay then, let's see if it happens in 3 months again then. if not lets go to a doctor, after your exams' which will be in next august! i don't know what to feel.

it's funny how my fate handles my life. whenever i make some unusual comment, something happens to as if to say 'see, it's not really like that'
i make a post about my appetite one day, and the next day i get a stomachache for indigestion, i couldn't eat anything but a soup and two slices of bread yesterday and i'm still on loose motion. thank you for your comment, fate.

it's not really turned into an addiction. i sensed it was turning so i decided to get some advice before it does. yeah i think it'll have to be the will power. i'll work on it. and the work outs, i'll start something regular after the exams.

cut up some raw vegetables in the morning, and place them neatly on a table near you. gnawing on carrot sticks helps get your mind off that chocolate. raw vegetables and fish are pretty much the only things i know for sure that won't give me any stomach ache. i get a little hungry when eating them instead of bread, but that's only good because i'll eat a good dinner rather than something unhealthy for that meal as well.

fruits are better than chocolate, but you shouldn't really eat too many of them. one or two a day is enough, depending on the sweetness.

to avoid letting chocolate become too tempting, avoid buying any. or if you can't help it, buy the darkest chocolate you can find. bread is not good for indigestion if it contains wheat, gluten isn't too good for anything other than keeping the bread together. so when buying bread, go for something whole grain.

actually, this is a lot more about shopping habits than eating habits. i eat healthy if i buy only healthy foods. if there is unhealthy food in the house, i'll have that instead when i'm lazy.

I have a similar problem, but I find the trick is to distract yourself by doing other things. I eat better when I have school all day because I don't have time to snack all day. Also it helps if you don't eat out because restaurant foods almost always have 400-1000+ calories per meal. I always pack something before I go to work or school. I do best when the food I want to eat is downstairs because of out of sight out of mind principle.