I really hadn't lost that much muscle, I mean I have a noticeable decline in strength but I have went out of my way to mitigate that. The biggest reason is I am steadfast on maintaining independence even if this means buying a rubber wrench or two for the lids of jars. The way I see it since I have no romantic interest in men and I won't have roomates forever I should get used to my bodies new endocrine system and all of the practical implications that brings.

Also of note that my many reps of light weight have really helped my muscles look toned, but they have lost size and strength so, I am looking better IMO than if I had just let them atrophy.

Once I tried to open a jar but how hard I tried I couldn't open it and then my ex girlfriend she took it and opened it for me. That's when I realised I've lost so much strenth. My muscles just melted away on HRT.

Quote from: anais on May 11, 2014, 04:54:56 AM
Once I tried to open a jar but how hard I tried I couldn't open it and then my ex girlfriend she took it and opened it for me. That's when I realised I've lost so much strenth. My muscles just melted away on HRT.

That happened to me well before HRT! Admittedly i was about 15-16 at the time, but I managed to pinch a nerve in my neck the attempt and then passed out on the floor!

Quote from: Ms Grace on May 11, 2014, 05:06:30 AM
That happened to me well before HRT! Admittedly i was about 15-16 at the time, but I managed to pinch a nerve in my neck the attempt and then passed out on the floor!

Lol I remember when I was little my mom asked me to open a jar for her and I just kept trying because I didn't want to let her down but that never happened to me.

I never had much of an upper body to begin with, but I have noticed some reshaping and a definate loss of strength since starting hrt. And then there's heavy doors. My friend actually had to push open this heavy door as we left the thrift store two days ago cause I just bounced back while trying to push it open, lol!

Ally

I didnt lose much, but I never had much mass, so to speak. No matter how much I worked out, or how much I lifted back i the day, the muscle never grew much, but it would get so toned you could see the muscle fiber/ ridges under the skin.  I went from being able to throw my own body weight of 147 over my head in free weight, to barely managing 100. Can still do it with difficulty.   I dont mind it, my lil red neck girl strenght doesnt show, so no one expects it,  guy I dated last fall tried to grab me up and cuss me out, I told him to let go or he wouldnt like what happens, he slapped me real hard for "mouthing off"  So I punched him square in the mouth and had to pick a few chunks of teeth out of my knuckles as I stared at the fear on his face and said "Are you done, or would you like seconds."  Think word got around in my part of town, the guys leave me alone lol.


Noticed I had some trouble putting the AC's in the windows this year also :/

I have no idea. I've been on HRT for going on 15 months, though the first six months I missed a week here and there and my dose of spiro was half the norm and the dose of E was also half the norm (e.g. Mazzoni Center norm), but it still worked and people started asking if I was a transsexual by month two and I started passing at 73 days. But since last June, I've been all about my BF and don't really pay attention to changes, which is prolly better. I mean, hell, I thought I would be completely, totally alone for three years when I started transitioning, and I've never been less alone in my entire life and had someone, a man, who card about this much. But, I still feel huge and must have aneroxia or BDD or something. I gained seven pounds and I'm up to 126 lbs.--wooo hooo!!!--but still feel my upper arms are too big and my neck is too big. Well, not big, but I still have muscles. Sometimes I just feel huge. I'm hoping by gaining weight it'll be mostly subcutaneous fat and that it'll hide the rest of the muscles I have before they disintegrate. But, I'm a lot weaker than ever and this started around six months or so...but really, i noticed in a month. The actual reduction is mass though takes a lot longer, like 18+ months.

I've been noticing it a lot lately. It's getting harder and harder to lift things at work and bring in my groceries. I absolutely love it but it would be nice if the muscles would actually seem to look smaller but they don't look any different to be honest but I at least know that I can't do the things I use to before I started HRT.

(Evelyn K waves)

If you are serious about losing muscle mass then calorie restrict and do heavy cardio especially running. Lots and lots of running. You'll burn fat and muscle as well. The body is amazing, with extended running your body will try to optimize itself to be lean and efficient.

You do not see bulky muscular long distance runners.

To that end, yeah once you get to where you want in leanness then start building up the fat again.

"Once I tried to open a jar but how hard I tried I couldn't open it and then my ex girlfriend she took it and opened it for me. That's when I realised I've lost so much strenth. My muscles just melted away on HRT."

Last month, I'd been trying to get this bottle of salsa open for several days, to no avail. But I liked it so much that the next time I was at Safeway, I picked up some more. I then stopped at a nearby fruit market. As I was getting ready to drive away from the market, I stopped and tried to open one of the new bottles. However, it was just as tight as the first one, and it wouldn't open. The guy working at the market is big and burly, so I thought I would get him to open it for me. I walked up to the counter, and he was gone, but his gf was there. So, I thought, "What the heck, I'll have a little fun...," as I smiled to myself. I asked the girl if she could open it for me. She took the bottle, grunted a little, and before I knew it, she twisted the lid right off! She laughed and gave me a look like she felt sorry for me, and said she did a lot of work with her hands. I just said I definitely already loosened before I brought it up, and she just kindly smiled and agreed, as I made a quick exit out of there.

Starting T-blockers: I'd always had a hard time putting on weight/muscle. In fact, if I'd never worked out, I'd probably weigh less than 100 lbs. About 15 years ago, I added a course of steroids to my working out. BIG DIFFERENCE. But in the Fall of 2012, I started spiro and fin. After a couple of months, there was nothing in the way of any changes. A couple of weeks later, though, I was looking as I walked by a mirror with no shirt on, and was shocked! My whole chest was sunken in from the loss of muscle mass! I quickly realized how much muscle I had actually built. Since then, the chest has fortunately filled back out a little with other tissue, since I've continued with the spiro and fin. Makes me wonder what changes E would bring.

I've lost like 99% of my muscle mass...Didn't have a lot to begin with but still it was enough to be noticeable. Like just to give an idea my younger sister is stronger than me and shes a bit shorter and skinnier than me. 

Living in the city so I don't drive. My arm strength is down to about 60% what I was before so picking up groceries now requires some creative multi missions. Once to get liquid goods, once for dry goods.

Tired arms carrying a half gallon of milk and a jug of OJ. Thank gawd they are going away! 

Quote from: Lady_Oracle on May 12, 2014, 12:18:01 AM
I've lost like 99% of my muscle mass...Didn't have a lot to begin with but still it was enough to be noticeable. Like just to give an idea my younger sister is stronger than me and shes a bit shorter and skinnier than me.

Can I ask how long did it took for hormones to do that??
Im 5 months on hrt , Ive lost a lot of strength and just a tiny amount of muscle , but they are still bery noticable and manly

I haven't noticed it just by looking but I do feel it.

When I'm out in the neighborhood walking somewhere I notice my legs get tired quickly. I'm a FAST walker when I have my ipod on. I used to be able to zip from one place to the next but now I cant.

With my extra weight it's hard to tell really, I guess I'm just use to looking at myself who knows. I'm sure once I have my bbl and do a little working out it'll show.

My calf muscle was kinna large for a woman and pretty defined. The muscle itself is softening and the defined edge under the skin is smoothing with fat.

That along with my skin on my legs turning totally creamy soft and pale, I'm ecstatic.

Also some examples from the before and after threads:

The moment came for me when I pulled a muscle in my shoulder trying to move a computer chair; bittersweet to be sure! 

I've lost 5kg/11lb in the last 5 months, some of it is probably fat but I guess some of it is muscle too (not that I was that muscly to begin with)

Quote from: ath on May 09, 2014, 11:17:17 PM
It used to be no biggie to lug that setup from my car to my 2nd floor apartment (really glad I'm not a 4th floor person right now, lol). It was just a keyboard in a soft case I have, the keyboard stand (a Z stand that can hold up to 600 pounds, so it's fairly heavy for a keyboard stand), a backpack full of cables, pedals, and other random music gear, and my main bass (a J-Bass I built). Not really that much gear, and I used to be able to carry it around no problem.

I totally sympathise.  My keyboard and case combo weighs 40kg (88lbs).  Really strains me to lift it these days.  And I know the strength is dropping because I can't pull the cork out of a wine bottle without a levered bottle opener.

Quote from: FalseHybridPrincess on May 12, 2014, 02:02:32 AM
Can I ask how long did it took for hormones to do that??
Im 5 months on hrt , Ive lost a lot of strength and just a tiny amount of muscle , but they are still bery noticable and manly

It took about a year and a half. Don't fret though, you'll see results in time!

Though I can't be sure, according to my wife and a somewhat unsubstantial view on my part, I think my legs have shrunk in size greatly. Don't know if this could also be closely related to dieting and advanced muscle training. But in the course of a month I went from a size 14 to a size 10. Sooooo... honestly I'm not sure, can't say I'm not equally ecstatic about it either way