Thats really good basics ... i'm 37 and have bad genes ... i think i dont have to explain further details.

... on the other hand. If your genes also bad ... 

If you could only see how I use to look lol
There is hope for everyone cause before I wasn't feminine, physically.
Def not my face.
It just takes time.

Don't get discouraged ladies! It takes time! My gf felt the same way for a while. Her expectations were so low that I think I was more excited when she started the 'mones than she was :p I asked her everyday for quite some time 'do ya feel different??? any changes??? itchy nips?' and her response was always nope, nope, nope. Well, now that she is a lil over a year on hormones and blockers, she is just now beginning to bud breasts. The most noticiable change she has had is fat redistribution to her thighs. She's always been incredibly thin- bordering on unhealthy, but since hrt she has brought her weight up to 130lbs. Her thighs were unable to touch at all before hormones, now they touch even when they are slightly apart and are super jiggly and awesome :3

But the thing to remember- these small changes took a long time! Her endo seems quite pleased with her results and always tells her that it is a SLOW process. He's really a great doctor with trans patients- first off, he started her on a loooow dose because he wanted her process to mimic cisgirls puberty. He said that would achieve max breast development over time, rather than going on a full female dose right away. He's also now trying to get her t levels into the female range and added progesterone to her regimen. So just give it time, and make sure your endo is knowledgeable with trans patients! Good luck!

Quote from: AnnaCannibal on July 04, 2014, 12:36:56 PM
It is my suspicion that diet and metabolism do indeed play a drastic part in the effectiveness of hormones.  I mean, doesn't it make sense that you need to put a bit of fat into your body for the fat redistribution to actually occur?  Also, if you were super skinny with a high metabolism to begin with, why would that suddenly change?  I mean your body may gain those few extra pounds, but I feel the fat redistribution will take longer. 

I think there is some confusion about fat redistribution to begin with, I know I was.  The fat you already have will not move around just because you start HRT.  You need to intake some fat for your new setup to occur.

My doc pretty much said this exact thing to me; he said I was naturally skinny so to get the best results it might be worth putting on a bit of weight. So I've tried to take in a bit of extra fat to help things along; not a lot, just a bit more than usual. Together with the muscle loss I've had so far its meant my body has started to shift overall towards a more female shape. I still feel like I've a long way to go though.

My doctor also said to me that everyone is completely different in how they are affected by HRT; some have very few results, some have a lot early on and then plateau, others have a gradual consistent change. But four months is still pretty early. I have been on oestrogen for five months and whilst I'm pretty pleased with how my body has responded so far, at four months my face had not changed one bit as far as I could tell, aside from slightly softer skin. Then this last month it has seemed to round out a bit more, my skin got softer still and stopped being so oily to the point of extreme dryness in places. So things can happen quite suddenly and in bursts. I think sometimes I don't even notice changes until they have already happened, if that makes sense. Same goes for the mental changes.

You're best off seeing what your blood test results are like and going from there. It's still early days yet

The effect of HRT has been underwhelming for me so far too, and I am 10 months in. It certaintly isn't easy to keep seeing the same face that you hate day out and day in when nothing seems to be happening, but at least I feel a lot better mentally now, and can deal with the frustration and envy I often feel. I do have good results from tests, but I guess for some the changes just take a lot longer. At least I hope they do.

What do you mean with "it will take time"??
I'm over 17 month now on hormones and t-blocker and the only change is a softer skin over the whole body and my acne is gone. My fat is still storaged at the belly and my breast was growing by 4-5cm (2inch) - thats 1 year ago. Ive notice no other real changes in that time. When it will happen when you say "it will take time" ... ?

Slow developer like myself, "it will take time", equals to still seeing changes even now after well over a decade on hormones (had some breaks in between that time a few times), but oh ever so slight. Yes, it takes time, this usually doesn't mean right away, nor even 1-2 years, could be 5, even 10, maybe you don't even realize how much you may've changed already. If you don't really notice it is because its very subtle, but I assure you, if you're taking hormones and have been on them for over 17 months, the changes are there. Got any before and after pics to compare. Find a before hormones pic of you, then try to duplicate everything, from lighting, your position, posture, facial expression, even try to wear something relatively similar, now take an after pic, compare the two.

And you want to get rid of that belly fat, you're going to have to work that off, cis-women get belly rolls too. My belly though never really fat, I was able to grab a few inches between my fingers a couple months ago (I had a waist still much like a guy), had a little bit of a roll there, worked that off by exercising, mostly stretches, still have a little bit but at least now I have a feminine curve to my waist that I never had before. Hormones aren't going to do all the work, they'll change your mood hopefully for the more positive so you can feel better about you, and they'll soften you up a bit (some more than others, probably depends on your metabolism) adding some nice layers of fat over your muscles, give you breasts (again, some just are lucky here, I'm still tiny pre-teen sized), perhaps add some fat to your hips (definitely did for me, I was flat as a board before every way), maybe stop your head hair from falling out, slow the growth of body hair a little, but aside from all this, what more can you expect without surgical intervention. Yes, it takes time, sometimes unfortunately longer for others than some. Just know that if you are taking them, they gotta be doing you some good.

I was taking theres pictures, descripted by you: same camera, same light, same position. I wanted this pics to have a some stuff for a realistic comparison. After checking these photos i recognized my body didnet changed in any way. Same hip-structur, waist, belly, muscles ... its really a absurdity. I cant believe it to myself but theres no difference between the pictures than a little more fad at the belly and a wider waist ... 10 years? I will be nearly 50 in ten years 

I was into high-performance sport before my transition, had 8% bodyfat / BMI 20 and nevertheless a little belly. I had always a little belly. Now after haveing hormones for 17 month, 4kg more, i have more regular execerise, twice a week running, some fitness, situps, squats ... nothing crazy, always to keep healthy and for controlling the weight. I really invest much time and power to become a feminine body, but i all dont work for me. My bellyfat is really tough - it happen nothing there or somewhere else.

Before HRT: waist 74cm, hips 94cm, 5cm breast, 59 kg
After 17 month: waist 79cm, hips 96cm, 9cm breast, 63 kg
Numbers dont lie ...

maybe if you posted a before and after picture we can tell you if we see the same as you

Quote from: stephaniec on July 06, 2014, 01:18:01 PM
maybe if you posted a before and after picture we can tell you if we see the same as you

Why is it so hard to believe that some of us simply don't get the results we are led to expect?

Quote from: kelly_aus on July 06, 2014, 01:24:15 PM
Why is it so hard to believe that some of us simply don't get the results we are led to expect?

I can understand , but I also see from my own face how difficult it is for me to see changes because I've lived inside my head for so long. I only caught a glimpse of some change when some one else posed they saw change. I struggle daily if not hourly with seeing change because of my internal subjectivity. Plus I've never made measurements of myself before or after HRT so I haven't the slightest idea if I've changed in any way.

4 months is not long at all. Everyone changes at different speeds, so you need to just live your life, stop worrying and changes will happen .

And its not about, how high your dose is. It's about what dose is right for you.

Quote from: kelly_aus on July 06, 2014, 01:24:15 PM
Why is it so hard to believe that some of us simply don't get the results we are led to expect?

You're right, I bet quite a few people really don't get the results they were hoping.  I think its hard to believe for some people because those people not getting results don't post many pictures, whereas the real dramatic changers are what stick in someone's mind.  I think it may also be harder to believe because we tend to be harder on ourselves and what may be a suitable enough change to others, is insignificant to ourselves.

Quote from: AnnaCannibal on July 06, 2014, 02:00:26 PM
You're right, I bet quite a few people really don't get the results they were hoping.  I think its hard to believe for some people because those people not getting results don't post many pictures, whereas the real dramatic changers are what stick in someone's mind.  I think it may also be harder to believe because we tend to be harder on ourselves and what may be a suitable enough change to others, is insignificant to ourselves.

very true

Well maybe I am a bit hard on myself, my family and my doctor all say they've seen big changes in just these 4 months, also I sent a short video to my friends last week and they said if they saw me on the streets now they wouldn't recognise me and would think I'm a girl.

I was just worried because my breasts haven't grown at all but as you've all said it's only been 4 months, failing that I live in England and the gender clinic offer free breast augmentation after 18 months of being on hormones so there's always that option.

I'm going to quote myself from a similar thread..

Quote3 years on hormones and still haven't made it to a AA-cup.. Fat still accumulates in the standard male places.. No hips.. No butt.. Minimal, if any, facial changes. The avatar pic predates hormones by a long, long time.

Levels have been fine the whole time. Different delivery methods make no difference to levels or development. So, no, it doesn't happen for everyone - and, frankly, I'm surprised that anyone is saying so..

Some of you got a PM with pictures ...
I dont want to post it here official!

3 years of breast growth..