I've been on T for 5 and a half months now and I'm starting to see a bit of the weight redistribution. The problem is, is that I'm trying to lose weight which yes the T helps but now it's all in my gut and it's bothering the heck out of me. Until recently, I didn't realize how much of an issue I had with my body image and my nasty fatness, even when I was athletic I hated how chubby I was. Now I'm way fatter, thanks to my depression and physical health problems. I don't know if there are any guys who have had issues with the weight redistribution and what you may recommend to help. Right now I'm, with the exception of the holidays (I can't help it), cutting out all sugar and simple/refined carbs. I'm also trying to workout when I can but I just found out I've got cholinergic urticaria (heat hives) and so any kind of heat my body interprets causes an allergic reaction. But regardless of that I've still got this nasty pot belly and would love any sort of ideas that have worked for folks.
Thanks!

I've actually just started noticing my own weight redistribution. I've lost a ton of weight and several inches off my waist/hips.

You can't target weight loss to a specific area of the body. But you're planning to do what I would recommend - cutting out sugar and as much carbs as possible. Try to stick to protein and veggies as much as you can. Recognize that a lot of foods that aren't necessarily sweet DO contain sugar - so it's important that they have good fiber content if you're going to eat them.

There is a documentary that I really love called Fed Up. It's available for free online, and they discuss at length healthy eating habits and what to avoid. Since you have health issues that flare up with exercise, you're probably going to have to tackle this with diet adjustment. Do some research on what kind of diet is a good fit for you, make a meal plan, and stick to it.

Man, that sounds really tough. I'm currently pre-T, but I've gained an absurd amount of weight in the past year, and I'm afraid of going from the frying pan to the fire, in terms of body dysphoria, if I don't slim down before starting T. I have been able to lose weight successfully in the past, so I wanted to chime in with some suggestions for shedding the extra fluff.

Since heat causes you to have an averse reaction, you could try simply walking for 30 minutes to an hour every day. The most effective diet/exercise plan I ever utilized was just walking (EVERY day, no matter what), and consuming only 1200 calories per day maximum. It was very simple- no equipment or complicated routines needed, no particular foods to keep track of- but I consistently lost a few pounds every week, and I think I lost about 30-40 lbs. total. I'm not sure if 1200 calories is enough for a man's body/metabolism (as I mentioned, I'm pre-T), so maybe try 1500 calories per day to start off. Google, or various apps, can help with finding out the calorie content of foods. I also only weighed myself once a week, since weight can fluctuate from day to day, and I made a little chart that showed how much weight I was losing and kept me motivated.

I really hope this was helpful! Best of luck!

Edit - Also, look into swimming. You're not going to sweat in the water. Most places I've lived, the Parks and Rec department has at least 1 indoor pool somewhere that they maintain.

Hi.
If you have problems with heat then do short circuits. Rep's of ten. Whether it be sit ups - push ups - weights or whatever,don't over exert yourself.
You don't have to go all out.
I've been work outing out for the past month using the advice am giving you and have seen amazing results.
I think having a goal helps,and persistence is definitely the key.  I'm pre everything,but determined to get the body I want before my journey begins. I have that inside conversation with myself every day and always come up with the same outcome, i can't get what I want sitting about.
I understand it's easier said than done as I suffer from depression and anxiety but I it all boils down to if you want it badly enough,you'll do it!
You'll get great workout ideas online.
Keep me posted in your progress.
Hope it goes well

First off, sorry to hear about your diagnosis--it's certainly not a fun condition. Are you seeing an allergist about it? It's possible that they can help you find a way to control your symptoms.*

Even if you can't really work out, the right diet can help you lose weight anyway. Gonna second the 1200-1500 calories per day thing, since that's what worked for me too. I hear that myfitnesspal is a good tool to help track your intake. Though really, you could just scribble it all down on a piece of paper if that's what you prefer--whatever works to keep you on track.

Best of luck to you!


*I don't have your exact condition, but something similar/related. It acts up almost exclusively with exercise, and very rarely from stress, but never from passive heat. Through some trial and error, my allergist found a pair of medications that keep me reaction-free.

Quote from: FTMax on December 26, 2015, 08:45:43 AM
Edit - Also, look into swimming. You're not going to sweat in the water. Most places I've lived, the Parks and Rec department has at least 1 indoor pool somewhere that they maintain.

I used to swim a lot that sounds like a good idea.

Side note, I don't know if you've had top surgery or not but if not, have you tried the underworks swimsuits? They're expensive and so I'm apprehensive about buying anything before I know more but I cannot wear a woman's suit, yikes.

Quote from: Nikolain on December 27, 2015, 02:05:52 AM
First off, sorry to hear about your diagnosis--it's certainly not a fun condition. Are you seeing an allergist about it? It's possible that they can help you find a way to control your symptoms.*

Even if you can't really work out, the right diet can help you lose weight anyway. Gonna second the 1200-1500 calories per day thing, since that's what worked for me too. I hear that myfitnesspal is a good tool to help track your intake. Though really, you could just scribble it all down on a piece of paper if that's what you prefer--whatever works to keep you on track.

Best of luck to you!


*I don't have your exact condition, but something similar/related. It acts up almost exclusively with exercise, and very rarely from stress, but never from passive heat. Through some trial and error, my allergist found a pair of medications that keep me reaction-free.

I actually just started seeing a special allergist a month ago who finally diagnosed it. Before that I saw an allergist for environmental allergies but I wasn't sure how he'd react to my transition and this doctor was recommended by my endo so I felt comfortable with her. Luckily, I see her again in 2 days so maybe she'll find something else to treat it with.
Thanks

Quote from: j.d79 on December 26, 2015, 11:46:45 AM
Hi.
If you have problems with heat then do short circuits. Rep's of ten. Whether it be sit ups - push ups - weights or whatever,don't over exert yourself.
You don't have to go all out.
I've been work outing out for the past month using the advice am giving you and have seen amazing results.
I think having a goal helps,and persistence is definitely the key.  I'm pre everything,but determined to get the body I want before my journey begins. I have that inside conversation with myself every day and always come up with the same outcome, i can't get what I want sitting about.
I understand it's easier said than done as I suffer from depression and anxiety but I it all boils down to if you want it badly enough,you'll do it!
You'll get great workout ideas online.
Keep me posted in your progress.
Hope it goes well

Thanks I appreciate the advice. I actually just happened to try that the other night and it seemed to work better than anything else so far. It's frustrating in the sense that I am a bit dichotomous in my actions so it's not to go all out, probably why I have so many freakin injuries that I'm still paying for years later.

Again thanks for the support, depression and anxiety are a hell of a beast I'm glad to know you've got something that works for you because working out is so vital, I can always feel the difference physically and emotionally.

Quote from: WatchMeRise on December 26, 2015, 12:00:17 AM
Man, that sounds really tough. I'm currently pre-T, but I've gained an absurd amount of weight in the past year, and I'm afraid of going from the frying pan to the fire, in terms of body dysphoria, if I don't slim down before starting T. I have been able to lose weight successfully in the past, so I wanted to chime in with some suggestions for shedding the extra fluff.

Since heat causes you to have an averse reaction, you could try simply walking for 30 minutes to an hour every day. The most effective diet/exercise plan I ever utilized was just walking (EVERY day, no matter what), and consuming only 1200 calories per day maximum. It was very simple- no equipment or complicated routines needed, no particular foods to keep track of- but I consistently lost a few pounds every week, and I think I lost about 30-40 lbs. total. I'm not sure if 1200 calories is enough for a man's body/metabolism (as I mentioned, I'm pre-T), so maybe try 1500 calories per day to start off. Google, or various apps, can help with finding out the calorie content of foods. I also only weighed myself once a week, since weight can fluctuate from day to day, and I made a little chart that showed how much weight I was losing and kept me motivated.

I really hope this was helpful! Best of luck!

Definitely!

I agreed it probably is a better idea to weigh myself only once a week, I'm almost addicted to weighing myself daily as sad as it sounds. I know there are apps for charting calories and weight but I wonder if there's a way to log in manually into something like excel or something or better yet write on a paper graph to see (I'm kind of old school lol).

As anxious as I was to start T, if I could go back and create healthier lifestyle choices that were more routine before, I would. I wasn't having as much of a problem with the heat then (it was more sporadic)  but I hadn't completely cut out sugar and refined/simple carbs nor had I made a habit of exercising of any kind. So, IMO, I think you'll be in a better place once you start T.

I had problems losing weight recently too. Since I know I'll be up for surgery soon and I want to be trimmer just to facilitate that process, but working out became a problem till recently due to some temporary hypothyroidism. The chronic fatigue of that condition meant I wasn't able to lift much, and I still had to work so I couldn't do the working  out or I'd have been floored for the day, and by the end of the day I didn't have the energy to do it anyway. I just had to adjust my eating habits, cut out junk food, fast some days, and drink a lot of water.

I finally have my energy back now I'm no longer hypothyroid, so I can get physical again but I'll start slow, maybe with some walking or rambling. Walking doesn't heat you up much but it does expend energy so maybe try some activities like that? Or maybe swimming since overheating is much less of a problem while doing that.

Hi steel86man,

I've lost 15% of my body weight and gone down to 67 kg which is what I weighed when I was 20.

To do this I did a few things, and introduced them one at a time...
1) I lost 5 kg by standing at my desk at work instead of sitting
2) I stopped eating and drinking sugar including juices (mostly - see below)
3) I stopped eating white carbs (rice, potato, bread) - again mostly...
4) I limited meat at each meal to ~150 grams
5) I replaced carbs with sprouted legumes

Actually, where I started was Tim Ferris' "how to lose 20 lbs of fat in 30 days without doing any exercise" (I don't think I can post links yet, please google it if you want

I've found I can eat awesome things like curry, nachos, avocado, cream, cheese, chilli con carne, nuts, soups, and I seem to keep burning fat. I think the biggest help has been standing at my desk, and stopping carbs.

So - the one thing about the Tim Ferris "mostly" is that one day a week, you eat whatever you want. I call it donut day (I'm mad for donuts). Read the site to find out more. Tim is about finding the laziest way to achieve something. Maybe it will work for you. Any questions please ask

xox
Sami

Quote from: steel86man on December 29, 2015, 12:07:46 AM
I used to swim a lot that sounds like a good idea.

Side note, I don't know if you've had top surgery or not but if not, have you tried the underworks swimsuits? They're expensive and so I'm apprehensive about buying anything before I know more but I cannot wear a woman's suit, yikes.

I had top surgery last April. There is a really good review on the Underworks swim binder here, it seems like Andrew really likes it. Never had personal experience with it though:

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,187827.msg1670690.html#msg1670690

Quote from: SamKelley on December 29, 2015, 10:54:16 AM
Hi steel86man,

I've lost 15% of my body weight and gone down to 67 kg which is what I weighed when I was 20.

To do this I did a few things, and introduced them one at a time...
1) I lost 5 kg by standing at my desk at work instead of sitting
2) I stopped eating and drinking sugar including juices (mostly - see below)
3) I stopped eating white carbs (rice, potato, bread) - again mostly...
4) I limited meat at each meal to ~150 grams
5) I replaced carbs with sprouted legumes

Actually, where I started was Tim Ferris' "how to lose 20 lbs of fat in 30 days without doing any exercise" (I don't think I can post links yet, please google it if you want

I've found I can eat awesome things like curry, nachos, avocado, cream, cheese, chilli con carne, nuts, soups, and I seem to keep burning fat. I think the biggest help has been standing at my desk, and stopping carbs.

So - the one thing about the Tim Ferris "mostly" is that one day a week, you eat whatever you want. I call it donut day (I'm mad for donuts). Read the site to find out more. Tim is about finding the laziest way to achieve something. Maybe it will work for you. Any questions please ask

xox
Sami

Thanks for the info!

I will definitely look up the Tim Ferris site! For the most part I have been trying not to eat sugar and starchy carbs  but slipped up a bit over the holiday so I'm trying to get back on track. I think my biggest problem is that I get in a rut and so I go back to bad foods because I'm bored. If I could keep a variety in the healthier meals I would have a better chance for success.

Quote from: FTMax on December 29, 2015, 11:42:14 AM
I had top surgery last April. There is a really good review on the Underworks swim binder here, it seems like Andrew really likes it. Never had personal experience with it though:

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,187827.msg1670690.html#msg1670690

Thanks, that's good to know.

Quote from: T.K.G.W. on December 29, 2015, 07:50:17 AM
I had problems losing weight recently too. Since I know I'll be up for surgery soon and I want to be trimmer just to facilitate that process, but working out became a problem till recently due to some temporary hypothyroidism. The chronic fatigue of that condition meant I wasn't able to lift much, and I still had to work so I couldn't do the working  out or I'd have been floored for the day, and by the end of the day I didn't have the energy to do it anyway. I just had to adjust my eating habits, cut out junk food, fast some days, and drink a lot of water.

I finally have my energy back now I'm no longer hypothyroid, so I can get physical again but I'll start slow, maybe with some walking or rambling. Walking doesn't heat you up much but it does expend energy so maybe try some activities like that? Or maybe swimming since overheating is much less of a problem while doing that.

I can relate, somewhat. I don't have hypothyroidism, they've checked my levels many times because of my symptoms and family history, luckily they were normal. I'm sorry you have to deal with that. What I can relate to is the need to lose weight and try to build up my pecs for a frame for my surgeon, and myself of course. I want to surgery so bad but at the same time I want my health in check for the best recovery and results possible.

I think I should really try the swimming so then I can be in a cooler water, not a heated pool like I had for PT, so I can hopefully stay cool.

Quote from: steel86man on December 29, 2015, 11:27:53 PMFor the most part I have been trying not to eat sugar and starchy carbs  but slipped up a bit over the holiday so I'm trying to get back on track. I think my biggest problem is that I get in a rut and so I go back to bad foods because I'm bored. If I could keep a variety in the healthier meals I would have a better chance for success.

Stopping sugar and carbs is a really big step and should make a big difference over time. But what I saw myself doing was making one slip and then using that as a reason to eat more junk because I'd slipped. Be gentle on yourself... Reward your 80% success, don't punish your 20% slips. Does that make sense?

Oh I forgot one other thing I've done which has made a big difference for me ... I only eat till I'm about 7 out of 10 full. I usually find after this point if I wait another few minutes I'm very comfortably full. I used to eat to like 10/10 full and felt over-full for hours. I don't do that any more.

I changed all these habits sort of one at a time over the last 3 or 4 years. I didn't try to do them all at once. Set yourself up for success. Celebrate your wins .

Quote from: SamKelley on December 29, 2015, 11:52:55 PM
Stopping sugar and carbs is a really big step and should make a big difference over time. But what I saw myself doing was making one slip and then using that as a reason to eat more junk because I'd slipped. Be gentle on yourself... Reward your 80% success, don't punish your 20% slips. Does that make sense?

Oh I forgot one other thing I've done which has made a big difference for me ... I only eat till I'm about 7 out of 10 full. I usually find after this point if I wait another few minutes I'm very comfortably full. I used to eat to like 10/10 full and felt over-full for hours. I don't do that any more.

I changed all these habits sort of one at a time over the last 3 or 4 years. I didn't try to do them all at once. Set yourself up for success. Celebrate your wins .

Yeah, it definitely makes sense. Someone once told me, progress not perfection. Your motto seems similar, I need to remember that.

Do you eat slower to be more mindful of what level of hunger/fullness you're at? I find that, I have a hard time figuring out what I'm really feeling, hunger or not. For me, I think it comes down to two problems. The first, I've eaten fast my whole life, it was necessary in school and then I was always busy with extracurriculars so I ate fast between activities. Second, being busy, and then lazy, I rarely ate my meals without some sort of stimulus around be it music, schoolwork, or the terrible tv. So I developed a habit of fast and mindless eating. Working on changing it, again needing to keep in mind I can't punish my 20% slips [emoji846].

As a rule in life I do try and only do one thing at a time, and be fully in the moment whatever I'm doing. That includes eating... But I've built these several habits one at a time over the years. You don't have to do everything at once .

It's probably not the best analogy here, but how do you eat an elephant... One bite at a time

xox
Sami

Quote from: steel86man on December 29, 2015, 12:07:46 AM
I used to swim a lot that sounds like a good idea.

Side note, I don't know if you've had top surgery or not but if not, have you tried the underworks swimsuits? They're expensive and so I'm apprehensive about buying anything before I know more but I cannot wear a woman's suit, yikes.

I don't personally have the underworks swimsuit, but I have a friend who does and he didn't like it. It didn't bind as well and it just flat out looks out of place unless you're surfing or something. I think you're better off just wearing a regular binder and a rash guard.