Hello guys! So I've been on T for a year and a half now, and I'm kinda worried because even though my endo says my T levels are fine (those of a normal adult male), I still look pretty much the same as I did pre-t! I mean don't get me wrong, I don't get misgendered, but then I rarely did pre-T so that's hardly a change. I do have a male voice now, but aside from that...

Facial hair? Barely any. Masculine, angular face? Nope (I actually think my face is even rounder now than pre-T... I look fat and ugly). Fat redistribution? Nope (I can't even go around shirtless despite having had top surgery already because my body is still so very feminine). Muscles and broader shoulders? Nope (even tho I've been working out since January). Downstairs growth? Barely any. Adam's apple growth? Nope. And so on.

I get that it's a slow, gradual process, but come on. Everyone on the internet and IRL looks much more masculine than I do and they've been on T for much less time! I doubt this is normal. At this rate I see myself being 5 or 10 years on T and still looking like a 15-year-old pre-T boy. What is wrong with me? Is my endo lying when she says everything's fine? Because clearly it's not fine. Thanks in advance for any helpful answers!

Do you happen to know your t and estro values ?

How is beard growth and figure in your family ? Are they slim ?

How old are you, and do you eat enough protein and work out regularly ?
For example eating some eggs and doing a few regular exercises could help with muscle buildup.


*hugs*

Like Laura said, do you have access to your lab results? If you could share your T and E levels, that would help pinpoint if there are any issues there. Also ask your provider if they are checking your E levels. That would be a good indicator as to what is actually going on with you.

If the T is average or high, but the E is also high, there's a good chance your dose is too high and being converted to E which would negatively impact your masculinization.

Genetics also play a part too. How do the men in your family look? If you have brothers, do they have facial hair? Are their faces round or long?

Are you tracking your activity and caloric intake to determine if you're eating enough to build muscle mass? To build mass, you need to be taking in more calories than you're burning, plus working out.

That is what I would look into. Get your labs first. A lot of providers I'm finding don't regularly test E levels unless there is a problem. I would tell them that you have a problem and want your E levels tested if that is the case. Then rule out all the other stuff. If facial hair isn't a common trait on either side of your family, you are probably out of luck. And if you're wanting to make physique changes, tracking everything you're doing towards that will help you see where your issue is.

Thanks for your answers guys!

I'm 20 (almost 21), I work out 4 days a week and follow a high-protein diet yet I barely have muscles (my arms look slim). My father and brother have beards (my bro usually shaves tho), average weight. I don't know my T and estro values, my endo just tells me that everything is going well, that my T levels are fine and in the normal adult male range and that I don't need a higher (or lower) T dose.

The thing about my brother for instance is that he's almost the same age as me (19) and looks WAY more masculine. Facial hair, masculine face, great muscles and masculine body (even though he doesn't do weightlifting and eats junk), taller etc. I can't believe that my testosterone is at the same level as his! Thanks Max, I'll definitely ask my endo to show me my E levels.


Mod Edit:Language

Well, you can't necessarily judge yourself based on your brother. He's had 19 years of T in his system. You've had a year and a half. But if he is capable of growing facial hair, that is a good sign for your being able to grow it as well.

The big thing with weight gain is eating enough first, and then focusing on what it is you're eating.  This page describes a good methodology for figuring out what that caloric number is for you, and how to go about formulating your meals to meet your goals:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mass_gain_diet_tips.htm

But yes, definitely ask to see your levels (both of them)! I have current numbers that I can share if you'd like a point of comparison after you have yours.

I've had slow changes but I had a doctor who wasn't very familiar with hrt. After a break I'm back on and it's been since the end for December and I have seen a lot more changes than I previously had. So, I third what was said. You may want to ask to see your labs and make sure they are testing your estrogen levels as well. With my previous doctor, I was in normal male range but my estrogen was slightly too high, which affected my results.

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Thanks a lot guys! Will do so ^^ I have an appointment with her next month.

Quote from: Manny on April 25, 2016, 04:48:36 PM
Thanks for your answers guys!

I'm 20 (almost 21), I work out 4 days a week and follow a high-protein diet yet I barely have muscles (my arms look slim). My father and brother have beards (my bro usually shaves tho), average weight. I don't know my T and estro values, my endo just tells me that everything is going well, that my T levels are fine and in the normal adult male range and that I don't need a higher (or lower) T dose.

The thing about my brother for instance is that he's almost the same age as me (19) and looks WAY more masculine. Facial hair, masculine face, great muscles and masculine body (even though he doesn't do weightlifting and eats junk), taller etc. I can't believe that my testosterone is at the same level as his! Thanks Max, I'll definitely ask my endo to show me my E levels.


Mod Edit:Language

Are you actually experiencing any increase in strength or are you doing the same ineffective workout over and over? Also, if you're under a lot of stress, working out too often and too "extreme" (I've seen HIIT given as an example, in right circumstances it can be very effective) you'll actually sabotage your body's ability to put on muscle.

You may need to stop everything you're doing and hire a personal trainer for three months to get you on a muscle building program that works for you.

If you are getting stronger and stronger and not showing, just be aware showing giant muscles is totally genetic. That's why you can't judge strength by arm circumference. I think it has something to do with the amount of type I and type II muscle fibers you have but I honestly don't know much about that.

ETA: Max is right. It's incredibly hard to gain (muscle) without gaining (weight). Sure, there are websites that claim otherwise, but....