Just got my letter to start testosterone. Yay!  It could be another 2 months before the endo can fit me in.  But still:  Yay!

I know T causes weight gain, but to those of you on T, have you been able to stay "trim."  Meaning:  I know that fat distribution areas change and you get more bulk, but have you mantained a healthy weight?

I've always been very trim and athletic.  But my father and both of my nephews are overweight.  I wonder whether T will lead me down the road they're on?  Or maybe, because I'm an athlete, I'll gain weight, but maybe in a "good" way?

Any thoughts?

If you watch what you eat, you'll gain muscle weight. Not everyone gains weight on T, some lose weight because they have more muscle mass and burn fat more easily.

Dennis

Sounds encouraging, Dennis.  Thanks for your reply.  By the way, I've been reading here for quite some time (before signing up a few nights ago.)  I want you to know that your posts have been very helpful to me over the past year.  Your words of wisdom are probably helping more people than you know. 

I second that, Benjamin. Den is awesome. When you see his name, you always know you're getting straight talk, no bull. He's kept me on the ground a few times. Always the voice of reason.

Thanks for the compliments guys

Dennis

I have to agree Dennis, all the posts I've read from you always make sense and I think I've read them all before I actually joined too. You HAVE helped many more people than you know! Thanks! Camden

Quote from: Camden on March 13, 2008, 10:57:42 PM
I have to agree Dennis, all the posts I've read from you always make sense and I think I've read them all before I actually joined too. You HAVE helped many more people than you know! Thanks! Camden

So true, Den. You more than anyone else showed me that it can be done and you can lead a normal life afterwards.
Plus you haven't fallen into the trap so many other guys (and gals) do of trying so hard they become a stereotype of their gender instead of just themselves. I've left a few FTM boards for that reason. If you're a man, you don't need to work so hard to prove it, ya know? You're a breath of fresh air from all that drama.

So yeah, Den we love you!

I hope I'm not intruding but I concur with the whole T helping you to lose some weight.  T helps build muscle.  Muscle requires more calories to maintain itself.  Ergo having more muscle means you burn more calories at rest and therefore have a better shot at losing weight.  Then again muscle is denser than fat so in the most literal sense of the word you are in fact gaining weight.  I'm filled with T and it won't allow my muscles to get smaller. 

Quote from: Benjamin on March 13, 2008, 12:07:17 PM

I know T causes weight gain Any thoughts?

Dont think so.  if u eat right, exercise. go to the gym, work on buildin muscle & burnin fat.  ur gonna be ok.

yep, like Chris says, some exercise will definitely help avoid weight gain. You don't have to be a gym bunny, but at least keep active and eat right.

And Nero, it ain't just transguys who fall into the trap of trying to be ultra macho. A lot of bio guys, especially short guys, do the same thing. Meh, if you don't think I'm man enough after going through all this to be a man, I figure, to hell with ya, I'll never live up to your standards so I ain't gonna try.

Dennis

Quote from: Nero on March 13, 2008, 11:19:11 PM

Quote from: Camden on March 13, 2008, 10:57:42 PM
I have to agree Dennis, all the posts I've read from you always make sense and I think I've read them all before I actually joined too. You HAVE helped many more people than you know! Thanks! Camden

So true, Den. You more than anyone else showed me that it can be done and you can lead a normal life afterwards.
Plus you haven't fallen into the trap so many other guys (and gals) do of trying so hard they become a stereotype of their gender instead of just themselves. I've left a few FTM boards for that reason. If you're a man, you don't need to work so hard to prove it, ya know? You're a breath of fresh air from all that drama.

So yeah, Den we love you!

Nero you have been a great help to me as well as Dennis. I think everyone on this site is a fantastic help! w00p w00p!


I hope I dont gain anymore weight when I start T *Shivers*

Quote from: Nero on March 13, 2008, 11:19:11 PM

Plus you haven't fallen into the trap so many other guys (and gals) do of trying so hard they become a stereotype of their gender instead of just themselves.

Nero, do you realize that you are essentially stereotyping a stereotype? I would say that the majority of transsexuals are just being who they are inside, not conforming to someone else's ideas of who they should be.  But as with anything, you have to take the good with the bad.   It's wrong to say that ALL lesbians are extremely masculine or ALL gay men are extremely feminine, but it can't be denied that this is true for some people.

It's all just a matter of stereotyping and people blowing up specific cases to general rules. Are all transsexuals like that? Certainly not. Are there some that are like this? Sure. What's important is that you are happy with yourself. When you are able to be yourself openly and proudly, it breaks down the generalizations that people have learned.

Most transsexual people, at the start of transition, DO go through a "stereotype" phase.  We, transsexual women, DO go a little "crazy" with our clothes, often buying the most unsuitable garments (skirts too short, dresses too frilly/floral, pink everything, etc), we DO overdo our make-up, we DO feel the need not to do or say anything that isn't unequivocally feminine.  Transsexual men, on the other hand, DO get ridiculously short haircuts, or over-the-top tattoos, and DO take up "manly" sports and pastimes with an almost religious, rather fanatic passion.  Yet all of this is done to establish our credentials, nailing our colors to the mast; in other words, it's like wearing a placard that says "YES! I AM A WOMAN" (or "YES! I AM A MAN" for transsexual men).

Most of us grow out of it fairly quickly, of course; we calm down, and begin to accept that we don't have to fit the stereotype.  We learn to be OURSELVES; a mixture of masculine and feminine traits, just like everyone else (and for some of us, fortunately, not many, the stereotype IS who we are). 

Melanie Ann Phillips (the voice expert  ) addressed this issue several years before you and everyone else .  She observed that transsexual women NEED to go WAY over the top and start from the stereotypical, and then "back off" to a place where you are comparable with your femininity or masculinity as the case may be.

Just a thought.

tink

P.S.  I'm so sorry.  I didn't mean to change the subject of the thread.

Quote from: Tink on March 14, 2008, 11:21:53 PM

Quote from: Nero on March 13, 2008, 11:19:11 PM

Plus you haven't fallen into the trap so many other guys (and gals) do of trying so hard they become a stereotype of their gender instead of just themselves.

Nero, do you realize that you are essentially stereotyping a stereotype? I would say that the majority of transsexuals are just being who they are inside, not conforming to someone else's ideas of who they should be.  But as with anything, you have to take the good with the bad.   It's wrong to say that ALL lesbians are extremely masculine or ALL gay men are extremely feminine, but it can't be denied that this is true for some people.

It's all just a matter of stereotyping and people blowing up specific cases to general rules. Are all transsexuals like that? Certainly not. Are there some that are like this? Sure. What's important is that you are happy with yourself. When you are able to be yourself openly and proudly, it breaks down the generalizations that people have learned.

Most transsexual people, at the start of transition, DO go through a "stereotype" phase.  We, transsexual women, DO go a little "crazy" with our clothes, often buying the most unsuitable garments (skirts too short, dresses too frilly/floral, pink everything, etc), we DO overdo our make-up, we DO feel the need not to do or say anything that isn't unequivocally feminine.  Transsexual men, on the other hand, DO get ridiculously short haircuts, or over-the-top tattoos, and DO take up "manly" sports and pastimes with an almost religious, rather fanatic passion.  Yet all of this is done to establish our credentials, nailing our colors to the mast; in other words, it's like wearing a placard that says "YES! I AM A WOMAN" (or "YES! I AM A MAN" for transsexual men).

Most of us grow out of it fairly quickly, of course; we calm down, and begin to accept that we don't have to fit the stereotype.  We learn to be OURSELVES; a mixture of masculine and feminine traits, just like everyone else (and for some of us, fortunately, not many, the stereotype IS who we are). 

Melanie Ann Phillips (the voice expert  ) addressed this issue several years before you and everyone else .  She observed that transsexual women NEED to go WAY over the top and start from the stereotypical, and then "back off" to a place where you are comparable with your femininity or masculinity as the case may be.

Just a thought.

tink

P.S.  I'm so sorry.  I didn't mean to change the subject of the thread.

I know all of us aren't like that. What I said was that so many are. My apologies. I didn't mean to stereotype or offend anyone.
I've just been a bit put off by some of the major league machismo I've encountered in some ftms and the exaggerated female caricatures some mtfs display. It's always the uber macho guys who have the gall to use the word "gay" in conjunction with me.

Thanks, everyone, for your input. 
I'm a long distance runner, and I lift weights 3 days a week. 
Odds are, then, that I'll be all set!

- Benjamin

 

Oh yeah you'll be fine, just don't go nuts on eating.

Dennis

T promotes weight gain in the middle section of the body if you run a calorie deficit. Eat more than body spends. If you are athletic as a man, there should be no issue, only if your a couch potatoe who doesn't watch what he eats.

I could be seriously misinformed - but I thought T increased your metabolism?  It's said often Men have faster metabolisms then Women.

Am I way off base?

*is confused*

Both estrogen and testosterone increase metabolism, testosterone just increases it more (but not that much more). The main difference testosterone makes on metabolism is the increased muscle mass. Muscles need more energy thus increase in metabolism.

The weight gain of women at menopause is caused by decrease in estrogen, which decreases metabolism. The T to E ratio goes more towards T which means they get more fat around the stomach.

For men, its similar, decrease of T, decrease of metabolism from muscle mass and from T, increase in weight (in general, some don't gain weight because they've got a fast metabolism). The T to E ratio goes towards E, the increased fats transform more T to E through aromatase, they get more fat on the lower body (more female like) and it the breast area. Since  much older men often have a reduced apetite because the sense of smell and taste has been modified, the weight gain in men is often curtailed when they're over 70.

yeh ive been on T for about 6 months not and im in a lot better "shape"
i didnt lost weight but im not entirley sure if its soley T related....

Quote from: Alison on March 16, 2008, 12:06:05 AM
I could be seriously misinformed - but I thought T increased your metabolism?  It's said often Men have faster metabolisms then Women.

Am I way off base?

*is confused*

It also increases your appetite, hence the weight gain if you don't stay active.

Dennis