I've often wondered if there's a 'better' way to go about weight loss when one thinks they might transition. There might be different ways to approach it depending on whether you're FTM or MTF, but I don't know if there even is a better way to do it other than just "whatever works."

As I think about the possibility or likelyhood of transition in my future I wonder if I shouldn't be doing weight loss differently. For me I've just been using calorie tracking using the calorie tracker over at LiveStrong (which I love). I've been losing about 1 to 1.5 lbs each week by doing this and it's working well for me. But as I see the weight come off my thighs and out of my chest for example I'm thinking "I'm seeing weight come out of areas where I don't want it to!"

I'm just wondering if anyone has any recommendations on this. Is there a good way to lose weight? Is it better or worse to try and lose weight during HRT? And am I working against myself in any way? What has worked best for you?

At the risk of incurring some wrath from diet supporters, the only proper way to lose weight is to increase your activity.

Weight is just stored energy. You body doesn't need all the energy it is getting from the food you eat. So it stores it for leaner times.

You should also be thinking of what you are eating. Roughage is something which most people don't pay enough attention to. Every morning should begin with a high roughage breakfast. Skipping breakfast has been shown to lead to an increase in weight, not to mention a deteoration in health. A wheat cerial in low fat milk will give you enormous energy not to mention getting your bowels moveing.

Water is incredably important. Huge amounts, at least 2 litres a day. Alcohol isn't water.

Snacks are useful and enjoyable. But they really should be serving a purpose. Fruit, high roughage snacks, brown bread.

Eating till you're full is a mugs game. You just put strain on your whole system. Eating till you can't move is just stupid. The main meal of the day should be satisfying but never leave you feeling full.

Rice can be very bland. But that's generally because people buy rubbish rice. Look for Basmati rice. It has a delicate flavour, almost like the scent of a fine flower. As a change, add small qualtities of spice. Cardamom, for example, crushed and left in the bowl for a while will add another subtle flavour.

Rice is much nicer than potato. Small portions are much more satisfing than large. It can be eaten with almost any main course food.

Brown rice is basically the rubbish that should go to animals. The health nuts rant about it as a substitute for beating themselves, (or each other).

Most Vegatables should always be eaten crunchy. Potato is an exception because it's mostly starch.

Sorry to lecture. It all a matter of your approach to food.

Thanks for the reply Spacial. Actually, I've been eating a lot of fruits, veggies, and legumes lately. I do eat processed ingredients sometimes, but my wife and I have been really trying to be more healthy. We were raised as fairly unhealthy vegetarians (lots of cheese, dairy, eggs, processed soy - too much of this stuff), and now we have been shifting our diet more towards home prepared meals from scratch.

Exercise is another matter though, I simply don't like it. Actually, I've avoided exercise my entire life because I didn't want to be "muscular" or like any of the jocks. The only thing I've liked doing was swimming, but that's not very practical for me right now. My wife and I have been trying to go on more short hikes, which we've really enjoyed - but it's a bit of a project to make that happen regularly. So ultimately I don't get as much exercise as I need.

In my family though the real problem is our portion sizes. I really like eating until I'm full, and I'm also convinced that I probably use food as a distraction from my transgender issues. As I'm thinking more about the possibility of transition though I'm finding it easier to eat healthy and care about my body.

But I'm sort of afraid of too much exercise because I don't want to build muscle, I just never have. I do have a trampoline that I like to use because it's pretty low impact. I don't use it daily though, just a few times a week for 10 minutes or so. I should probably increase that a bit.

Quote from: Madelyn on October 30, 2010, 06:13:19 PM
I've often wondered if there's a 'better' way to go about weight loss when one thinks they might transition. There might be different ways to approach it depending on whether you're FTM or MTF, but I don't know if there even is a better way to do it other than just "whatever works."

As I think about the possibility or likelyhood of transition in my future I wonder if I shouldn't be doing weight loss differently. For me I've just been using calorie tracking using the calorie tracker over at LiveStrong (which I love). I've been losing about 1 to 1.5 lbs each week by doing this and it's working well for me. But as I see the weight come off my thighs and out of my chest for example I'm thinking "I'm seeing weight come out of areas where I don't want it to!"

I'm just wondering if anyone has any recommendations on this. Is there a good way to lose weight? Is it better or worse to try and lose weight during HRT? And am I working against myself in any way? What has worked best for you?

Exercise is the main thing, obviously. Focus on Cardio and Aerobics; of course, this means avoid the weights and at most, jog.

Another thing to consider is adding more water to your day. When you wake up, within 10 minutes (Before you eat ANYTHING), drink about a litre of water.

Finally, you may want to think about a detox kit from a health food store. Some report this helps clean toxins very well when combined with exercise and lots of water. Just do it once though, doing it more than once is likely to be a waste. Try it after about 2 weeks of good, routine exercise and ample water intake. Be sure to follow the precautions to avoid hypokalemia(Low blood Potassium) or Low blood sodium.

I know nothing of being healthy or of good dieting but I've never been over 132 pounds and im 6ft but as I usually sit around 125 pounds or so Im guessing its because I havent eaten breakfast in over 3 years, I found along with other friends if you eat in the morning it starts your stomach for the day, just dont eat in the morning and eventually you wont care till the afternoon.  - this goes against dieting books I think but hey, it works.

So yeah i just eat two good meals a day, I think breakfast makes your body think about food and makes you want to snack/eat. Never bothered with exercise and personally think exercising makes me more hungry for big meals and not eating loses weight quicker than anything but i know some people can burn a bit with good exercise. The best way imo is to just eat 1 or 2 meals a day though, after a week or so you'll get no hunger pains and then you'll get on the opposite end like me and find it really hard to eat much food!

Oh coffee, cigarettes & chewing gum will help you kill any hunger you have in the first week before ur stomach adjusts for a late lunch with no brekkie

I'm a hypocrite - I don't have breakfast, but as far as weight loss goes the reason having breakfast is a good idea is because it starts your metabolism. Yes it will make you hungrier initially but you will also burn more energy. The trick is to stick to scheduled mealsnand have very small snacks in between that aren't full of energy (calories or kilojoules).

Exercise isn't actually the key. Unless you do hours of exercise everyday you are only altering your overall energy consumption by 10-20%

By cutting out foods high in energy and halving your portion size you can cut your energy intake by a far greater degree. The trick is keep your metabolism going, smaller, healthier portions, less energy iake and then exer use on top.

Better than gum or coffee to make you feel full when you're reducing your portion sizes is water. Drinking water makes you feel full for a short period of time so the key is to keep drinking it.

If you're like me and you don't want to build muscle you can walk for an hour a day. That'll help.

Try searching for an energy controlled diet.

I do try to eat at least a little something in the morning to get me going, like an Apple or something. I love the smell of coffee, but if I drink regular coffee it gives me the jitters, and if I drink it a few days in a row I actually start feeling a little anxious at night. So I pretty much stay away from coffee (but make myself decaf sometimes)

What you're saying resonates with me Catilin because I've been losing weight (slowly) just by watching what I eat, and not really by being consistent about exercise (not that I think exercise is bad!) I just know so many people who don't have a problem with weight who also don't exercise, and this tells me that my problem really is my relationship to food. I'm finding though that as I focus more on my transgender issues, and the possibility of transitioning that I'm starting to be able to control my eating a little better, which is really helpful.

Have any of you tried using a trampoline for exercise? It's supposedly one of the better ways to exercise, and I must admit that so far as indoor exercise it's probably my favorite (except having a pool of course!)

I started dieting around yr and ahalf ago. I am 6'3 and I weighed 245. I lost down to 178 the last time I went to dr. Where I use to wear 12 jeans, I now wear 7/8. I too would not do much with breakfast. For lunch a little more, and eat a nice dinner. I also snack some at night, but have been eating a bowl of fruit for the past 3 years.
Believe it or not, since starting HRT my waist has gotten smaller. Of course my upper body/arms/and legs are much smaller as well.

Madelyn to eat less throw out the big plates and don't pile them high.
throw out the big bowls and eat cereals from little finger bowls.
time your shopping/business trips over lunchtime and take an apple and water rather than have a proper lunch either home or out.

I don't like exercise either.

But I do try to walk, rather than transport, whenever I can.

I dig my allotment, especaiily, when I get really p**t off, I dig a deep hole. Great for getting rid of a pile of rubbish by the way.

As for building big muscles, these will only really happen if you push yourself that far.

It's really just a matter of leaving the table before you're full, drinking lots of water and getting some movement into your life.

Do you like dancing? I know it's a bit old fashioned, but a good boogie just makes you feel good all over.

Oh! Speaking of eating! Chew each bite a good 3-5 times before swallowing (aka eat slow), this helps your body get full before you start overeating. We fast eaters are usually full a good 5 minutes before we even stop eating.

Only feasible solution is running everyday for more than 40 mins.

I am a big eater. For example, while I stayed in Portland last week, I usually stopped at Mexican or Chinese restaurants, and I always empty the dishes together with one or two bottles of beer or two cups of wine. I ate every continental breakfast provided by the hotel. I still felt some hunger, eating one or two hotdogs in the afternoon.

But I ran everyday. I crossed a total of 5 bridges along the Willamette river. Also, I happened to join a marathon event there on Sunday.  I felt that it is better to run 40 mins everday than to run 2 hours every two days.

Barbie~~