The feedback here is terrific; and thank all you guys for caring so much.  That's no cheap commodity.  I sincerely appreciate it.

Quote from: SandraJane on October 31, 2011, 07:23:30 PM
Have you done any research on your own? You might want to try that first, so that you can see the "data" for yourself. That would probably speak more clearly to you than our responses. Remember, you would be mixing different "steroids" together, could create some disastrous effects...

As someone else suggested,  have you done the research on those folks you think aren't showing the effects? In my opinion, and only from seeing him in news stories, I DO think that ex-govenor is showing the effects. He looks decidedly unhealthy for his age and supposed health-consciousness. Just my opinion of course.

As a former fatty I think I can help clear up at least one issue, loose flabby skin. I am about 100 lbs down from my high of 250. Even in my 20's when I lost most of it, I still carried around a lot of the excess skin. Of course gravity wins and it all collects right around your waist. With plenty of the right exercises I suspect some to most of the excess can be gotten rid of. I do exercise some and can notice the difference around my abdomen. Much more just wasn't worth all the time and effort to me. 

Perhaps my breasts are in pretty good shape, perky but wall-eyed  , because I never had a lot of loose skin or flab on (most of) my chest. Here in WV you can see plenty of guys with far bigger breasts then mine! Certainly none you would call youngish female. If your complaint is the lack of tone, diet and exercise is the best if not only approach short of surgery.

Yeah, it's a very bad idea.  Just speaking for myself, an older transitioner (around your age when I started), I know that we are by far one of the biggest risk taking groups around.  I mean, who else would risk all the family and social connections they have in this life, and almost guarantee themselves that for some period, they would be completely unemployable?  All we have to do to prevent this, is not transition.  A personal note on your skin.......yah.....thin, thin, thinner.  Women have thinner skin, and after dropping your adult male muscle mass, you might be a bit saggy here and there.
A thought......think back when you took your first dose of estrogen.......did you have a burning need to be female?  Well, you are.  And like all of us, you will be on a scale of diversity in appearance.  Mother loves diversity......insists on diversity. 
So, did you have this burning need to be a woman.......or beautiful ?
I think you are at risk of throwing everything away that you've worked so hard for. 
Have you ever read the fable about the dog on a moonlight walk, carrying a bone?......And he came upon a pool of water shimmering his reflection back.....The bone in the pool of water looked too enticing not to grab, and he wanted both bones.  You can guess the rest of this story.......He lost everything.
Sometimes I have to remind myself that I achieved what I needed to, and leave the beauty aspects to the beautiful.

                                   (All, please!.............don't make the bone a male metaphor)

a one-time dose of steroids may give a slight boost but how long will the effect last before you want to do it again and again?
don't forget that the estrogen will be adding a layer of fat under the skin.
if a really good diet won't give you nice tight skin you're just stuck with natural aging.

That's another thing. Estrogen thickens the layer of subcutaneous fat (the layer of fat just beneath the skin) so you could do some muscle building/strength building exercises WITHOUT looking more masculine for it.

A lot of girls, cis and trans, worry that lifting weights will make 'em look bulky and ripped.
Not necessarily at all! It will, more than anything, make you look more "fit", 'specially if you work on maintaining good posture and doing free weights and things like (assisted) pull-ups as that'll work your core, your deep abs and deep back muscles (and do kegel exercises too, for good measure) which make up kind of like a natural corset 'round your waist and if you get them ship-shape then the loose skin won't look as loose as your waist will appear smaller and your posture will improve.

(I've been going to the gym under the guidance of a physical therapist and doing related stuff lately, does it show?)

Thank you.    A lot of which all of you have said rings true and adds up.  There's no replacement for good hard, dedicated work.  I plan to get back to the gym at least by the beginning of next month. Much of what I have done there in recent years has been running and cardio.  I just need to hit the weights a great deal more than I have in many years; make that my primary.  My diet has been solid for a long time.  I'm quite aware that I can that I can no longer afford to eat the way I did when I was a man, lol (although I still pretty much look like one).  Thanks again for the excellent thoughts and information.  You guys are great.  I've received so much more here than I ever imagined.