I've been in the process of trying to get on HRT for a while now and FINALLY the VA is addressing it. I have my psych evaluation at the beginning of next month and then in 3 months an appointment with the therapist who is suppose to be helping me with my transition where do I go from there? I have no idea but supposedly I should be able to start in 5 more months.

The thing that's killing me is the wait. Every month that seems to pass it seems like it's another month added to my wait. It's like a cheesecake in front of a fat kid who can't just reach it. I'm trying to be patient and use the time to work on losing weight but so far all my eating changes seem to make things worse.

Do I have a point? IDK maybe. I think time is just out to torture me. Any thoughts, advice, threats, ect would be welcomed.

It does take a long time, yup, but do it right and properly. It's for your own good, to be honest.

As far as losing weight goes, I think it's one of the worst times if you're somewhat emotionally unstable. The lack of it is going to make you even more depressed (or feeling bad in general), so perhaps it would be better to lose it when you start HRT. Starting HRT filled me with massive amounts of motivation, so I did, and had/have no difficulty shedding it.

I've thought about that. Since the HRT would change my metabolism and such I thought about just sticking to my running and such and once I start then getting the gym membership and doing my strength training so I can remold my body into something a bit better.

Yes the waiting is tough but: Motivate motivate motivate. YOU are on the road, use it to strengthen your resolve. I joined a gym in boy mode and stayed while I was on HRT and just kept on going. It has been great. I don't do classes I do my own routines with a personal trainer to advise me whenever I want (part of the membership), for some reason my PTs are now female .

The guys have been totally great, they now just come over to take weights of machines I'm using if some jackass has left too much on that machine. I had one experience were a knew member sort of said too loudly, "what the f**k are you?' A couple of guys went to him and had a chat outside of my hearing and I've never seen him again.

Being at the gym has been great for toning my body but also at a really good place to transition. So use the wait to get your act together and instead of getting frustrated, find ways of enjoying it. HRT is no magic bullet. You are a woman and you have to start to find ways to blend in to a life that you want.

That way it gets to be fun and exciting and every day is a goodie (except for the bad ones )

Hugs

Cindy

motivating is the hard part specially when you've been doing it for so long.

I've been planing on going to a gym as soon as I get the money. right now I'm only working part time so I can barely pay my bills much less join a gym so I'm trying to work on just running outside and trying to lose weight.  But my body is kinda fighting me on it as it's either sticking in starvation mode or is storing up fat and I can't seem to find that right exact point.

Stay with the exercise Sis.

It will help

Some trans educated GP's will prescribe spiro pre therapist letter. Getting on an AA will at least halt the T for doing anything further. IMHO it's not a bad idea to be on spiro for a while before you start on e anyway.

Unfortunately, some people seem to get the approval for hormones faster. I had an ftm friend that started hormones 2 weeks after coming out. I waited over a year to get on hormones due to a long waiting list to see the endo. Your day will come

It varies. I say it took 3 months to get my HRT letter, 13 to get the initial, if too low, E-only prescription, 22 for minimally effective HRT (AA added, E too low for me,) and 34 for HRT that was right for me. By the last, I'd been fully transitioned for three months - I hadn't earlier because I needed the mental changes I got when the AA was added.

Transition felt impossibly far away for a long time...honestly, I don't think I believed it was real and within my grasp until less than a week before I transitioned at work - the moment the meetings with my coworkers were actually scheduled. I'd come up with so many timelines that my endo and therapist required so I could prove I was serious and diligent, but then had fall apart because of the lack of progress on HRT that I just couldn't believe it until it was effectively in-hand. So much of the time was spent trying to convince providers to get on with things. I do understand and agree that caution is necessary, but what I experienced went far beyond reasonable caution.