Starting HRT on the 20th (Dec. 2016) And worried about weight

[Blackwaters427]

Well, it'll have been 4 days shy of a year that dysphoria hit me like a freight train when I start my hormones! I'm both incredibly excited and nervous. I'm mostly nervous about the possibility of gaining weight. I know that hrt will decrease muscle mass (what little I have lol), and that it can cause weight gain in some people. What are some good ways to counter this? What are some good exercises that I can do without buying expensive machinery? My gf and I are going to be joining a gym as soon as she finds a job. Any recommendations on dieting?

[Ms Grace]

Congrats on getting on the 'mones.

The best advice I can offer is to eat mainly healthy foods, avoid excessive sugary foods/drinks and white bread intake, eat smaller portions, try not to over snack between main meals, be aware of when you might be eating emotionally...

[Deborah]

I am somewhat biased but I think that the overwhelmingly best exercise for both weight control and health is running.  It also can be the least expensive as it really requires nothing more than a $29 pair of shoes.


It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.
André Gide, Autumn Leaves

[TonyaW]

Yeah, what Grace and Deborah said.  That combination has helped me twice now.  About 10 years ago lost about 50 pounds by just eating better and mostly running for exercise.  Had to start slow with the running back then, couldn't make two miles with out a lot of walking. My eating habits let about half of that loss creep back on over the last few years so went at it again.  Have lost 25-30 pounds in last 3 months mostly with  better eating this time while slowly ramping up the exercise.

Not sure why it came off faster this time. Diet wise, other than smaller portions, the only thing I really have done differently this time  is limit soda (even diet) to one a day and generally then with a meal.

[Harley Quinn]

The best advice I can give, as a former Army Master Fitness trainer, is to try a high protein diet and weight training. Your not going to "bulk up" with lower weights and higher repetitions. Building toned muscle will burn more calories throughout the day than running ever will. Don't get me wrong, cardio has a place in any balanced fitness routine. However, cardiovascular exercise is only effective at burning calories while you are actively engaged in the activity. Resistance training will build muscle, which burns calories even when you are sleeping. With that being said, circuit training will give you the quickest results. It plays on cardio and lean muscle building. You dont need a lot of weight either. Your body weight is enough for what you are looking for.  Push ups,  crunches, leg lifts, squats, curls, and lateral arm raises are some of the basics.

[Dena]

I have a two mile path that I walk every night weather permitting. I can walk it in about 35 minutes and while it doesn't burn a huge amount of calories, it's easy on the joints. Something else I do is parking toward the far side of a store parking lot and walking the extra distance. There are a number of ways of adding extra steps to your day.

[jentay1367]

Looking at your avatar,  I'd say you're just as likely to drop weight as opposed ro gaining. Especially if they put you on any measureable amount of spiro. Anyways....stay away from chips, crackers, candy and soda and at your age, you'll be fine. Good luck, Hon!  And congratulations,  enjoy the ride.

[AshleyP]

My experience with losing weight is that it's more about what/how much I eat than about the increase in activity. I can lose weight by eating better and less, but don't so readily lose by increasing activity/exercise without changing my diet. I read somewhere, and don't know whether it's accurate or not, that you'd have to walk around the block twice to burn the calories from one M&M's candy piece.

Of course, changing to a better diet and increasing exercise would be the best. For me standard calisthenics works pretty well.

All the best,
--AshleyP

[DawnOday]

Well, it'll have been 4 days shy of a year that dysphoria hit me like a freight train when I start my hormones! I'm both incredibly excited and nervous. I'm mostly nervous about the possibility of gaining weight. I know that hrt will decrease muscle mass (what little I have lol), and that it can cause weight gain in some people. What are some good ways to counter this? What are some good exercises that I can do without buying expensive machinery? My gf and I are going to be joining a gym as soon as she finds a job. Any recommendations on dieting?

Cut down not out Carbs. Be conscious of what you eat. Fast Food is toxic food. Bread was one of my cut outs. Soda is a big no, no ea. can with 240 empty calories and certainly no Big Gulps. I was downing 6 or so a day. Concentrate on portion sizes. Eat one pork chop instead of two or three. Eat your fruits and veggies. If you have a hint of diabetes scale back on the fruits. While still good for you they do have a lot of natural sugar. Measure portion sizes to what you could fit in the palm of your hand comfortably, and you should be able to eat just about anything. Don't cut out your cravings because that only makes you want more. For example instead of eating a Hershey bar. Eat a couple squares and leave some for the next 4 days. Want a cookie? Eat one. Only one and only once or twice a week. If you want to count calories use this table. I have been able to lose 80 lbs in about a year and a half.
You need 2,361 Calories/day to maintain your weight.   2,361
You need 1,861 Calories/day to lose 1 lb per week.   1,861
You need 1,361 Calories/day to lose 2 lb per week.   1,361
You need 2,861 Calories/day to gain 1 lb per week.   2,861
You need 3,361 Calories/day to gain 2 lb per week.   3,361
These are approximations.

There is an app for you cell phone that keeps track of the number of steps you take each day. The goal is to take 10,000 steps a day which equals about 5 miles. The good thing about this is it does not discern exercise from regular day to day activity. Your weight and the distance you walk determine the energy calories burned while walking. Walking speed matters less than the distance you walk and how much you weigh. A rule of thumb is 100 calories per mile are burned for an 180-pound person and 65 calories per mile for a 120-pound person.So if you do a lot of walking at work, those steps count too.
You need 2,361 Calories/day to maintain your weight.   2,361
You need 1,861 Calories/day to lose 1 lb per week.   1,861
You need 1,361 Calories/day to lose 2 lb per week.   1,361
You need 2,861 Calories/day to gain 1 lb per week.   2,861
You need 3,361 Calories/day to gain 2 lb per week.   3,361

Even at your age you will have more energy and feel better. Some vitamin supplements help in providing the nutrients you would normally get from eating.

[Fresas con Nata]

My experience with losing weight is that it's more about what/how much I eat than about the increase in activity. I can lose weight by eating better and less, but don't so readily lose by increasing activity/exercise without changing my diet.

My body works like that too. I used to run last year, starting slow at first (I've never run in my life) and then gradually reducing the time walking and increasing the time running. I didn't notice any significant weight loss. Winter came and I got tired of getting up one hour earlier in the morning, freezing cold outside (London/Madrid) for no real gain.

So I switched to skipping meals and reducing how much I ate in each meal. Wow that made a difference. Then a lot of months after that (a few days/weeks ago actually) I saw here in susans a post that mentioned "IF". A web search turned that into "intermittent fasting". Ah, so it is a thing... I haven't invented anything. Good.

Hunger is interesting. It doesn't increase ad infinitum—it seems to peak and then becomes less noticeable. The next morning it doesn't prevent you from doing your regular life, you don't have to eat something at any cost, no. Then you hit the 24h mark and it kinda becomes a competition, let's see how far I can get Then you apply common sense, start eating something and you realise how hungry you were without feeling it!

Well, YMMV of course.

I read somewhere, and don't know whether it's accurate or not, that you'd have to walk around the block twice to burn the calories from one M&M's candy piece.

I read that during the first 45 minutes running you burn carbohydrates, and only after that you start burning fat.

[Deborah]

Actually, a trained runner will start switching over to primarily fat a lot sooner than 45 min.  An untrained and out of shape person may continue burning primarily glycogen a lot longer than 45 min.  It also is heavily dependent on how hard you are running.  Above around 82% max heart rate anyone will be relying heavily on glycogen.  Below around 70% max heart rate most people should begin relying more on fat.  It also depends a lot on conditioning, a well trained person will rely more on fat all the time, and genetics which determine your mix of slow and fast twitch muscle fibers.  So there are a lot of variables.

To simplify all that for best results though do the vast majority of your running at less than 80% max heart rate and a fair proportion of that even easier. 


It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.
André Gide, Autumn Leaves

[laurenb]

Running definitely works - I lost 60lbs doing that. But my hip went south and I had to have it replaced. So now I walk mostly (4.5 miles in 1.5 hours 3-4 times a week). It burns the same amount of calories as running  per mile just takes longer. But the joints love it. I also road cycle and do yoga. I'm also a pesce-ovo-vegetarian. Like you I am starting HRT very soon and am concerned about gaining. I have that gene that puts on weight when I smell onions sautéing (you know what I mean?). Anyhow, being aware, you're halfway there. Keep a log of your weight - thats the single most powerful tool IMO.