Hello. I am an MTF who has not started hormones or anything, yet, and might not for some time (a year or two). I am 18 years old, about 5 ft 6 inches tall, and weigh 280 lbs. Pretty hefty...anyway, I am trying to lose as much weight as I can before I start hormones. What is a good weight to start HRT at? Any good (read: healthy) ways to lose weight for someone my size? I have currently started eating healthier foods, and in considerably smaller portions (still healthy size, no worries), only drink water and a bit of milk, and have started going on daily walks. Not sure of the distance, but they range from one hour to two. Does my starting weight even matter for HRT? I've heard that it's harder to lose weight on hormones. Also, would I have to worry about testosterone levels rising and affecting my looks in the next year or two from exercising? Don't want to get any manlier looking.... Any help is very appreciated. Been having trouble finding much good information. (Wasn't sure whether to put this under Physical & Sexual Health or Gender Identity and Expression.)
I don't know about the HRT stuff, but it sounds like you've got a pretty good start on adjusting your diet and starting some exercise. One thing I will recommend is to not pay much attention to the Body Mass Index - it's a very generalized scale and therefore rather inaccurate. For example, I'm 5' 10" and weigh 240 lbs. According to the BMI, I'm obese, but actually I'm just overweight. I have a large bone structure, wide shoulders, and probably carry more muscle than it looks. And I'm not joking about the bone structure, since I know some people will use that as an excuse for their body weight. There's a simple test you can do - if you can grab your wrist with your thumb and first finger and have them touch, then your bone structure is about average; if they overlap you have a small bone structure, and if they don't touch you've a thick bone structure. For me, my thumb and first finger have about an inch gap between them, so definitely have some thick/wide bones. So just keep in mind that every body is different and therefore has different 'ideal' / healthy weights. One of the things I came across a lot when researching diets was to increase your protein and decrease your carbs. Carbs require more water to store them in your body and don't provide as much nutrients or energy. Protein gets broken down slower, requires less water for storage, fills you up more completely than carbs, and generally provides more energy to your body. I started making protein shakes in the morning and it seems to have helped. I don't feel the need for any snacking between breakfast and lunch. And even if I'm not starving at lunch, once I eat I'm good until dinner time. There's lots of recipes you can find online, most are pretty simple and easy. As far as exercising goes, walking is a great choice since it is a pretty well-rounded activity - legs, arms (if you swing them when you walk), and cardio. I would recommend trying to do something a bit more intensive a couple times a week - my preference is biking, but you could also try jogging/running, swimming, or anything else that will raise your heart rate for a bit. It'll be better for your heart in the long run and it will burn a few more calories than a normal walk. Again, sorry that I couldn't be of more help with your HRT questions. Stay motivated and good luck! I'll be cheering for you!
You could try eating healthier... more vegetables and fruit, and some whole grain products. To keep your stomach a bit filled between meals, you could try tea or boiled water with a pinch of ginger. And some soups, maybe with a few vegetabes inside. (I'd recommend organic soup cubes, regular ones might have more artificial ingredients.) And apples for a snack, for example. You could try to eat some lentils, flaxseed and sesame, for example... you could try to avoid aggressive pastimes... you could try to get in contact with what you feel is part of your female side... cooking, baking, creative activities, gardening might be an opportunity... and, well, stroking a pet might be a wonderful way to come into balance... this should help for an overall relaxed feeling as well... oh and if you would want others to be able to read your blog you could change the settings here: http://emptyclosets.com/forum/blog_usercp.php
OP, a lot of what this person has stated is nonsense. Don't listen to it. Do this. Go onto Bodybuilding.com, go to the forums, go to the losing fat sub section and read the stickies.
