So hey all, I was really wondering.. I know I want to lose weight, but I also know that I need to talk to a therapist at some point and see if HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) is a route that I need to take for my sanity, or not. I'm 5'7" and 230 pounds, and I know when I went to the military.. for my height they recommended at least 175 pounds. I used to be that skinny, but I had gotten depressed and gained all of my weight back. What do I do, or where do I begin? I hate looking at the scale because it always tells the truth, and I really hate looking as manly as I do. I want to get back to where I was, but I know small goals are probably the best. I've heard hormones make it harder to lose weight. What do y'all think? :eusa_doh:
Somehow hormone therapy has gotten the reputation of the fix-all. It's not that simple- these drugs have a lot of side effects and can cause more health problems when not administered under proper supervision. Because of the risks of blood clots, a physician would probably want you to get your weight under control. And the standard is that you would need to see a therapist for diagnosis before an endocrinologist would see you for hormone therapy. Working on yourself- getting into shape, getting your weight under control and seeing a therapist is a lot of steps but if this is something that you feel you want to do, it is the best advice.
You know hormones or not losing weight is just hard. I don't think anyone on the internet can figure out what the right numbers are for you. As far as losing it and keeping it off though, what I've found is that if you do the same exercise every day that works better than anything. In the military they get you to run and that's really good, but as a civilian it gets harder to find opportunities to run. So I got some good old fashioned DDR (dance dance revolution since it really is ancient now) for aerobic exercise in the house. Any running you can do is great though because it will bulk up your legs without bulking up your arms. Although if you can handle bulking up your arms without getting dysphoric, that would be good too. I find I burn calories way faster that way. And the flatter my tummy gets the more options I have for clothes in the summer I don't find weight is a very helpful number by itself. Change in weight helps me keep track a little as far as watching what I eat vs how many calories I actually burn. But usually I do waist to height. I'm not an expert at this kind of stuff, but I think for most people they say you want to be less than half as wide as you are tall. And I say that but it's just a number too. Really it's about you and your goals, and what lifestyle and look works for you. Me I missed being as physically capable as I was in the military. Trying to do yoga made me want to get back in the shape I was in. But I think it's important not to get too unrealistic with your body image. We don't all have to look like celebrities in magazines is what I'm trying to say. Exercise is like a 30 minute a day priority for me if that. I'm just a random person on the internet, what's going to work for you diet wise is kind of personal. But with that in mind, I've been trying to do just an old fashioned diet, 1800 calories works for me, about 60-70 g fat (so 540 - 630 fat calories), and I try to drink lots of water and keep my salt down.
Thanks for the answers you all! I literally did not see this thread until a couple of days ago. I know it's worth it, I feel like it's a good reason to motivate myself to get the weight down and under control. If this is something I really wanna do, and I'm positive it is -- then there's nothing stopping me. I'll feel better in the long run, and have more energy as now I don't have to be ashamed of all of these desires of wanting to be the lady I've felt I am inside for the past 20 years now. Living in suppression, fear, and denial is not healthy -- but I'm coming to terms with that now.
Diet and exercise I guess? Portion your foods, and eat healthier. Try to stay away from soda, and sugary candy. This is how I lost 30 pounds. Hope it works for you
Also, try to eat more slowly if you feel hungry for more than you're supposed to eat. If you eat quickly, there's a certain lag between when you're actually full and when your brain realizes you're full, and you'll end up eating more than you really need.
