Hey question about HRT but like, does it change your metabolism a lot? I lost a lot of weight and I'm honestly scared I'll get fat again being on estro.
Since starting E, I've lost 40 lbs, so weight gain is definitely not inevitable. I think the reason some people gain weight is that you will probably lose some muscle tone, which means your body needs fewer calories for maintenance. IMO some lower body exercises benefit the fat redistribution and will offset the muscle loss.
I'm not too experienced yet, but what I do is some combination of
squats with dumbbells
lunges
lateral lunges
hip thrusts
glute bridges (definitely recommend)
calf raises on a step
I can do all of those at home with just a couple of basic weights I got at a yard sale. I try for two to three times a week. I also do a lot of running, so I avoid super hard leg workouts because I don't want to overtrain and hurt myself. With a gym and less cardio you could probably train a lot harder and mix in deadlifts and fancier types of squats.
I haven't noticed anything in terms of metabolism, but it's been easier for me to motivate myself to exercise and eat healthy things since I can envision a better future for myself and have more reasons to take care of me.
Also having a lot less empty calories from depression drinking helps
being on e instead of t generally means lower appetite / smaller portion sizes as your energy requirements are lowered. some trans women actually report getting horrible munchies when they miss a dose of t blockers. you'll probably lose more weight due to reduction of muscle mass, but this will obviously increase your body fat percentage, and the body fat may "redistribute", as fat distribution is very different in women. if you gain weight again, it will usually go to your breasts, hips, thighs, butt and upper arms instead of your belly. facial fat will deposit more on the cheeks than on the jaw as well. my plan for the upcoming last months pre-HRT is to gradually lose weight and then slowly jojo into curvy mode when the hormones are fully kicking in. i was never really comfortable with being chubby when i still thought of myself as a dude, even though i don't mind that in other people at all. turns out that discomfort was dysphoria. not saying it has to be that in your case, ofc. i know really slender, sporty trans women who love to work out and get real toned and they're just as gorgeous as the curvy ones. you do you.
Hey question about HRT but like, does it change your metabolism a lot? I lost a lot of weight and I'm honestly scared I'll get fat again being on estro.
Since starting E, I've lost 40 lbs, so weight gain is definitely not inevitable. I think the reason some people gain weight is that you will probably lose some muscle tone, which means your body needs fewer calories for maintenance. IMO some lower body exercises benefit the fat redistribution and will offset the muscle loss.
any recommendations for good lower body exercises?
Squats
:swole-chonk: hell yeah
I'm not too experienced yet, but what I do is some combination of
I can do all of those at home with just a couple of basic weights I got at a yard sale. I try for two to three times a week. I also do a lot of running, so I avoid super hard leg workouts because I don't want to overtrain and hurt myself. With a gym and less cardio you could probably train a lot harder and mix in deadlifts and fancier types of squats.
I haven't noticed anything in terms of metabolism, but it's been easier for me to motivate myself to exercise and eat healthy things since I can envision a better future for myself and have more reasons to take care of me.
Also having a lot less empty calories from depression drinking helps
being on e instead of t generally means lower appetite / smaller portion sizes as your energy requirements are lowered. some trans women actually report getting horrible munchies when they miss a dose of t blockers. you'll probably lose more weight due to reduction of muscle mass, but this will obviously increase your body fat percentage, and the body fat may "redistribute", as fat distribution is very different in women. if you gain weight again, it will usually go to your breasts, hips, thighs, butt and upper arms instead of your belly. facial fat will deposit more on the cheeks than on the jaw as well. my plan for the upcoming last months pre-HRT is to gradually lose weight and then slowly jojo into curvy mode when the hormones are fully kicking in. i was never really comfortable with being chubby when i still thought of myself as a dude, even though i don't mind that in other people at all. turns out that discomfort was dysphoria. not saying it has to be that in your case, ofc. i know really slender, sporty trans women who love to work out and get real toned and they're just as gorgeous as the curvy ones. you do you.
It really depends for folks. I haven’t noticed any weight change, although it does seem like some fat redistribution is beginning to happen.
I also am definitely less hungry and get full quicker, which is irritating because I love food.