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Rosie_McA
Rosie_McA Posts: 256 Member
in Introduce Yourself
My recent weight increase shows that I need the discipline of MFP and so here I am again. I'm a transgender woman who has been on hormone therapy for more than a year. This has resulted in an anticipated loss of muscle mass and fat redistribution, and so I've had to adjust my calorie targets to cisgender female levels or I will just keep gaining the pounds.

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  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    Hi Rosie!

    Even transgender, you want to be mindful of how MUCH muscle mass you lose, simply because our bodies need that, though women do have less than men, so naturally you will have a reduction in it. You just dont want to lose TOO much.

    If possible (and depending on where you are, it may or may not be easy) I'd look for a well qualified trainer to work with who has experience working with TG on hormone therapy, as they should be able to help guide you in setting up a training schedule that will help you get to the muscle mass that will be appropriate for your frame and build.

    I'm not sure what, if any, difference there may be with being transgender on hormone therapy and how that may (or may not) affect things.


    @ninerbuff is this in your wheelhouse of knowledge, maybe?
  • Rosie_McA
    Rosie_McA Posts: 256 Member
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    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    Hi Rosie!
    Even transgender, you want to be mindful of how MUCH muscle mass you lose, simply because our bodies need that, though women do have less than men, so naturally you will have a reduction in it. You just dont want to lose TOO much.
    If possible (and depending on where you are, it may or may not be easy) I'd look for a well qualified trainer to work with who has experience working with TG on hormone therapy, as they should be able to help guide you in setting up a training schedule that will help you get to the muscle mass that will be appropriate for your frame and build.
    I'm not sure what, if any, difference there may be with being transgender on hormone therapy and how that may (or may not) affect things.
    @ninerbuff is this in your wheelhouse of knowledge, maybe?

    Thanks for the advice, and I do feel that I'm in unknown territory for me. But I do hear you loud and clear about not overdoing the muscle mass loss.
    I think that the biggest changes were in the second half of the first year after starting estrogen. All I'm seeing now is an increase in body fat around my midriff, and I assume that is as a consequence of bad eating habits, lack of exercise, and an adherence to a male calorie intake?
    In fact, I did read some advice from MFP itself that trans women might want to consider following a female plan once they'd been on HRT for at least six months (and I'm way past that).
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    I truly don't know.

    Typically weight training for females really should not be much different than for males, aside than (typically and especially starting out) we can not lift as heavy, and we do not build muscle as fast or as 'easy' (or get as large) because of the lack of testosterone. Its why when women come on and say they want to lift weight but not look like 'a man', we laugh. It's not going to happen without extreme effort. EXTREME.

    With you being trans, and on HRT, I don't know how that plays into all that, if at all.

    I can tell you how to lose weight, that will be the same across the board.

    You could start a basic Strong Lifts 5x5 program. It's a good place to start, regardless. Also the book "New Rules of Lifting for Women' is excellent.

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