I’d always been overweight my whole life. Left pic was my fattest at 49, a few weeks before my egg cracked. Now 2.5 years on HRT later, for the first time in my life I have a flat belly and toned muscles. I have the energy and motivation to exercise. Transitioning saved my life.
This is to encourage sisters who worry about starting late. I started HRT a few months shy of turning 50. I haven’t had any surgeries, just a strict diet and exercise regime since I started.
Just a poll, not scientific by any means of course. But interesting to see the results.
Chart here - https://imgur.com/a/CcGO45Y
Numbers -
| Surgery | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom surgery (GRS/SRS/GCS/Orchi) | 31 | 50.0% |
| FFS | 16 | 25.8% |
| VFS | 6 | 9.7% |
| Breast augmentation / Top surgery | 3 | 4.8% |
| Hair transplant | 2 | 3.2% |
| Rib contouring | 2 | 3.2% |
| Brazilian butt lift | 1 | 1.6% |
| Dental implants | 1 | 1.6% |
Some of us don’t have insurance for gender affirming care and need to save for years to afford surgeries out of pocket.
For me the order is
Voice is the biggest hurdle to passing for me. GRS is lower priority since I have only mild bottom dysphoria. FFS is more to push my femininity passing from a 6 to maybe an 8 (out of 10).
To be fair, I wasn't training regularly all through those 2 years. There were periods where I felt dysphoric and frustrated by hitting a plateau and stopped for a few months at a time.
Nevertheless now that I am passing visually my voice was the last thing getting me clocked. So I worked really hard on it the past 2 months, and saw a new speech therapist. It worked!
I’ve been on HRT for 2.5 years and I’ve barely cried at all. It takes a lot to trigger it and even when I do I just get a few tears and it stops within a minute.
Maybe it’s some old protective mechanism from decades of emotional suppression. I used to be so envious of trans women who could cry. Reading those posts on Reddit made me feel broken and somehow inadequate.
I’m able to feel emotions, don’t get me wrong. But I just can’t seem to cry. I probably cried less than 10 times in the last 2.5 years.
I’ve socially transitioned for a year and on HRT for 2.5 years. I still don’t really have major bottom physical dysphoria. I have some social dysphoria seeing male as my gender marker and that’s the main reason I’m thinking of getting the surgery.
Just wondering if any ladies did the same and how you felt afterwards?
I transitioned 2.5 years ago. It’s been the best decision of my life. I used to be this socially anxious and depressed person until I decided at 49, to take that leap. That maybe transitioning could fix my life.
It did. Yes I lost my marriage but I gained a life back. I became a living person with connections. Who loves people and have friends who love her. I went to karaoke with some trans girlfriends yesterday and had a blast. Sang badly and off key but it didn’t matter. None of my old self consciousness was there anymore. It was symbolic of my new self - I was proud and free to be me.
Any comments would be most appreciated! There was a period where I got very discouraged and basically stopped my voice training and practice for almost a year. But I socially transitioned 9 months ago and my voice was the only thing getting me misgendered, so I decided to work on it again. I went to a new SLP and she helped me get back on track.
My natural masc speaking voice is a F2. After more than a year of voice training I can get to E3 to G3 but it starts to sound strained. I break into my head voice at around A3.
I get the concept of resonance and weight. I can make my voice smaller and larger by raising my larynx and changing my mouth shape. I can modify my vocal weight.
But when I try to do a low weight, smaller size and higher pitch at the same time, my throat starts to hurt. I also don’t sound feminine. It’s really frustrating because I don’t know if I just need more time or I’m banging my head against the wall.
I’ve been on HRT for almost 2.5 years at this point. Socially transitioned since Sep 2025. Prior to my social transition, nothing changed for me with respect to my sexual orientation and views towards bottom surgery (which I didn’t want). I was strictly into women.
Now I am starting to find men attractive although my preference is still women. Bottom surgery is no longer a “no way” but something I could mull over and think about. It seems like I had to live as a woman long enough before these changes could take place, HRT on its own didn’t do it.
I find it fascinating that these mental changes are socially related, at least for me.
Ever since I’ve had my long nail extensions put in, I sometimes end up piercing the prog capsule while trying to boof it. The weird smelling oil oozes out and I hate that.
Does anyone have any tips for me? Otherwise I think I’m switching to oral.