The first photo was two years ago, about 2 months on T. It took a while to figure out what worked for me in the gym. I typically do 3 days a week full body and try to hit 10-12 sets per muscle group, except chest and back. I try to aim for 16-18.
I’ve always been a bigger guy, and whilst my chest was a 38FF last time it was measured, I think they’ve shrunk with me losing weight. I do a lot of chest exercises and am building my pecs nicely so I wanted to ask how realistic it would be to reduce my chest size enough for something like keyhole surgery that would leave less visible scars?
I fully understand that there’s excess skin that probably wouldn’t shrink in, so is there a way to reduce that too and could anyone offer some advice? Does anyone know how much realistically I could reduce the size of my chest only by working out?
In essence, I’d like to make it easier for my future surgeon to sculpt to the muscle, whilst also building up functional muscle. I’ve always been heavy set and I’m starting to see gains with chest and shoulders that I’m happy with.
Edit: I don’t understand why people are downvoting my comments saying my chest has shrunk. I used to be about 25 stone and I’m down to 17 now, of course my chest is a bit smaller as is everything else. I understand keyhole probably isn’t realistic but there’s no need to be mean :(
Hi everyone, this is my first time posting here so I hope i'm not doing anything wrong lol
Anyway I've been on T since a year and I've been working out regularly (3 days a week maybe 4 if motivated at least an hour) I've always been a lil chubby and def wanted to change that since forever. If been losing weight pretty good (i'm ~160cm and now on 68.5kg-69kg from my previous 77kg) but I've learned (and noticed) that weight loss doesn't equal losing body fat. Since i'm autistic my meals usually consists of the same dish for like 3 weeks and let's say it's not the most healthy thing of all time (eg. usually pasta with some veggies and sometimes a salad on the side)
So I've come here to ask if you have any meal suggestions that are healthy and will eventually help me lose body fat (and lose weight at the same time)
18M, 2ish years on T now, started going gym about 2 years ago also, I'd say decent fat distribution in that time passed but still I feel my thighs/and or hips bother me. E.g. I feel like it's so noticeable in jeans
I hit legs hard and consistently but I'm starting to feel like that just makes them more muscular
I've gone through calorie deficits/cuts but I'm at a point of questioning whether a further calorie deficit/cut will get me to where I want to be? I feel like I'm constantly chasing some arbitrary goal to slim down my thighs and it's making me question whether further cuts are going to be worth the trade-off for the likes of muscle or lifts loss
Don't intend this to be in a rant or vent way, just seeking opinions/information what options I have moving forward
i’ve been binding for 8+ years now, which has given me some weakness in my diaphragm, plus i’ve got shit lungs from heavy smoking that makes exercising particularly difficult. i’ve tried taping, but it irritates my skin and leaves scars. i’ve bought plenty of binders, sized up, but still couldn’t go for a run without feeling like i was having an asthma attack after five minutes.
finally tried the underworks sports binder (it’s unfortunately listed as the ‘magicotton sports and binding bra’ to use at the gym, but now its my daily one. for one, it’s way less restrictive. it feels like wearing a sports bra (not a tight one) and binds like a binder. the shoulder straps are farther apart than my regular binders, so they don’t show when i wear t-shirts. i’d say it doesn’t bind *quite* as well as a standard binder, but it does the job, and i actually prefer it because the silhouette of my chest is a lot more natural. instead of being lumpy, it just looks like pecs (my chest is \~ a C cup, for reference). only minus is that you can see the lining of it under thin/tight clothes, but that’s an issue with most binders. i can wear it all day and not be in pain, it’s easier to put on/take off, and i can work out comfortably. machine washable! huge plus, and if you’re sweaty like me, it’s a lot cooler and dries quickly.
if you have issues with pain while binding or are looking for one to work out/swim in, i highly recommend trying this one. not even tryna plug the brand, but i wish i’d found it earlier.
Hey yall, do we think I can fix the dog ear/caved in look with exercise or am i better off just seeking out revisions?
Hi all, this may be an odd question, but how does one build muscle without losing their belly fat? I have a little paunch atm and it gives me gender euphoria, but I’d like to improve my fitness, core muscles and overall strength. Is there a way to gain lean muscle without my stomach turning into abs?
Also please explain things like I’m ten, because I know absolutely nothing about fitness lol
I feel like even if I were to build my shoulders and back a lot, I still wouldn’t be able to achieve that classic V shape physique. I feel like I don’t often see cis guys with this kind of physique. Can’t tell how much is dysmorphia versus reality
Recently coming off a bulk looking to cut …I want to start counting calories..Is it a free or not a lot of money app that you’d recommend that’s good to use?
So I (29FTM, 4 years on T) have been calorie counting along with doing multiple HIIT classes a week along with some solo jogging and weights at the gym. Tbh I’m not totally consistent as I have to take time off from dieting every now and then for my mental health, as I have OCD and when it flares up calorie counting is way too triggering. So because of that I guess it’s no surprise that I’ve plateaued with my weight loss.
I made it to 15 pounds lost around 5 months into my diet and the past 4 months have seen no change. I also measured my chest, hips, waist, and neck and had no changes from my measurements from almost a year ago. I’ve tried so many things to sort of shake my body out of its slump (cutting more calories, exercising more, focusing on macros, eating more whole grains and fresh veggies) but nothing has worked.
My issue is that people who don’t even know I’ve been dieting say that I look like I’ve lost weight. I almost feel gaslit cause I agonize over the scale or the measuring tape not moving and then have people telling me I look thinner. Is there another way of tracking than just weight and inches? Is the calorie counting working at all? I feel like I’m either being lied to by overly polite acquaintances or I’m missing something lol
Hi guys. Ive tried to take creatine today for the first time.
Ive put it in my coffee since I heard it has a weird texture to it and that it was safe with it. Was fine and honestly felt nothing so that was good.
Day went on normal. Ate and drank water, 2 hours ago (evening) i started feeling bloated and weak with headache.
20 minutes ago i went to the toilet and was feeling bad as fuck. I did my thing and puked right after.
All my stomach is empty, head hurts bad and my throat too because of the acid.
What should i do? Should i simply stop? Talk to a doctor?
I will be one year on T on the 24th, I’ve been on a deficit for the past few months and really haven’t seen much. I use an app to track my macros and calculate how much of everything I should be eating, I’ve had my sex in as male and I’m wondering if that’s the issue?? I still want to gain muscle so I don’t want to eat next to nothing (like what this app tells me to do if my sex is female) but at the same time am I eating to much?
Been doing a body recomp. Started off with body weight calisthenics and now moved on to a full body dumbbell workout 3x a week. Have had problems, mainly sticking to a consistent meal plan and finding a gym or space to work out. My weight has stayed just about the same but I definitely see a difference. IRL the shoulder definition is a lot clearer and i’m starting to see abs from certain angles as well.
Hello, Ill be back in the gym soon, and like many men Im inclined to focus on my upper body/masculinizing my shape, and deep down wish to skip leg day (which is idiotic and I wont do).
Im doing a PPL workout plan, and the way I made peace with working out legs, is while for my push and pull exercises I do high intensity low reps (close to failure for 3x5-8), for my leg day I do a more "chill" (obviously still challenging) weight with a higher rep count (3x10-12).
Does my logic follow that this way I could work on my strength in my legs an appropriate amount, while mostly focusing my muscle gain on my upper body? Or does it not work like that.
Happy for any feedback👍
Edit: just for extra information, I'm Pre-T, working at a slight calorie excess, and have had gym phases over the last few years, intervened with home workout phases, so Im not well built but not a beginner either
I’ve very recently got back into the gym. I’m hitting chest on Mondays and Fridays, but the only exercises I do/am familiar with are flyes and bench press. I don’t have access to a barbell but have dumbbells, kettlebells, a bench, and a cable machine. Anything else I should be incorporating?
Also, does any/everyone else also struggle with bulking chest post-op? I’d focused a lot on weight loss after top surgery, went from 260 lbs to 180 lbs. But now I’m just sorta chunky without anything to show for it. My chest especially is flat af - which is totally great in one sense, but bothersome in another, y’know? No fat, no muscle, just nothing there. And I’m not skinny enough for that to be a cute look lol.
I’m 5’3”, 135 lbs, and I’d like to lose about 5 lbs. Most of the fat I want to lose is around my waist.
I’m thinking of aiming for 0.5 - 1 pound per week.
Is there a significant difference between using a small calorie deficit vs a larger one if my goal is to keep as much muscle as possible?
I always assumed that as long as I hit my protein and macro goals, the size of the calorie deficit didn’t matter much. Is that actually true?
Hi all,
I’ve relatively small breast tissues, but I still need to either bind or tape. Lately it has been unbearably hot and I feel like I’d pass out if I keep wearing my binder while working out.
Every time I tape however, it pulls at the skin near my armpits whenever I lift my arms. Is that a common occurrence, or is there a better way to tape?
I (19, pre-T) recently got my period. It had been missing for 5 months, and I’d kind of gotten used to not having it. The main problem is I feel like shit and I’m much weaker. I just can’t lift as much as I usually do; my muscles get fatigued after like 5 or so reps and I have to take a break or stop the set altogether.
Any tips for dealing with dysphoria and muscle weakness? I still want to exercise, but I want to do so in a way that won’t leave me feeling awful about myself after workouts.
I should also mention that I’ve had a bad history with food (back then didn’t get my period for a LONG time), so I see this as a failure in a way. Like it’s proof that I’m eating too much or not “man” enough or whatever. Any tips on navigating that would be helpful too.
At the beginning of the year, I set more goals and more exercises. I am looking over what I accomplished in 6 months and realized there are some things I need to change. I am getting a bit tired of the gym at this point, and while I will continue it, I feel like I need to supplement something else.
I have started swimming at the beginning of the year; however, I haven't been swimming at all this summer cause my job requires me to swim in a pool nearly every day, and I am tired of it. I have looked up some other arm exercises, and I thought that anything with a punching bag would be good to do. Any other suggestions?
I cannot count calories! It’s not that I won’t or don’t want to. I get super frustrated and obsessive with it. I don’t know what about it but it gives me so much anxiety. Going forward I’m planning on just being super mindful of how much I eat and what I eat. Im on mounjaro but it doesn’t really do anything for me except control my blood sugars. (I’m T1D) I’ve been known to eat when I’m stressed or bored. In the past I’ve been unable to control my snacking. BUT I just started Wellbutrin and I’m super excited because I was able to control my urge to eat when I was bored. I felt like I had more control over the urge. I have audhd so when I get bored it’s a BIG issue. It’s not regular bored. It’s like I’m going to die right this second if something doesn’t occupy my brain. Anyways I’m hopeful that just being mindful about my eating will help me lose some weight. I’m planning to get back in the gym also. I feel more motivated to do so! I do have a protein goal I track very loosely and that about all I can handle. I give myself a good range so I don’t get upset when I don’t exactly meet a number. Anyways what’s your guys thoughts on this? Does anyone follow this way of eating?
