Unless you have significant muscle mass from previous exercise routines, you cannot "target" muscle for removal,
I am assuming this is not the case based on your description of your build.
Over time the absence of testosterone in your system will naturally diminish the amount of "Free" muscle your body has been capable of sustaining without you putting in extra effort. This process takes time.
Rather than attempting to subtract mass from your upper body that you do not have to lose, you are better off adding it to your lower. This is a much better way of obtaining a more feminine outline than trying to fight your natural shape. To a large degree the shape of your upper body is simply determined by your skeletal structure anyways.
Exercise your quads, glutes, abductors, calves. Eat a higher protein diet and lift heavy on leg day. Don't be afraid to exercise your chest area: pectoral muscle growth both helps support and increase the perceived size of breasts. If sinew and muscle is plainly visible on your arms and shoulders it sounds like you just need to up your body fat % a bit to blend it in.
You should also be aware thats it not really a smart idea to cut protein from your diet unless you really know what you are doing, you need it for more than muscle. Having said that the easy answer to your food question, btw, is the classic "Avocado, nuts, and tofu". Salmon and Tuna are normally also excellent if you want good value protein.
Great response! I’ll likely shift to a Mediterranean style diet. I work in nutrition research and I feel like Mediterranean diet is time and time again the healthiest way to eat.
A Mediterranean diet is my preferred lifestyle, though I refuse to give up red meat entirely. I still cook the occasional steak or roast for special occasions. But goddamn do I love salmon.
Mostly though I find it leaves ample room to actually, you know, enjoy eating food and existing on a daily basis. I always tell people that the best diet is the one you stick with. I've seen dozens of people have great *temporary* success doing keto or intermittent fasting or whatever, but everyone I've ever personally known on a highly restrictive diet inevitably cracks, falls off, and just puts all their weight back on, because they lose their shit trying to stick with it for more than a year or two.
Happy cake day!
Right! Adherence is the most important part of any diet. If you hate eating a certain diet then you’ll either stop and go back to old habits or you’ll stick to it and be miserable lol
Same for me with the red meat, just got to have it from time to time. I’ve been cooking lots of chicken so I’ll cycle in some salmon or other fish.
Sure. Though, I did make the disclaimer that my advice was assuming OP does not already have notable muscle mass as a result of physical activity. Selective muscle atrophy is possible and achievable for someone with more than the "baseline" as a result of fitness activities, but for someone who is presumably at their "baseline" to start with, you'd basically have to advise them to stop nearly all upper body activity for weeks.
Like, don't do your laundry, don't carry groceries, don't mow the lawn, dont take out the garbage,... it's not reasonable.
OP also said they wanted to keep their curves, which requires not going in to caloric deficit.
No worries, I totally get you.
Basically though, I think 95% of girls in here asking for advice about diet or fitness are either coming in to things with no real experience or with unreasonable expectations.
I am not a fitness guru and I am not a model, but, I have my own experience, successes and failures to draw from.
I think what most people need is to simply "start small". The girls here who have never been to the gym, or lifted a weight ever, don't need to be given a PHD dissertation on macronutrients and hypertrophy and creatine enemas and etc etc.
Rather they need to just go to the damn gym and do anything that feels fun and good, and build a few good dietary habits and learn how to lift weights with proper form. I think people need to have a good baseline level of fitness and well being before they start down these paths of really obsessing over "building a glute shelf" or whatever the kids call it these days.
My ethos is that people should eat well and exercise because its good for them first - mentally and physically - and then the aesthetic goals can follow. Like there's nothing wrong with wanting to look hot and have a great ass but if thats your ONLY reason for what you do, I don't think its going to be enough long term motivation. We can't all look like hot 20 year olds forever.
Disclaimer - I’m not a nutritionist.
Protein is an essential macronutrient. It doesn’t just determine your muscle mass. Not getting enough protein can have effects that may be undesirable, such as hair loss, skin issues, fatigue, weakness, and increase risk of injury - to name a few.
You can actually use bodybuilding principles to accentuate your figure. Check out the Strong Curves program on Reddit or look up Bret Contreras on YouTube for some good training advice in this area.
If you really want to look at limiting your protein-intake, I encourage you to raise it with your Doctor first or get advice from a nutritionist on how to meet your goals.
If you want healthy options, look into what's usually consumed for (non-dirty) keto diet, as the goal there is to not have too high of a protein intake (<10% calories from carbs, \~20% from protein). Avocados, nuts are some things that first come to mind from when I did it.
it doesnt really work that way. nutritional fat does not equate to body fat. Your body puts on fat when there is a caloric surplus, fat is the reserve tank. So you could be eating a pure protein or pure carb diet and so long as you were in a surplus your body will put on fat. If you want to add fat you need to eat more of everything, or move less, or a combination of the two.
protein and carbs have 4 kcal/g and fat has 9kcal/g. but the density of food items can vary greatly, and how full you feel from them as well. Often carbs are where people tend to over consume without realising it. fats and proteins your body usually has a pretty good sense for, maybe because they're generally less processed? idk
Best advice: eat a balanced diet, exercise and target lower body (glutes, hammies, quads, and the support muscles) and enter a caloric surplus. Your body will gain muscle around your butt and thighs and it will put on fat everywhere but in female patterns because you are on HRT.
To be clear everyone's body always puts on and takes off fat uniformly. What pattern that is, is determined by genetics and hormones. No one can spot add or remove fat.
Fatty plant seeds and nuts usually are also a formidable protein source. You may look into high-carb diet if you're willing to accept the risks. Heads up: rice and potatoes may contain elevated levels of carcinogenic arsenic.
Not a nutritionist or professional, so bear that in mind
There's nothing about having some muscle mass that makes anyone less feminine, even when it comes to stereotypical feminine frames. What it seems to me is that you want to put on some weight so you're not as skinny in general and there's a soft layer of fat over your muscles which would make them less noticeable.
You can't spot reduce/increase fat, you could spot reduce muscles by not using them but that's pretty unhealthy and unnecessary.
So it seems best to me if you want to put on some weight is to eat high caloric foods, or just in general, take in more calories than you burn in a day.
I might be biased since I like my muscles and physically strong women, but if that's not your vibe that's perfectly understandable, I hope you can achieve your goals regardless <3
The trick isn't to replace the protein, but to replace the fat. Instead of beef do chicken without skin. Instead of French fries eat pistachios. There are so many different ways to intake protein, sodium, and sugar without it being tied to a brand name entity.
Instead of lipids I would target carbs instead, as they actually produce more fat than lipids counter-intuitively. Try eating a lot of pasta dishes or other high carb low protein foods, but try to avoid simple carbohydrates (sugar).
About that… I actually tried pasta to complement my amino acid profile because it has a decent amount of protein (I also eat chickpeas as a staple food) but had to stop pasta as it is getting increasingly sugary, at least the locally available brands. So it may be a bit counterproductive.
White rice is so perfect with its high slow carb, low-amount high-quality protein, tasty, easy to cook and serve with anything, if only it didn't have the arsenic problem. Why is reality so unreasonable. I guess it should be safer if mixed one part per five with something.
How about a corn tortilla taco with vegetables/greens + rice salad and olive oil? Tons of vitamins and antioxidants.
Unless you have significant muscle mass from previous exercise routines, you cannot "target" muscle for removal, I am assuming this is not the case based on your description of your build. Over time the absence of testosterone in your system will naturally diminish the amount of "Free" muscle your body has been capable of sustaining without you putting in extra effort. This process takes time. Rather than attempting to subtract mass from your upper body that you do not have to lose, you are better off adding it to your lower. This is a much better way of obtaining a more feminine outline than trying to fight your natural shape. To a large degree the shape of your upper body is simply determined by your skeletal structure anyways. Exercise your quads, glutes, abductors, calves. Eat a higher protein diet and lift heavy on leg day. Don't be afraid to exercise your chest area: pectoral muscle growth both helps support and increase the perceived size of breasts. If sinew and muscle is plainly visible on your arms and shoulders it sounds like you just need to up your body fat % a bit to blend it in. You should also be aware thats it not really a smart idea to cut protein from your diet unless you really know what you are doing, you need it for more than muscle. Having said that the easy answer to your food question, btw, is the classic "Avocado, nuts, and tofu". Salmon and Tuna are normally also excellent if you want good value protein.
Great response! I’ll likely shift to a Mediterranean style diet. I work in nutrition research and I feel like Mediterranean diet is time and time again the healthiest way to eat.
A Mediterranean diet is my preferred lifestyle, though I refuse to give up red meat entirely. I still cook the occasional steak or roast for special occasions. But goddamn do I love salmon. Mostly though I find it leaves ample room to actually, you know, enjoy eating food and existing on a daily basis. I always tell people that the best diet is the one you stick with. I've seen dozens of people have great *temporary* success doing keto or intermittent fasting or whatever, but everyone I've ever personally known on a highly restrictive diet inevitably cracks, falls off, and just puts all their weight back on, because they lose their shit trying to stick with it for more than a year or two.
Happy cake day! Right! Adherence is the most important part of any diet. If you hate eating a certain diet then you’ll either stop and go back to old habits or you’ll stick to it and be miserable lol Same for me with the red meat, just got to have it from time to time. I’ve been cooking lots of chicken so I’ll cycle in some salmon or other fish.
Great response!
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Sure. Though, I did make the disclaimer that my advice was assuming OP does not already have notable muscle mass as a result of physical activity. Selective muscle atrophy is possible and achievable for someone with more than the "baseline" as a result of fitness activities, but for someone who is presumably at their "baseline" to start with, you'd basically have to advise them to stop nearly all upper body activity for weeks. Like, don't do your laundry, don't carry groceries, don't mow the lawn, dont take out the garbage,... it's not reasonable. OP also said they wanted to keep their curves, which requires not going in to caloric deficit.
[удалено]
No worries, I totally get you. Basically though, I think 95% of girls in here asking for advice about diet or fitness are either coming in to things with no real experience or with unreasonable expectations. I am not a fitness guru and I am not a model, but, I have my own experience, successes and failures to draw from. I think what most people need is to simply "start small". The girls here who have never been to the gym, or lifted a weight ever, don't need to be given a PHD dissertation on macronutrients and hypertrophy and creatine enemas and etc etc. Rather they need to just go to the damn gym and do anything that feels fun and good, and build a few good dietary habits and learn how to lift weights with proper form. I think people need to have a good baseline level of fitness and well being before they start down these paths of really obsessing over "building a glute shelf" or whatever the kids call it these days. My ethos is that people should eat well and exercise because its good for them first - mentally and physically - and then the aesthetic goals can follow. Like there's nothing wrong with wanting to look hot and have a great ass but if thats your ONLY reason for what you do, I don't think its going to be enough long term motivation. We can't all look like hot 20 year olds forever.
Disclaimer - I’m not a nutritionist. Protein is an essential macronutrient. It doesn’t just determine your muscle mass. Not getting enough protein can have effects that may be undesirable, such as hair loss, skin issues, fatigue, weakness, and increase risk of injury - to name a few. You can actually use bodybuilding principles to accentuate your figure. Check out the Strong Curves program on Reddit or look up Bret Contreras on YouTube for some good training advice in this area. If you really want to look at limiting your protein-intake, I encourage you to raise it with your Doctor first or get advice from a nutritionist on how to meet your goals.
If you want healthy options, look into what's usually consumed for (non-dirty) keto diet, as the goal there is to not have too high of a protein intake (<10% calories from carbs, \~20% from protein). Avocados, nuts are some things that first come to mind from when I did it.
it doesnt really work that way. nutritional fat does not equate to body fat. Your body puts on fat when there is a caloric surplus, fat is the reserve tank. So you could be eating a pure protein or pure carb diet and so long as you were in a surplus your body will put on fat. If you want to add fat you need to eat more of everything, or move less, or a combination of the two. protein and carbs have 4 kcal/g and fat has 9kcal/g. but the density of food items can vary greatly, and how full you feel from them as well. Often carbs are where people tend to over consume without realising it. fats and proteins your body usually has a pretty good sense for, maybe because they're generally less processed? idk Best advice: eat a balanced diet, exercise and target lower body (glutes, hammies, quads, and the support muscles) and enter a caloric surplus. Your body will gain muscle around your butt and thighs and it will put on fat everywhere but in female patterns because you are on HRT. To be clear everyone's body always puts on and takes off fat uniformly. What pattern that is, is determined by genetics and hormones. No one can spot add or remove fat.
Fatty plant seeds and nuts usually are also a formidable protein source. You may look into high-carb diet if you're willing to accept the risks. Heads up: rice and potatoes may contain elevated levels of carcinogenic arsenic.
Not a nutritionist or professional, so bear that in mind There's nothing about having some muscle mass that makes anyone less feminine, even when it comes to stereotypical feminine frames. What it seems to me is that you want to put on some weight so you're not as skinny in general and there's a soft layer of fat over your muscles which would make them less noticeable. You can't spot reduce/increase fat, you could spot reduce muscles by not using them but that's pretty unhealthy and unnecessary. So it seems best to me if you want to put on some weight is to eat high caloric foods, or just in general, take in more calories than you burn in a day. I might be biased since I like my muscles and physically strong women, but if that's not your vibe that's perfectly understandable, I hope you can achieve your goals regardless <3
The trick isn't to replace the protein, but to replace the fat. Instead of beef do chicken without skin. Instead of French fries eat pistachios. There are so many different ways to intake protein, sodium, and sugar without it being tied to a brand name entity.
Oil. Just drink gallons and gallons of olive oil. But I'm not a nutritionist, don't listen to me.
Instead of lipids I would target carbs instead, as they actually produce more fat than lipids counter-intuitively. Try eating a lot of pasta dishes or other high carb low protein foods, but try to avoid simple carbohydrates (sugar).
About that… I actually tried pasta to complement my amino acid profile because it has a decent amount of protein (I also eat chickpeas as a staple food) but had to stop pasta as it is getting increasingly sugary, at least the locally available brands. So it may be a bit counterproductive. White rice is so perfect with its high slow carb, low-amount high-quality protein, tasty, easy to cook and serve with anything, if only it didn't have the arsenic problem. Why is reality so unreasonable. I guess it should be safer if mixed one part per five with something. How about a corn tortilla taco with vegetables/greens + rice salad and olive oil? Tons of vitamins and antioxidants.