Hi, my name is Jeff, nice to meet you all. I'm going to begin my transitioning very soon,

I just broke the news to my mother and my best friends, but I have had it on my mind since I was a kid.

I explained to them that this isn't just a desire, that is my identity, can't express it any better then that.

the question is, I've gained some weight since in my picture, as you can see I'm relatively plain face, which is why I think my transition will go well, the problem is I heard you can't lose weight while transitioning, so should I get to my ideal weight then start?

WHo said that? What rubbish! You can lose weight at any time as it depends on your diet and exercise. Hormone therapy will naturally distribute your stored fat so your hips will likely get bigger but you may also have some muscle atropy which will decrese your muscle size, and therefore weight. Remenber that muscle is twice as heavy as fat. 

Post op, you will be immobile for a short time and not very mobile for several weeks, so if you exercise, it will take several months to get back into your old regime so it's possible you may gain weight as a result. Wathcing your diet over this period will help you loads though. 

Transition is an individual thing as no two bodies are genetically the same so how it affects you will be different from others. Don't worry too much over it as weight gained can always be worked off again. 

Good luck 

Yes, Jeffery, that is an interesting point to bring up. Nikki, I am also considering hormone replacement therapy and had a similar concern about my body. I have typically been underweight throughout my life and was wondering if my body would even manifest any noticable changes in the hips, legs, and chest area if I don't have a high percentage of pre-existing body fat as well. Last time I checked, it was around 15% or lower. I believe this was caused by genetics although I've been getting some other interesting ideas reading through the archives of these forums. In one of the forums, Katie Glover posted an ariticle from Frock where an author named Hugh Easton came up with a theory that during pregnancy, hormone treatments can cause variations in gender development before we are even born. Although the topic was hotly debated, I seemed to embody all of the symptoms listed later in the forum post: feminine facial features, low testosterone, extremely passive socially, (which I could never seem to grow out of and could never indentify a source) being assumed as gay, identifying with women, etc., but they mentioned specifically a lack in upper body development which was something that always seriously confounded me. My upper body musculature, even after lifting weights for over a year, has always been so minute, and I worried that since it is relatively petite now, this might make it even more difficult for any feminine features to successfully develop in my upper body unless I start increasing my fat intake or weight. I have wondered if hormones would affect any of these gender-confusing elements of my whole being, and you seem to be highly knowledgable in the subject matter. Your contribution to this website is immeasurably admirable, and I must thank you for helping make this place what it is today! I've been welcomed with open arms and have never felt so 'at home' in any other website. :-)  Dana!!