Transgender Teen Survival Guide

Ryn says:

So one of the side effects of spiro, basically, is that it makes you need to pee all the time. So you tend to get dehydrated easily. I personally am not on spiro, but a different t-blocker, but my friends who are on spiro tend to carry a water bottle around with them (usually a 1 liter nalgene-sort-of-thing) and try to fill it up a few times throughout the day. However, to prevent an electrolyte imbalance, you’re right that many transfem folks turn to pickles or pickle juice. Off of a quick search, I also turn up spinach, kale, bananas, yogurt, potatoes, oranges, several kinds of berries and nuts, and a few other things. The main thing is to make sure that you are taking in adequate levels of sodium, potassium, and calcium. I personally love bananas, especially with a little peanut butter (I also love pickles and think that there’s a pickle out there for everyone, but to each their own). Make sure you’re getting enough water and if you feel yourself getting a headache or feeling dizzy, try to eat something with some sodium or potassium to it. 

Devon says:

Yes! For more information about binding, like about binder sizing and what you can/cannot do while binding, please check out our binding FAQ.

!!

Devon says:

HRC gives them a rating of 80 out of 100 for “workplace equality.”

From Taco Bell’s website:

So, that doesn’t include gender identity unless your state includes gender identity in its anti-discrimination laws. 

Here is an interactive US map that shows which states cover gender identity in their anti-discrimination laws. If you live outside of the US, try searching online for “[location] gender identity employment discrimination laws.”

Even if gender identity is not covered, you may have a trans-friendly boss/workplace. Also, even if gender identity is covered, you could experience discrimination from your boss/coworkers, unfortunately.

Followers, reply to this post with any experience you have working at Taco Bell!

Best of luck, I hope all goes well with the job!

P.S. This ask only took me a few minutes to answer, I got all the links from google, and I didn’t know any of the information that I provided about Taco Bell, before now. I’m not upset about it, but y’all can do your own research too!

Kai says:

That’s totally valid! I used to identify as a nonbinary boy, and still do, but am moving towards simply nonbinary since I’m 18 now and feeling a little less like a boy now. I also used to joke that I was “none gender with left boy” in reference to the “none pizza with left beef” meme. Or that I was __ % no gender, ___% boy. That’s totally a valid feeling!

Kii says:

Regardless of whether you’re on T or not, if you lose weight, you may need a new binder. It’s the same as losing weight and needing smaller sizes in other clothes.

Devon says:

It’s most likely that tumblr did not eat your ask! We have hundreds of asks in our inbox at any given time, and we do our best to answer as many as we can, but we’re human and no matter how many active mods we have, we’re never going to get to all of them.

Moving on to your question!

Mod Lee wrote about this in the “If you can’t start T” link: “You can get the same kind of muscles without T; you have to work harder for it, but it’s attainable. You could get a gym membership or look online for home-exercise and workout tips! Just make sure you don’t over-exercise, and you eat enough food.”

Other suggestions that I have…

Best of luck and stay safe!

Kii says:

Food choices don’t affect hormone levels enough to make a noticeable difference, so don’t worry about it!

Charlie says:

I would make yourself a (i don’t know what it’s called) “comfort box” to help you calm down from bad episodes.  Pack a chocolate bar/non perishable comfort food, a stuffed animal/blankie if you still use one, some things you like the smell of (candles? perfume/cologne?), a journal, books or poems, or some coloring!! There are so many other things you could potentially include in this, but that’s just to get you started!! Good luck

Asis says:

You’re completely valid! A lot of people voice characters that arent the same gender as them! (e.g. Tina Belcher from Bob’s Burgers and her mother are voiced by men. Ash from Pokémon is voiced by a woman. There are plenty more!)

Roxie says:

Unfortunately the only shows I can think of that explicitly do that are Sense8 (which I haven’t watched so somebody tell me if I’m wrong about that) and Orange is the New Black, and they’ve both got very mature themes (you might want to look into their trigger warnings before checking either of those out, by the way, they’re both pretty heavy)

However, if you don’t mind it being implied rather than explicit or even just based on headcanons, Steven Universe is a cartoon that explores gender identity, gender presentation, gender roles and non-binary genders occasionally. Adventure Time has at least one canonically non-binary character (BMO) and an episode about being trans, (Princess Cookie) but the show is pretty ableist and the episode was executed poorly and pretty transmisogynistic in my opinion.

Do any of the other mods have any ideas? Maybe some of the followers?

Also, if anybody’s looking for any webcomics with trans characters in I’ll be able to tell you a few, I reckon. One of my other trans friends reads like thirty webcomics (this is not an exaggeration.) 

Fox says:

We got all of your messages and I started to answer them, but my laptop decided, “Hey, this seems like a great time to surprise shut down!” :/

In regards to all of your messages-- sweating is not gross, these asks are not gross, and most importantly, you are not gross. Sweating is a process that your body partakes in to keep you healthy and safe.

Here are some options/suggestions for you (and folks like you, or those with/on testosterone who need help reducing sweat)!

I hope you find something that works for you!

Fox says:

Health nut, here!

Dance. You don’t have to be any good at it— just put on some music and fling your body around for awhile. It’s great for you, and it doesn’t seem like exercise. You might feel awkward at first, but the more you do it, the easier it’ll be to relax and have fun with it.

Also, buy one of those large aerobic balls and sit on that instead of a couch or chair when you’re lazing about. It’s quite beneficial.

If you don’t like dancing and don’t have the cash for an aerobic ball, try doing push-ups. Always do one more than what you think you can. Two years ago, I couldn’t even do one push-up. Now I can go for about 100 at a time, if I’m seriously up for it. How did that happen?

Start with trying to do one. The next day, go for two. The next day, go for three. One you’ve got the hang of it, push yourself. Go for five, then eight, then ten. When you’re up to ten, do as many as you can. Your brain is going to tell you that you need to stop, but if you push one more, you feel fantastic about yourself. Before you know it, your brain tells you to quit, and you’re like, “Nah, cuss you, brain! I can do ten more.”

(also eat well and drink a ton of water)