Recap of Week 1 on T
(I wrote this post yesterday 4/29/2026)
Tomorrow will mark one week since I started my HRT journey and officially started medically transitioning. So far, I have noticed some changes, but nothing physically yet (which is to be expected since it’s only one week). Here are the changes I have noticed so far:
- increased appetite
- being more tired
- needing to move more
- being moodier, more irritable, and wanting to cry.
The appetite changes hit me first, on the second day. I thought that appetite changes would be more gradual, but this one hit quick. I eat a lot more than I used to, and hunger pains have become real. I have been having to stop more while I am out and pick up food on the go. My favorites so far are smoothies with added whey protein. Protein seems to be the only thing that helps. I have protein bars, protein yogurt, protein oatmeal, and I am going to start adding protein shakes (I have the powder, but might look for premade ones for when I’m on the go or in a rush or just really hangry).
How often I feel the need to eat has changed too. I have been eating at least every hour, and I am already tired of eating. It feels like I have the plant from Little Shop of Horrors living in my stomach. So, I think I am going to start calling my testosterone “Audrey-II” or “Twoey” in honor of that plant, because every time I look at food, all I hear is “Feed me Seymour!”
The tiredness and being more irritable I should have expected. As a grad student who is taking a class and writing a dissertation while working two jobs, exhausted and irritable is more of a baseline. I have noticed it increase a bit, and I am more snappy than usual, and oddly enough I want to cry. I heard being on T makes people cry less or not able to cry. So this symptom is surprising to me.
I was a little surprised by the need to move more, or what I have been calling the zoomies. It’s been showing up in two ways. The first way is that after I eat a lot, I get a burst of energy and end up pacing or needing to walk for miles. The second is just a more general need to move throughout the day. Going for walks has been helping, but I am looking into gyms to see if regular exercise helps.
Through the changes, I am happier overall. I am looking forward to tomorrow and taking my first T shot at home on my own and the start of week 2.
This week I started a YouTube channel to document my journey and share daily updates (and to share recordings of my poetry). Follow me there or on Instagram and Threads (@gemvongalen) for more updates.
