(Part 3) Best products from r/ftm

Hey man, sounds like you're dealing with a lot. I've been in a similar place, and I have kind of a lot I'd like to say. It'll be really long, but if you'll bear with me, I hope it'll be helpful. I'll address your questions about weight loss and working out first, but I'd also like to talk about the mental health side of things, if that's not too presumptuous.

I've lost like 30-40lbs in the last year-ish, and I'd still like to lose a bit more and be in better shape generally before I start my medical transition. Any advice I'm about to give you is based solely on my experience; I don't claim any particular expertise, and I don't know much more about this than the most rudimentary science.

I don't really know anything about fasting (just not for me) so I can't help you there. At the end of the day, though, the most important thing for your weight loss is just consuming fewer calories than you expend. If it works best for you to accomplish that through fasting, and you do it safely, I suppose that's fine. I'm not a doctor though, and it's always a good idea to consult with one before making a major lifestyle change.

If you get your diet in check (note: I'm using diet as in the food you eat day to day, not a regimented plan that assumes an end point) you'll lose weight. That's the most important thing in weight loss. Exercise is, in some ways, extra credit.

However, with that said, if you want to make sure that a higher percentage of the weight you lose is fat and not muscle, working out is definitely a good idea. It's also just generally good for you, both physically and in terms of mental health. While dysphoria can sometimes make it hard for me to get started, working out is the only thing I've found that consistently helps alleviate dysphoria.

For a variety of reasons, I prefer to workout at home pretty much exclusively. For me, it was worthwhile to invest in a set of adjustable dumbbells kinda like these. I'm pre-T and not super strong, so two 25lb dumbbells allows me to get a pretty good workout on most lifts. Not bodybuilder stuff, by any means, but good for maintaining muscle and gaining some strength. I also bought a cheap exercise ball from Walmart (you know, one of these things) and used that like a bench + it lets you do some core work. I've expanded my home gym a lot since then, but those items were all I needed to get started.

For options that cost you $0, I rely heavily on workout videos posted to youtube for cardio and to switch up my weight routine. My personal favorite is a channel called Group HIIT because there's literally no talking in the videos. You just do your workout and then call it a day. They have lots of videos that are just bodyweight exercises, no equipment required. Other channels I like are Hasfit, and Fitness Blender but there are dozens of channels out there, and you can find the ones that fit your preferences and abilities. Also a quick note on these––I often get into a workout and realize it's a little bit more than I can handle. If that happens to you, that's okay! Just do the best you can with it, and try again another day. You'll be surprised with how quickly you can improve when you keep at it, especially within the first few weeks. Your nervous system will adapt super quick, and you'll be a lot more efficient and coordinated with your movements before you even start gaining muscle.

I hope that's helpful. If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them (to the best of my ability), so don't hesitate to ask or PM.

If it's ok, I'd like to kinda talk about something you said in your post:

> I hate going out now. I can deal with myself when I'm alone, but going outside ANYWHERE makes me really hate myself knowing that people associate me with this body. It's hard to go to grocery stores . . .

So honestly, this sounds like something I could have written about three years ago. I came out in the midst of a really bad depressive episode, and quickly developed pretty serious agoraphobia. It's not something I really talk about much because it was such a tough period for me. I'm really sorry you're dealing with something similar.

I don't know you, and I don't know your situation, but I worry that this is something that could become pretty serious if left unchecked. As with all things anxiety, if you continue to avoid what you're anxious about it gains more and more power over you. If it's at all an option for you, I would encourage you to consider seeing a therapist or other mental health professional. This can be difficult stuff to work through, and I'd love for you to have the dedicated support of someone who knows what they're talking about.

As far as stuff you can do outside of therapy to combat that aversion to going out, it's really important to challenge those negative feelings. I totally get not wanting to be seen, especially doing something like jogging (I still have issues with that myself). So, instead of diving in head first, could you try saying "I'm going to go for a five minute walk outside"? Try doing that every few days, and when that starts to feel kind of okay, bump it up to ten minutes.

I know it sounds a little ridiculous, but seriously, life is too short for dysphoria to completely own you. It may seem tempting to just stay in your room and hide "until you lose 70lbs" or "until you pass" or "until you start T" or whatever benchmark is important to you. But you'll get to your goals so much faster, and live a life that's so much fuller if you don't put your life on hold until you reach some (relatively arbitrary) benchmark. Take it from someone who did the literal opposite of that and is still busting their ass to put their life back together.

I hope that doesn't come off too preachy, or self-important. I'm rooting for you, man, and if I can be helpful at all you know where to find me.

EDIT: fixed some typos

Hey there! Listen, you are totally valid in how you feel and it is okay to be frustrated. I might not be able to do much, but I have a few thoughts that might help.

First things first: height. There are some subtle ways to get around this. There are a lot of things available for trans guys and generally short guys who want to be taller. There are shoe wedges that are designed to go inside the shoe and give you a little boost (also known as shoe lifts). You can find these all over the internet for pretty cheap. Here's one that will give you 2.5 extra inches.

Another suggestion would to be to wear shoes that are slightly taller than the average shoe. This can be anything from platform shoes/boots to most basketball or sport shoes. You can also combine these thicker shoes with shoe lifts for an added boost. My suggestion: if you go looking for thicker shoes, Adidas makes some really nice shoes but I would recommend going to shoe stores and looking for shoes with a very wide base. This will not only give you a slightly extra boost, but will also help with foot posture and prevent your ankles from pronating. Also, they look cool. (I usually go that rout, but I'm currently freaking out over the fact that my feet are small enough to allow me to wear boys shoes, which means I am currently in possession of shoes that light up with every step I take. It's awesome!)

Next up: top surgery. This is a really big concern for a lot of people. Ultimately, the final decision is yours. However, scars tend to heal up pretty easily. If you have parental support, then your scars will actually have a much higher chance of healing up to the point of being near invisible. High visibility of scars typically comes from stretching or overworking yourself too early on. Even so, there are ways of hiding them that range from simple covering up with a shirt, makeup (there are waterproof makeups available), and tattooing. You can also request that the surgeon make your scars uneven or discuss other possibilities with them.

Last but not least: hips. This is going to take the longest to see any changes for. I've been on T for three years now, and I still have a somewhat feminine build. It's really obvious if I'm naked or if my pants are cinched tight at my waist (I wear my pants around my hips for a reason). Now, I started taking hormones when I was 19 and I was never on blockers, so a lot of my problem is in my skeletal build. Not much i can do about that. However, fat placement takes a loooooong time to start shifting. You may not start seeing noticeable results for another year, at least. There are some subtle tricks to get around that, though.

Wearing jeans and pants around your hips helps a lot with the general outline you create. Polo shirts help a lot because of the generally heavier fabric. Hides your actual body shape and creates a pretty clever illusion. Stripes also help a lot, though I would recommend horizontal or slanted stripes. Definitely check this guy out for clothing suggestion: http://ftmguide.rassaku.net/ Please note that you should probably go through that on your own or when you have some privacy. While there's no nudity, there are some sections with guys in their underwear. take that as you will.

It's not much, but I really hope this helps. Good luck and I hope things start getting easier for you soon.

Your hair sounds a bit similar to mine tho a bit finer and more prone to be weighed down with synthetic products; that was very intuitive of you to notice! The major pitfall of common store brands is that theyre filled with sulfates, silcone and parabens. They will cling to your hair shafts and build up over time leaving your hair waxy and heavy.

If youre an ingredient reader look at like the top 5 ingredients; you can usually spot the bad synthetic stuff pretty fast. For sulfates, look for ingredients that end in “-ate”, this typically indicates that its a sulfate. Silicones normally end in “-cone”, “-xane”, and “-col”. And parabens can usually be spotted by ending in “paraben”.

Some general advice would definitely be: 1. Dont crank the shower temp up to max. Hot water only makes skin drier which leads to more compensation in oil production. 2. Dont wash your hair every day. you can shower everyday, by all means I encourage it! But save the shampoo for every other day. Most excessive oil problems are actually because youre stripping your hair dry and your scalp is over compensating.

As far as some product recommendations! I would get a nice Clarifying Shampoo ; These are best used maybe once a week if you have thinner hair, tho I have been known to use mine more frequently if my hair feels truly disgusting which sometimes hair just do that. These are good for stripping away the weeks build up of grime and sweat and dead skin. your hair will feel very squeaky after using this stuff. Always condition and leave it in for at least 5 minutes before rinsing.

A good Dry Shampoo for those days you dont have time to shower is a God Send or simply to spruce up your hair on No-Poo days. Remember to comb your hair after applying it cause this stuff can really cake up on your hair if you start to sweat.

Since my hair is so short its really hard to follow most of the instructions of hair regimens (theres a big to do about focusing on your roots versus hair shaft in most hair regimens) so I tend to use primarily Co-Washes! I dont have tight curls or coils but Ive found they are very effective at cleaning my hair, moisturizing it, but not stripping it so much that I end up back where I started. Theyre basically conditioners with a few of the sudsy bits of shampoos mixed in. Theyre similar to a 2-in-1 but they err on the side of the conditioner rather than the shampoo. They are much better for healthy hair and scalp.

A couple of my favorite cowashes are: NYM (Im very fond of this brand XD); Mop Top (if you dont mind a brand thats not in stores) or As I Am (This is the only CoWash I do not follow up with a light conditioner as coconut oil is very heavy on my hair).

With thinner hair its best to try and avoid products with heavier oils that are slow to absorb like Coconut and Olive oils; I would only suggest these if you are going to do something after your shower that will involve intense heat like curling or straightening irons. Products with lighter oils like Argan and Grapeseed will absorb more quickly and wont leave thin hair feeling greasier but will still moisturize it. Jojoba Oil tends to have properties of both and is a good middle ground.

Even tho I use co-washes, there are still surfactants in them and a light conditioning afterwards works wonders for sealing the deal. My fave conditioners usually have really light oils in them because my hair is prone to getting weighed down: Argan Oil Conditioner (my current go to particularly because it has more of a cedar wood and patchouli scent instead of typically floral scents); Argan Oil and Lavender (this one can leave a rather strong girly floral scent in your hair but its absolutely lovely); Leave In Spray or Leave in Milk (And if your hair is being an absolute pain about being weighed down, never underestimate a nice light leave in spray or milk. A little bit goes a long way for conditioning temperamental hair).

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The best part is that a lot of these tips can also be applied to the skin of your face too. Too oily? Your showers may be too hot or the soap/astringent you are using may be to HARSH and are stripping everything away, good and bad. Try something lighter like a Toner. Moisturizing after washing your face can be important. Some toners also moisturize lightly (like Rose Water Toners) but if youre still feeling a bit dry, light moisturizers made for facial skin can be a nice way to finish up a shower routine!

Also Always remember to wash you pillow cases regularly!

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The most important thing to remember is that changing the chemistry of your hair and skin routine can take a bit of time to settle in so you might not see a change immediately. Id say give it at least 1-2 weeks to really see if things start clearing up and if they dont keep track of the changes and adjust and try different products. its a bit of a pain in the wallet, believe me, I went thru half a dozen or so different products before I narrowed it down to a couple things: coconut oil was too heavy for my hair and jojoba oil was to slow absorbing for my skin but Argan Oil and Rose Water are a true delight; Im allergic to Salicylic Acid and thats a huge ingredient in a lot of products and acne medications; and my skin is Combination so it can vacillate wildly between oily and dry states. I did find a nice set of products tho that get the job done eventually! I hope you can find some faves yourself!

I am currently living in my parents home where I'm not out and face a lot of the same issues. I'm going to try to compile things that I've done in the past couple years:

1. Straight cut men's jeans work really good for a more androgynous look. If you are worried about wearing them or other androgynous clothing at home feel free to change in the car or at the school when you get there. I've done both in the past and it has worked out fine (obviously change somewhere fairly discreet if doing so in the car).
   
   
2. Men's briefs look a lot like women's underwear and work well if you're worried about washing clothing that other people might find laying around. It helps with dysphoria a ton, it was a huge turn around for me with handling stuff while at home. The kind I get is Fruit of the Loom and doesn't have a hole in the front so you can pack with them too, I've never needed a seperate packing device to use with my xs Mr. Limpy when using these briefs, and you can get them at walmart in packs of like five or six I think.
   
   
3. I ship all my binders, packers, sex toys... really anything that I don't want my mom to see (band t-shirts even) to one of my friends who I'm out to. You can look into a post office box or amazon locker but remember that the best binders (GC2B and Underworks) are not shippable to an amazon locker. Both GC2B and Underworks ship in discreet, awesome packaging but my mom "accidentally" opens almost all my mail and has hidden medical bills from me before so I know that she intentionally reads and looks into things. Shipping to a friend is much safer. If you don't have a friend in the area look into your local trans or lgbt groups and find someone there. You probably don't have stores in your area that sell binders unless you're in a super lgbt positive area (there aren't many tbh).
   
   
4. I handle community college by emailing all my profs before the semester, explaining that my preferred name is Mat and my preferred pronouns are he/him. If they give me a hard time I usually end up dropping the class and starting it again with a better teacher. I gave up on powering through classes where the teacher misnames me after the first two weeks. Misgendering is different, but that's because I know I still present super fem and the rest of the class doesn't know I'm trans. A second part to this is that you have to have a thick skin if you want to handle community college as a trans individual who isn't out and isn't able to change their legal name yet. Online stuff is still going to have your name in it. Your school email might have your name in it. People are going to be confused at some point. There WILL be people who try though and make it so much more worth it--half my class is calling me she/her right now and there's one guy who sits right in front of me and always corrects himself to he/him when speaking out loud about my opinion on stuff in class. It makes my day every time.
   
   
5. See if your campus has counseling and if not look into getting some, even if it's not specifically gender related. Find someone who is LGBT friendly. Living in a place that does not accept you while you are out at other places is super exhausting, stressful, and anxiety-provoking. As a college student and young adult you already have a lot on your plate. Try to get as much outside support as possible, whether that's the online community, a counselor or therapist, or your local LGBT community.
   
   Good luck with it all. Stay safe! Let me know if you have any questions about anything specifically with coming out at school/hiding things/etc. I've lived at home for two years, had a few weird experiences with my mother, but overall still making it and have six more months to go.

Thank you. I'm glad that my information is helpful. I love it when I get linked to things that I can research and expand my knowledge on.

I'm only a 19 year old university student taking engineering. My mother is emotionally abusive towards me to the point where I had really bad anxiety and depression. I'm not living with her at the moment, and let me just tell you how much better I am. I started T almost 1 month ago, I feel a lot better and I'm not on any meds for anxiety and depression anymore (vs being on 3 different meds). My own "experiment" has let me know that things can get better when you are away from a toxic environment.

I am still learning and trying to make the best decision with the information I have.

Also, please make a schedule for yourself. I'm going to make an example one here:

Wake up at 8:30 am

Breakfast at 9 am

School at 9:30 am (online courses). Break this up into a different subject every hour to hour and a half. Or do one subject on that day. It's better to do different subjects each day so you don't forget it in the future.

Lunch at 12:30 pm

School at 1:30 PM

Work at 4 PM I highly recommend getting a job for not only money but for experience and adding to a job resume. Or find a place to volunteer at for your resume and experience. This will also help you get business contacts as well.

Break/relax at 8 or 8:30 PM

Exercise at 9 PM (you can wake up early and do this instead). I like to exercise for 20-30 mins at a min., an hour at most. Exercising at night is not ideal. You can put this after lunch and start school 30 mins or an hour later.

Dinner at 10 PM or during your break at work. In terms of diet, it's better to have multiple small meals every 3-4 hours, but if you can't do this, it is better to have a big breakfast and a small dinner because it's not ideal to sleep on a full stomach. That is wasted energy.

Relax after dinner (10:30 or 11 pm)

Bed at midnight

Do your best to get 7-9 hours of sleep. I like to meditate before bed. I haven't done this lately because I never found it helped my mental health because I realize now that my mental health problems were caused by my family and not genetic. I found meditating helped make me tired and calm my mind and relax my body for a couple of minutes.

For exercising, you can use your own body weight (ie push ups, planks, curl ups, etc.), equipment if you could get a gym membership, dumbbells, or what I use are resistance bands. I hate body weight exercises. But here is a link for the best body weight exercises:
https://www.fringesport.com/blogs/news/12-best-bodyweight-exercises-for-weight-loss

I like resistance bands mainly because they are compact, affordable, and you can control the weight you are using. I have bands that range from 10 lbs to 30 lbs. You don't need to use heavy weights as long as you do enough of them. I use the 10 lbs band for different exercises for 5 mins and my arms and shoulders burn afterwards. I'm a beginner though so a higher band may be recommended for you. I bought this from Amazon (i got it on Amazon Canada, but i will link the equivalent USA one):
【2019 Upgraded】 Resistance Bands Set with Handles, Door Anchor, Ankle Straps and Workout Guide - Lxuemlu Exercise Bands for Men Women Resistance Training, Home Workouts - 100% Life Time Guarantee https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N2LGF5G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WSnwDbPFT012K

The above cost $18 USD. Here is a link do different exercises you can do with resistance bands:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwigxO7Q0YvkAhWml-AKHYhnDBYQzPwBegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgreatist.com%2Ffitness%2Fresistance-band-exercises&psig=AOvVaw0R0KTCcSEy45mfQjLexlxB&ust=1566190827940199

Here is an article that describes the best reps/weights to use if you want to bulk or be lean:
https://www.livestrong.com/article/550735-getting-cut-vs-bulking-up/

Because I noticed you are from Texas, here are the links for some things I mentioned before, but in your state:

School curriculum: https://tea.texas.gov/curriculum/teks/

Firefighter standards of Texas (Houston specifically):
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/employment/Candidate_Orientation_Guide.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwicxr3C0ovkAhVNheAKHRiFDU0QFjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw1HDINA7OVVi1W6WxuJHw68

This mentions you need to be able to run 1.5 miles.

Firefighter standards of Texas (San Antonio). I'm linking this one because I'm not sure if it works or not. This lists more about the heavy weight lifting than the other one though:
https://www.sanantonio.gov/SAFD-Recruiting/BecomingAFirefighter/ApplicantCandidatePhase/CPATDetails

Also if you can afford it, please eat healthy. This just means to eat as little amounts of junk food and processed foods as possible such as donuts, potato chips, candy, take out, etc.. For me, I'm on a life style change that my doctor recommends specifically for me. I'm on a low carb diet. I'm overweight and am at risk for diabetes so I need to not eat as many carbs. You may not need this diet. I don't eat any breads, potatoes, corn, or wheat products.

To track calories if you need it, I have used LoseIt and now am trying LifeSum. Both are freemium products. I feel LifeSum offers more for free than LoseIt does. Other people use MyFitnessPal. It depends on the person. The main focus should be calories in and calories out. Also you would do this to track your protein if you want (probably need since you want to be a firefighter) to gain muscle. The amount of protein you need depends on age and weight. This article discusses how much protein you should have depending on weight and lifestyle:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-protein-per-day#muscles-and-strength

I like to help people if I can. If you need more help on something, let me know.

Thanks dude! I'm just super into skincare and have a tendency to fall down internet research rabbit holes hahaha. I bought this safety razor like two and a half years ago & I think it's a super great one to start with. Some people recommend using different blades than the ones that come with it, but it seems like more of an upgrade than a necessity. When you do need to buy more blades though, most people recommend trying a sampler set to figure out which brand of blades you like best. If you really feel like splurging you could go for a full set like this one (although tbh this might be a pretty good deal cost-per-item wise).

Shaving with a safety razor for the first time is definitely kind of harrowing, although I found that because I was super nervous I went real slowly & carefully, and consequently didn't have any problems. Just make sure you don't start with a setup that's described as "aggressive," since that indicates more of the blade is exposed & can cause irritation and more nicks/cuts if you don't know what you're doing.There are a lot of great tutorials on youtube or even in the reviews on the razor I linked here to help get you started!

I have many! Here are a few:


Gender Failure by Rae Spoon and Ivan Coyote This is the book version of the authors' live show that toured in 2012. They both are nonbinary, and the stories they tell are about that.


Second Son by Ryan Sallans Ryan has been a role model of mine for a long time, so I was really excited to get his book. It's a pretty basic transition memoir, but he has a really great voice.


Gender Outlaw by Kate Bornstein This one is a classic, and one I wish I had read much sooner! It's a transition memoir, but she also has some awesome discussions about gender in general too. Also, check out The Next Generation which is a collection of the work of trans* writers and artists.

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg I think everyone should read this. It's a memoir/fiction sort of thing, and gender and transition are shown to be much more complex than in other transition memoirs. This one is quite old though, so maybe your library already has it?

Lastly, I will suggest Red: A Crayon's Story, which is basically the sweetest story about a blue crayon that was given a red wrapper by mistake.

Would it be possible to save a little more?

This will easily pass as just a sports bra but will bind pretty well.

$33.24 - $39.99



Underworks MagiCotton Sports Bra and Binding Minimizer Bra


https://smile.amazon.com/Underworks-MagiCotton-Sports-Binding-Minimizer/dp/B00I54X1B8/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1494136990&sr=1-1&nodeID=7141123011&psd=1&keywords=Underworks%2BMagiCotton%2BSports%2BBra%2Band%2BBinding%2BMinimizer%2BBra&th=1

Hey guys, I have a basically new 3rd generation Emisil STP for sale. It's 4.3" long, circumcised, skin tone S08 (see here for color reference: https://www.emisil.com/stp-packer-3rd-generation.html). Looks super realistic, it's hand-painted, and the balls are really fun to play with :) I only wore it for about 10 minutes, I found that having a visible bulge makes me more self-conscious and just wouldn't be comfortable wearing it from day to day. Cost with shipping was $530 new... I'm hoping for $400 but am open to reasonable offers.

I also have a 4-pack of size small (28-30" waist) David Archy separate pouch briefs (these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DYQ69EI/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). These have separate "compartments" for cock and balls and are pretty useful for packing with an STP; unfortunately, they were a little too big for me so have only been worn to try them on. These sell for $27 new, make me an offer.

I would go for a high compression underworks binder. I am not a big chested person but I have seen the pics on the Amazon reviews and it will make you pretty darn flat. I am in between sizes so I bought a XS and a S, the XS makes me almost completely flat like I never had a chest in the first place which is really helpful when I have a bad dysphoria day.

Extreme compression (5/5 compression)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M35KHB9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mMAADb84TF2YF

Firm compression (4/5 compression)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EKN749M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_OLAADbVEGQHST

Ah, yeah, that's a bit of a problem. Do you have some cash saved up, by any chance? You could buy a PayPal gift card and then use it to buy the binder. Might be annoying if your parents are super paranoid though.

Beyond that, any chance you're a sporty type? You could ask your parents to get you this, which is probably about as close to a binder as you can get without actually being a binder.

I actually didn't use tape, I used a silicone gel, specifically this one ID Millenium which was recommended to me by my surgeon. Yes it's lube, but apparently it's the exact same stuff as the medical silicone gel. Apply a tiny bit - a blob about the size of a pea will do the whole of both scars.

Bonus, when you've finished using it on your scars and there's half a bottle left, you can use it for its intended purpose.

WARNING: Do not let this stuff get anywhere near a silicone packer. It will melt it.

GC2B had a period of time where they were on amazon but it appears they stopped that. I guess it caused too many issues.

Edit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01M8QMUQR/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482804677&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=underworks+997&dpPl=1&dpID=41tafdPKVfL&ref=plSrch

Thats an underworks 997 which I have heard great things about, I believe its a full torso binder though, so your chest and stomach are flattened. I'm not sure if they are worth some of the prices they are listed though

I love the Sam. I've tried a bunch of STPs and none have worked as well for me as this one. It does look a bit boner-y but no worse than any other STP I've tried. Works fine in jeans but not thin wool dress pants - I've given up on wearing STPs with dressy pants. I wear it with Bunker briefs, sort of positioned diagonally in the briefs when I wear it. Found out about Bunkers from someone else on this thread awhile back. The material (mostly cotton with a hint of spandex) is perfect for holding an STP or regular packer. https://www.amazon.com/Bunker-Underwear-Attitude-Brief-Navy/dp/B00BUI6DNO/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1542490771&sr=8-12&keywords=bunker+briefs

I have no good advice, but the book Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation contains several essays from FtM drag queens. Maybe you'll find it useful?

So like this bad boy?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8QMUQR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6JoODbX6EHM8W

Underworks has a binder which is $20 and available on amazon. I got the longer full tank one and it did the job well.

I've heard good things about https://www.amazon.com/Underworks-MagiCotton-Sports-Binding-Minimizer/dp/B00I54WZGK , but have not tried it personally.

i have the same one, its an underworks sports bra-binder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I54X1B8/ <-- here

They're from Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman. It's an essential anthology in my opinion!

Here's my list so far. It's a mix of FTM-specific, general trans, and gender studies books, including essays, memoir, and more academic works. In no particular order:

Gender Trouble by Judith Butler


Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us by Kate Bornstein

Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman


Nina Here Nor There by Nick Krieger

Female Masculinity by Judith Halberstam

Nobody Passes - Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity edited by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore


Whipping Girl by Julia Serano


How Sex Changed: A History of Transexuality in the United States by Joanne Meyerowitz

Becoming a Visible Man by Jamison Green

Queer Theory, Gender Theory: An Instant Primer by Riki Wilchins

PoMoSexuals: Challenging Assumptions About Gender and Sexuality edited by Carol Queen

Genderqueer: Voices From Beyond the Sexual Binary edited by Joan Nestle

From the Inside Out: Radical Gender Transformation, FTM and Beyond edited by Morty Diamond

Second Son by Ryan Sallans

Why are Faggots So Afraid of Faggots? by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

and the must-read fiction:

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

I'll edit this if I can find any others, I'm probably missing a couple. Been a big non-fiction reading year for me!

EDIT: Edited to add links, and a few more on my wish list I haven't picked up yet.

Letters for my Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect edited By Megan M. Rohrer, M.Div. & Zander Keig, M.SW.

That's Revolting!: Queer Strategies for Resisting Assimilation edited by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

Transgender Voices: Beyond Women and Men by Lori B. Girshick

Just Add Hormones: An Insider's Guide to the Transsexual Experience by Matt Kailey

The Testosterone Files: My Hormonal and Social Transformation from Female to Male by Max Wolf Valerio