Tired of obsessing...

[Goodvibes]

I am hoping that posting this for others to read and respond to will make me feel a bit better about my problem, as it currently stands I am almost completely alone.

I am 23.  It is clear to me that I have "woman-like breasts."  However, I am unsure as to what course of action to take.  I only know that I want them gone.

The main problem is my current weight/height; I am 6 foot and 226 lbs., which when translated to bf (31%) is considered "obese."  (I have been overweight my entire life.  I have worn A-shirts underneath my clothes ever since I was 4.)  I've actually lost ~16 lbs. this month (I've started a modest exercise/diet lifestyle change, nothing drastic).  My chest certainly hasn't gotten worse, and in fact they seem to have shrunk ever so slightly, but it's difficult to tell since I see them everyday.

My breasts have gynecomastic characteristics, but they seem quite small...but still large enough for me to notice.  They are symmetrical.  Also, they have a "bottom-heavy" appearance.  There is no hard or fibrous tissue under the nipple or in the areolar regions, but there seem to be "pads" in the bottom-heavy area to underneath the shoulder, as well as a sliver running up to 1" underneath my collarbone.  These are extremely soft.  I seem to have a single ring of slightly lumpy material outside each areolar region; however, this material feels identical to other deposits which I feel to be fatty in nature (such as in my upper legs).  My nipples, I feel, are fine; they certainly aren't "puffy," instead having wildly variable sizes based on physical activity (the entire areola becomes smaller than a dime if I've been exercising; late at night that region is only slightly larger than a quarter).  

When I lay down, or raise my arms up, or bring my arms back, the contour condition disappears.  I only perceive my chest to be a problem when my arms are relaxed and to the sides, if I am bending over, or I am pointing my arms forward.  I will note that the droop has been reduced significantly since I started to abandon my "eat and be happy" philosophy, especially when bending over (it's about 1.25 inches or so lower than what I'd like).

I suffer no pain from my breasts.  Touching them is pleasurable (tmi), so I don't believe I suffer from any numbness either.

I did not suffer teasing or social ostracism from this condition (my sexual orientation took care of the isolation part, but I was usually the ignorant, overly opinionated bully, especially in high school).  This has only recently been an issue, for the following reason:

Apparently, losing weight will not eliminate my condition.

This I find extremely disheartening.  I ponder whether or not to even bother now that I am told, regardless of my body weight, I'm going to attract negative attention from my physical appearance.  I cannot afford surgery, and I do not want to live with this condition.  I read that hormone therapy/medication also has very little effect on the condition.

Obviously the main reply will likely be 'lose the weight first.'  But again, from what I've read that's like slowly scratching off a lottery ticket only to find, sorry, your new body isn't a winning combination, you'll 'need' surgery anyway, and I cannot get it.  

So...I suppose this was more for catharsis than anything else, but if someone would be kind enough to offer suggestions I would be most thankful.

[usernameX]

Hey brother. Listen... were all here because we have gyno. We all know it sucks and how embarasing it can be. The sad part is...no they wont go away with diet and excerise. But let me tell you something man, I use to be 215 pounds at the height of 5 11. You could say I was somewhat "obese" I lost a good 35 pounds and even though my chest didnt really shrink, I look so much better. And who goes to say you cant afford surgery? Maybe coming up with a few grand in a short period of time is unrealistic and it is for most people, but who says you cant slowly save up for an op?

[hawthorne]

I'm on my way out the door, but glanced at this and felt compelled to say the following - much disagreement may come from my offering, but if you wish to graduate from catharsis to possible commiseration, check over the next couple pages of the board to see if you can find a post I started called Non Surgical.  Subsequent to my original post it kind of meanders off topic, but I'm hoping you can find some sense of hope and/or kinship in what I had to write.

Also, it should be noted that in your post you come across as articulate, introspective, and genuine.  Whatever physical attributes you possess with which you are unhappy can, through a panoply of options, be altered and addressed.  The good stuff about you is good forever.

Classic dialogue:

"You're fat."

"Yes.  But you're stupid and I can diet."


Be good to yourself...

[Bluesun_Again]

Hey brother. Listen... were all here because we have gyno. We all know it sucks and how embarasing it can be. The sad part is...no they wont go away with diet and excerise. But let me tell you something man, I use to be 215 pounds at the height of 5 11. You could say I was somewhat "obese" I lost a good 35 pounds and even though my chest didnt really shrink, I look so much better. And who goes to say you cant afford surgery? Maybe coming up with a few grand in a short period of time is unrealistic and it is for most people, but who says you cant slowly save up for an op?

And that's what I did. I gained weight last winter (which is usual for me) after I had gyne-surgery in June last year.  As I posted when I gained, the gyne-condition started to appear again but it still wasn't as bad as it was before the surgery.  Now, since this month and June of this year, I've lost weight.  How much, I don't really know.  And now my chess has gone back down a little.  I still have noticable gyne (if a person look hard enough, while I'm wearing my cloths . . . without my cloths, you can't miss it) but it's nowhere like it was before.  

Still, you know what?  Now I don't really care that much anymore.  I just have a somewhat "whatever" additutde about it now.   I remember I use to panick dreading the coming summer-months where I'd have to go out without a jacket.  Now, it doesn't bother me.  Don't get me wrong.  I still wouldn't be no way comfortable going outside wearing only a T-shirt.  I'll wear a loose summer-shirt over it . . . and sometimes I'll wear it openly unbutton too (something I wouldn't dream of doing before).  Since the surgery I've had a serious additude-change.  

[Bluesun_Again]

Oh yeah, to get an idea of where I'm at, I'm 6'4 and my weight and body-sdtructure fluctuates between . . .

this
http://www.plasticsurgery4u.com/a/no-surgery_body_shaping/bodybuilder_gyno_shaper.htm

and this
http://www.plasticsurgery4u.com/a/no-surgery_body_shaping/obese_body_shaper_vest.htm

[Goodvibes]

Thank you for the replies.  Actually, I have a question for Dr. Bermant (I didn't get it right the first time ) if he/she happens to see this thread.

I've read a few journal articles regarding tamoxifen and, oddly enough, a testosterone blocking agent (brand name starts with the letter 'd', can't recall its actual name).  Apparently tamoxifen has about a 30% net success rate for tissue reduction.

Now, obviously this won't 'eliminate' glandular tissue.  However...and this is a stretch from the responses I've read on this site, so please don't explode at me...I thought all human beings had -some- glandular tissue in thier breast.  After all, the male body is pretty much an alteration of the female body template (if this were not the case, we wouldn't even have nipples, much less breasts).  So, it isn't whether or not you have any glandular mass, but how enlarged the mass has become.  

I wouldn't mind keeping the gland tissue, I have made peace with that.  I just want it to shrink to a 'near-normal' size.  I'm thinking that in my case a fitness program is going to eventually utilize the fat in my chest area, and I know 3 different women who all had to...forgive my being a layman here...use testosterone as a hormonal therapy to aid with other conditions (one of them had severe allergies, the other two had some kind of facial paralysis).  All three of them, I remember humorously, complained about shrinkage and not being able to fit in their bras anymore, as well as growing hair in unusual places (lol).

So is the problem that this 'shrinkage' isn't enough for most who would think of trying a non-surgical route?  Honestly, I've seen some of the pictures of those who've reached a nice BMI (~22 or so) on this site and I think their chests are cut and pretty sexy (though that diagonally aligned 'nipple trying to approach the armpit' contour is admittedly absent).  I'm thinking about asking my general practitioner...