Opinions Please!

[Zollner]

I've been ultra-sensitive about my chest since high school.  I've always been very conscious about what tops I wear, catching glimpses of myself in windows etc to check if my chest is really noticeable. It makes me totally miserable, and I'm in my late 20s now!

It was only a few years ago that I heard of the condition Gynecomastia, and since then the thought of having it corrected surgically has been something I have considered seriously.  I decided a few days ago to go ahead and start looking for a reputable local surgeon, but I discovered an old photo of me that has me wondering if it's all just fat.

Photo 1 and 2: Me now.  I am out of shape, and my chest is really pronounced.
Photo 3: Me about 5 years ago. This was the first time in my life I managed to make my chest appear normal.  It required about 1 year of extremely hard work outs (6 days a week) purely cutting (not trying to gain any muscle mass). I was down to a consistent 7% BF

This has me so confused...  Any input or thoughts would be very greatly appreciated!

PS.  If I was to go ahead with the surgical route (of course if the surgeon agrees it's Gyne), my plan would be to strip about 60lbs of weight before-hand

[jsboob]

the photo of your complete chest shows a well defined masculine chest in my opinion! Not feminine at all!

[Zollner]

the photo of your complete chest shows a well defined masculine chest in my opinion! Not feminine at all!

Thanks jsboob (that last photo was 5+ years ago).  I guess that means I should get back in shape first and then see.

[**Gynefor**]

This is what I would recommend before getting under the knife. It costs nothing to get back in shape (of course motivation) but just try and then see the results. See if there is any difference between before and after ? And then take a decision.

[gynedowner]

Yeah, I agree with the others. You were in great shape. What you have now is probably the psuedogynecomastia, which can often be treated with weight loss. Sometimes we have a tendency to put weight on certain areas. For men this is often the chest, waist, and abdomen. I would consider giving yourself a self examination. Put your fingers on the sides of your breast and bring your fingers forward pinching the fat (or possible tissue) until you reach the nipple. If a hard/tender mass underneath the nipple/areola, then that is probably the real gynecomastia. If you are unsure, see a medical professional (do this anyway to confirm). If not, I'd try to get back to your previous weight. I am just about as thin as you were and have a chest as large as the one you currently have. I have actual breast tissue. If I could exercise it all away, I'd double my daily workout routine.

[Zollner]

This is what I would recommend before getting under the knife. It costs nothing to get back in shape (of course motivation) but just try and then see the results. See if there is any difference between before and after ? And then take a decision.

Yeah, I agree with the others. You were in great shape. What you have now is probably the psuedogynecomastia, which can often be treated with weight loss. Sometimes we have a tendency to put weight on certain areas. For men this is often the chest, waist, and abdomen. I would consider giving yourself a self examination. Put your fingers on the sides of your breast and bring your fingers forward pinching the fat (or possible tissue) until you reach the nipple. If a hard/tender mass underneath the nipple/areola, then that is probably the real gynecomastia. If you are unsure, see a medical professional (do this anyway to confirm). If not, I'd try to get back to your previous weight. I am just about as thin as you were and have a chest as large as the one you currently have. I have actual breast tissue. If I could exercise it all away, I'd double my daily workout routine.

Thanks guys.  I pieced together what I could remember of my old workout routine and started today.  The basic premise is not to bulk out, as this only seems to make the problem worse.   My aim was stringy, not bulky.  More long distance runner physique than body builder.  Pretty gruelling though.  1000 calories a day max, 6 workouts a week, lots of interval cardio and high-rep low-weight resistance work (like, 150+ dumbbell chest presses - 50 decline, 50 flat, 50 incline, all with no break).  It was the only thing that seemed to work.

I think you might have hit the nail on the head GyneDowner - I may have a small amount of gland tissue,  but I think maybe my body is just programmed to store fat on my chest at a higher rate than others.  I also put more on my thighs than I do my abs or waist. 

I'll give that examination a try later.  Just to clarify - when you say put my fingers on the sides, do you mean fore and middle fingers from each hand?  Bit confused

[gynedowner]

I hope this helps. This isn't where i originally learned about this, but the instructions are basically the same. Good luck.

"It is important to distinguish true gynecomastia from pseudogynecomastia. The latter represents the accumulation of increased subareolar fat rather than glandular tissue...Differentiation between these 2 conditions can usually be made clinically, obviating the need for mammography or fine-needle aspiration of the breast tissue. If one places the thumb and forefinger on either side of the breast tissue, while the patient is lying on his back with his hands clasped behind his head, and slowly and gently brings the fingers together, the fingers will encounter a disc of tissue that is symmetric around the nipple-areolar complex in true gynecomastia; no such tissue will be appreciated with pseudogynecomastia."

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/467343_sidebar1

[ddh]

It's always good to be in good shape.

But IMHO it looks like you tend to gain weight in your chest. Trying to maintain BF at 7% will be very, very difficult as you age.

When I was young, my chest was pretty flat without any puffy nipples, but as I aged, my boobs got bigger even though my weight gain was minimal. I just gain weight in my chest more than elsewhere.

If you have the money, I'd suggest consulting with a good gyne plastic surgeon and get his/her opinion. You may be able to improve your chest contour beyond what you can achieve with just weight loss.

Best of luck!