Can one lose there man boobs with just diet and exersice?

[Tychobrah]

I used to be about 35-45 pounds over weight, and thought my slight gynecomastia problem was due to all that fat. But I lost about 25 pounds and haven't noticed a reduction in my chest. My uncle had a gynecomastia problem and he had corrective surgery, and I'm wondering if I need the same.

Should I lose the remaining amount of weight and then see a physician, or just go ahead now?

Btw, I'm only 18 if that means anything.

[Dave_8]

Many have tried losing weight in order to lose their moobs, and some have actually done it. Thats because its usually psuedo gyne which is all fat and little gland. But if its a severe case of gyne, then surgery is the only answer. Oh and I'm 18 too, sucks huh?

[DrBermant]

I used to be about 35-45 pounds over weight, and thought my slight gynecomastia problem was due to all that fat. But I lost about 25 pounds and haven't noticed a reduction in my chest. My uncle had a gynecomastia problem and he had corrective surgery, and I'm wondering if I need the same.

Should I lose the remaining amount of weight and then see a physician, or just go ahead now?

Btw, I'm only 18 if that means anything.

Congratulations on your weight loss!  Does it not feel much better with that weight off?  25 pounds is a great deal of weight.

Weight Loss Can help with the fat of gynecomastia, but not the gland. Remaining fat, gland, and sometimes the skin can be residual contour concerns.

Weight loss before surgery is usually much better than weight loss after surgery. Weight loss is a coarse tool, Plastic Surgery is better reserved for refinement. This is especially true when tissue sagging is a factor.  Why lift sagging tissue, lose more weight, and see that tissue sag again from further deflation? 

Weight loss and surgical sculpture is a series of compromises. What suites any one individual will vary.  Ideal sequence that I recommend my patients:

• Get to a weight you are comfortable living with.
• Let the skin adjust as much as it will. It can take from 6 to 18 months for skin equilibration after a gastric bypass and major weight loss.
• After Massive Weight Loss, Consider Tightening Lower Tissues First. There is little sense to lift the chest and then have a tummy tuck, lower the chest result, requiring a revision chest lift.
• Then Address the Chest.
• Use No Surgery Body Shaping Garments as emotional support not to rush the process.

Bouncing redundant flesh also can be a major emotional factor stressing any patient trying to lose weight.  That is why I posted Videos of Compression Garments dealing with gynecomastia and stabilization.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Male Mastopexy Chest Lift for Sagging Tissues

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

The simple answer is that diet and exercise, though good for your health, will usually not result in complete obliteration of your gyne.

Gyne exists with fat and breast tissue intertwined together on your chest.  When you lose weight, the fat component will diminish, but the breast tissue remains although the entire breast may decrease somewhat in size.  What remains is "condensed" breast tissue, since the fat component in between the breast tissue has diminished.

Best recommendation:  lose the weight and keep it stable.  Then consider surgery.  Recommend you consult with several plastic surgeons who are very experienced in gyne surgery.  Check your local area first.  Alternatively, there are several plastic surgeons around the country who specialize in this type of surgery -- check them out as well -- there are more than one.

Dr Jacobs

[lugnuts]

The simple answer is that diet and exercise, though good for your health, will usually not result in complete obliteration of your gyne.

Gyne exists with fat and breast tissue intertwined together on your chest.  When you lose weight, the fat component will diminish, but the breast tissue remains although the entire breast may decrease somewhat in size.  What remains is "condensed" breast tissue, since the fat component in between the breast tissue has diminished.

Best recommendation:  lose the weight and keep it stable.  Then consider surgery.  Recommend you consult with several plastic surgeons who are very experienced in gyne surgery.  Check your local area first.  Alternatively, there are several plastic surgeons around the country who specialize in this type of surgery -- check them out as well -- there are more than one.

Dr Jacobs

I do agree with you, I believe in ANY gynecomastia case the person should train hard, if you look at any pre/post op pictures the ones with the less fat around the area look best.

Don't dodge exercise because you were told it can look worse, Bulking/weight loss has been the best decision of my life.  what can dropping fat do for you? lower surgery fees (no lipo needed) Better looking post op and overall feeling better.

[gyneco_1001]

In modern day gyno surgery... lipo is almost always used (for contour purposes) regardless of a person's weight... if it isn't then the PS must be pretty old school.

[Fatboyslim]

After being a silent viewer on this board for ~3-4 years, I have finally gotten up the nerve to tell My story about weight loss. The bottom line is, in most cases and as everyone else has mentioned, it will NOT go away. I went from ~320 pounds down to 164 (no surgery but through diet and exercise) and they still remained.   

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

I think the consensus of thinking is that an overweight man with gyne will always have a better result with gyne surgery if he has:

1. Lost as much weight as feasible, come down to a reasonable BMI, and has remained stable at that weight for a year.
2. Exercised as much as possible, which adds muscle and increases the weight loss.

That means putting off surgery until the above goals are met.  Once he has reached those two goals, he will have a healthier body overall.  And he will still have gyne (albeit smaller) as well as some degree of lax skin and perhaps malpositioned (droopy) nipples.

Every single case is different and will require the expertise of an experienced gyne surgeon who has seen every conceivable type of problem and who has surgical solutions for every problem.

On the other hand, there are some overweight men who for many reasons, including embarrassment at the gym, simply cannot or won't lose weight but still want something done with their gyne.  In these circumstances, one can have compromise gyne surgery.  The results won't be perfect but the size of the breasts will be diminished, the guy will fit more comfortably in his clothing and the embarrassment at the gym will be diminished.  Hopefully, these same men will then feel inspired to go out and lose weight.  But then they will require another procedure on their chest to tighten up any loose skin and re-position their droopy nipples  in order to achieve a trim and contoured chest.

Dr Jacobs

[Entouragee]

I have lost ONE HUNDRED pounds and my condition hasn't changed, and i'm having surgery in two months!

[DrBermant]

I have lost ONE HUNDRED pounds and my condition hasn't changed, and i'm having surgery in two months!

Congratulations on your weight loss.

Go into this with your eyes wide open. Remember to look for before and after surgery pictures for how your surgeon manages the completely different problem of the after weight loss surgery patient. There are even different views needed to demonstrate the nature of this problem and just how effective the surgery really is. That is why I use bending over views and flexing pictures to demonstrate loose skin (gravity pulls the extra tissue for the bending over photos, and flexing shows the nipple position in relationship to the pectoral muscles). Videos even better demonstrate the problem and surgery solution.

I have had many patients unhappy after surgery done elsewhere. Evaluating just a frontal and oblique picture in this variation of gynecomastia only partially tells the story.  We live our lives playing sports, doing activities, flexing muscles, not just standing upright relaxed.

Good luck on your surgery!

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, M.D.
Board Certified
American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member: American Society of Plastic Surgeons and American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
Specializing in Gynecomastia and Surgical Sculpture of the Male Chest
(804) 748-7737

[yzhazer]

Take a look at my progress with just exercise and diet https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=19429.30

[DrPensler]

There are two types of tissue that comprise the male breast , fat and glandular tissue. Fat cells do not interestingly decrease in number with weight loss they reduce in size while the absolute number remains intact. Glandular tissue does not change with weight loss and is much denser than fat ( adipose ). In many patients particularly those with a predominance of glandular tissue weight loss may make the gynecomastia appear more prominent relative to the surrounding tissue. So the answer to your question is it depends on the ratio of glandular tissue to adipose ( fat) tissue in your breast. Only individuals with a predominance of fat and a minor volume of glandular tissue will show dramatic improvement with weight loss.
Jay Pensler ,MD