Self intro / I have a long journey ahead of me...

[copious]

Hey guys! I came across this forum a few years ago, but I'm really scared of surgery. I should have stuck around and gotten myself inspired. In the time since then, I've gotten much fatter, and of course, the man boobs grew too. I think in my case, surgery is the only way to get rid of my man boobs. At the time, I was fairly obese, and thought I should lose weight first before even thinking about surgery. Well, I've really let myself go... to the point where I'm now 359 lbs and I'm exactly 6' tall. After a recent vacation last month, I decided to take my shirt off and enjoy the beach and the ocean, despite the fact I knew everyone would stare at me - if not for my man boobs, then for being grossly overweight.

In the pictures you see here, I weighed 371 lbs, so I've lost 12 pounds already. This trip made me realize just how disgusted I am with myself. It was so embarrassing to have to ask for seatbelt extenders on the plane. At the beach, even the friend I was with was joking about my "man boobs." So, I figured, enough is enough! I need to do something about it. Even with a rigorous weight loss plan, it would take me about a year to get to a reasonable weight.

And I know I'll still have the man boobs. Seven years ago I had gotten down to 225 pounds, and was going to the gym, lifting weights, and I still had the boobs. Maybe not as big, but they were definitely still there. Even as a "pleasantly plump" teen, they were there. I remember the teasing I had to endure. Most of my life, I've been embarrassed to take off my shirt. Enough is enough! This time I will lose the weight and keep it off - not just so that I can get the operation - but also for the many health reasons. I can see my health getting worse each year and it's getting hard to buy clothes that fit me.

Only problem is that I'm incredibly shy and nervous about going to a gym now. People will stare and laugh at me (if not to my face, then to themselves). My friends and staff at the YMCA tell me this won't happen, but I know it will. Even if you're not overweight, you know how self-conscious you are (or were) with your boobs bouncing around. Sure, I can wear a tight shirt underneath (as if that will solve the problem). So, I either need to get over it and just go to the gym and do the best I can, or wait until I'm down to about 250 lbs through dieting, then go to the gym.

I'm not sure if any of you are or have been this obese, but when you're this big, you just don't move around that easily. Everything looks and feels clumsy. You get out of breath easily. It's embarrassing. I could buy dumbbells and use them at home, but I always tend to do exercises wrong and need an instructor or trainer to watch and correct me. Believe me, there's nothing I'd like more than to be in shape, totally ripped and have no more boobs! Depending on muscle, I estimate my ideal weight to be around 180 lbs - give or take 20.

So I have about a year of weight loss ahead of me before I can even think about surgery. That gives me time to save up and research where would be a good place to go. I live in Montreal, Canada. Maybe I'll look for a doctor near me, or in Toronto? Or should I go to the US? I'll have to do this on my own. There's nobody that could come with me for moral support. Will I be able to drive home afterwards - or do you have to really take it easy for a while? Any other tips and comments would be greatly appreciated.

[copious]

I forgot to mention, I'm 36 in case anyone was wondering. I've had boobs of some sort as long as I can remember. Definitely as a teen, maybe even before then. I remember in gym class in elementary school, and of course high school, being embarrassed to take my shirt off. When I bent down, the boobs would really droop down and be REALLY noticeable. They'd bounce around when I walked or ran. The guys would joke and say I had boobs bigger than most girls/women (even though that wasn't true).

[Merangue]

You're right, you do have a long journey ahead of you. It's not going to be easy but it's not impossible. Loosing weight really isn't that complicated, if you lower your calorie intake, exercise you will get better.

Don't be afraid of going to the gym. There are people there of all shapes and sizes. Young, old, extremely skinny, obese, and everything in between. There's this one guy who comes to my gym. I've never talked to him but I see him around regularly. He's old (60ish I guess) and probably weighs around 300-400lbs. I don't know why but it makes me happy every time I see him. It sounds lame I know, but I really respect the guy for coming in regularly and trying.

You get to know the people at your gym pretty soon. A few of them you'll get to know personally, most you'll just recognize as regular faces. It's true that I haven't come to recognize that many obese people because they probably give up after a while (for whatever reason). I guess that's why I respect this person so much, he's one of the only ones I know who consistently tries (and has severe hurdles in his path).

Anyway, don't be afraid of other people making fun of you at the gym. Most everyone is too concerned about themselves to care about anyone else. Just bring some tunes and drown out the rest of the world (that's really what most people are doing there).

[copious]

It's good to know that some people are happy to see an overweight person working out, knowing that they are bettering themselves. But there are people who will laugh. Several years ago, when I wasn't even nearly as overweight, I heard people talking about me at the YMCA gym. And I know there will be people who just keep their comments to themselves. Thinking back to gym class when I was in school, I remember the comments about my weight and boobs. If there are people who will say it out loud, there are people who will talk behind my back, or just snicker quietly to themselves. That really bothers me and I'm having a hard time getting over it. I don't want to be the center of attention or the subject of people's cruel jokes. I wish I could afford my own home gym and personal trainer.

Something else noteworthy about working out - it may be limited due to a recent injury. I'm still getting over a nasty pinched nerve - no doubt complicated due to my weight. It will probably be a few months before I can go for a walk that lasts more than 10 minutes and not be throbbing with pain.

I've been cutting my calorie intake down and have lost 12 pounds in the last 2 weeks, so I think I'm off to a good start. 12 pounds down, another 188 more to go! A year will go by anyways, with or without my permission. Even though this will take me a while, I might as well work on the weight loss, because next year I could be in shape and happy, or fat and depressed.  I want to be in shape so I can look and feel better and be able to get the surgery.

[gbymoobs]

I would recommend loosing weight in healthier manner, check this out.
I lost 18 kilo's and kept 11 kilo's of during a period of 4 years using his method.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1RgkVpYDeo

[copious]

Thanks for all the suggestions! The pinched nerve is a very real thing, but I've been pushing myself further and further every week. Whereas I could not stand up for more than 30 seconds without excruciating pain and then my leg going numb (which can't be good), back in February, I can now stand up for as much as a half hour (or walk for 10-15 minutes max). I don't get the numbness anymore, but my leg is throbbing with pain. So, I'm certainly willing to do any exercises that won't jeopardize my recovery. But I'm still having a hard time getting past what others think. I only leave my apartment when I have to go to work or go grocery shopping. And I stress out over that every day. In fact, there are friends and relatives I haven't seen in several years because I'm too ashamed to have them see what I look like now. Sad but true.

I've heard good and bad about the Atkins diet, but since I've been a vegetarian (almost vegan) for 8 years, the meat-based Atkins diet wouldn't work for me. But I have been considering the raw foods diet. I recently got "The Body Fat Solution" by Tom Venuto, and along with some different videos on YouTube about the raw food diet (a few weeks ago), I have lost 12 pounds in 2 weeks. Although I haven't gone on the raw food diet, I've certainly been eating a lot more raw fruits and vegetables the last few weeks and cut out a lot of junk food and processed foods. It would take just a few more changes for me to adapt to this diet, and it's one I could live on for the rest of my life, no matter where I live or travel. I hadn't seen Philip's videos on the raw food diet. Thanks for sharing! I will watch more of his videos. They're very inspiring. He was at 400 pounds and now he looks great.

There's actually a contest/challenge that closes tonight at midnight. I've been contemplating entering it for the last few days, so I need to make up my mind very soon. It costs $67 to enter (since you need to buy a downloadable book, etc). It's kind of like the Body-for-Life Challege, but it's by Tom Venuto and Adam Waters. You need to take a picture of yourself every day for 84 days. One male and one female winner will be chosen. The winners get a free trip to NYC, $500 spending money and to meet these two guys. Not a huge prize, in terms of monetary value, but the real prize would be the weight loss! Optimistically, I could lose 100 pounds in 84 days. It does require working out, so even if I skimped on the working out and didn't do that well on the diet part, I could probably still lose 50 pounds easily. Although it would be amazing if I could get under 300 pounds in 12 weeks.

My goal is to be at or near 180 pounds (which I believe is my ideal weight), although that number could be off by 10 or 20 pounds. Plus if I build up some decent muscle, that will add a bit of weight. Then I can finally get the surgery to get rid of these damn man boobs!

[copious]

Listen man, you are morbidly obese.  It is obvious that being a vegetarian doesn't agree with your body chemistry.  This has to change. Why are you a vegetarian in the first place?

You shouldn't need a contest to motivate you.  That's some shallow thinking right there. 

You won't lose 100 pounds in 84 days.  Not possible, and not healthy, period.

If you skimp on the diet and exercise, you won't lose 50 pounds in 84 days.  In fact, if you skimp on diet and excercise AT ALL, you won't lose the weight you want to lose!

If you have pain, go to the doctor and get some pain killers, or suck it up and drive on.  If you can't stand for more than 30 minutes, then the only solution to that is losing weight, because that's what is causing the pain.

You aren't going to get any sympathy.  Get up off your ass, and get working.  I can already tell by your attitude, that you are going to fail.  You aren't going to lose any weight.

I might sound harsh, but I am giving you a reality check here.

Yes, you did sound harsh. I'm not sure if you've ever had a pinched nerve, but if you have, you'll know the pain is excruciating. In fact, due to the fact I had to lay down all day, I gained even more weight making yet even more morbidly obese - I'm not denying that. And I know that my weight definitely is making this worse and the recovery process longer. That's one of the many reasons I want to lose weight.  (Incidentally, pain killers didn't help, and I'm trying to be "chemical free" - physiotherapy might help, but it's not in the budget right now). As I mentioned, every week, I push myself a bit further with how far I can walk, until the pain gets too unbearable. I have "sucked it up" and needed to stand in a line-up at the airport for over an hour, lugging a suitcase and a carryon bag, just to name one recent example.

When you have this much to lose, losing 50 pounds in 3 months can be very attainable. I've done it in the past, and that was without exercise. But I wasn't as serious or even as big then. Now I'm ready and serious. I  know of many obese people who have lost large amounts of weight over the period of just a few months. If someone has only 50 pounds to lose, it could very well take a year or two. But when you've got 200 pounds to lose, the first 50 can drop off quite quickly. But we'll see - only time will tell. I'd love to prove this right.

To be honest, I've never been a "gym person" although for 8 months back in 1999-2000 I was going to the gym regularly and seeing results. I went from 250 lbs to 225 lbs and I could have done better. Even then, being only a bit overweight, I was very self-conscious about people seeing me work out, but I did it anyways. Sadly, I got hit by a car walking across the street and had a cast and crutches which left me housebound. Not knowing proper nutrition then, I quickly put the weight back on.

I know several people who are vegetarians and they are all thin and healthy. That was my original reason for becoming a vegetarian. I never really enjoyed meat, but at it anyways because most other people did. Once I stopped eating it, I felt better about myself for not being responsible for killing animals. I couldn't bring myself to eat another animal product even if I wanted to. I could never go back. My problem is that I also ate junk food, too many carbs, and other foods that were vegetarian, but still fattening.

I didn't come here looking for sympathy. I simply wanted to introduce myself, share where I am and where I want to be. It's not fair to say that you can "tell by my attitude that I'm going to fail" because you don't know me, what motivates or what my strengths and limitations are. Sure, the contest may be a bit gimmicky, but hey, if it works, and makes me accountable, then why not? YOU may think it's shallow thinking, but for me it's motivating, inspiring and exhilarating.

In the end, my goal is to lose the weight so I can get the surgery to get rid of the gyne. Isn't that what we're all here for, and not to judge or insult others? Let's just try and help each other get through the issue of dealing with man-boobs (whether you're thin or fat) - that's probably why we've all come to this website. I actually thank you for being so harsh, because it makes me more determined than ever to make this work! (whether or not that was your intention in writing what you did). No hard feelings, OK? Thanks bro, peace! 

[tomtom5418]

Listen man, you are morbidly obese.  It is obvious that being a vegetarian doesn't agree with your body chemistry.  This has to change. Why are you a vegetarian in the first place?

You shouldn't need a contest to motivate you.  That's some shallow thinking right there. 

You won't lose 100 pounds in 84 days.  Not possible, and not healthy, period.

If you skimp on the diet and exercise, you won't lose 50 pounds in 84 days.  In fact, if you skimp on diet and excercise AT ALL, you won't lose the weight you want to lose!

If you have pain, go to the doctor and get some pain killers, or suck it up and drive on.  If you can't stand for more than 30 minutes, then the only solution to that is losing weight, because that's what is causing the pain.

You aren't going to get any sympathy.  Get up off your ass, and get working.  I can already tell by your attitude, that you are going to fail.  You aren't going to lose any weight.

I might sound harsh, but I am giving you a reality check here.

Yes, you did sound harsh. I'm not sure if you've ever had a pinched nerve, but if you have, you'll know the pain is excruciating. In fact, due to the fact I had to lay down all day, I gained even more weight making yet even more morbidly obese - I'm not denying that. And I know that my weight definitely is making this worse and the recovery process longer. That's one of the many reasons I want to lose weight.  (Incidentally, pain killers didn't help, and I'm trying to be "chemical free" - physiotherapy might help, but it's not in the budget right now). As I mentioned, every week, I push myself a bit further with how far I can walk, until the pain gets too unbearable. I have "sucked it up" and needed to stand in a line-up at the airport for over an hour, lugging a suitcase and a carryon bag, just to name one recent example.

When you have this much to lose, losing 50 pounds in 3 months can be very attainable. I've done it in the past, and that was without exercise. But I wasn't as serious or even as big then. Now I'm ready and serious. I  know of many obese people who have lost large amounts of weight over the period of just a few months. If someone has only 50 pounds to lose, it could very well take a year or two. But when you've got 200 pounds to lose, the first 50 can drop off quite quickly. But we'll see - only time will tell. I'd love to prove this right.

To be honest, I've never been a "gym person" although for 8 months back in 1999-2000 I was going to the gym regularly and seeing results. I went from 250 lbs to 225 lbs and I could have done better. Even then, being only a bit overweight, I was very self-conscious about people seeing me work out, but I did it anyways. Sadly, I got hit by a car walking across the street and had a cast and crutches which left me housebound. Not knowing proper nutrition then, I quickly put the weight back on.

I know several people who are vegetarians and they are all thin and healthy. That was my original reason for becoming a vegetarian. I never really enjoyed meat, but at it anyways because most other people did. Once I stopped eating it, I felt better about myself for not being responsible for killing animals. I couldn't bring myself to eat another animal product even if I wanted to. I could never go back. My problem is that I also ate junk food, too many carbs, and other foods that were vegetarian, but still fattening.

I didn't come here looking for sympathy. I simply wanted to introduce myself, share where I am and where I want to be. It's not fair to say that you can "tell by my attitude that I'm going to fail" because you don't know me, what motivates or what my strengths and limitations are. Sure, the contest may be a bit gimmicky, but hey, if it works, and makes me accountable, then why not? YOU may think it's shallow thinking, but for me it's motivating, inspiring and exhilarating.

In the end, my goal is to lose the weight so I can get the surgery to get rid of the gyne. Isn't that what we're all here for, and not to judge or insult others? Let's just try and help each other get through the issue of dealing with man-boobs (whether you're thin or fat) - that's probably why we've all come to this website. I actually thank you for being so harsh, because it makes me more determined than ever to make this work! (whether or not that was your intention in writing what you did). No hard feelings, OK? Thanks bro, peace! 

No doubt with that attitude bro ... you will definitely lose the weight!

Whether or not his intention was good or bad, take it and run with it...of course after all, once you lose the weight, your one step closer to a life without gynecomastia! 

More power to you

Good luck!

Thomas

[copious]

Thanks for the encouragement, Thomas! I can feel it - this is really going to work! Of course I still have to wait about a year before I'll be thin enough to have the surgery, but I'll look and feel great, and the boobs won't be as big!

[anon85]

I have one word for you:  Atkins

Buy the Atkins diet book immediately.  The early 90's version is bets, not the new one, which is adjusted to sell their products.  People lose hundreds of pound son Atkins, no joke.

The problem with a diet like Atkins is, it's not a healthy way to eat for life. So when people transition off the diet it can be very difficult to keep the weight off. Also, correct me if I'm wrong here, but I don't think you can even work out very much on the Atkins seeing as your carb intake is so low.

I'm not saying Atkins doesn't work for some people, but I've had my weight loss success so far by exercising six days a week and incorporating some of Bob Greene's ideas about transitioning into a healthy life style and mixing some of his nutrition advice with common knowledge and other misc. info.

[Merangue]

The thing to take away from atkins is maximize protein, minimize carbs. It's true that carbs are important for energy but due to the way most people live their lives (desk jobs, couch potatoes, etc) a lot of it is usually energy that gets stored in fat.

And yes, atkins is not sustainable by itself. By only dieting, you will lose fat but also kill of your muscle mass. The less muscle you have, the less calories you can eat before it starts getting stored as fat. So when someone eventually comes off the diet and goes back to eating normally, their weight will balloon back up cause the extra calories go right to fat.

Balance is the key. Working out is essential to keeping your weight off in the long term. You also have to balance your diet for YOUR body and lifestyle.

[copious]

Good points, guys. I've also heard that a person's cholesterol level can go way up on the Atkins Diet. But, one good piece of advice to take away, as you said, is to reduce carb intake and increase protein intake. I'd like to add, increase protein intake, but still keeping a calorie deficit to facilitate weight loss. Sometimes the easiest thing to do is the simplest thing to do: eat healthy and exercise. Having said that, I've been eating more raw fruits and vegetables lately (not too much fruit because I know it's still possible to get a lot of sugar that way).

[copious]

All of all you are totally misguided.  First off, the Atkins diet is 100% healthy.  If you don't have the book, buy and read.  You'll see.

Once you turn your body into a calorie burning machine, which is what happens with the Atkins diet, you have a much harder time gaining weight.  It is healthy to live on the rest of your life.  In fact, it is the most healthy diet possible.


The Atkins diet lowers cholestoral, NOT raises it.

You guys have no idea awhat you're talking about.

Different diets work for different people. To me, it would seem logical that a person's cholesterol level would go up with all the bacon, meat, butter, eggs, etc that are eaten. You have to give up the majority of fruits and certain vegetables, which seems kind of strange to me. For any weight loss program or diet, there are always people who are for it, and others who are not. I've heard both good and bad things about the Atkins diet. For me, it's not the right diet, but that's great that it worked for you. If it works for you, and you like it, then stick with it.

[SonnyAngel]

Hi Copious, good luck on your quest for a healthier you, i really hope you succeed. In regards to diet, whilst all of the ones mentioned work well when stuck to, diets like Atkins are not sustainable for a yr plus, it would drive you insane. You need a lifestyle change, and any carb addict isn't realistically going to stick to something like Atkins for the longterm, Maybe the 40% protein 40% carbs 20% fat would be more effective in the long term, There is plenty of info out there on the net without having to spend lots of money on the fad books and programmes.
   In regards to losing 100 pounds in 84 days, although it maybe just about possible, you would almost certainly end up with loose skin plus your would have too reduce your calorie intake to dangerous levels,  you are opening yourself to failure putting so much pressure on yourself. i understand its frustrating wanting to see results in the short term, but think how long it took you to put the weight on.
    At your weight 50 to 60 pounds would be a realistic although still a very challenging amount of weight to lose in 12 weeks. It would also be much healthier. I hope you find a diet thats right for you. In regards to worrying what people in the gym will think or say, i understand your apprehension but ultimately you can't spend your life worrying what others think, Its your body you've got to bite the bullet and do it, after your first session you will wonder why you got yourself in such a panic over it. Good luck.

[copious]

If I aim for a 100 pound loss I may not attain it, but I will probably lose more than if I aim for a lower amount. Maybe 100 pounds is a bit much for such a short period of time, but you're right, I'm just in a hurry to lose the weight, even though it took years to put on. I'm kind of liking the raw food diet, but maybe a variation on it. I could try to eat more raw foods (as opposed to cooked) and less processed foods. And of course take in fewer calories than I burn (but within safe levels). Then in a year, I should have lost enough weight to get the gyne surgery. We'll see what I can lose in 84 days though...