Will dieting help at all?

[Bombay6905]

I have been needing to go on a diet for a while now and I have had some serious moobs since I was about 13 and I was just wondering if anyone has had any success in controlling their gyne by dieting and exercising. If anyone knows of any good meal plans and some good exercises that might help I would appreciate it.

[DeeDubStyle619]

The only way diet and exercise help your gyne, is if its pseudo or mostly just fat. If you have gland like me, it will do you no good.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

This is the eternal question -- will diet and or exercise help gynecomastia?

The truth is that once breast tissue has been developed, it does not disappear spontaneously.  Most gynecomastia is comprised of layers of breast tissue and fat.  If you diet to the extreme, the fat cells will decrease in volume (not in number) and your entire breast, like the remainder of your body, will diminish in size.  Unfortunately, the breast tissue will remain.  Then, in contrast to your now slimmer body, your breast will still appear out of proportion.

This is absolutely not to say that dieting is bad.  Simply, though, it will not make your gyne disappear.

Dr Jacobs

[DrBermant]

I have been needing to go on a diet for a while now and I have had some serious moobs since I was about 13 and I was just wondering if anyone has had any success in controlling their gyne by dieting and exercising. If anyone knows of any good meal plans and some good exercises that might help I would appreciate it.

The Anatomy of Gynecomastia consists of fat, gland, and skin. Weight Loss Before Gynecomastia Surgery can help with the fat, but not the gland.  However, you cannot target where your fat comes from. Some men have a trivial gland component. I have seen weight loss result in a normal flat chest without surgery!

However, many men with gynecomastia will have a significant gland component. The common theme for my patients who lose weight first, it that they tell me that they feel better with that extra weight off of their bodies.

My typical advice for my patients is to get to a weight they are happy with first and then explore what options they may need to finish the contouring.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia

[Grandpa Bambu]

It must depend on the person...

I was an obese teen with G. In my early 20's (mid 1980's) I went on a calorie reduced diet and exercised every day... Got down to 165 from 230 and still had the G. Albeit a tad smaller, they still remained...

Fast forward to 1990...  Had gained some weight back... Once again, went on a low cal diet and exercised regularly...  Got down to 148 pounds standing at 6 feet... very thin to say the least and yet the m(o)(o)bs remained...   

Being obese can camouflage the appearance of G... However, when you are thin and have G, it just looks very odd...

When I got thin, the G was smaller but not by much... The chest adipose tissue just didn't want to go away... 

So there you have it...  It's not as easy as saying "Geeze dude, go on a diet and the G will disappear" or "It's mainly fat, you can exercise that away"... For some, if not most, that just isn't the case...

GB...

[DrBermant]

It must depend on the person...

I was an obese teen with G. In my early 20's (mid 1980's) I went on a calorie reduced diet and exercised every day... Got down to 165 from 230 and still had the G. Albeit a tad smaller, they still remained...

Fast forward to 1990...  Had gained some weight back... Once again, went on a low cal diet and exercised regularly...  Got down to 148 pounds standing at 6 feet... very thin to say the least and yet the m(o)(o)bs remained...   

Being obese can camouflage the appearance of G... However, when you are thin and have G, it just looks very odd...

When I got thin, the G was smaller but not by much... The chest adipose tissue just didn't want to go away... 

So there you have it...  It's not as easy as saying "Geeze dude, go on a diet and the G will disappear" or "It's mainly fat, you can exercise that away"... For some, if not most, that just isn't the case...

GB...

A critical question is: other than for the gynecomastia, how did you feel about your self in general at the 148, 165, or 230 pounds?  Which weight felt best?  That is the best weight to have the surgery. Weight gain or loss after surgery results in an unpredictable result in the chest since you cannot pick where the weight comes off nor goes back on.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Male Breast Reduction

[Grandpa Bambu]

It must depend on the person...

I was an obese teen with G. In my early 20's (mid 1980's) I went on a calorie reduced diet and exercised every day... Got down to 165 from 230 and still had the G. Albeit a tad smaller, they still remained...

Fast forward to 1990...  Had gained some weight back... Once again, went on a low cal diet and exercised regularly...  Got down to 148 pounds standing at 6 feet... very thin to say the least and yet the m(o)(o)bs remained...   

Being obese can camouflage the appearance of G... However, when you are thin and have G, it just looks very odd...

When I got thin, the G was smaller but not by much... The chest adipose tissue just didn't want to go away... 

So there you have it...  It's not as easy as saying "Geeze dude, go on a diet and the G will disappear" or "It's mainly fat, you can exercise that away"... For some, if not most, that just isn't the case...

GB...

A critical question is: other than for the gynecomastia, how did you feel about your self in general at the 148, 165, or 230 pounds?  Which weight felt best?  That is the best weight to have the surgery. Weight gain or loss after surgery results in an unpredictable result in the chest since you cannot pick where the weight comes off nor goes back on.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Male Breast Reduction

I felt great at 148 lbs! However, many people asked if I was sick, as my face was sunken in a tad...  Being thin feels awesome! Being obese sucks... 

I've put weight back on since my surgery... I'm at 240 right now...   

Odd thing is though, now that the m(o)(o)bs are gone, and with the weight gain, I have developed quite a bit of adipose tissue on the sides of my chest... Didn't have that any time prior to the G surgery. Very odd to say the least... Does the body say... "Right then, I can't get fat there anymore, so I'll get fat somewhere else..."?

What else explanation is there?

GB...

[Dr. Cruise]

If you are overweight, then certainly weight loss should be your first line of treatment. Although there are no specific diets that have been shown to reduce breast tissue, loosing weight could improve the appearance of your breasts.

[DrBermant]

It must depend on the person...

I was an obese teen with G. In my early 20's (mid 1980's) I went on a calorie reduced diet and exercised every day... Got down to 165 from 230 and still had the G. Albeit a tad smaller, they still remained...

Fast forward to 1990...  Had gained some weight back... Once again, went on a low cal diet and exercised regularly...  Got down to 148 pounds standing at 6 feet... very thin to say the least and yet the m(o)(o)bs remained...   

Being obese can camouflage the appearance of G... However, when you are thin and have G, it just looks very odd...

When I got thin, the G was smaller but not by much... The chest adipose tissue just didn't want to go away... 

So there you have it...  It's not as easy as saying "Geeze dude, go on a diet and the G will disappear" or "It's mainly fat, you can exercise that away"... For some, if not most, that just isn't the case...

GB...

A critical question is: other than for the gynecomastia, how did you feel about your self in general at the 148, 165, or 230 pounds?  Which weight felt best?  That is the best weight to have the surgery. Weight gain or loss after surgery results in an unpredictable result in the chest since you cannot pick where the weight comes off nor goes back on.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Male Breast Reduction

I felt great at 148 lbs! However, many people asked if I was sick, as my face was sunken in a tad...  Being thin feels awesome! Being obese sucks... 

I've put weight back on since my surgery... I'm at 240 right now...   

Odd thing is though, now that the m(o)(o)bs are gone, and with the weight gain, I have developed quite a bit of adipose tissue on the sides of my chest... Didn't have that any time prior to the G surgery. Very odd to say the least... Does the body say... "Right then, I can't get fat there anymore, so I'll get fat somewhere else..."?

What else explanation is there?

GB...

How weight goes back on after surgery depends on how many fat cells remain and that regions nature as to how it tends to put on weight. Under arm fat tends to be first for the upper body for coming off or going back on. As an extreme example, Crater Deformity Defects get deeper with weight gain as the walls put on more fat while the deep part does not have any or many fat cells remaining. With weight gain, the craters get deeper with the walls becoming larger with the extra fat.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Male Breast Reduction

[observer]

iam  suffering from G too . been quite frustrated with this and currently on a diet. it does feel good to loose weight but G is more prominent then.

i wanted to ask will exercising chest muscle (pectorals) will help in anyway before i get my surgery done??
i've read building chest muscle will give it a shape and will not sag?? how true it is.

and even after surgery can i do chest exercise ..

thanks

[DrBermant]

iam  suffering from G too . been quite frustrated with this and currently on a diet. it does feel good to loose weight but G is more prominent then.

i wanted to ask will exercising chest muscle (pectorals) will help in anyway before i get my surgery done??
i've read building chest muscle will give it a shape and will not sag?? how true it is.

and even after surgery can i do chest exercise ..

thanks

Loose skin can be a factor After Major Weight Loss.

Excess Skin of the Male Chest gives its own female like contour. Building muscles can fill a loose skin envelope, but it can take a great deal of muscle to compensate for Low Nipples on a Male Chest. Maintaining such large muscles can be difficult, as muscles get smaller, the skin sags. That may be why many bodybuilders have such issues as they age.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia of Male Chest Ptosis - Sagging and Male Mastopexy Chest Lift Sculpture