Getting Rid Of Man-Boobs

[MrMuddle]

Can anyone recommend exercises for getting rid of man -boobs ? I am only slightly overweight (by 5 kgs), but the man boobs are really annoying, especially if I want to go jogging.

I have a multi-gym, an exercise bike and one of those walking machines, but nothing seems to work. My diet is low fat, high fibre, low salt, and low protein.

Any tips / advice welcome, thank you.

[Sheryl]

As you are only 5kg overwieght it is possible this is not due to fat but rather a condition called gynecomastia, which is usually related to low testosteroine levels but can also be due to the effect of certain medications (listed i nthe link below). Suggest you see an endocrinologiost and get your testosterone levels checked.

Thsi is a good overvoew of gunecomastia: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gynecomastia/DS00850/DSECTION=causes

[tropo]

As you are only 5kg overwieght it is possible this is not due to fat but rather a condition called gynecomastia, which is usually related to low testosteroine levels but can also be due to the effect of certain medications (listed i nthe link below). Suggest you see an endocrinologiost and get your testosterone levels checked.

Thsi is a good overvoew of gunecomastia: http://www.mayoclini...DSECTION=causes

It's actually high estrogen levels which causes "man boobs" to develop. Even people on TRT can develop them due to the aromatising (conversion of testosterone to estrogen) of the testosterone.

[MrMuddle]

Thanks for the links, "kidney failure" is listed as one of the symptoms, I only have one kidney, due to having had one removed due to cancer, possibly this is the cause. I do not take any drugs at all, so I think it's safe to rule out the list of medications.

I should have written in my original post that I'm 58, as age can also be a cause, if I've read the notes correctly.

[Sheryl]

Remival of one kidney in itself would not do this and if you were in "kidney failure" you'd know it.

Again suggest seeing an endocrinologist.

[Baerboxer]

If you want to try exercise to help then use fly decks and bench press. Light weights, sets of high repitions. Always advisable to get a medical check up first, esepically as it sounds like you already do plenty of excercise.

[robblok]

If you want to try exercise to help then use fly decks and bench press. Light weights, sets of high repitions. Always advisable to get a medical check up first, esepically as it sounds like you already do plenty of excercise.

Im all for exercise but if its fat( probably not ) exercise wont help. Diet will, just like doing ab exercises wont slim your belly down in case of man boobs that are fat its diet first, combined with exercise. But diet is what will remove it.

Here its probably something else if he really is only 5 kg overweight. I hope he finds a solution for his problem.

[TommoPhysicist]

Plastic surgery, about 20k. A lot easier and quicker than exercise.

Edited December 9, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[robblok]

Plastic surgery, about 20k. A lot easier and quicker than exercise.

If it isn't a fat problem then this could certainly be a solution. I read about guys who got it from testosterone and they had to operate. But these were bitch tits gyno not man boobs.

[isawasnake]

pushups, bench press, swimming.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Eat a portion of protein at every meal, plenty of fruit and veg, absolutely no processed carbs or refined sugar. No alcohol. Combine this with short bursts of high intensity exercise, where you're working out close to full capacity.

Ditch the exercise bike and multigym, get doing some good old fashioned bodyweight exercises - press ups, squats, lunges, sprints and pull ups if u can.

Remember: high intensity exercise and a good clean diet, no exceptions, and the body fat will fall off.

Sent from my GT-S5570B using Thaivisa Connect App

Edited December 9, 2012 by TheScarf

[MrMuddle]

Thanks to all for advice, will start with Endocrinologist, and proceed from there.

[tropo]

If you want to try exercise to help then use fly decks and bench press. Light weights, sets of high repitions. Always advisable to get a medical check up first, esepically as it sounds like you already do plenty of excercise.

Im all for exercise but if its fat( probably not ) exercise wont help. Diet will, just like doing ab exercises wont slim your belly down in case of man boobs that are fat its diet first, combined with exercise. But diet is what will remove it.

Here its probably something else if he really is only 5 kg overweight. I hope he finds a solution for his problem.

He thinks he's 5kg overweight. The real number can't be determined unless we have an idea of his bodyfat percentage.

[eslteacher]

As somebody else mentioned, its probably a hormonal issue.

I'd definitely up the fat intake (healthy fats) as well as the protein intake. I'd recommend eating nuts, avocados (if you can get your hands on them), fish etc. And as somebody else mentioned, avoid sugary, processed food. Focus on eating fresh food with a large emphasis on fruits and vegetables with some high quality protein and fats thrown in. I'm a big believer in a balanced macronutrient ratio. Fat/Protein/Fats all relatively equal.

How much sleep do you get per night? And is it quality sleep? Sleep is perhaps the most important, thats when your body amps up hormone production. If you're not getting quality sleep, it would definitely effect hormone levels.

In terms of exercise, i'd really focus on resistance training. But not sure exactly what your fitness routine is like. You might be doing that already.

Its a problem many people face so you're definitely not in the minority. Good luck, keep us posted on your progress.

[nevets]

55555 Talking about weight loss and i click and an add comes up for a nice pork leg mmme.

[tropo]

As somebody else mentioned, its probably a hormonal issue.

I'd definitely up the fat intake (healthy fats) as well as the protein intake. I'd recommend eating nuts, avocados (if you can get your hands on them), fish etc. And as somebody else mentioned, avoid sugary, processed food. Focus on eating fresh food with a large emphasis on fruits and vegetables with some high quality protein and fats thrown in. I'm a big believer in a balanced macronutrient ratio. Fat/Protein/Fats all relatively equal.

How much sleep do you get per night? And is it quality sleep? Sleep is perhaps the most important, thats when your body amps up hormone production. If you're not getting quality sleep, it would definitely effect hormone levels.

In terms of exercise, i'd really focus on resistance training. But not sure exactly what your fitness routine is like. You might be doing that already.

Its a problem many people face so you're definitely not in the minority. Good luck, keep us posted on your progress.

You're not going to get rid of man-boobs by exercise, diet or sleeping more. It's a hormonal imbalance. Estrogen levels are too high which could also mean testosterone is too low. (yes, you can still have man-boobs with high testosterone - lots of guys down at the gym have them even though there testosterone levels are through the roof). Some of these guys will even be lactating (I kid you not).

You can actually diet down to a very low bodyfat level and still have man-boobs..... just as skinny females will still have some breast tissue... because that is what they are - breast tissue.

Edited March 5, 2013 by tropo

[Tolley]

If it is due to hormanal imbalance then exercise and diet wont really work.

But you can get rid of excess estrogen through improving diet and resistance training so is a good start to try this first.

I believe things like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage get rid of estrogen from the body and I think there are supplements like DIM that can work.

You absolutely need to avoid all sugar, alcohol and processed foods as well.

So before you go down the path of visiting doctors and getting maybe unecessary interventions I would try the natural approach for 3-6 months and see what happens.

[robblok]

I would personally start off with a blood test checking how much estrogen is there, then at least you know if a hormonal imbalance is the reason.

Then you can do as Tolley says or take medicine to counter it. That is a personal choice.

If its not a hormonal thing then diet and exercise will help.

[tropo]

If it is due to hormanal imbalance then exercise and diet wont really work.

But you can get rid of excess estrogen through improving diet and resistance training so is a good start to try this first.

I believe things like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage get rid of estrogen from the body and I think there are supplements like DIM that can work.

You absolutely need to avoid all sugar, alcohol and processed foods as well.

So before you go down the path of visiting doctors and getting maybe unecessary interventions I would try the natural approach for 3-6 months and see what happens.

The problem is that by the time breast tissue develops your estrogen levels are probably 2 or 3 times the high end of normal. At that stage you're way past trying to get it back to normal naturally. Even if you could the effort would be too great to sustain and it would require frequent estrogen tests to check your progress.

Have you tested frequently with a diet approach to see if you can achieve lower estrogen this way?

[Tolley]

If it is due to hormanal imbalance then exercise and diet wont really work.

But you can get rid of excess estrogen through improving diet and resistance training so is a good start to try this first.

I believe things like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage get rid of estrogen from the body and I think there are supplements like DIM that can work.

You absolutely need to avoid all sugar, alcohol and processed foods as well.

So before you go down the path of visiting doctors and getting maybe unecessary interventions I would try the natural approach for 3-6 months and see what happens.

The problem is that by the time breast tissue develops your estrogen levels are probably 2 or 3 times the high end of normal. At that stage you're way past trying to get it back to normal naturally. Even if you could the effort would be too great to sustain and it would require frequent estrogen tests to check your progress.

Have you tested frequently with a diet approach to see if you can achieve lower estrogen this way?

No I havent tested as I dont have that problem.

But I will always try the natural way first especially as in this case the condtion is not life threatening so if you totally clean up your act you then rule out that as a possibilty and you know you have done everything you can before you go down any other path like surgery or other invasive types of interventions. That is the sensible approach and of course this has other benefits of improving your overall health.

Of course I understand that many want quick fixes to problems that may have developed over a long period of time and are not prepared to make the necessary sacrifices but that is their call and in my opinion the wrong call.

Edited March 5, 2013 by Tolley

[poanoi]

If it was me, i'd start with Estrogen & Testosterone test,

then likely take Nolvadex & Anastrozole (Aromatase Inhibitor) each day, then after a couple of weeks,

a small dose of anastrozole every 2nd day, but it will depend on blood test

Edited March 5, 2013 by poanoi

[tropo]

No I havent tested as I dont have that problem.

But I will always try the natural way first especially as in this case the condtion is not life threatening so if you totally clean up your act you then rule out that as a possibilty and you know you have done everything you can before you go down any other path like surgery or other invasive types of interventions. That is the sensible approach and of course this has other benefits of improving your overall health.

Of course I understand that many want quick fixes to problems that may have developed over a long period of time and are not prepared to make the necessary sacrifices but that is their call and in my opinion the wrong call.

Estrogen may be many times the high end of normal before man-boobs develop. It will be higher in some than others before visible signs develop. It's probably a complex combination of various hormones at various levels which causes them to develop. The optimum level for estradiol in males is 80 - 110 pmol/L, so not having man-boobs by no means indicates that your estrogen levels are ideal.

I have no quarrel with using natural methods to try and keep hormones in check, but without frequent testing how could you possibly know where you are?

I see a similar argument with regards to insulin and blood sugar. Lots of suggestions of what to eat by people who never test their blood sugar levels.

Edited March 5, 2013 by tropo

[Tolley]

No I havent tested as I dont have that problem.

But I will always try the natural way first especially as in this case the condtion is not life threatening so if you totally clean up your act you then rule out that as a possibilty and you know you have done everything you can before you go down any other path like surgery or other invasive types of interventions. That is the sensible approach and of course this has other benefits of improving your overall health.

Of course I understand that many want quick fixes to problems that may have developed over a long period of time and are not prepared to make the necessary sacrifices but that is their call and in my opinion the wrong call.

Estrogen may be many times the high end of normal before man-boobs develop. It will be higher in some than others before visible signs develop. It's probably a complex combination of various hormones at various levels which causes them to develop. The optimum level for estradiol in males is 80 - 110 pmol/L, so not having man-boobs by no means indicates that your estrogen levels are ideal.

I have no quarrel with using natural methods to try and keep hormones in check, but without frequent testing how could you possibly know where you are?

I see a similar argument with regards to insulin and blood sugar. Lots of suggestions of what to eat by people who never test their blood sugar levels.

In the OPs case I would definitely get the tests done first as you need a baseline then I would try the natural approach and monitor the results.

If after trying that for 6 months or so and there was not much improvement then i would investigate other options.

Edited March 6, 2013 by Tolley

[tropo]

No I havent tested as I dont have that problem.

But I will always try the natural way first especially as in this case the condtion is not life threatening so if you totally clean up your act you then rule out that as a possibilty and you know you have done everything you can before you go down any other path like surgery or other invasive types of interventions. That is the sensible approach and of course this has other benefits of improving your overall health.

Of course I understand that many want quick fixes to problems that may have developed over a long period of time and are not prepared to make the necessary sacrifices but that is their call and in my opinion the wrong call.

Estrogen may be many times the high end of normal before man-boobs develop. It will be higher in some than others before visible signs develop. It's probably a complex combination of various hormones at various levels which causes them to develop. The optimum level for estradiol in males is 80 - 110 pmol/L, so not having man-boobs by no means indicates that your estrogen levels are ideal.

I have no quarrel with using natural methods to try and keep hormones in check, but without frequent testing how could you possibly know where you are?

I see a similar argument with regards to insulin and blood sugar. Lots of suggestions of what to eat by people who never test their blood sugar levels.

In the OPs case I would definitely get the tests done first as you need a baseline then I would try the natural approach and monitor the results.

If after trying that for 6 months or so and there was not much improvement then i would investigate other options.

If his estrogen is way over the high end of normal I would take anti-estrogens, which can get it in the normal range in a day or two.

If he's in his late 40's or 50's and he has low testosterone I don't believe eating certain foods will cure him as it's age related. No matter what you eat your levels will go down as you age. At the end of the day, no matter what we eat we're gonna die - there's no cure for that.

I don't share your faith in all these eating strategies. He could be wasting his time for 6 months. I would bet that's a certainty.

[Tolley]

No I havent tested as I dont have that problem.

But I will always try the natural way first especially as in this case the condtion is not life threatening so if you totally clean up your act you then rule out that as a possibilty and you know you have done everything you can before you go down any other path like surgery or other invasive types of interventions. That is the sensible approach and of course this has other benefits of improving your overall health.

Of course I understand that many want quick fixes to problems that may have developed over a long period of time and are not prepared to make the necessary sacrifices but that is their call and in my opinion the wrong call.

Estrogen may be many times the high end of normal before man-boobs develop. It will be higher in some than others before visible signs develop. It's probably a complex combination of various hormones at various levels which causes them to develop. The optimum level for estradiol in males is 80 - 110 pmol/L, so not having man-boobs by no means indicates that your estrogen levels are ideal.

I have no quarrel with using natural methods to try and keep hormones in check, but without frequent testing how could you possibly know where you are?

I see a similar argument with regards to insulin and blood sugar. Lots of suggestions of what to eat by people who never test their blood sugar levels.

In the OPs case I would definitely get the tests done first as you need a baseline then I would try the natural approach and monitor the results.

If after trying that for 6 months or so and there was not much improvement then i would investigate other options.

If his estrogen is way over the high end of normal I would take anti-estrogens, which can get it in the normal range in a day or two.

If he's in his late 40's or 50's and he has low testosterone I don't believe eating certain foods will cure him as it's age related. No matter what you eat your levels will go down as you age. At the end of the day, no matter what we eat we're gonna die - there's no cure for that.

I don't share your faith in all these eating strategies. He could be wasting his time for 6 months. I would bet that's a certainty.

Well you dont know til you try do you?

And we dont know what shape the OP is in either.

Massive changes can be made if the right diet, exercise and supplements are taken especially when the person is in poor shape already.

Of course you are right about T dropping as you get older. You cant escape the fact that when you are in your 50s and older you are not going to have the same T levels as a teenager and neither should you. However If that is what you are looking for go right ahead and take T therapy but make sure you do your research first.

[robblok]

No I havent tested as I dont have that problem.

But I will always try the natural way first especially as in this case the condtion is not life threatening so if you totally clean up your act you then rule out that as a possibilty and you know you have done everything you can before you go down any other path like surgery or other invasive types of interventions. That is the sensible approach and of course this has other benefits of improving your overall health.

Of course I understand that many want quick fixes to problems that may have developed over a long period of time and are not pre

Estrogen may be many times the high end of normal before man-boobs develop. It will be higher in some than others before visible signs develop. It's probably a complex combination of various hormones at various levels which causes them to develop. The optimum level for estradiol in males is 80 - 110 pmol/L, so not having man-boobs by no means indicates that your estrogen levels are ideal.

I have no quarrel with using natural methods to try and keep hormones in check, but without frequent testing how could you possibly know where you are?

I see a similar argument with regards to insulin and blood sugar. Lots of suggestions of what to eat by people who never test their blood sugar levels.

In the OPs case I would definitely get the tests done first as you need a baseline then I would try the natural approach and monitor the results.

If after trying that for 6 months or so and there was not much improvement then i would investigate other options.

If his estrogen is way over the high end of normal I would take anti-estrogens, which can get it in the normal range in a day or two.

If he's in his late 40's or 50's and he has low testosterone I don't believe eating certain foods will cure him as it's age related. No matter what you eat your levels will go down as you age. At the end of the day, no matter what we eat we're gonna die - there's no cure for that.

I don't share your faith in all these eating strategies. He could be wasting his time for 6 months. I would bet that's a certainty.

Well you dont know til you try do you?

And we dont know what shape the OP is in either.

Massive changes can be made if the right diet, exercise and supplements are taken especially when the person is in poor shape already.

Of course you are right about T dropping as you get older. You cant escape the fact that when you are in your 50s and older you are not going to have the same T levels as a teenager and neither should you. However If that is what you are looking for go right ahead and take T therapy but make sure you do your research first.

Tolly i admire you and wanting to do things natural, but for serious stuff like man boobs id go the tried and tested way instead of waiting for half a year. I have heard of cases where only operation was possible.

We have a different view of how to treat things does not mean yours is any less valid so i hope you don't see my posts too much as attacking yours.

In this forum in general i try to be nice. Can't aways be said from me in other parts.

[Tolley]

Hey I am not that sensitive. This is just a forum to express views and opinions. I am here to add balance and to help and inform based on my experiences and research. It is up to others to make up their own mind about these things.

Of course I am a stong believer in natural therapies and remedies as given the right building blocks the human body can overcome many things without having to recourse to invasive remedies that can cause a lot unwanted side effects.

On the topic of man boobs you have nothing to lose by trying to battle them using natural methods and everything to gain if you are successful. Even if you arent successful your overall health will be much better.

Once you start playing around injecting yourself with hormones or whatever and taking pharmaceuticals you are really playing with fire and the consequences can often be not so beneficial in the long run and difficult to reverse.

[robblok]

Hey I am not that sensitive. This is just a forum to express views and opinions. I am here to add balance and to help and inform based on my experiences and research. It is up to others to make up their own mind about these things.

Of course I am a stong believer in natural therapies and remedies as given the right building blocks the human body can overcome many things without having to recourse to invasive remedies that can cause a lot unwanted side effects.

On the topic of man boobs you have nothing to lose by trying to battle them using natural methods and everything to gain if you are successful. Even if you arent successful your overall health will be much better.

Once you start playing around injecting yourself with hormones or whatever and taking pharmaceuticals you are really playing with fire and the consequences can often be not so beneficial in the long run and difficult to reverse.

I am not saying that your sensative just watching my steps here as i like your imput.

I personally feel if its that far ahead already there is a serious hormonal imbalance and at that point a mere change of diet won't go fast enough. Remember there are people for who even those anti estrogen tablets come to late and they get gynecomastia and sometimes it even has to be operated on.

Stupid font dont know how to get it back

[robblok]

Anyway i think at the stadim where you got gynecomastia its far to dangerous to wait it out for half a year. I think it need be dealt with quick and fast. Natural remedies are all nice for things that are not permanent or life threatening but not for something like this.

I also don't understand the reluctance to use western medicine its often based on active ingridients in natural remedies. You just get it in higher doses then. A mushroom is natural but could kill you if you eat it, natural does not always mean the best way.

[uptheos]

People taking finasteride regularly for male pattern baldness can experience gynecomastia after a while.