BOOBS

....man-boobs. Sorry about the misleading title, but seeing as I have the attention of some of the guys in here I can ask my man-boob question.

I was 356lbs 14 months ago and had a pretty riteous pair of man-boobs. I'm not talking bra-material or under-arm boobs but they were pretty sizeable. Since then I've lost a good 90lbs and on my way to getting rid of the other 60 odd. In fact my belly is noticeably smaller and “almost” flat looking from a distance (ok there is a good inch or three of flab hanging off it but under a shirt it looks pretty hidden), my main problem is the boobs! They just wont leave! I've been doing upper body muscle workouts for months now, including chest press and curl in an attempt at building some mass up there. I'm getting stronger, I can lug around 100lbs more resistance now but the man-boobs just wont shrink.

I need encouragement, are there any other proud owners of some man-boobs that have since gone? Whereabouts in the weight loss timeline did it happen? I know you can't spot-loose fat on your body, but are there any other exercises one can do to build some mass up there to make the upper part of your chest not seem to small in relation to the actual boob part?

Boob.

****! TRICKED! :p

You can do Pectoral exercises, yes. This MIGHT be a better question for the Fitness community (Ask Melkor. He's a resident expert.), but I BELIEVE Bench Presses are supposed to help strengthen/build your Pectorals (the muscles under your chest)

ok, i know i'm not a guy but i'm pretty educated on fat loss and nutrition so maybe i can help. sounds like you might not be doing serious enough lifting to see results in your chest. start benching, and upping your weights. but you need to do more than just bench. do incline and decline moves, and chest fly, ect. incline and declines will shape your pecs better than flat bench alone. keep track of how much you can do and set challenging goals. that will help tone, but no matter what you have to lose fat on top of any muscle to see tonage or anything. what is you body fat percentage? try getting it tested(if you have a gym and the gym offers it) or if it comes to it, get a scale that reads it, they are really not too pricey, but get a good one. body fat reduction is your biggest concern. your gonna wanna be below 20 i would think to see some really reduction.

I'm at almost the exact same crossroad you are. 360ish now 250 and the MOOBS still persist. When I was 250 and going UP it was utterly different.  

Good luck and keep at it. 

Gypped!

#1 - Congrats on you success so far!  90 lbs in just over a year is awesome!

I started about where you are now, 6'2, 250 ish, with a decent set of "nearly A's" goin.  I crash dieted down to 200 (briefly), and while there was noticeable reduction, there was no definition or shape at all. 

Started a real weights/ healthy diet/ excercise program at about 220-230 lbs, and noticed an almost instant change in distribution.  Unfortunately, I think I lost a lot of muscle mass during the crash diet, so I'm now having to retain what I have left, and eventually rebuild some of what was lost.  I now have some shape/ definition in my chest, and while it's not super-manly pecs small children could get shade under, it's definitely better than the pudgy-pudding at 250, or the flabby droop at 200.

So you're doing good to be on a proper weights exercise plan, while you're on a cal deficit, it's really hard (ie: impossible) to gain mass after the intial newbie gains, but you'll retain what muscle you have as the fat burns off - I bet you'll be there real soon.  Weight/ timeline wise, I guess it was about 220 for me for the difference between man-boobs and underdeveloped chest, but at 190 now I'm more defined there (to the degree that I can say I am) than at 200.  Since you've been doing weights though, I'd imagine you won't have the skinny-fat issue(s) I did.

Good luck with your continued journey, and on your male breast reduction "procedure"!!

Edited to add:  Just re-read the OP - for upper chest, many people say incline press/ incline flys, some say incline/ decline doesn't matter or add much to the regular lift.  It sure seems to for me though.  And I assume you're not doing just upper body weight training?

A point that hasn't been brought up yet is excess skin. The left over boobage might be some stretched out skin. I have that problem with my post preggers belly skin.

The weight training will tighten everything up, but alas, the skin will only firm up so much.

I wonder what you poor guys would do if you had to actually deal with the real thing daily?  Nevermind, I think I know!

So I would suggest getting a good lotion (they do make them with manly or unscented) and using it after your shower to help keep the skin elastic.  Make sure you're getting enough oil in your diet.

Original Post by smwhipple:

I wonder what you poor guys would do if you had to actually deal with the real thing daily? 

 

Not leave the house. >;D

That's about what I figured...I assure you, they're not nearly as entertaining when you have them!

Now this might be slightly discourageing, but its not ment to be. I started about the 240 range, and am now about 190 and while i never really felt they where man boobs, they where not waht i would like. I would say they have disappered some, and are very noticbley less then they where, but still there. I do think as you make progress (you have made HUGE progress!!!) your idea of waht is ok/not ok, larege/ not large, etc changes.. I know i have changed size and am much better/slimmer then before but as time goes on i look at myslef now and know i need to do more so they may seem worse/larger/ wahtever then they are.  They do go down, they do improve, and i would hazzard to say you have improved greatly, its just now you want more.. keep at it.. the first 50 where easy for me, it the last 30 (if i get that far) that are tough.. I thouhgt this was all easy, i dropped 40 in no time, now its been a year for the last 10.. but if i keep on track, heck 10 a year.. Im good.

Clok

Well guys this was exactly what I wanted (in addition to the groans of the guys realizing this topic wasn't QUITE about the boobs they might have wanted hehehehe)

I know my jugs have gotten smaller because when I grab them they just feel that less 'full' but I would really like to be able to wear a shirt and look ok apart from the tits jutting out all over the place? Ah well I'm ok with it and I'm sure they will go down. I'm going to loose these last 50 odd. I've always been a big chap, I'm 6'1 so I held 356lbs better than many 5'6"s at 250 lbs and I'd like to stay big. I guess eventually I'll have to go from weight loss to increasing muscle mass.

Thanks for the weight lifting tips too - I've just really gotten into it (since March) so I'm trying to fit it all in around my graduate degree. I suppose if my goal is to really build mass there I need to adjust my workouts accordingly.

Original Post by smwhipple:

That's about what I figured...I assure you, they're not nearly as entertaining when you have them!

Give us a few weeks with them and yes, I imagine after a while, they aren't quite as entertaining.

Yeah its like money doesn't bring happiness?

....well at least let me try?

Original Post by mgoyder:

Yeah its like money doesn't bring happiness?

....well at least let me try?

lol

HK, you're happily married go play with your wife's or ask her to play with yours!