Fat or disease

Question
QUESTION: Hi:

I am a 41 year old male and I have always had a flabby chest. I am overweight in general (about 30 lbs or so) but I was wondering how I can tell if my flabby chest is just excess weight, lack of toning or if it is something systemic like gynecomastia.  

I don't have any nor have I ever had any pain or tenderness in the breast area.  I am not on any prescription medications now or in the past.

Thanks very much

ANSWER: Hey, Paul. It's unlikely that you have some kind of disease, but to make sure, I would check with the doctor.
The more likely matter is that you have high estrogen levels that make your chest more "female" so to speak than an average man would have.

Tell me - are you a vegeterian? Do you eat a lot of tofu?  
What is your diet like? Lifestyle? Sleep habit? Work? How often do you exercise?  

Let me know and I will follow up with some good constructive tips.

Thanks,

Arkady Itkin
www.PracticalHappiness.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi

I'm not a vegetarian, and I don't eat any tofu...at least not on purpose.  My diet is pretty typical (chicken, veggies, fruit, fish, pasta, red meat, some take out) I don't go crazy with my diet but I try to eat right as often as I can.  Over the last 2 or 3 months I've cut out fast food and instead of ice cream or chips for snacks I now have a piece of fruit.  I've started to notice a little weight loss.  My lifestyle is pretty typical...no smoking and only occassional liquor...no drugs.  I try to get about 6 or 7 hours a night and over the last 2 or 3 months I've been walking for exercise...up to 5 miles a day (100 minutes)

Do you think anti-estrogen meds might help?  what the side effects, if any?

Thanks very much
Paul

Answer
Hey, Paul. I would hate to diagnose you without every seeing you in person so I wouldn't go for any anti-estrogen drugs at this point. What you should do however is get into a much more intense exercise routine. Walking is great, but walking only maintains your body, but it doesn't change it. Change requires intense exercise and the best exercise routine is combining resistence / strength training with interval cardio training (fast running with periods of rest). You must make your heart and body work harder than it normally does in order to achieve progress in weight loss. So start doing interval training (running with periods of rest for 20 minutes every other day) and weight  / resistance training for 30 minutes every day for all of your body parts every other day and the change will come.

Thanks and let me know if you have any other questions.  

Arkady Itkin
www.PracticalHappiness.com

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