Hormone treatment for man boobs?

I just read a fascinating article about using hormones to treat man boobs–you know, moobs, man-breasts, bumpers, headlamps, boy-knockers, mantits, wobblies, bazookas, moobies, chesticles, tipples, mannary glands, love lumps and, the ever-popular, “bitch tits.” Hopefully, that’s descriptive enough for you.

Apparently, they aren’t as rare as we might like to believe. Some of the studies I’ve reviewed claim that 60% of men either have them or get them (which is, I guess, the same thing). In 2005, The Sun newspaper printed an article called, “Moobies and Shakers” which outed  the then-Prime Minister Tony Blair who “showed off a rather unflattering set of man baps as he frolicked on holiday”. The article continues with a “tit parade” of top moobs, showing off photos of Simon Cowell, Danny DeVito, Peter Stringfellow and, inexplicably, Iggy Pop.

Surprisingly, not all men are dismayed by their moobs. Check out this site, called manboobs.co.uk, which is a sort of “we’re fat and we’re proud” site for guys with boobs.  Men with boobs around the world submit photos to the site and visitors select a “Man Boobs of the Month Champion.” The “Top 10″ page sets artfully-lit photos alongside more in-your-face mobile-phone pictures. They have even met up with a photographer who specializes in art and photo work for obese men, including those with big fannies, big boobies and well, I don’t know what else. You can see the “Among Gentlemen” site here.

Oh, and here’s a sample photo of the Man Boobs of the Month. Enlarge at your own peril.

ANYWAY, I read an article here that claims you can get rid of them through hormone balancing. Otherwise, I’ve read, naturally being in the business, that liposuction and surgery are also treatments for moobs.

I’ve asked our intrepid hormone-balancing maverick, Dr. Mitch Matez, to “weigh in” (pun intended) about hormone balancing for moobs. Let’s see in our next post what he has to say about this phenomenon.

More later from your Fat Lady (yes, eating Greek yogurt AGAIN today).

 

Fat Guys Get ED

Well, the word is out. According to an Australian study on 1000 men, 80% of fat guys have ED. That’s erectile dysfunction for you non-science types. The droopy dong, the puny prick, the shrinking shlong, the hopeless hose, the tremulous tube steak, the penurious purple-helmet-yogurt-slinger. It’s just no fun if ya can’t get it up.

Apparently, obesity decreases blood flow. Not just to your heart but to the penis, thereby causing ED. According to this study, obesity increased the impotence risk in men by 30%. It goes on to say that if you are an obese person with sexual dysfunction, you are a high risk candidate for heart disease.

Well, you’re likely to be a high risk candidate for going dateless as well.

I spent a weekend in Cancun with a fat guy once. OK, I won’t tell that story.

Anyway, diet going well. I don’t know if I am detoxed by now or not. I guess I’ll know next time I’m in Boca visiting with the Diet Nazi, Suzi, at Dr. Murray’s office. She’s truly lovely but I still smart at her chiding me about my innocent highly-spiced grilled chicken salad. I’m practically living on Fage and Oikos Greek yogurt by this time; I’ve come to love it. Almost like eating sour cream, it’s so smooth and delish (as Rachael Ray on the Food Channel would say in her hurried I’m-on-speed-voice). I confess that I eat it with unsweetened organic strawberry jam, just a tiny  spoonful in a bowl of yogurt to make it taste better than eating plain sour-cream-in-a-bowl (ewww).

 

Mindless Eating! Weight-Loss Tips by Suzie Estridge

Oh my, habits, habits, habits…sheesh  “I will have no desire to eat while flying, driving, walking, etc.”  You may want to add that you will have no desire to eat while doing any other task, or when resting.  The only time you should be eating is at meal times, and you will start to notice that you can and will stop mindless eating….

All it takes to loose weight is a true desire to change!  Start to shop carefully, and buy only the foods on the program.  Buy exact quantities of food items and cook realistic amounts of food to avoid leftovers.  Stop eating between meals and once you get up from the dinner table, do not even think of eating (unless it is the snack on the plan) until breakfast.  Find out by keeping a journal what behaviors you associate with eating and find a replacement for that activity.  Again, this is a lifestyle change. Go to FitDay.com and register! Write down everything you eat. Read it every day. Notice the patterns. You can also journal on that site!

Why not make a list in your journal/blog of all the positives sticking with this program will do for you.  You can add a list of negatives or consequences of what will happen to you if you do not start living a healthier life as well.  Then try to remember something you’ve done that was difficult but that you succeeded at.  All these things will help you achieve your goal weight!

And one more thing….”NO MORE DORITOS MUNCHIES…Ever Ever Ever!!!!!”

 

Tips from Suzie Estridge: Water Weight!

Suzie Estridge is Dr. Murray Pozner’s nurse. I jokingly call her the Weight Nazi from the time she talked me out of a perfectly good (I THOUGHT) salad that was chicken and lettuce but, unfortunately, loaded with spices and salt! This lady knows her weight-loss business like nobody I know (except maybe Dr. Pozner!) so take a listen!

******************************************

Yes, isn’t it amazing how sodium intake can lock in water, causing bloat!  Initially, when patients join our weight-loss program, they drop a pound or more almost immediately, which is released from water retention. Anything more than that is a sign that you’ve actually started to change your eating habits (Yes, you turned down pizza…good going)! Leaving out the salt and substituting salt-free alternatives like spices and herbs can make a huge difference in getting rid of bloat! Your pants and skirts will fit better and you will feel better too!

Just remember, to lose weight, you must eat less.  Impulsive eating does not permit weight loss, and planning ahead, knowing in advance what you will eat at your next meal also helps you to eat less.  You should also be aware of not only choosing the correct foods to eat but the portions of those foods as well! You may benefit from keeping a food diary.  Keeping a written record of your eating habits, the quantities you eat, the time of day and where you are helps you note your vulnerabilities. FitDay is a great site and tracking your intake is free! Are you stress eating?  Are you eating from boredom?  Are you in social situations that are too tempting to stay within the guidelines of acceptable foods or the amounts of those foods? Are you taking time to exercise in order to kick start your metabolism? These things must be addressed in order to have success!

Eating well, and using good self control will become easier and easier as time goes on and will help you achieve a healthier lifestyle…

 

Gaining Weight on a Diet: Posting by Suzi, Dr. Murray’s RN

Suzie Estridge is the nurse at Dr. Murray Pozner’s office in Boca Raton. Dr. Murray is the diet doctor, the genius behind men and women losing 20, 40 and 80 lbs or more through his help. I think you’ll enjoy the next two posts from Suzie!

************************************************

If you want to gain weight then you should go on a diet. That’s right, you heard me correctly.  One of the most frequent complaints I’ve heard from patients since I’ve worked with Dr. Murray Pozner is that they go on fad diets and yes, they do lose weight, but as soon as they stop the diet the weight comes right back on!  Going on a diet means that at some point you will go off the diet and will usually see a rapid weight gain.  So your next question to me should be “then what works to keep the weight off?” and my reply is “Changing Behavior!”

You have to change your weight-gaining habits to weight-losing habits. Sounds simple huh!  It isn’t unless you were one of the few people who were born with excellent inherited genes.  If you have already made the decision to lose weight, Dr. Murray Pozner will teach you how to achieve your desired weight AND live a healthier lifestyle and maintain your desired weight.  It will require a conscious effort on your part, but IT CAN BE DONE!

 

Does Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) cause cancer? Dr. Matez Weighs In

The world of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) was turned upside down with the release of the WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) study back in 2002, which showed that traditional (synthetic) HRT increased a women’s risk of breast or gynecological cancers. This has led many in the medical profession to extrapolate that “Estrogen” causes cancers. But does it? All of the patients in this study and others like it were given synthetic hormones such as Equillin (an estrogen native to horses and the primary ingredient in Premarin) and Ethinyl Estradiol (a chemically altered form of human estrogen). In addition to increased cancer risk these synthetic hormones have now been linked to increased risks of blood clotting and heart disease. Research on Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) has shown no increased risk of blood clotting (if not taken orally), heart disease, or cancers and a very strong protective effect against osteoporosis. A bioidentical estrogen is one that is molecule for molecule identical to the body’s native estrogen.

There are three major estrogens in the human body:

• Estrone (E1),
• Estradiol (E2), and
• Estriol (E3).

When women are young and healthy they typically have higher levels of E2 (considered to be a relatively safe estrogen) than E1 (considered to be a riskier estrogen). As a woman ages, and specifically at menopause, E1 levels rise as E2 levels fall. It is likely this imbalance of the hormone levels that predisposes aging population to certain cancers. Estradiol levels are at their highest and estrogen’s in general are better balanced when women are in their twenties, a time in which the risk for disease processes is very low. E2 levels begin to fall relative to E1 levels, typically in the 40’s or 50’s which is also when we begin to see increased risk of many disease processes, especially breast and gynecological cancers. As estrogen levels fall even further, the signs and symptoms of Menopause (hot flashes, fatigue, mood swings, decreased sex drive, osteoporosis, weight gain, etc.) appear. Prior to 2002 this set of complaints at your doctor’s office would likely have generated a prescription for Premarin, Prempro, or other synthetic hormones which may control symptoms, but at significant price (increased risk of heart disease, cancer, etc.)

Fortunately there is a safer and very effective alternative “natural” or “bioidentical” estrogen. Bioidentical estrogen replacement has a superb track record in terms of symptom relief and prevention. Menopausal symptoms can be eliminated without the increased risks of blood clotting or heart disease. Reversal of bone loss can be accomplished at a rate 2-3 times greater than with the use of Fosomax. It can be replaced by rubbing crème or gel into the skin daily, taking pills (not recommended), or the most effective method: implanting tiny hormone pellets under the skin, which last from 3-6 months. As with all hormone replacement, you should only do so under the care of a direction of a licensed and trained physician after appropriate evaluation and diagnostic testing.

 

THIS JUST IN: Study may lead to new obesity therapies

U.S. scientists have discovered a genetic mechanism that controls the body’s fat-building process. (and I just thought it was the cheeseburgers that were keeping me fat!!! IT’S MY GENES!!!!)

According to the study information, University of Central Florida researchers found a gene called MCPIP controls the development of fat cells. Until now, the scientists said a different protein has been universally accepted as the master controller of fat cell formation. The study’s details are available on the Journal of Biological Chemistry website.

“Our research has shown that MCPIP is a regulator of fat cell formation and blood vessel formation that feeds the growing fat tissue,” Kolattukudy said. “Therefore, a drug that can shut down its function can prevent obesity and the major inflammatory diseases resulting from obesity, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.”