Increasing numbers of men are suffering from man boobs. It is a great source of embarrassment and shame for men who have them. While not medically dangerous unless coupled with extreme obesity, they still nonetheless impact on a man’s self-esteem.

While a small proportion of men have gynecomastia, it far more common for man boobs to be caused by pseudo-gynecomastia. While both types look similar, their causes are different: gynecomastia is the result of a hormonal imbalance, while pseudo-gynecomastia occurs in men who are overweight or obese. If you are unsure which type you have, see your doctor.

As pseudo-gynecomastia is related to a man’s weight, the causes are same as obesity. So, it’s caused by a poor diet of processed foods full of trans fat, high fructose corn syrup and sugar; a lack of regular exercise; and high consumption of alcohol.

So, the way to lose your man boobs is to commit to a lifestyle change. It might be tempting to consider adopting a fad diet, but please don’t. Actually, if you’re someone who’s been on a cycle of dieting, it’s time to step off, as dieting makes you fat. Instead, only by stopping dieting and starting living a healthy lifestyle will you permanently remove your man boobs. If you just adopt a quick fix option, you will most likely end up with your man boobs returning.

This lifestyle change involves starting to eat a healthy diet composed of lots of vegetables, some whole grains, and lean protein, plus undertaking exercise on a regular basis. Sounds simple, right? Well, in theory, yes, but in practice much harder than it seems. So, I’ll try to give you some tips that might help.

If you have problems trying to change your diet, especially if you’re the stereotypical male who can’t really cook, the best thing to remember is that almost all pre-packaged foods should be avoided. One of the rules I have for myself is to try to avoid any food that didn’t exist more than 100 years ago. Or, to only allow yourself to occasionally eat them.

You should do a combination of cardiovascular exercise to help burn off the excess fat that’s built up and weight training to help sculpt and tone your muscles. Try to keep your cardio sessions on the short side, as you want to avoid becoming slim, but shapeless.

You might be tempted to just work the pectoral muscles, but this approach could make your man boobs worse. This is because by strengthening just these muscles, you could end up pushing out your man boobs, making them appear worse. So, instead, you should work all muscle groups.

Another exercise method that you can add once your fitness level increases, is interval training. It is defined as being any type of exercise that alternates high intensity physical activity with a low intensity one. As it’s a very intense method of exercise, you will become worn out quicker than with other methods.

It’s great for raising your body’s metabolic rate, and is an effective means of burning off the excess pounds you carry. It has an additional side benefit: it will cause your body to continue burning off calories at a higher rate when you aren’t exercising.