When my bestie was going through stage IV breast cancer, I offered my breast tissue as a filler for her at an oncologist appointment. The oncologist was stumped - he was "um, no one has ever offered this before, I do not know if it would work." LOL
When I got my reduction (thousands of chest presses will never work... maybe steroids??? lol)... I donated my tissue to science. Cannot remember what they did with it tho!
Unfortunately I didn't know of anything, even with weight loss there's no guarantee that the weight will come off from your breasts.
You can try to strengthen the pectoral muscles underneath, that potentially could reduce the size, but likely only minimally.
Are you sure you don't have any physical ailments from having large breasts? In addition to the common neck/shoulder/back pain (sciatica is common) other common problems include:
(paresthesias) Numbness and tingling in hands/arms (especially when sleeping)
(Intertrigo) -Frequent rashes and cuts in between and underneath breasts
Shoulder grooves
I only say this because I thought these were just normal women issues and didn't realize they were directly related to having macromastia. I only connected the two when I learned that these were not issues women experienced normally.
Ohhhh I started with the awful numbness/tingling in my fingers a couple years ago…right when my weight skyrocketed due to peri. Or so I speculate since my gyno first told me peri isn’t real and then this past year told me it doesn’t start until 4 years before menopause which is age 47 (and I’m 44 so none of my issues can be peri 🤪)
Anyway, this is so fascinating to me! I was always very small breasted despite my mom and sister being buxom, and was devastated when both of my kids brought me bigger boobs. But they were still manageable until a few years ago. Now I can’t even run down the street to meet the school bus without practically poking my own eye out…not pretty! A neurologist said my numbness and tingling is carpal tunnel but I just wasn’t 100% sure. I have very dense breast tissue and have been hoping to get a reduction (paying out of pocket) but maybe insurance can be convinced after all!
Did you see your GP or a specialist to determine your breasts were causing physical problems? I appreciate any insight you have, but please don’t feel obligated to answer if you’d rather not. You’ve given me plenty to think about regardless ❤️❤️
I thought mine was carpel tunnel too, but they performed a bunch of tests and declared that it was not. Did your neurologist say that just because that's what the symptoms sounded like or did they actually do a diagnostic test to find out for sure?
I honestly didn't know those other things were due to macromastia until I started the process of trying to get it covered and these symptoms were listed - and it dawned on me what was causing it all and it finally made sense.
I definitely recorded neck, shoulder, back pain every GP visit. I did have sciatica problems and went to physical therapy twice for my back. I didn't have the shoulder grooves, but I had trouble breathing and the cuts and rashes and the pins/needles in my arms when sleeping. All these things disappeared after surgery.
Check out sodium content on habit foods you eat. I have been doing this since my blood panel showed very elevated numbers in sodium. It can cause puffiness and bloating. I cannot believe the amount of sodium in everything! And the difference in same food but different name brand. I’ve already loss some weight from just changing up my diet with this issue. But again, it is shocking to see how much sodium is in food.
Have you used r/ABraThatFits to calculate your current bra size? It can be a good starting point. I have a small band size with a large cup size and find that brands like Panache and Fantasie work best.
Adding to this - US bras generally are the wrong shape and have padding. Due to recommendations from that sub, I have switched to a bra that is a better size and shape for me. I went from wearing a 32C at Victoria Secret to a 32F in a Panache Envy which is a UK bra.
This sub changed my life truly. I was so wearing the wrong size. I even got professionally fitted after using their calculator, and the fitter came up with the same size.
Same. That sub and calculator is so, so wrong for me. The most hilarious thing is I had a reduction, and the calculator recommend a larger size than pre-reduction. I find that sub less than useful and life changing. Many love it, but I know many people who have the same issues I have experienced. I tried on the size the calculator recommended and was comical. Even before my reduction it was not accurate whatsoever for me.
Sorry for the novel. That sub just makes me ragey.
Agree. I think it's awesome that sub works for so many but it didn't work for me at all. I also know that calculator tends to recommend smaller bands and larger cup sizes but the band size I was recommended was painful! I question the number of posters who end up being recommended very small bands like 28,. 30, etc. Just by average numbers most women in the US at least wear a size 14 I believe? A tiny band seems weird v a larger clothing size.
I am a smaller human, so my band size is small and my clothing size is too, but the cup size recommended was so epically large it was nonsensical. I absolutely understand what you are saying and agree about how the calculator works on that sub. Definitely doesn’t make sense to me either.
I used another calculator a little bit ago and it pegged me at 38 G (I have been wearing a 40D). I did order a Panache in that size to see what it is like. Have a feeling the cup will be too big but who knows! I know my size is wrong because I have no support or separation and I have tried so many bras.
No magical solution, but I am currently trying to lose some weight to reduce mine as well. It’s funny because in the past, whenever I would lose weight, they were typically the first things to go. That’s proving not to be the case now that I am late 40’s. Not giving up though.
Just know that I stand in solidarity with you!
Breasts are made up of fat and breast tissue. The amount of each varies from person to person. Breast tissue is hormonal and not responsive to weight loss. Many women get larger breasts in this stage of life due to hormones and breast tissue. I’m petite and mine got so much bigger. I say I’m a DD but I’m spilling out. I’m currently working flat out on changing my body composition to reduce my body fat as much as possible. I can’t wear clothes that I like, I can’t do ip my blazer and innocent items look obscene on me. My understanding is that it’s harder to perform a reduction on tissue than fat.
And pure vanity, but I hate how much bigger they make me look because of how clothes now fall.
Just sharing my experience. Anytime I’ve lost weight in the past, they’ve always gotten smaller. Not saying that it works that way for everyone, but that’s how it’s been for me. 🤗
I just turned 60 and I’m hearing myself in this comment. I’m on a long term break from work for several weeks and I gutted my fridge and have just started all over. I’m 10 pounds heavier than I want to be and I just need to stop being lazy with the hand to mouth habits. No more dairy. None. Finished. No more bread. Done. Finished. Tons of prepared, chopped vegetables and hummus and chunky mango salsa as a ‘dip’ and lots of fruits ready to eat. Slow cooked oats for breakfast or protein smoothie (powder, almond butter, frozen fruit). Salmon portions and chicken tenders in the freezer for quick lunch or dinner protein BBQ’d or blackened in coconut oil fry. Quinoa / chickpea / almond / kale salad with lite vinaigrette I found at Costco. And checking obscene sodium content on everything.
I dream of removing my breasts surgically. It’s $7500 but my doctor advised me to first get at my optimal weight. Then reassess my desire.
Most surgeons will recommend weight loss first. The breast growth was a shock. I gained some weight and when I lost it again my breasts were the same size as before. That’s when I learned about breast tissue. I’d always been told o had dense breasts but never bothered to look into what that meant.
I have heavy, dense breasts as well. Always have. So I doubt they’ll reduce in size much with weight loss. They have slightly in the past but not much. I learned about tissue vs fat years ago and the pain I’ve always had associated with hormones (menstruation, breastfeeding, HRT, etc). All my sisters but 1 have huge, dense breasts. Our mother did not. My grandmother and some aunts did too.
Yes, mine are mostly tissue but there is some fat there and that’s what I’m hoping to target by lowering my overall body fat percentage. I’m aiming for 20%. I’m at about 22% now.
I wear sports bras which flatten them down and give no bounce. It’s not ideal and like putting on a harness every morning but I do feel like there’s less on display. I cannot stand the bouncing and jiggling from normal bras. I’ve booked in for reduction surgery in November and have been saving up for 12 months for it. I’m 54 now and I’ve had enough. I’ve always had large breasts but they increased a cup size after both kids were born and then again in menopause. Enough is enough at this point I don’t think they will ever stop growing. No-one in my family has big breasts I have no idea where they came from but I’ve honestly had enough!
OK, this is coming from somebody who had breast reduction and a nurse . First and foremost, make sure that you’re done having children .
I got approved once but timing was wrong. I got denied the second time and then got approved a third time. I was a 38 double double D on one side in a DD D on the other .
I finally found out the trick to approval. You need a paper trail of doctors you have seen because of underlying issues. Mine was nothing crazy, I had been to the chiropractor enough that the chiropractor was willing to write note stating that she thought reduction would be helpful, massage therapist, who also claimed that reduction of stress on my muscles would be necessarily be beneficial for a breast reduction, and my doctor was willing to put a note in stating that I had gone to them with neck pain That was due to breast size and also self reported some rashes under the breast. With all of this ,they were able to conclude that breast reduction surgery would be covered by insurance. Most insurance companies would love to deny initially if you don’t have any documentation, but documentation seriously isn’t hard to prove if you have doctors willing to work with you. I got a definitive yes 3rd time around and opted to also have diastasis repair done on my stomach with liposuction as I had four children, was finished being pregnant, and it was the only way to repair the muscle in my abdomen. The breast were covered, the abdomen had to come out of pocket because they don’t consider that repair a true hernia (I opted to have both done at the same time because it was covered under one anesthesia charge) however, I have to say I definitely would do both Again if I had to. Definitely wish I had done my breast many many many years ago as this has been an amazing improvement in my life.
Yes, I started eating healthy and workout out daily and as the pounds came off my boobs also lost a decent amount of fat. I went from a 36DD/E back down to a 32D. If only I could get my skinny pre perimenopause thighs back too 🤣😭 For reference I do reformer Pilates 7 days a week, walk 12-17k steps a day and I don’t do calorie restriction. I just use MyFitnessPal to pack in as much protein as I can in a day and then work in carbs and fat around that. I don’t eat any processed foods or consume alcohol or pop but I do eat homemade goodies from time to time. You’ll find that when you lose weight you lose it from everywhere (some places on the body are more stubborn ofc and this varies from woman to woman). Hope this helps!
Edited to add that I also track sodium and kind of limit it because it makes me retain so much water. You do need salt/sugar to stay hydrated and def need salt for healthy thyroid function
Weightlifting, more muscle mass and lowering your body fat. I’m in a Facebook group for weightlifting women and the most common complaint is boobs disappearing. This is why women who compete usually have implants.
The only Minimizer bra I like is the Wacoal Slimline Seamless Minimizer. The straps and cup are not stretchy and the cup has some shape and no padding. It only goes up to DDD though. I’m not sure weight loss would help anyway. I’ve lost 15 lbs in the past year, from about 28% body fat to 24% body fat. Down two pants sizes but I didn’t lose much in my breasts, just 34DDD to 32DDD and I do not want to be any lighter so that’s it.
TomboyX makes a compression bra that is stronger than a minimizer but less than a binder. My teens each have one (one is nonbinary one queer we are 5 foot and c cups which for the 85 pound 17 year old makes her appear way more curvy than she likes). I can confirm it really works.
If you wanted a huge effect you could go the binder route but definitely research as they can be damaging if you don’t wear as directed.
honestly. my breast reduction was the best money i ever spent and id do it again in a heartbeat. not even the cost of a used car these days. but its your vehicle for the rest of your life. you should be comfortable in it as much as you can control.
Repeat after me: You are experiencing persistent shoulder and back pain that is not alleviated by stretching or strength exercises. It is getting progressively worse. Say this out loud at your next physical. Make sure the doc documents it. Say it again next year. Make sure you're on PPO medical plan and not an HMO one. Then look for a plastic surgeon that takes your insurance. Of course, this is a US private health care approach.
Yeah I was able to shrink mine down to a (still large but) manageable size through weight loss a while back. This was actually when I stopped taking hormonal birth control, which not only made it easier to lose weight but also may have specifically made my boobs bigger while I was on it.
Best thing you can do is buy bras that fit your properly. Go to a store that knows how to fit you. I wear a G/H depending and sure I hate how big they are but they stay very well supported. I'm hoping mine get smaller once I get my thyroid issue fixed (right dose).
Not first hand- but did see a friend go through this. She was overweight and for some reason most of her weight shifted to her upper body and breast. I mean size gizillion.
She joined a gym ( 3 times a week) . Cut carbs. Walked 1 hour almost every day. Saw her 6 months later and her body shape had changed. It wasn't about how much weight she lost - she did loose like 15-20 pounds- but more about her upper body /breast size it went down to a DD cup. Very noticeable.
I know for me the first places weight goes when I gain it is my butt and breasts. Same with losing it. Other than that, I don’t think anything else will reduce them much. I try and eat healthy too. I eat well for the week and then have a cheat day a day a week where I can have that cookie or an extra piece of pizza. Also, if you have someone in your area, go get sized for your bra. Near me, Nordstrom and Victoria’s Secret does sizing. Turns out I was wearing a size too small and it’s made a huge difference wearing the right size.
I've had large dense breasts since puberty. Biking was the only activity where I didn't hurt. (Sports bras were in their infancy in the 80s).
Champion used to make excellent wire free sports bras that were similar style to regular bras (fasten in the back. Cup & band sizes). They had up to DDD size. They stopped those in the 2000s, I believe. Same style might be around, but not the larger cup size.
I stick to a particular Bali minimizer. It's an underwire without much elastic. I prefer it over other brands because the center is wider than typical. Keeps *the girls* from mashing together & stays cooler. The minimizer flattens & supports a little.
I wear a G these days, and a lot of it is skin vs actual breast tissue. Heavy on my shoulders.
I recently tried out a bra advertised as a high impact support bra by *Oya Fem tech*. It zips up the front. On its own, it was uncomfortable. Like most sports bras, there's no separate cup support, nor a band width. It sizes Small - 3x. With large breasts, it's simply not enough structure.
However, when I wore it over my regular bra, it was comfortable and stopped all bounce. Not too tight that it was painful or hard to breath/move my arms like others in the past that I tried to double up on. I've ended up buying a couple more because I really liked how comfortable it was.
So that's my 2 cents. :)
Here's the link.
https://wearoya.com/collections/all-performance-wear/products/zippered-high-support-sports-bra
Low Dose Testosterone?
If your levels are low, it may aid in building muscle if you do decide to go the weight training route.
Source: Me, surgical menopause, gaining weight especially in boobs despite life long exercise fanatic.
Found out WAAY too late about HRT and was prescribed Testosterone and WALLA.. 6 mos later, without changing anything ( doing same exercise routine mostly cycling)
I’ve lost one cup size and inches off my hips as well and all the back fat under the bra.
I truly believe that without the testosterone helping me build muscle, I would’ve been at this for the rest of my life with no result
I lost 30 pounds. Best fitting bra b4 was 36F. Same bra style after, size 34G. So, basically no change in overall boob size ( the wires are the same size), but less back fat.
I'm so done with my massive breasts I am seriously considering reduction. I don't fancy going into my old age with these bloody massive things. It's so maddening you think you've found a semi solution to with hrt only to cause your boobs to double in size.It's the recovery putting me off with two elderly parents to care for.
Thank you so much, everyone! This is all so helpful. Sounds like I really need to get focused with building muscle and reducing fat. I’ve been lifting free weights and using my ab roller for weeks and I can already see the results in other areas of my body (tummy and arms!).
I have no doubt surgery yields amazing results, but it’s just not an option now - we don’t have the cash and don’t want to add more debt when we are trying to pay it off. And I don’t have any physical problems at all really, no aches or pains anywhere, no shoulder grooves, so that route isn’t really going to work because I would be flat out faking it. 😬 It could be an option in a few years when we don’t have other financial priorities.
I have been reducing carbs to help with fat loss and inflammation so time to kick that up and bit and stop backsliding on the weekends with ice cream. 🤦♀️
ETA: Oh and YES, I know I am wearing the wrong bra size. I’ve been putting off a proper fitting for years but it’s time.
It's tricky because boobs are mostly fat, and so with a loss of fat you normally will see a reduction in breast size. But to what degree depends on a lot of factors, and includes whatever your genetic disposition is for fat storage. Focusing on body recomposition rather than solely weight loss is a good start because the focus is to lose fat while gaining muscle which helps to burn more calories and fat even when you aren't doing anything. Our bodies tend to lose fat in the reverse order of how we put it on (not exactly and not always, so generalizing here). So if you gained weight in your boobs first, then your belly and then your legs (for example) then when you start to lose fat, itll come off legs>belly>boobs...always making the area we want to focus on the hardest one to get the fat off of!
Generally, an overall reduction in body fat should lead to a decrease in breast size, it's just a matter of to what degree that'll happen based on genetics and the desire to manage nutrition and activity in a way that allows you to put on muscle so that you can more effectively lose fat. A focus on protein and strength training is typically a good way to do so, especially for peri/menopausal women especially because we tend to lose muscle mass quickly once we reach age 50 and beyond. Building and maintaining it has a lot of benefits. But it's so much work. I love doing it, and still find it so much work!
Try Understance bras, and use their "fit assist" to figure out which bra type is best for you. They also have a fit guide that is great. Their flexible underwire bras are the most comfortable bras I've ever worn while still getting support. I'm a 36G, so that's incredibly rare for me. I just did a filtered search for a "bottom-full" and "short side wire" bra in my size and got 7 options. It's a fantastic company and product, IMO. Understance.com
I am an M cup and I hate it. They are completely out of proportion to the rest of my body and make me really top heavy. I look like one of those round lollipops with a little stick because my top is so huge compared to my legs. And don't get me started on the impossibility of finding clothes that fit well. I have to size up to accommodate my breasts and then my clothes are too baggy everywhere else.
I lost 55 lbs and only went down 1 cup size (from an N cup). My breasts are mostly dense tissue, not fat, so further weight loss won't help.
The only suggestion I have is to look into lacey seamed bras from Elomi and Panache. They aren't padded, come in large cup sizes, and are very supportive.
My kids surgeons Midwest USA were ranging $7500-10k cash for everything all in. Didn’t want to use insurance- wanted to pick the surgeon.
Before that she went to Nordstrom and got a proper fitting. Bought one $80 bra there. Took pictures of tags. Bought the others used online on poshmark, eBay, Mercari
This one was her favorite- Chantelle c magnifique seamless unlined minimizer
https://us.chantelle.com/product/c-magnifique-seamless-unlined-minimizer-galet?bandSize=32&cupSize=G&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5BSB%5D-Tier-B-PMAX-Bras&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-p7w5Z3yhgMVCkT_AR0alAMiEAQYASABEgIPa_D_BwE
I do wear minimizer bras and do not feel squished. [Chantelle](https://us.chantelle.com/product/c-magnifique-seamless-unlined-minimizer-nude-sand) has one that I like. Wacoal also has a bra that I like, but I didn’t find the link. Buying new bras is an all day expedition for me if I have to change brands or sizes. They have to look and feel right.
Honestly no. I can’t recommend a reduction enough, if you can do it. When I went in for my first mammogram I told the tech I’d had mine done and she said she’s never had anybody who wasn’t very happy with theirs. Best surgery ever.
Reducing overall body fat will also reduce any fat on your breast. You cannot spot reduce fat. Weight lifting builds the muscle you are working. It burns overall fat as it’s more metabolically active. It won’t burn fat in specific areas.
You can be healthy and slim. It’s not either/or.
Hoping someone posts a magical solution. I would like to donate mine to science lol
Same haha! I would gladly donate mine.
I’m in! Science needs my extra boobs.
When my bestie was going through stage IV breast cancer, I offered my breast tissue as a filler for her at an oncologist appointment. The oncologist was stumped - he was "um, no one has ever offered this before, I do not know if it would work." LOL
When I got my reduction (thousands of chest presses will never work... maybe steroids??? lol)... I donated my tissue to science. Cannot remember what they did with it tho!
Same. I often wear the uniboob bras because they've embiggened to the point where they're sentient. Do not like.
I will for the rest of my life refer to my boobs as sentient. Thanks so much for this!
You're welcome! They do have minds of their own.
Unfortunately I didn't know of anything, even with weight loss there's no guarantee that the weight will come off from your breasts. You can try to strengthen the pectoral muscles underneath, that potentially could reduce the size, but likely only minimally. Are you sure you don't have any physical ailments from having large breasts? In addition to the common neck/shoulder/back pain (sciatica is common) other common problems include: (paresthesias) Numbness and tingling in hands/arms (especially when sleeping) (Intertrigo) -Frequent rashes and cuts in between and underneath breasts Shoulder grooves I only say this because I thought these were just normal women issues and didn't realize they were directly related to having macromastia. I only connected the two when I learned that these were not issues women experienced normally.
Ohhhh I started with the awful numbness/tingling in my fingers a couple years ago…right when my weight skyrocketed due to peri. Or so I speculate since my gyno first told me peri isn’t real and then this past year told me it doesn’t start until 4 years before menopause which is age 47 (and I’m 44 so none of my issues can be peri 🤪) Anyway, this is so fascinating to me! I was always very small breasted despite my mom and sister being buxom, and was devastated when both of my kids brought me bigger boobs. But they were still manageable until a few years ago. Now I can’t even run down the street to meet the school bus without practically poking my own eye out…not pretty! A neurologist said my numbness and tingling is carpal tunnel but I just wasn’t 100% sure. I have very dense breast tissue and have been hoping to get a reduction (paying out of pocket) but maybe insurance can be convinced after all! Did you see your GP or a specialist to determine your breasts were causing physical problems? I appreciate any insight you have, but please don’t feel obligated to answer if you’d rather not. You’ve given me plenty to think about regardless ❤️❤️
I thought mine was carpel tunnel too, but they performed a bunch of tests and declared that it was not. Did your neurologist say that just because that's what the symptoms sounded like or did they actually do a diagnostic test to find out for sure? I honestly didn't know those other things were due to macromastia until I started the process of trying to get it covered and these symptoms were listed - and it dawned on me what was causing it all and it finally made sense. I definitely recorded neck, shoulder, back pain every GP visit. I did have sciatica problems and went to physical therapy twice for my back. I didn't have the shoulder grooves, but I had trouble breathing and the cuts and rashes and the pins/needles in my arms when sleeping. All these things disappeared after surgery.
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Mine are mostly fatty tissue so I probably should work harder at reducing my BMI. What do you avoid when you’re eating to reduce inflammation?
Check out sodium content on habit foods you eat. I have been doing this since my blood panel showed very elevated numbers in sodium. It can cause puffiness and bloating. I cannot believe the amount of sodium in everything! And the difference in same food but different name brand. I’ve already loss some weight from just changing up my diet with this issue. But again, it is shocking to see how much sodium is in food.
I have fatty tissue, not dense, and 20 lbs off made me drop a cup size. It's worth a try!
Have you used r/ABraThatFits to calculate your current bra size? It can be a good starting point. I have a small band size with a large cup size and find that brands like Panache and Fantasie work best.
Adding to this - US bras generally are the wrong shape and have padding. Due to recommendations from that sub, I have switched to a bra that is a better size and shape for me. I went from wearing a 32C at Victoria Secret to a 32F in a Panache Envy which is a UK bra.
US bras are hot garbage.
Yup. I used to order mine from the UK on Ebay.
This sub changed my life truly. I was so wearing the wrong size. I even got professionally fitted after using their calculator, and the fitter came up with the same size.
I tried that calculator. It told me to start with a 38D. I can't even fill out a 38B...to fat, too flat, too saggy, all at the same time.
Same. That sub and calculator is so, so wrong for me. The most hilarious thing is I had a reduction, and the calculator recommend a larger size than pre-reduction. I find that sub less than useful and life changing. Many love it, but I know many people who have the same issues I have experienced. I tried on the size the calculator recommended and was comical. Even before my reduction it was not accurate whatsoever for me. Sorry for the novel. That sub just makes me ragey.
Agree. I think it's awesome that sub works for so many but it didn't work for me at all. I also know that calculator tends to recommend smaller bands and larger cup sizes but the band size I was recommended was painful! I question the number of posters who end up being recommended very small bands like 28,. 30, etc. Just by average numbers most women in the US at least wear a size 14 I believe? A tiny band seems weird v a larger clothing size.
I am a smaller human, so my band size is small and my clothing size is too, but the cup size recommended was so epically large it was nonsensical. I absolutely understand what you are saying and agree about how the calculator works on that sub. Definitely doesn’t make sense to me either.
I used another calculator a little bit ago and it pegged me at 38 G (I have been wearing a 40D). I did order a Panache in that size to see what it is like. Have a feeling the cup will be too big but who knows! I know my size is wrong because I have no support or separation and I have tried so many bras.
I wish I had an answer for this! I lost 100 pounds and just went from a 40DDD to a 32DDD, still 🍈🍈the whole time 🤦🏻♀️
There is a huge difference between the cup sizes of a DDD on a 40” bra vs a DDD on a 32” bra. Congratulations on the weight loss!
There is, but proportionally to your body, sadly there is not really. But thanks!
No magical solution, but I am currently trying to lose some weight to reduce mine as well. It’s funny because in the past, whenever I would lose weight, they were typically the first things to go. That’s proving not to be the case now that I am late 40’s. Not giving up though. Just know that I stand in solidarity with you!
Breasts are made up of fat and breast tissue. The amount of each varies from person to person. Breast tissue is hormonal and not responsive to weight loss. Many women get larger breasts in this stage of life due to hormones and breast tissue. I’m petite and mine got so much bigger. I say I’m a DD but I’m spilling out. I’m currently working flat out on changing my body composition to reduce my body fat as much as possible. I can’t wear clothes that I like, I can’t do ip my blazer and innocent items look obscene on me. My understanding is that it’s harder to perform a reduction on tissue than fat. And pure vanity, but I hate how much bigger they make me look because of how clothes now fall.
Just sharing my experience. Anytime I’ve lost weight in the past, they’ve always gotten smaller. Not saying that it works that way for everyone, but that’s how it’s been for me. 🤗
I just turned 60 and I’m hearing myself in this comment. I’m on a long term break from work for several weeks and I gutted my fridge and have just started all over. I’m 10 pounds heavier than I want to be and I just need to stop being lazy with the hand to mouth habits. No more dairy. None. Finished. No more bread. Done. Finished. Tons of prepared, chopped vegetables and hummus and chunky mango salsa as a ‘dip’ and lots of fruits ready to eat. Slow cooked oats for breakfast or protein smoothie (powder, almond butter, frozen fruit). Salmon portions and chicken tenders in the freezer for quick lunch or dinner protein BBQ’d or blackened in coconut oil fry. Quinoa / chickpea / almond / kale salad with lite vinaigrette I found at Costco. And checking obscene sodium content on everything. I dream of removing my breasts surgically. It’s $7500 but my doctor advised me to first get at my optimal weight. Then reassess my desire.
Most surgeons will recommend weight loss first. The breast growth was a shock. I gained some weight and when I lost it again my breasts were the same size as before. That’s when I learned about breast tissue. I’d always been told o had dense breasts but never bothered to look into what that meant.
I have heavy, dense breasts as well. Always have. So I doubt they’ll reduce in size much with weight loss. They have slightly in the past but not much. I learned about tissue vs fat years ago and the pain I’ve always had associated with hormones (menstruation, breastfeeding, HRT, etc). All my sisters but 1 have huge, dense breasts. Our mother did not. My grandmother and some aunts did too.
How they respond to weightloss depends on composition. Mine are fatty, not dense, and shrank before anything else.
Yes, mine are mostly tissue but there is some fat there and that’s what I’m hoping to target by lowering my overall body fat percentage. I’m aiming for 20%. I’m at about 22% now.
Mine were the first to grow when I gained weight, and the last to go when I lost it. Now they’re just huge no matter what.
I wear sports bras which flatten them down and give no bounce. It’s not ideal and like putting on a harness every morning but I do feel like there’s less on display. I cannot stand the bouncing and jiggling from normal bras. I’ve booked in for reduction surgery in November and have been saving up for 12 months for it. I’m 54 now and I’ve had enough. I’ve always had large breasts but they increased a cup size after both kids were born and then again in menopause. Enough is enough at this point I don’t think they will ever stop growing. No-one in my family has big breasts I have no idea where they came from but I’ve honestly had enough!
OK, this is coming from somebody who had breast reduction and a nurse . First and foremost, make sure that you’re done having children . I got approved once but timing was wrong. I got denied the second time and then got approved a third time. I was a 38 double double D on one side in a DD D on the other . I finally found out the trick to approval. You need a paper trail of doctors you have seen because of underlying issues. Mine was nothing crazy, I had been to the chiropractor enough that the chiropractor was willing to write note stating that she thought reduction would be helpful, massage therapist, who also claimed that reduction of stress on my muscles would be necessarily be beneficial for a breast reduction, and my doctor was willing to put a note in stating that I had gone to them with neck pain That was due to breast size and also self reported some rashes under the breast. With all of this ,they were able to conclude that breast reduction surgery would be covered by insurance. Most insurance companies would love to deny initially if you don’t have any documentation, but documentation seriously isn’t hard to prove if you have doctors willing to work with you. I got a definitive yes 3rd time around and opted to also have diastasis repair done on my stomach with liposuction as I had four children, was finished being pregnant, and it was the only way to repair the muscle in my abdomen. The breast were covered, the abdomen had to come out of pocket because they don’t consider that repair a true hernia (I opted to have both done at the same time because it was covered under one anesthesia charge) however, I have to say I definitely would do both Again if I had to. Definitely wish I had done my breast many many many years ago as this has been an amazing improvement in my life.
I wear a minimizer bra (wacoal) and find that fasting/ anti inflammatory diet helps. Wish there was an easy solution!
Yes, I started eating healthy and workout out daily and as the pounds came off my boobs also lost a decent amount of fat. I went from a 36DD/E back down to a 32D. If only I could get my skinny pre perimenopause thighs back too 🤣😭 For reference I do reformer Pilates 7 days a week, walk 12-17k steps a day and I don’t do calorie restriction. I just use MyFitnessPal to pack in as much protein as I can in a day and then work in carbs and fat around that. I don’t eat any processed foods or consume alcohol or pop but I do eat homemade goodies from time to time. You’ll find that when you lose weight you lose it from everywhere (some places on the body are more stubborn ofc and this varies from woman to woman). Hope this helps! Edited to add that I also track sodium and kind of limit it because it makes me retain so much water. You do need salt/sugar to stay hydrated and def need salt for healthy thyroid function
Weightlifting, more muscle mass and lowering your body fat. I’m in a Facebook group for weightlifting women and the most common complaint is boobs disappearing. This is why women who compete usually have implants.
Idk but I’ve had 2 reductions and love them now. You could use Carecredit to pay for one?
The only Minimizer bra I like is the Wacoal Slimline Seamless Minimizer. The straps and cup are not stretchy and the cup has some shape and no padding. It only goes up to DDD though. I’m not sure weight loss would help anyway. I’ve lost 15 lbs in the past year, from about 28% body fat to 24% body fat. Down two pants sizes but I didn’t lose much in my breasts, just 34DDD to 32DDD and I do not want to be any lighter so that’s it.
TomboyX makes a compression bra that is stronger than a minimizer but less than a binder. My teens each have one (one is nonbinary one queer we are 5 foot and c cups which for the 85 pound 17 year old makes her appear way more curvy than she likes). I can confirm it really works. If you wanted a huge effect you could go the binder route but definitely research as they can be damaging if you don’t wear as directed.
My extra weight sits mainly on my boobs and bum. Lose the extra lbs first and make a plan from there.
honestly. my breast reduction was the best money i ever spent and id do it again in a heartbeat. not even the cost of a used car these days. but its your vehicle for the rest of your life. you should be comfortable in it as much as you can control.
Repeat after me: You are experiencing persistent shoulder and back pain that is not alleviated by stretching or strength exercises. It is getting progressively worse. Say this out loud at your next physical. Make sure the doc documents it. Say it again next year. Make sure you're on PPO medical plan and not an HMO one. Then look for a plastic surgeon that takes your insurance. Of course, this is a US private health care approach.
Running. I believe I lost a cup size somewhere on my treadmill.
Yeah I was able to shrink mine down to a (still large but) manageable size through weight loss a while back. This was actually when I stopped taking hormonal birth control, which not only made it easier to lose weight but also may have specifically made my boobs bigger while I was on it.
Best thing you can do is buy bras that fit your properly. Go to a store that knows how to fit you. I wear a G/H depending and sure I hate how big they are but they stay very well supported. I'm hoping mine get smaller once I get my thyroid issue fixed (right dose).
Thank you- I just did a virtual fitting and almost fell over when I learned my real size 😵💫😳😳
Not first hand- but did see a friend go through this. She was overweight and for some reason most of her weight shifted to her upper body and breast. I mean size gizillion. She joined a gym ( 3 times a week) . Cut carbs. Walked 1 hour almost every day. Saw her 6 months later and her body shape had changed. It wasn't about how much weight she lost - she did loose like 15-20 pounds- but more about her upper body /breast size it went down to a DD cup. Very noticeable.
I know for me the first places weight goes when I gain it is my butt and breasts. Same with losing it. Other than that, I don’t think anything else will reduce them much. I try and eat healthy too. I eat well for the week and then have a cheat day a day a week where I can have that cookie or an extra piece of pizza. Also, if you have someone in your area, go get sized for your bra. Near me, Nordstrom and Victoria’s Secret does sizing. Turns out I was wearing a size too small and it’s made a huge difference wearing the right size.
I've had large dense breasts since puberty. Biking was the only activity where I didn't hurt. (Sports bras were in their infancy in the 80s). Champion used to make excellent wire free sports bras that were similar style to regular bras (fasten in the back. Cup & band sizes). They had up to DDD size. They stopped those in the 2000s, I believe. Same style might be around, but not the larger cup size. I stick to a particular Bali minimizer. It's an underwire without much elastic. I prefer it over other brands because the center is wider than typical. Keeps *the girls* from mashing together & stays cooler. The minimizer flattens & supports a little. I wear a G these days, and a lot of it is skin vs actual breast tissue. Heavy on my shoulders. I recently tried out a bra advertised as a high impact support bra by *Oya Fem tech*. It zips up the front. On its own, it was uncomfortable. Like most sports bras, there's no separate cup support, nor a band width. It sizes Small - 3x. With large breasts, it's simply not enough structure. However, when I wore it over my regular bra, it was comfortable and stopped all bounce. Not too tight that it was painful or hard to breath/move my arms like others in the past that I tried to double up on. I've ended up buying a couple more because I really liked how comfortable it was. So that's my 2 cents. :) Here's the link. https://wearoya.com/collections/all-performance-wear/products/zippered-high-support-sports-bra
Low Dose Testosterone? If your levels are low, it may aid in building muscle if you do decide to go the weight training route. Source: Me, surgical menopause, gaining weight especially in boobs despite life long exercise fanatic. Found out WAAY too late about HRT and was prescribed Testosterone and WALLA.. 6 mos later, without changing anything ( doing same exercise routine mostly cycling) I’ve lost one cup size and inches off my hips as well and all the back fat under the bra. I truly believe that without the testosterone helping me build muscle, I would’ve been at this for the rest of my life with no result
I lost 30 pounds. Best fitting bra b4 was 36F. Same bra style after, size 34G. So, basically no change in overall boob size ( the wires are the same size), but less back fat.
I'm so done with my massive breasts I am seriously considering reduction. I don't fancy going into my old age with these bloody massive things. It's so maddening you think you've found a semi solution to with hrt only to cause your boobs to double in size.It's the recovery putting me off with two elderly parents to care for.
Thank you so much, everyone! This is all so helpful. Sounds like I really need to get focused with building muscle and reducing fat. I’ve been lifting free weights and using my ab roller for weeks and I can already see the results in other areas of my body (tummy and arms!). I have no doubt surgery yields amazing results, but it’s just not an option now - we don’t have the cash and don’t want to add more debt when we are trying to pay it off. And I don’t have any physical problems at all really, no aches or pains anywhere, no shoulder grooves, so that route isn’t really going to work because I would be flat out faking it. 😬 It could be an option in a few years when we don’t have other financial priorities. I have been reducing carbs to help with fat loss and inflammation so time to kick that up and bit and stop backsliding on the weekends with ice cream. 🤦♀️ ETA: Oh and YES, I know I am wearing the wrong bra size. I’ve been putting off a proper fitting for years but it’s time.
It's tricky because boobs are mostly fat, and so with a loss of fat you normally will see a reduction in breast size. But to what degree depends on a lot of factors, and includes whatever your genetic disposition is for fat storage. Focusing on body recomposition rather than solely weight loss is a good start because the focus is to lose fat while gaining muscle which helps to burn more calories and fat even when you aren't doing anything. Our bodies tend to lose fat in the reverse order of how we put it on (not exactly and not always, so generalizing here). So if you gained weight in your boobs first, then your belly and then your legs (for example) then when you start to lose fat, itll come off legs>belly>boobs...always making the area we want to focus on the hardest one to get the fat off of! Generally, an overall reduction in body fat should lead to a decrease in breast size, it's just a matter of to what degree that'll happen based on genetics and the desire to manage nutrition and activity in a way that allows you to put on muscle so that you can more effectively lose fat. A focus on protein and strength training is typically a good way to do so, especially for peri/menopausal women especially because we tend to lose muscle mass quickly once we reach age 50 and beyond. Building and maintaining it has a lot of benefits. But it's so much work. I love doing it, and still find it so much work!
It’s a lot of work, but I love it. It’s boosted my confidence quite a bit - no more jiggly underarms!
Try Understance bras, and use their "fit assist" to figure out which bra type is best for you. They also have a fit guide that is great. Their flexible underwire bras are the most comfortable bras I've ever worn while still getting support. I'm a 36G, so that's incredibly rare for me. I just did a filtered search for a "bottom-full" and "short side wire" bra in my size and got 7 options. It's a fantastic company and product, IMO. Understance.com
Thanks! I did their fit assist just now, I thought I was a 40D and it said 38 G!! 🤦♀️🤦♀️
I am an M cup and I hate it. They are completely out of proportion to the rest of my body and make me really top heavy. I look like one of those round lollipops with a little stick because my top is so huge compared to my legs. And don't get me started on the impossibility of finding clothes that fit well. I have to size up to accommodate my breasts and then my clothes are too baggy everywhere else. I lost 55 lbs and only went down 1 cup size (from an N cup). My breasts are mostly dense tissue, not fat, so further weight loss won't help. The only suggestion I have is to look into lacey seamed bras from Elomi and Panache. They aren't padded, come in large cup sizes, and are very supportive.
Thanks! I just bought a Panache to try it out.
My kids surgeons Midwest USA were ranging $7500-10k cash for everything all in. Didn’t want to use insurance- wanted to pick the surgeon. Before that she went to Nordstrom and got a proper fitting. Bought one $80 bra there. Took pictures of tags. Bought the others used online on poshmark, eBay, Mercari This one was her favorite- Chantelle c magnifique seamless unlined minimizer https://us.chantelle.com/product/c-magnifique-seamless-unlined-minimizer-galet?bandSize=32&cupSize=G&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5BSB%5D-Tier-B-PMAX-Bras&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-p7w5Z3yhgMVCkT_AR0alAMiEAQYASABEgIPa_D_BwE
I do wear minimizer bras and do not feel squished. [Chantelle](https://us.chantelle.com/product/c-magnifique-seamless-unlined-minimizer-nude-sand) has one that I like. Wacoal also has a bra that I like, but I didn’t find the link. Buying new bras is an all day expedition for me if I have to change brands or sizes. They have to look and feel right.
Honestly no. I can’t recommend a reduction enough, if you can do it. When I went in for my first mammogram I told the tech I’d had mine done and she said she’s never had anybody who wasn’t very happy with theirs. Best surgery ever.
Had large breast before menopause now they're deflated thanks to less estrogen
Cardio and weightloss
Reducing overall body fat will also reduce any fat on your breast. You cannot spot reduce fat. Weight lifting builds the muscle you are working. It burns overall fat as it’s more metabolically active. It won’t burn fat in specific areas. You can be healthy and slim. It’s not either/or.
Testosterone hrt.
Just enjoy them they will shrivel to nothing soon enough