My moobs halted my love life as I'm too self-conscious to go topless – girls have made cruel jibes since I was a kid
Thabo Methie, 31, was just 10 years old when he started noticing that he seemed to be
5
Thabo Methie has felt self conscious about his chest since he was 10
Credit: SWNS
5
He was diagnosed with gynaecomastia, which causes enlarged breast tissue in men
Credit: SWNS
5
Thabo swathes himself in baggy t-shirts to hide his body
Credit: SWNS
Sporty Thabo says he was bullied at school - with kids saying they were "bigger than some of the females".
Thabo stopped participating in sports like swimming aged 11 as he was too self-conscious to take off his top and he says he became "sick" of being the brunt of every joke.
He went to the doctor and was diagnosed with gynaecomastia – when boys or men have more breast gland tissue than usual.
Having lived with the condition for 21 years and worn oversized T-shirts to hide his chest, Thabo has decided to have his breasts surgically removed.
Read more on men's health
As the surgery is deemed cosmetic, Thabo says it can't be done through the NHS.
Instead, he's set up a GoFundMe to raise the £6.5k required for "life-changing" private surgery to remove the breast tissue he says has been holding him back for years.
Thabo, a healthcare assistant for the NHS blood and transplant service, originally from Marondera, Zimbabwe, but living in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, said: "It isn't painful, but it has mentally affected me because of how people were to me.
"I went for quite a while without dating someone because I didn't want to take my clothes off.
Most read in Health
"For such a long time, I would debate getting a knife and cutting it off myself.
"The moment people started making jokes, that really hurt me and that stuck with me, especially when people pointed them out to me.
Dr Philippa Kaye Answers Most Embarrassing Men's Health Questions Part 2
"Some girls were laughing about it at school, and the most heart-breaking one was my then-crush telling me that I could breastfeed."
Thabo's insecurities grew when he attended boarding school at 13.
He says he became a recluse, trying to avoid any interaction with his peers.
He went on to spend the
next
four years trying to wash when no one would see him - which proved difficult sharing a communal bathroom with 23 other people.
5
Thabo says he was the subject of cruel jibes at school
Credit: SWNS
5
He's felt too scared to date as he doesn't want to take his top off
Credit: SWNS
Thabo said: "My entire life has been about wearing clothes that hide something that makes me deeply embarrassed and has gotten worse with time.
"Even now when I want to swim, I worry what people will think of me and I want my confidence to come back and I don't want to worry about what other people think of me."
When Thabo was 19, he took up running in an effort to shrink his chest and has more recently added strength training to his repertoire.
The 31-year-old claimed he even tried taking weight loss jabs.
What is gynaecomastia?
Gynaecomastia, or 'man boobs', is where men have bigger breasts than usual.
It's common and may not need treatment, but can sometimes be caused by other conditions.
The main symptom is getting bigger breasts than usual.
Your nipples or breasts may also look swollen or feel sore. One or both breasts can be affected.
What causes gynecomastia?
Hormone changes in men aged over 50, or during puberty
Being overweight
Certain medicines
Conditions such as an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, or cirrhosis
Drug use, including anabolic steroids
The effect of pregnancy hormones on some newborn babies
Treatments
Gynaecomastia is often harmless and may not need treatment, but if it's a problem for you, your GP may recommend:
Medicines that reduce or increase certain hormones
Losing weight, if you're overweight
If your gynaecomastia is caused by a condition, getting treatment for the condition may help reduce the size of your breasts.
Surgery can reduce your breasts if other treatments have not worked, but it may not be available on the NHS.
When gynaecomastia happens in newborn babies, or when it's caused by puberty, it usually goes away by itself over time.
Though he's maintained an active lifestyle to try and manage his condition, he has gained 21kg and now weighs 19st.
His breast tissue has grown more with time, affecting his self-esteem and mental health, he said.
Thabo said: "This has been ruining my self-esteem and it's just making me feel depressed most of the time.
"I have added strength training to the running but these can only do so much, especially as I gain weight.
"I started eating healthier with food that has more fibre, and last year I started taking the weight loss injection, but I stopped taking it as it was really expensive."
Conditions such as an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, or cirrhosis can cause it, as can taking certain medicines and being overweight.
The NHS classifies surgery to remove breast tissue as cosmetic.
It also requires patients seeking it to provide long-term UK-based medical records, which Thabo can't do as he only moved to the UK on a visa in 2023.
Thabo said: "To have this surgery would mean the world to me. It would be a huge weight off of my shoulders.
"I really hope the surgery can be as soon as possible. When I raise enough money, I will be booking the surgery straight away."
You can visit his GoFundMe page
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2 days ago
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My moobs halted my love life as I'm too self-conscious to go topless – girls have made cruel jibes since I was a kid
A MAN claims his 'moobs' have stalled his love life as he's too self-conscious to take his top off on dates. Thabo Methie, 31, was just 10 years old when he started noticing that he seemed to be 5 Thabo Methie has felt self conscious about his chest since he was 10 Credit: SWNS 5 He was diagnosed with gynaecomastia, which causes enlarged breast tissue in men Credit: SWNS 5 Thabo swathes himself in baggy t-shirts to hide his body Credit: SWNS Sporty Thabo says he was bullied at school - with kids saying they were "bigger than some of the females". Thabo stopped participating in sports like swimming aged 11 as he was too self-conscious to take off his top and he says he became "sick" of being the brunt of every joke. He went to the doctor and was diagnosed with gynaecomastia – when boys or men have more breast gland tissue than usual. Having lived with the condition for 21 years and worn oversized T-shirts to hide his chest, Thabo has decided to have his breasts surgically removed. Read more on men's health As the surgery is deemed cosmetic, Thabo says it can't be done through the NHS. Instead, he's set up a GoFundMe to raise the £6.5k required for "life-changing" private surgery to remove the breast tissue he says has been holding him back for years. Thabo, a healthcare assistant for the NHS blood and transplant service, originally from Marondera, Zimbabwe, but living in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, said: "It isn't painful, but it has mentally affected me because of how people were to me. "I went for quite a while without dating someone because I didn't want to take my clothes off. Most read in Health "For such a long time, I would debate getting a knife and cutting it off myself. "The moment people started making jokes, that really hurt me and that stuck with me, especially when people pointed them out to me. Dr Philippa Kaye Answers Most Embarrassing Men's Health Questions Part 2 "Some girls were laughing about it at school, and the most heart-breaking one was my then-crush telling me that I could breastfeed." Thabo's insecurities grew when he attended boarding school at 13. He says he became a recluse, trying to avoid any interaction with his peers. He went on to spend the next four years trying to wash when no one would see him - which proved difficult sharing a communal bathroom with 23 other people. 5 Thabo says he was the subject of cruel jibes at school Credit: SWNS 5 He's felt too scared to date as he doesn't want to take his top off Credit: SWNS Thabo said: "My entire life has been about wearing clothes that hide something that makes me deeply embarrassed and has gotten worse with time. "Even now when I want to swim, I worry what people will think of me and I want my confidence to come back and I don't want to worry about what other people think of me." When Thabo was 19, he took up running in an effort to shrink his chest and has more recently added strength training to his repertoire. The 31-year-old claimed he even tried taking weight loss jabs. What is gynaecomastia? Gynaecomastia, or 'man boobs', is where men have bigger breasts than usual. It's common and may not need treatment, but can sometimes be caused by other conditions. The main symptom is getting bigger breasts than usual. Your nipples or breasts may also look swollen or feel sore. One or both breasts can be affected. What causes gynecomastia? Hormone changes in men aged over 50, or during puberty Being overweight Certain medicines Conditions such as an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, or cirrhosis Drug use, including anabolic steroids The effect of pregnancy hormones on some newborn babies Treatments Gynaecomastia is often harmless and may not need treatment, but if it's a problem for you, your GP may recommend: Medicines that reduce or increase certain hormones Losing weight, if you're overweight If your gynaecomastia is caused by a condition, getting treatment for the condition may help reduce the size of your breasts. Surgery can reduce your breasts if other treatments have not worked, but it may not be available on the NHS. When gynaecomastia happens in newborn babies, or when it's caused by puberty, it usually goes away by itself over time. Though he's maintained an active lifestyle to try and manage his condition, he has gained 21kg and now weighs 19st. His breast tissue has grown more with time, affecting his self-esteem and mental health, he said. Thabo said: "This has been ruining my self-esteem and it's just making me feel depressed most of the time. "I have added strength training to the running but these can only do so much, especially as I gain weight. "I started eating healthier with food that has more fibre, and last year I started taking the weight loss injection, but I stopped taking it as it was really expensive." Conditions such as an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, or cirrhosis can cause it, as can taking certain medicines and being overweight. The NHS classifies surgery to remove breast tissue as cosmetic. It also requires patients seeking it to provide long-term UK-based medical records, which Thabo can't do as he only moved to the UK on a visa in 2023. Thabo said: "To have this surgery would mean the world to me. It would be a huge weight off of my shoulders. "I really hope the surgery can be as soon as possible. When I raise enough money, I will be booking the surgery straight away." You can visit his GoFundMe page
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'Then you can take some to work and eat cold or warm in the microwave,' says Reema. 7 These egg muffins are high in protein and low in calories Credit: Getty Images 4. Granola Keep it simple with old-fashioned yoghurt, fruit and granola. Greek yoghurt is high in protein (9g per 100g), and for some healthy fats, add a small handful of nuts. But be wary that this can become a high-sugar breakfast quickly. Reema says: 'Purchase a good quality, low-sugar whole grain granola and this can be a quick and easy choice.' Try Eat Natural low sugar whole grain oats granola (£2.10 with a Nectar card) or Lizi's low sugar granola nuts & seeds (£4, Tesco). 'Combine a few tablespoons of Greek yoghurt with a handful of granola and a couple of servings of fruit,' Reema says. 'Store in a container in the fridge overnight, or prep it in the morning.' 7 Keep things simple with old-fashioned yoghurt, fruit and granola Credit: Getty Images 5. 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'If you fancy, top with a spoon of kimchi for a spicy kick and an extra dose of gut-friendly probiotic bacteria!' 7 Cottage cheese and avocado on toast work with both sweet and savoury ingredients Credit: Getty Images How cutting out sugar can help you lose weight It might sound obvious, but cutting out sugar can help you lose weight - and this is why Reduced alorie intake : Sugar is calorie-dense but not nutrient-dense, meaning it provides a lot of calories without making you feel full. By cutting out sugar, you naturally reduce your overall caloric intake, which can create a calorie deficit and lead to weight loss. Lower Insulin Levels : Consuming sugar, especially in large amounts, causes spikes in blood sugar levels, leading to increased insulin production. Insulin is a hormone that promotes fat storage. By reducing sugar intake, you can help stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels, making it easier for your body to burn fat. Decreased Cravings : Sugar can be addictive and lead to cravings for more sugary foods. By cutting it out, you may find that your cravings for unhealthy, high-calorie foods decrease, making it easier to stick to a healthier diet. Improved Satiety : Foods high in sugar are often low in fiber and protein, which are essential for feeling full and satisfied. By replacing sugary foods with more nutrient-dense options like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, you can increase your satiety and reduce overall calorie consumption. Better Nutrient Intake : When you cut out sugary foods, you often make room for more nutritious foods. This can improve your overall diet quality, providing your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs to function optimally, which can support weight loss efforts. Reduced Fat Storage : High sugar intake, particularly from fructose, can lead to increased fat production in the liver, contributing to weight gain and obesity. Cutting out sugar helps to reduce this effect. Enhanced Metabolism : Reducing sugar can improve metabolic health, including better insulin sensitivity and lower risk of metabolic syndrome, which can facilitate weight loss. By cutting out sugar and replacing it with healthier options, you can create a more balanced and sustainable diet that supports weight loss and overall well-being.
