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does my extreme diet affect my breast growth??


Hi, it might sound stupid but please bear with me. I have a paranoia and just can’t stop being anxious about this until I get an experts’ answers.

When I was younger, I was heavily obese. So my mum put me in a diet program where they will massage my body, and use machine to slowly crushed my fats and wrapped me in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap to put me in a heating blanket that will heat my whole body in high heat for 30 mins to sweat out the fats they had crushed.

After that I also consumed diet medicine and exercised a lot. I lost 26 kg in 3-4 months and went to gym to tone my body after (Altho the diet was a success, it also led me to suffer bulimia for the next few years unfortunately)

Fast forward to now (I’m 21 now), due to stress in university, I’ve been putting almost 20kg of my weight back. It’s so bad that my mum told me to diet. I did exercise for a year but didn’t work at all, so I decided to go to a traditional diet massage place where they pinch your full body (Chin, face, tight, arms, tummy, calves, back and even the side of your body) and consume a diet medicine.

4 days ago, I just realised that my right breast is smaller than my right, probably by half a size or less. My right breast is more plump, full and round while my left breast is smaller, not as perky and pointy. It feels like my left has more muscle while my left is fatty?

I am not sure if my breasts have always had this much different in size and feels but I am now worried that;
1. Does the massage where they pinch my body fats affect the fats in my boobs? They don’t precisely pinch my boobs tho, but they do pinch the side of my boobs as I lay down on my tummy. (You know.. when you lay on your tummy your boobs’ fats kinda spread out to the side, so I’m not sure) — i did ask the massager and she said that she doesn’t massage the breast but the “fat wings” on the side of my chest and it won’t affect my breast size.
2. Did by breast’s size growth were affected by my diets back then? Especially with the heating machine that burns my whole body fats :(. Parts of me regret it now that maybe that’s why my breasts aren’t as big but I am also skeptical and curious if breasts’ fats are just that easy to crushed and removed? If so why are many people still struggling to reduce their breast size?


Thankyou for reading all of these and kindly respond :(( I have anxiety and been having a hard time sleeping due to my paranoia
2 Responses
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134578 tn?1693250592
COMMUNITY LEADER
Regarding your boobs, many women have breasts that are different than each other, and your recent weight losses and gains could well have affected them too. They might even out over time, or might have been not the same size from the first. They might change again after you get married, if you breast feed a baby. They are basically fat pockets, and will change with weight loss for sure.

The more striking part of your story is the extremes you have been taking with your weight-loss programs. People don't sweat out fats broken up via massage and heat in a half an hour, it sounds like you were taken advantage of by such an approach.

Please discuss what was done in the name of weight loss with a doctor, to understand what actually caused the loss. The pinching and massage and heating machines and plastic wrap sound like merely smoke and mirrors for the "diet pills" and the exercise. Do you know what the pills are or were? Some kind of barbiturate or appetite suppressant? They could be contributing to the disruption in your mental health.

Did you suffer from anxiety and paranoia before you ever took diet pills? I think if I were in your shoes (with a critical mother especially), I would take charge of my dietary and exercise life, for myself. I would work with a therapist first, to address the anxiety issues and the complexities that caused you to go with the extreme weight-loss gimmicks your mom insisted on you going through. And go over what you have been taking with your doctor, and talk with a good nutritionist, and also figure out (maybe with your therapist) some kind of different kind of exercise activity that is more fun for you. Losing weight is a matter of more calories burned through being active than brought in by eating. You need to hit that at both ends, by changing your eating and increasing what you do that burns calories. But it's hard to do if you are paranoid and anxious, which is where therapy will make a big difference.
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3 Comments
thanks for your response and being so kind without judgement. you were right, my right breast has always been smaller, but I could have sworn it wasn't this significant (or maybe I just realised it after all these years?). I have been trying to think rationally and objectively, in 3 weeks I've only lost 4kg, so I find it impossible for my breasts to shrink... yet. in addition, I think my breasts have always been this size since I was 15 -- I even still wear the same bra to sleep since years ago (I was 86kg, lost to 60kg and maintained for 3-4 years and now at 75kg).

the slimming treatments I did ~7 years ago were and are common in some countries like Australia, Malaysia Indonesia or probably more, apparently. They use maybe an infrared, vibrator and other machines to crushed the "hard" fats and sweat it out with steamer to make us pee the fats out. the doctor who did the treatment said that it should not affect anyone's breasts growth because its mainly affected by hormone. However, if my breasts became smaller back then, by slightly, maybe it's just because I lost weight.

I am trying hard to be objective and using my science background to think that..
the pinching massage I am doing right now, I dont think it affects my breasts size?
but yes the appetite suppressant they give me do makes me sweat more and feel anxious more. I should probably stop using it after my medicines run out. :(

sigh.. apologies for being complicated :( I just dk who to talk to
If the pinching massage treatment gets your mother off your case, that is frankly about the only positive thing about it. University is stressful. That's no reason to overeat, but some people do, it's like self-medicating with drugs to try to feel better. But your mother would help you a lot more if she stopped simply directing you to diet or encouraging you to go to places where they do this kind of thing (and give you drugs), and devoted her (probably considerable) energy instead to helping you find a good therapist, doctor, and nutrition counselor. These professionals will support you; please take this seriously and accept all the legitimate medical help you can find. Doctors aren't just for broken bones, they are there to help the whole person.  In the meantime, I'd drop the pills and try your best to eat a simpler, balanced diet featuring fresh foods that are not very processed. In the university there should be something like that on the food plan, if you are on one. That alone might make you feel more in charge and possibly just a lot better.

you're right. I will try to see my school counselor to get rid of my anxiety first after my semester break probably. my anxiety probably began because I was surprised to see how significantly different my boobs size and shape, and it sunk down my confidence. thus my brain started to make all the speculations why were they small and different, or maybe one of them shrunk because of my unhealthy diet.. which apparently after 2 days worth of research, shouldn't be the case. if they were to shrink, it will be both or neither.

still waiting for my OB/GYN to reply and set up an appointment. but for now, idk why I cant stop thinking that one of my breast shrunk no matter how many research I have done :'(.
thus why I am being complicated these days . I know it's all in my head but part of me refuse to understand?
973741 tn?1342342773
COMMUNITY LEADER
There is a machine that massages and crushes out fat?  That sounds a tiny bit barbarian!  I had to lose weight as well but found that a slow and steady change to diet, portion size and increasing exercise is what ultimately made the difference.  There are things that suck fat out like liposuction but have not heard of massaging or squishing fat away.  There are definitely some medications people take to help them lose weight.  Some are fine and some are a bit dangerous.  If it is stimulating, they've been linked to issues with the heart.  Do you know the name of what you've been put on?  Now, I totally agree with you. Exercise is important and can make a difference, it is not the end all to losing weight.  80 percent of weight reduction comes from our eating habits.  So, I found giving up the most damaging things I do eating wise first helps. For me, that was soda/pop/sugary drinks and sweets.  And then I added chips to that.  And no fast food meals.  That in and of itself made a bit difference for me.  I lost weight. So, work on lifestyle changes you can make long term to control your weight as I think what you've been doing is a temporary fix.    ***  And now in reading your question, it seems that may have happened a while ago?  Sorry, I'm trying to follow things.  

Breast size.  So, ya. You lose weight, your breasts will likely shrink.  Gain weight, they often grow.  Mine are large now, I need to lose a little weight.  :>)  And breasts are rarely perfectly matched on anyone.  They are often different sizes.  They shouldn't be really hugely different.  I would get a physical and a breast exam by the doctor at that time.

This would be a good time to discuss your sleep issues and anxiety too.  If you still take medication for weight loss, that may  impact that.  But in general, being anxious can interrupt sleep. And when we are not well rested, we don't do as well with our diet. Sigh.  Vicious cycle.
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2 Comments
First of all, thank you for responding and not judging.
I have tried to contact my OB/GYN but she seems busy for the time being. so I can only see her around end of December, probably.

I am not sure with the name of the machine but the treatment is called cellulite lymphatic massage and 3D Lipo Slim. it was when I was really young around puberty. my main concern was if the steamer that comes after affected the breast growth? but its just a steamer tho.. it's probably reduce only the water weight in my breast.. right?

the massage with the steamer and machine happened long ago (6-7 years ago) but right now I am taking an appetite suppressant and do the massage to "pinch" my fats to crush it.

I do love my breasts, but my toxic anxiety and paranoia frighten me that..

1. what if the steamers affected my breast growth? I was young and didn't know anything :(

2. what if my bulimia affected my breast growth? but I was overweight from 12-14ish. my heaviest was 86kg when I was 14. hence why I went on an extreme diet.
By 16 I began developing bulimia.. so I wonder if my small boobs are solely caused by genetics? or did my bulimia played a role?
but even when I had bulimia, I was never skinny. I was still around 59-61kg, although at one point I was admitted to hospital due to hypoglycemia

3. the past 3 weeks, I only lost 4kg, so isn't it unlikely that my right breasts shrink?  
or is it just me who is suddenly seeing things and have anxiety due to my diet? :(

sigh.. im sorry for being so complicated :( i have no one else to talk/ask
I'm really sorry you are going through all this.  It is a bit of a mystery, I will say.  Are you anxious in general?  Eating disorders are very hard to deal with.  And if you have already been through a situation that makes you aware that you don't always see your body accurately or are hyper critical of it, this could be wrapped up a little bit into that as well.  Small breasts are pretty much yes, just your genetic make up. But it changes over time.  Small breasted women go on to have hormonal changes, kids, etc. and within their lifetime, they can even become larger breasted.  

Anyway, I'm here to talk!
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