CowgirlJane

I wear 36C hooked on the middle hook right now, but I actually have very small breasts. I think I measure 35 or so - but remember not all bras are fitted the same, even within my own collection there are small Cs and there are big Cs but 36C is the size I start with when I try on a bra. I fill them right now with skin it seems to me. This is what makes using bra size such a strange measure.... I didn't realize it until starting this process! I have a fitted cocktail dress, maybe i should bring that in for my next consult and just see what the samples look like with that over it.

I did try them on. That is how I selected the size I liked. The problem with photos is it is very hard for me to look at a picture of a woman and think, oh, she is my size - she has my shoulders and ribcage dimensions. You can't really tell that from photos - or at least I cannot. Like I said, she is willing to do what I want (within reason - she doesn't do mega boobs...lol) but she gave her own personal opinion that I picked a larger size then she expected and that she recommended going a little smaller. It is not measured by bra size, it is measured by putting the samples on under a sports bra, putting on a tight tshirt and deciding which "look" you prefer. One thing to keep in mind is that when they do a lift, you lose a little of your own tissue so it is hard to exactly know what it will look like after the surgery - the trying on is an approximation. This is exactly the reason I posted the question in this thread - I apppreciate the perspective of larger busted woman. I am told repeatedly that women's main regret is not going for bigger breasts. when they chose implants and I thought this audience might give the opposite input. The man in my life just says "make sure it looks natural" - well, that is in the eye of the beholder.

I should mention that i do have a large frame. I already wear a bigger top than bottom due to large ribcage and wide shoulders...

Well, many people drink a few times a month. do you drink alot when you drink? That sort of drinking - alot at once, is considered to be a major health risk. Trust me when i say that alcohol is different post sleeve - you do not want to drink quantities as it will kick your butt. Maybe they see something that is concerning.

Thanks coop. I know what you mean about swinging expectations. When i had the sleeve i dreamed of being under 200 - that seemed like an amazing miracle and it was. But then, I wanted more and got more. When I got to my goal weight I started questioning if I was thin enough. Luckily, I have lots of good friends, family and medical people who told me to stop being crazy! Eventually I believed them and I now realize they were right - for me and my body type, i am just right. My initial plastics consult, I just wanted a tummy and thigh that didn't bounce when I work out...,lol. Just to be normal. Then, I started realizing I needed to set the bar a little higher... but i have thought, and talked to others and looked at pix... and realize there is a wide range of results. What i desire in my heart of hearts is a small waist. I never had one even when I was young, so lets be real about that. The only way for me to have a small waist is to grow a huge ass and I don't want that either so I will be content with my natural body type! Anyway, I appreciate the reminder about the headtrip - it is something I am ever vigilent about. Good thing I feel so stuck up about myself that I think I look pretty good even with a floppy belly and thighs and no boobs...lol. IT can only get hotter from here.

Every thread that someone has a problem, someone always mentions calling an attorney. no wonder healthcare in this country is so messed up. Anyway, I am glad you are okay. Take a breath, you have a right to ask about what happened, understand it deeply so you can advocate for yourself. Not everyone is easy to intubate and maybe it is a good thing this happened since an endoscopy is a very low stakes way to find out how your body is going to need to be handled during actual surgery. (okay, maybe not a good thing,I am just trying to find the bright side here) Scared the crap out of me that after my band removal the anesthesilogist left chart notes that said I had difficulty, but never told me and they weren't detailed enough for the next one to know what to make of it. It scared me, but i really appreciated that anesthethist #2 was professional enough to discuss it with me and describe the action plan in case things went bad. Of course, it was fine and he later told me he had no idea what the first one was talking about.... but i still appreciated the care and informing me of everything.

I have no idea - I don't see her anymore, but she was amazing and a critical part of my success during the losing phase. I called her a NUT but i don't know what her qualifications are. I just went where the good doc sent me!

I was never huge breasted... but of course was bigger when I was obese. I used to wear a B when thin, a C when a little overweight but was in a D cup at my heaviest. During the weight loss journey, weight didn't come off evenly, my breasts shrunk alot... during the last say 20 or 25# getting to goal. Now, like alot of women who have lost massive weight I have lost the volume on the upper breast and need fixing. I am down to mammary glands and skin really very little actual breast tissue left, although the droop isn't as bad as i feared... So, since this thread is mostly women who have large breasts, I am looking for input on what to go for during my breast reconstruction (lift and implants). The doctor will do whatever i ask, but said that since i have a more athletic build and lifestyle she strongly recommends I go with smaller implants then I picked out. She thinks I will regret being "large" busted at this stage of my life and I am taking her input seriously... The problem is you can't just say "make me a full C" because bras are all measured differently and a C looks different on different women depending on your shape. I am struggling with finalizing my decision... and I need to do that by May 9! Curious as to the thoughts from other women on this. I want an attractive womanly figure, but want to be comfortable and clothes to fit well since I really like fitted clothing.

I think you are right to stay focused on you right now but don't let one guys opinion make you feel bad. One day, love will find you.

Remind ourselves that this an emotional time and topic for many of us. I was huge at 250, and huger at 308. Honestly nobody noticed my losses till after that first 50. It is an individual road and most of us were in great discomfort wherever we began.

I started at 308 ( highest was 332). I am in the mid 150s now.

I had surgery Dec 2011. I hit goal in Feb 2013 and have been maintaining since. You can restart those losses...rock that sleeve girl!

I lost 150 over about 14 months and have been maintaining at goal since Feb. I could have lost faster but I took a little break from the weight loss after the first 110-120 pounds and then did a push to the finish!

Biggest fear was FAILING AGAIN (I have been very successful) Hardest thing, well, there were a number of things but I think that fact that i don't like to drink plain Water anymore is weird and bothers me. It is better now, I can actually tolerate it now, but i still don't love it and i used to love just good ole plain water. Getting to a normal size has been worth it though!

I started at 308 BMI was over 50. I am a normal BMI and lost 150# I never regretted the surgery AT ALL, but it wasn't always easy. You need to keep your eye on the prize, remember why you did this. I lost 50 pounds before ANYONE EVEN NOTICED... well except a best friend and I think she was lying...lol I had lost 120 some pounds when i finally asked my hubs if he had noticed.. since he hadn't said a word. You need to find your motivation from within during those times click on my profile to see my before and after pictures... for me it has been worth it times 10!

You know i can wear clothes fine with my arms as is. it is just that want to wear cocktail dresses etc. So I am thinking I am being foolish about the arms. I think bang for the buck is fixing the body and my docs original plan was smartest. Still thinking.... Keep the ideas coming.

There is already a huge long thread dedicated to before and afters.. but it is such a fun topic I don't mind repeating!! This is what losing 150 pounds does for you! A girlfriend of mine said the sweetest thing "I didn't know you had a teenage daughter"...LOL. I do feel like I look younger being trimmer. Taken within the last few weeks This was taken in December i believe - I think I was 20# away from goal,back when I was a bit curvier. I was feeling pretty good, but, I like how I look better now even if my T&A disappeared since this photo was taken. This is my before picture at over 300#. I don't have much to say about it but I KEEP looking at my befores to remind myself how far I have come.

Dr Sauceda has a huge fan club - many people who have gone to him and are very happy with their results. I have finally decided to stay local... I know that there are excellent surgeons outside the usa, but plastics scare me and i just want to be close to home.

Okay, anybody interested in meeting after work for a walk- maybe at the Woodinville access point of the Sammamish trail? That is right off 522/near 405. I think it is a decent location for most that have responded? My schedule is quite flexible - I can do Mon or Tues anytime after 4 but can be later for those of you that work later... just throwing that out there but i am open to other ideas. If we can get 3 people together, that would be a success and maybe try another location another time!

Fun topic. I never really used to care too much and have pretty much mostly dated guys who are medium or even "slight" build. i am 5'5" and never wore heels, so even height didn't really concern me. I was always been heavier then the guys i dated. Now, that i am in the phase of thinking about how I look (the post weight loss attention ***** phase perhaps? LOL) I like being around men who make me look good. so, that means, tall, at least 6', so I can wear serious heels and not look like an amazon. and please, outweigh me by at least 30 pounds.... preferably in mostly muscle. I am fairly muscular build myself and I just feel more feminine around guys who are taller and bigger then me. However, I am NOT attracted to the bodybuilder/hulk types. I am a horse person and I love that typical cowboy look - think Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood etc. Practical muscles, nice solid build but not from being a gym rat but from being a working man kind of look. In reality, I am mostly around software engineers who generally have a nice comfy layer of fat around their mid sections. That is okay too, but if you were asking me my dream guy - it would be tall, dark, handsome, narrow waist and broad shoulders without exaggerated muscles.

I don't know about stretching, but what i know about is that "feeling of restriction" or feeling of tightness is influenced by how you eat. So, try this - go back to the basics for like a week. Measure, eat 5-6 very small meals a day, or go on Protein drinks etc. Eat as though you were 8 weeks out not a year out. Drink lots of Water, but not with food - all the basics. Restrict carbs. I wonder if in a week you feel more of the feeling of tightness again. It is worth a try!

You have asked this question of a very biased group...lol We tend to be pro sleeve because each of us had our reasons for choosing that procedure. do your own research, don't just rely on our opinions. I don't think even a surgeon can give you a clear answer to your questin - they have their biases! I am 16 months post op, have had a complication free time of it and in maintenance. Hunger is returning, but that happens after all WLS at some point. This surgery has been a life saver for me - but you will find plenty of people who say the same about the rny and DS procedures. I counsel you to NOT consider the band. It sucks - I had it for 10 years and it sucked pretty much from the beginning. I vomited alot and I never vomit with the sleeve so it isn't just "compliance" like the doctors try to tell you....

Okay, sometimes my mind plays tricks and i don't see myself accurately. I was noticing over the last few weeks that my face looks a little drawn, a little thinner. My other meter, which is attention from the opposite gender is definately falling off too - but I think that happened when my boobs disappeared sometime in the last 10# lost...lol It makes no sense because i have only lost maybe a couple of pounds since i hit goal in late Feb. I am not really trying to lose alot more, just wanting to get a little under goal to give me some "flex room" - goal is the top of my weight range now! I am also slowly adding in more food and wanting to coast into maintenance. I expected to stop losing becuase i increased my carbs but so far, I am still slowly losing. Anyway, today I had a meeting with my boss who hasnt seen me in about 2 weeks and she said "it looks like you have lost more weight!". We agreed that it is probably just re-distributing but it was like "thank God someone else sees this. Maybe I am not completely nuts" Anyway, my partner is of no help, he really does not have the best attitude toward this stuff. He thinks I can get thinner and is fairly oblivious to the fact that the "jelly roll" around my middle is skin and not fat. It plays with my brain.... I have decided to stay focused on what the surgeon and plastic surgeon tells me because i can see where it is very tempting to get quite thin. A friend of mine who is itty bitty framed and only 5'0" tall is now under 100#. She told me that when I shared my weight (mid 150s) and she felt that I look better then she does that she realized that she is too thin. It was like it shook her up to realize that she looks like a broomstick - and in all honesty she does look too thin. She has never been anerexic but is seeing how it happens. She has alot of anxiety, and when she looks in the mirror she just thinks getting thinner will be better. IT is good to have other people help guide us on these topics since the brain plays funny tricks. So, we are all individuals, but i truly do have a large frame and being at the upper end of the BMI "normal" seems about right to me. I am okay losing a few more, but i do not need or want to get down to a lower end of the normal BMI range. Anyway, today for the first time I had that irrational thought "what if I can't stop losing". I about laughed at myself because I have a lifetime experience on how to gain weight. should it come to that, I suspect I can figure it out.

I posted this original thread a month ago. It is funny how fast things change. i feel pretty comfortable at my weight now. I no longer feel fat... well... sometimes my belly skin looks like fat but my brain now knows better. The next year is really about maintaining at this current weight, where i do feel comfortable and healthy.

So, in summary - I think we all need to accept that this is the normal progression... a return to hunger. MANY real world, normal people live with this to keep a trim waistline. I have decided that my new (ironic) motto is: I remember what skinny feels like... HUNGRY!!!