Bluesea71

Go to my profile and look up previous posts I've made/contributed on this subject for specifics. Overall I don't have a lot of loose skin. Zero on my arms. A little bit on my inner thighs. A lot on my abdomen. It doesn't look bad when I'm standing up, but bending over, I look like I could welp a litter! I can grab handfuls of skin starting just under my breastbone down to my pubic area. All of my stretch marks are below my belly button and are from two pregnancies. A tummy tuck is the only thing that will fix that if i eventually go down that route. Genetics plays a HUGE role as well as how long you were over weight and how much you were over weight. I have a naturally athletic hour-glass figure that works in my favor, so I'm hoping with a little toning and exercise, I will see some improvement. There are some red flags. For example, if you have pockets of fat that start right above your elbows, you will likely have bat wings. Just remember that it takes your skin 2-3 months to bounce back every time you lose weight. There are times my thighs would look horrific and a fews months later they would look fine. I took the photo below 3 weeks ago when I weighed 153 or so. I'm 5'7", 43 years old and was 245 at my heaviest. 226 the day of surgery. My goal is to get to 145ish although now I'm not so much focused on a number as what my body looks like. I am an active person but just started "exercising" (walking 10,000 plus steps a day) this month 11 months post-op. I haven't lifted weights at all. I swallowed my pride and originally posted this picture a few weeks ago because I know pre-op I remember having a lot of questions about loose skin. Even now, most people are covering themselves up in their after photos and it leaves me wondering what is lurking underneath. So here is my loose skin. Be kind. The reality is losing the weight is the easy part. The cluster-f*** of body-image issues that arise post-surgery is real and is something we all should be aware of and expect as part of the journey. I am a middle-aged woman who has had two children. I will never have the body of a 19 year-old. I'm learning to love the skin I'm in. Even if it is a tad loose in places! I'm healthy and I look smoking HOT in clothes! I'm working on the looking smoking hot naked part! ????

Awesome post kindle! I will be a year out from surgery on April 16th. My biggest regret over the past year is that I focused too much on what the scale reported versus how my body look or more importantly, downplayed the things my body now allows me to do that I couldn't do before! I didn't exercise much this past year because I noticed every time I did, my weight loss would slow down on the scale. I'm now paying the price as I think I've lost a lot of muscle mass the past year. I'm now focused on toning and that may just add some weight on the scale and I'm okay with that. My goal is to look good naked at this point! I agree that the endless posts about stalls on this site do become kind of annoying to read. They happen people!!! It's part of the process! I think all of us come in to this process with such a huge fear that we will fail like we have so many times before and then it becomes an obsession. The weight WILL come off! Just follow your doctor's plan. Heck, rebel a bit and the weight will still come off! So here are some of my NSV this week: 1) I continue to steal clothes out of my teenage daughter's closet daily (size 6/8) AND she has now started stealing my clothes. If anyone knows how picky teenagers are, this a huge compliment! 2) I wore my daughter's size 6 lululemon leggings to jog and considered NOT covering my a** for the first time ever because it looked kinda hot for a middle aged woman (lol, I crack myself up but I will post a picture below to prove I have no shame! ????) 3) I ran farther than I ever did before and actually enjoyed it!

Are you having a big wedding with a big dress, etc? One thing to consider is you will drop a significant amount of weight the first month. That will throw a huge curve ball into things as you will be dropping weight each week and your dress may not fit right and require significant expensive alterations The first month post-surgery is the hardest, as you are adjusting to a new lifestyle. Your calorie intake is restricted so your energy will be very low for awhile. You won't be able to eat your own wedding food or cake if your having a wedding reception a month out post surgery. I will be celebrating one year post surgery this month and am at goal. I have to be honest. I didn't always look my best those first 6 months post surgery. My hair got really thin and there's kind of this "look" I think a lot of WLS patients get. I can't really describe it, but I'm glad it somewhat goes away the further you get out from surgery! Personally, I would hold off on the wedding (if it isn't planned, of course) until you can rock your hot new body. You can thank me later when you have all of your photos to look at. If its too late for that (which I'm thinking it is unless you're planning a small courthouse affair) than wait until after your wedding to have surgery. Now a year out I can eat anything but for the first few months you will only be able to eat a few bites and be stuffed. I was one of the lucky ones and had Zero complications post surgery. You never know what your outcome will be. There are plenty of people who fight exhaustion, heartburn, throw up, have incision pain. You name it. If your incisions are still healing, you wouldn't be able to go into a pool/hot tub on your honeymoon. Just things to consider. Good luck with your decision!

I hate to say it, but there isn't much you can do to prevent it from happening. I started taking biotin 2 months before surgery, always got plenty of protein and my hair still thinned. Good news is that is it TEMPORARY! It WILL grow back. I'm almost a year out and I think around the 8 month mark it starting growing back in. In the meantime, go to Amazon and buy a product called Toppik. It is spray on hair fibers that do an awesome job concealing a thinning scalp. A small bottle lasts a long time. Make sure to buy the optional pump applicator.

Good luck to all of you! I was sleeved almost one year ago on April 16, 2014. Best decision I ever made and easiest weight I've ever lost!!!! Good luck on your own journey! Xoxoxo

Enjoy! It's a great resource to read reviews on plastic surgeons too. You will have to create an account to be able to access the pictures.

The realself.com website is a great resource to see people's before/after plastic surgery photos. You can even post your own photos and have plastic surgeons comment on what they would recommend!

I will echo what others have already said. Don't compare yourself to others as your journey is your own. I found my weight loss slowed down the closer I got to my goal. 2-3 pounds per month sometimes. I started out at a relatively smaller BMI of 38 (226 day of surgery at 5'7") and hit my surgeon's goal of 160 at about 9 or 10 months out. My one year anniversary will be April 16th and today I am 150.4. I always said 140-145 was my personal goal, but I've switched my focus more to what I look like verses what the scale reports. I'm focusing more on toning at this point which actually may add some muscle weight and I'm okay with that.

Search this topic and you will find hundreds of posts on the subject. I'm still laying in bed with my morning coffee so a tad too sleepy to reply now. You can search what I've said in prior replies though! Genetics plays a huge role!

The answer to this question is an individual one based on the results you are seeking. What helped me was going on the realself website and looking at people's before and after photos. I realized I wouldn't be happy with the results I was seeking until I was as close to goal weight as possible. Even now I am at my goal weight of 150 (5'7") and I'm still focusing on loosing as much of the fat under my belly as I possibly can until its mostly skin. The more fat you can lose prior to surgery, the more skin can be stretched down and removed. For me, the surgery scars annoy me and just scream out I've had WLS. I've been told that of I can lose enough belly fat, they can stretch my skin down to remove the 2 biggest scars you can see just above my belly button. The others are faded. I personally won't bother to get a consult until I'm ready to get the surgery. I don't want to waste the surgeon's time and the consult is only good based on what they are seeing now, so I would just have to go back again when I was actually ready to have the procedure. I have also decided to wait until next summer to have any surgery. I have been amazed how much my skin has changed already and want to give it time to adjust on its own. On average, it takes 2-3 months for skin to adjust every time you lose. If you are still losing, I would recommend waiting until your weight has stabilized. Good look with whatever you decide!

Interesting article. The concept that comes to mind I feel the author is trying to get across with his interesting choice of f*** yes or no concept is - We take the the time for the people, places and things that are important to us. The message I heard loud and clear in the article is stop wasting your breathe pursuing relationships (both platonic and romantic) if that person is not equally pursuing you with as much energy and effort. Move on. We deserve better. There is someone out there in the world who thinks you are the bees knees. Stop wasting your time making excuses why so and so didn't call. I make time for the people, places and things that are important to me. Don't you?

BTW - not sure if I mentioned this in my earlier post. If you purchase your fitbit at REI, you get 10% back if you are a member (lifetime membership $20). They also have a no hassle 365 day no hassle return policy if you buy it and hate it. Most stores seem to be consistent with the pricing (I could be wrong...). Flex $99. charge $140. Charge HR $160. I wouldn't bother with the Surge. The thing is massive and uncomfortable to wear. If you want to map your walk/hike/run, run keeper is a great free app for your iPhone that utilizes GPS and you can sync it into your fitbit

Thought I'd give an update - I've had my fitbit HR for 3 weeks now. I've compared the mileage recorded on my fitbit to my runkeeper app on my phone (which uses a more accurate GPS) and they record the same distance. Regardless, I love my fitbit for the accountability and I haven't gone a day without reaching my step goal. Speaking of which, gotta run, I have 2,342 steps to complete before bed!

My favorite jeans pre-surgery were Old Navy Diva boot cut dark rinse. I started out in size 20 and when they were on sale for $19.99, I bought two pairs each in sizes 18, 16, 14, 12, 10 and 8. On average I lasted in each size about two months so I feel I got my money's worth. I used to stare at those size 8's and they seemed so tiny at the time. I couldn't imagine ever fitting into them. Now those size 8's are fitting me perfectly! My wardrobe has been quite limited the past year since surgery. I tend to live in jeans so those and a few shirts to swap out we're all I needed. Now that I'm at goal I'm investing more money in expensive pieces.

You know you've lost weight when... You ask to borrow your teenage daughter's size 6 lululemon workout pants and consider NOT covering your a** for the first time ever because it actually looks kinda hot for a middle aged woman! Lol. I crack myself up... ????

150.4

Regarding the other quest products, I would stay clear of them. Sounds like a bunch of crap full of carbs. I remember being warned about such food items in our nutrition classes. They are too similar to chips, cookies and other "red flag" food items I have never been able to have in my house because I will eat them until they are gone. For me, it's just better not to have snack food like that around. It doesn't have a place in my new lifestyle. If I'm hungry I will eat a piece of beef jerkey or other high protein snack which will actually fill me up. I would end up eating 8 bags of those quest chips in one sitting! 5 carbs doesn't seem bad, but 5 grams x 8 bags equals 40 grams of carbs!

Are you pre or post surgery? Be aware that your taste buds may completely change post surgery! Don't buy too much ahead of time or it may end up in your cubbord uneaten. I can't stand anything chocolate (except real chocolate, of course!) post surgery. So any quest bar with chocolate makes me want to gag. My favorite quest bar at the moment is the Apple pie flavor. Do you have a GNC near you? That's the easiest/cheapest way to try out single flavors you will like as the variety pack doesn't offer all that are available. If you purchase the GNC membership (($15/year $20/two years) their price per box is lower than amazon or anything I've been able to find online. You don't pay tax because its food and wont have to pay shipping costs.

I am a year out from surgery and had ZERO complications. Well, maybe a little nausea after waking up from surgery. No gas pain, no leaks, no heart burn (ever), no food aversions, no throwing up. I could have gone back to work a week after surgery. I think I went back 12 days later. While there is a chance of complications, the percentages are really low. It's good to educate yourself, but don't let the fear of something happening cripple you.

Casey235 - I'm almost a year out from surgery and one thing I wish I would have done differently is bought a Fitbit soon after. Similar to you, walking is really the only "exercise" that appealed to me. The fitbit motivates me on days I'm feeling lazy. If I look down and see I have completed 8,287 steps today, I'm likely to put my shoes on and go outside and complete the rest to reach my 10,000 step goal for the day! I have fitbit friends I compete with in daily and weekly challenges. It motivates me to be active when I see my friends are moving and I know they can see I'm NOT moving! I have always been active (I love to hike) but honesty I haven't exercised with much consistently since surgery. I was able to reach my goal weight with mostly diet modification alone but I also didn't have that much to lose compared to many on these boards. While it is quite possible to lose weight without exercising, it will be very difficult to maintain the weight loss long term without incorporating some type of exercise routine. The earlier on you can make this part of your lifestyle, the better. The key is to find something you love and stick with it. For me, I don't think I will ever be a gym rat. I have always loved walking. And lately my walking has turned into jogging. And maybe one day it will turn into running......

I'm glad you said this Kindle - I think it's important for all of us to remember that we are creating a new lifestyle that we need to continue for the rest of our lives. If you are continually depriving yourself of the things that you really want, will you finally snap and rebel one day and have them? I always hated the word "diet" because it implies one day you will be going off of your diet and going back to another way of eating. I know many people go into this process with serious food issues and need strict eating plans to succeed. There are ways to include those favorites (with a few moderations, of course!) so you don't have to give up everything you love! If you want pancakes, have them! I was never a fan of them in the first place. You need to find a balance that works for you. I have my own sinful treat I've had almost every week for the last 8 months. Am I willing to give it up anytime soon? Probably not. But I log it into my Lose It app on my phone. Account for the calories/fat/carbs and go on with my day. Don't ask what it is BTW. I have enough experience on these boards that I want to spare myself a lecture

Phillyfan are you pre or post surgery? I would suggest not buying too much of anything if you haven't had surgery yet. My tastes completely changed after surgery. I gag If I eat anything chocolate post surgery so my favorite quest bar is the apple pie flavor. I loved those wafer crisp bars someone mentioned above pre-surgery and now they just sit in my stomach like a rock. Buy a few sample flavors and then invest in a box once you find flavors you like! As an alternative, GNC has their own protein bar I like that has more of a dense cake texture. 30 grams of protein but a whopping 400 calories. I will only eat half of one of those and only on occasion. I like the cinnamon bun flavor.

I was a carb junkie before surgery. Now I find I just don't crave the same foods. I can have a bite of a pancake but the thought of eating a stack of them just makes me feel sick. I'm almost 1 year out and I typically have one of two things for breakfast. If I'm on the go I eat an apple pie quest bar. Yes, I'm that specific with which flavor I prefer! Can't stand anything chocolate post surgery! The other option is I warm up in the microwave one of the egg combos I made ahead of time from the freezer (which are egg, bacon, bell pepper, onion and cheese "muffins" I baked in muffin tins and freeze.)

I am almost one year out from surgery and have PCOS. In fact, PCOS was the only comorbidity that qualified me for surgery since my BMI was 38. WLS does not "cure" PCOS as it never fully goes away. It can help elevate some of the embarrassing and frustrating symptoms of PCOS. Excess hormones are stored in fat, so as you drop weight, your estrogen and testosterone levels typically become more balanced. I know I was worried how my PCOS would impact my ability to lose weight since it made losing/maintaining weight difficult before. While I was a somewhat slow loser compared to others on this board, I think most of that was due to starting at a lower BMI. I am 5'7" and was 241 at my highest. 226 the day of surgery and I weighed 150.7 this morning. Best thing I ever did!

I agree! It's been a busy day and I'm just getting around to reading everyone's replies. Thank you for sharing your story and your inspiring words. I want I want I want..... My husband would say that would be the perfect tattoo for *me*