JulieNYC's Extended Tummy Tuck and Breast Lift

[bigsexy 0]

All I can say is - you are HOTTTTTT!!!!!!! can't believe your date didn't kiss you goodnight. I defintely would have.

[MissyC 0]

Thank you so much for sharing your jouring and posting pictures.

You are an inspiration.

[AngieM 0]

Thanks for being so willing to share. I am almost there too. Are you self pay or will your ins. cover? Do you know how much it will cost you?

[JulieNYC 4]

Thanks for being so willing to share. I am almost there too. Are you self pay or will your ins. cover? Do you know how much it will cost you?

I'm in the fortunate position of having a plastic surgeon for a father, so cost wasn't a factor for me. Believe me, I know how lucky I am.

Insurance wouldn't have covered me at all. I had no medical complications from my pannus and breast lifts are almost never covered.

[faithmd 14]

Julie, how are things going lately? How's the healing process? Hope all is well and that you've had better dates lately.

[JulieNYC 4]

Faithmd,

At about the 8 week mark, I felt completely healed. My energy is 100% back and I have no more muscular soreness. I'm like the old me except no pannus and no feeling for about a 2 inch stretch across my lower stomach. I'm told the loss of feeling is normal and likely permanent. I have no loss of sensation in the breasts, which is also the norm.

I'm back to working out regularly, which really helps my mood and, in turn, my eating (not wanting to eat crap). I dropped another clothing size sometime in the last couple of weeks, even though I've not lost that much in actual weight (maybe 5 lbs last month).

No better dates yet. I'm still keeping my eyes open....

That's about it!

[enterprise01 0]

Julie, thanks so much for the new pics. You look fantastic! My boobs need to be lifted (and possibly reduced), but I've been terrified of the scars and the potential loss of sensation. Seeing your pictures makes me feel much better. Your scars are barely there. In a few more months, they won't even be noticeable. You've given me the courage to go through with the surgery. I'm probably 6 months from goal, so I'm going to start saving now. Thanks so much for being brave enough to post the photos. You really do look great.

[JulieNYC 4]

My Dad came up to visit last weekend and to do kind of a post-op exam to make sure everything was healing as expected. There were a couple of small places where scabs kept forming instead of the suture line completely healing and, as it turns out, in both places there was a stitch that he'd missed when he clipped the rest of them. Now that those are clipped, both places have healed over perfectly. Yea!

His view was that the tummy came out wonderfully but that he was surprised how much more weight I've lost out of the breasts. I've lost about 20 lbs since my surgery. He's right on that, in that I was a D and now I'm a middle of the road C. He said to add a silicone implant later will be simple if it comes to that. He also said there's a good chance my body will naturally rebuild some breast tissue after I have the thighplasty. Apparently massive WL patients who undergo total body lifts (whether in one procedure or multiple) often gain breast tissue. The thought is that since the fat cells from the stomach, hips and thighs have been removed, the body gains weight more easily in the breasts and some patients see a cup size or more in increase in post-op year one. May I be so lucky....

As for the next surgery, we're doing a thighplasty and arm lift in December. He said, medically, he could do it today. Unfortuantely, I can't get 3 weeks off until December. Plus, it'll be an easier surgery if he doesn't have to do much Lipo, so I'm to try and lose 30 lbs between now and then. Either way, I'll be at goal in December, which is cool.

If I'm successful at losing that last chunk of weight, he thinks he'll do both the thighs and the arms on the same day. If I can't lose much more on my own, he'll do the thighs with lipo on one day, then a week later go back and do the arms. The arms don't have to be done under general anesthesia, so he can do them in his office OR once the big healing on the thighs is behind me.

For those of you who are new to the thighplasty, it's essentially a continuation of the circumferential abdominoplasty. This time, instead of undermining above the incision (to cut out the tummy and side rolls) he'll undermine below the incision to lift the outer thigh and buttocks. It's still only an incision that goes around your middle like a low slung belt. All this time, I thought the incisions went around the top of each leg, like pulling up each leg of imaginary pantyhose -- that's not the case -- it's more like pulling up the waistband of the pantyhose instead of the individual legs, if that makes sense.

I asked him if I could get away without having the arms done through strength training. He said my arms were just too far gone and he thinks I'd really be happier with an arm lift. I thought that was going to be the case but was actually kind of relieved to have that knowledge and to not be expecting miracles.

[kareyquilts 1]

Julie: Wow! You are so lucky to have your dad to advise you. I have been on a platueau for the last 2 months and I'm getting frustrated. How did you avoid platueauing and get such awesome results? I really want to know. What is your diet like? I know that you exercise alot. Are you still doing that? I know you had some down time after the surgery, so how was it to get back into exercising? I would really appreciate your help. You are a shining star. You've done so well. I seem to be losing my way even though I'm trying to do it all right. I'm starting with a personal trainer next week which should help. Thanks for any help you can give me.

[JulieNYC 4]

Karey,

I did hit a major plateau. Until last week, my weight hadn't changed at all since about 2 weeks after my PS -- i.e. 6 weeks or so. It was 100% my "fault" in that I really was eating whatever I wanted. My band and exercise were helping me to maintain, but I wasn't putting any effort into losing. As you know, once we're smaller, it takes real effort to lose.

Anyway, yes, I do exercise quite a bit. I don't do long sessions, but I do exercise most every day -- usually about 40 minutes, 5-6 times a week. And about 3 or 4 times a week, my exercise is a 4 mile run, which burns a lot of cals. When I'm not running, I meet with my strength trainer once a week and then I do something else once or twice a week, like the bike or the elliptical machine.

How do you do with challenges Karey? I am motivated by them. Let's try this: You're at 182. I'll send you a present from NYC (ooh, I wonder what it'll be....) once you've consistently maintained 175 or less for 5 days. By that point, you'll only have 25 lbs to GOAL. What you do think?

[kyethra 0]

Tiny panties.... that is my new long term goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will give my daughter Mazie, my current panties, to make a fort/tent to play under!!! ha ha ha ha

My you experience as much success with the next PS! Will "Dad" be doing the next one?

I actually have some panties now that are incredibly big on me. They were always a bit big and since they are boyshort style, they seem even bigger. Now they are huge! The biggest underwear ever! I love them! Not to wear, of course, they fall off, but because I know I lost weight!

I also have size 22 items that now literally fall off of me (jeans and skirts) if I walk around in them without securing them with saftey pins or belts or something. I love it! (except for the wardrobe limits). I just might be a size 12 at goal after all (big ole body frame).

Julie, your boobs are beautiful! I have begun talking to my husband about how, after I finish grad school and have a kid I'm going my rapidly sagging and deflated boobs done, along with other body work as needed. And my arms a lot sooner than that! I figure talking about it all now will get him really used to the idea when it is finally time. He seems pretty resigned already, but I feel it is best to reinforce this.

[argon 3]

For those of you who are new to the thighplasty, it's essentially a continuation of the circumferential abdominoplasty. This time, instead of undermining above the incision (to cut out the tummy and side rolls) he'll undermine below the incision to lift the outer thigh and buttocks. It's still only an incision that goes around your middle like a low slung belt. All this time, I thought the incisions went around the top of each leg, like pulling up each leg of imaginary pantyhose -- that's not the case -- it's more like pulling up the waistband of the pantyhose instead of the individual legs, if that makes sense.

So, isn't that essentially a lower body lift, but you've already got the Tummy Tuck part done? Why not have had them done at the same time? Maybe I'm confused. :phanvan

You look great, by the way. I'm glad you're feeling good too!

[JulieNYC 4]

Argon,

Yes, together, it essentially equals a LBL. The only issue was timing. I was eligible for the TT and breasts once I got under 200, but I needed to lose 30 more before getting the best result for the buttocks and thighs. I thought it might take me another year to lose those 30 and I didn't want to wait -- the pannus was really in my way.

For me, it was the right call. I had some time off work due to a change in jobs and knowing that I could have the TT/BL if I could get <200 before April was a real motivator for me. Of course, it didn't take me long to lose the additional 30 and now I'm itching to have the thighs done too, but I still wouldn't go back and do things differently.

Yes, most would just wait and do an LBL all at once. For me it would have still been 2 surgeries because Dad believes an extensive LBL like what I would have needed and a BL is too much surgery at once, so the breasts would have been separate irrespective.

[kareyquilts 1]

Julie: You're a sweetheart! I'll keep you posted on my progress. I'm going to get a personal trainer next week. I can honestly say that the last 2 weeks I have not been on my program. We went to Costa Rico on a vacation and then I came back to 15 house guests to feed and entertain, so I was very good. But before that I still hadn't lost any weight in 6 weeks and I was exercising (water aerobics and weight lifting) and recording everything I ate. I was averaging 1250 calories a day. Now I am back on my program and ready to roll. I purchased a Body bugg and I'm going to get serious about things! I want to reciperacate though, what could I send you from Utah when you meet a mini goal? Also, you didn't mention your actual diet. What is a typical day of eating like for you? Thanks again. You really are an inspiration!

[JulieNYC 4]

OK Karey, it's a deal. You'll send me a treat from Utah when I get to 163 -- that's the number where I'm no longer clinically obese, so it's my next milestone.

What I eat. Well, recently, it's been not so great. I'm at a new job and we order in a lot both for lunch and dinner. I've had a few more potato chip/sandwich type lunches than I'd like recently.

BUT, all that is behind me. Potato chips and sandwiches will be served at law firms long after I'm at goal, so I can have them then. For now, I'm going to really buckle down and lose the last 38 lbs to obtain a normal BMI on or before September 9th, which is the day I run my half-marathon. Now, I'm aware that's an aggressive goal -- 12 lbs a month is hard to do when it's the last pounds, but I'm going to do it.

The eating plan that I followed for most of my WL journey served me well, so I've gone back to it. Basically, I track calories closely and I track Protein loosely. My nutritionist says to eat 800-1000 cals and 45-50 g of protein for my meager height (5'2). Here's what that looks like on a given day:

Breakfast: 1/2 C cottage cheese mixed with 1/2 cup Fiber one Cereal and a handfull of berries. This is super yummy and keeps me full for hours (like from 10 to 3).

snack if I feel like it: cup-a-soup with 1/2 c cottage cheese and another 1/2 c berries.

Lunch: morningstar soy chicken patty with 3/4 cup veggies (today it was frozen green giant cauli in low cal cheese sauce)

Dinner: 1/2 c tuna salad on whole grain crackers and a frozen yogurt.

Total cals -- 850. Total protein - 67. Total fiber -- 32.

That would be a perfect day. If I stumbled (i.e. found free Skittles that jumped into my mouth) I might forego dinner, or at least the frozen yogurt. My cals would stll be about 900 but my protein would drop to about 50.