preetyfatchic

I will set the stage. I am teaching a class at work with a fellow employee. This person has not seen me in awhile ...more like a couple of years. I am also mentoring a student from a local university. So..long story short..she didn't recognize me, and when she did...she was shocked to say the least. She, of course, asked THE question...."how'd you lose the weight?" So instead of lying, I told the truth. And the response I get was and I quote, " my mom lost about 100 pounds the RIGHT way through exercise and healthy eating". While I wanted to have fire shoot out of my eyes burn all the hair off her head, I calmly explained that I am doing the RIGHT way through very healthy eating and exercise with the added benefit of built in Portion Control. What I really wanted to say was, " hey there is no need to be jealous..I know it sucks to be the fat ass in the room now, but hey you can go lose weight the RIGHT way too". Alas, I thought better of it, took the high road, and almost bit my tongue in half. I just calmly explained the fallacy of her thoughts in a calm, non-demeaning manner. In other words, I showed this person a lot more respect than she showed me. Oh well...look out...your ignorance is showing!

Ok....STEP AWAY FROM THE LEDGE....Get back inside the building and let's talk about this!!!
When was the last time you lost 25 lbs in one month???? HHHMMMMMMM?????? You say "only" 25 lbs. Unless you have 200 or more lbs to lose, then you have lost just about the right amount of weight for the first month. It's FANTASTIC!!! YOU ARE DOING FIIIIIINE!!! Keep on doing what you are doing and the weight WILL come off, I promise! Your body has been through a trauma from which it is still trying to recover and figure out what you did to it. This is right about the time when we all hit a point where we don't lose for a few days or a week or two (or for me...SIX). I did not lose a pound for over six weeks when I was at your stage. Talk about freaking out. It did start up again as I continued on my planned course of eating and exercise. Don't worry, don't freak out. You're doing GREAT!!!!
(BTW- I DID have 200 lbs to lose and i STILL did not lose 40 lbs in the first month! )

Still only halfway to goal, but I'm really getting excited now.
First photo was 274, second is 213. Surgery was 4/9.
 

Seriously !!! My scale is driving me crazy...wont budge...not even few grams....i guess it needs putting away till nxt week!!! Lets see...
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Yup walking works wonder....i had the same issues....gently pat yourself on d chest if you feel a burp coming....helps!!! Feel good soon
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This little girl right here....

Is it normal to have a stall within 10 days?? The first week i lost 16 lbs but now d stupid scale wont budge since 4 days!!! Im doing eveythn as per d docs instructions....proteins..walk...evrything....dunno y im scared d surgery wont work for me...!!!
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My sleeve is Rex, because he was downsized from a T-Rex. And, my sleeve is male because he doesn't like certain things, like chocolate.. and only a man would keep a woman from eating chocolate when she wants it!

Before surgery mine was the Dragon's lair. Now it's the dragonfly's lair.

ALL of us did. But for the OVERWHELMING majority IT WILL WORK.
I yo yo dieted for decades and gradually got up to 375 pounds. I looked terrible and felt worse. BP was high, blood sugar all over the place, cholesterol high and resting heart rate of 90+. I now weigh 205 pounds and my health is dang near perfect. I did it and it was the BEST thing I have ever done for me health. There are SOME who DO fail, either their food issues are overwhelming and they have sever mental health issues or the surgery went wrong. Yes, it DOES happen, but most likely it will NOT.
Now excuse me, I am going to leave work, run home hop on my bicycle and ride for 20+ miles - something I now love to do. I've been averaging about 100 miles a week for a few months now. 2 years ago I used to bust out in a sweat just going to the bathroom.

I want to climb a mountain!

i had my surgery on the 17th too... My nutritionist had me on one week of Clear Liquids and now one more week of thicker liquids like cream Soups and milk....starting next week i can have pureed stuff....week one i lost 7kgs thats around 15 pounds i guess...

Hey Everyone! I had my 9 month check up today...and I have met my goal!!! I literally shed a tear as I looked at the BMI chart and saw that I was in the "healthy" range! I went from a BMI of 36 to 23, size 16WP (women's petite) to a 4P, and from 208lbs to 125lbs in 9 months. Although I've had my up's and downs, I love my new body and life! I also know the journey isn't over...it's now a lifestyle. So keep striving, working, and reaching those goals everyone! Much love!

U look so good!!! Congratssss
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I'm 9 weeks out and have had a similiar experience. The only issue I have is when I eat too much or too fast. I logged all my food during the first few weeks, but stopped for a stretch and that's when I began to worry about my ability to consume anything. Would this be my downfall in the long run? I was still losing weight, but I began to imagine a myriad of ways that I could screw the whole thing up. So, I started tracking my food again, this time using myfitnesspal.com (free, easy) and I now feel much more in control. Using a food tracker helps me monitor many more aspects of my diet than when I was just trying to keep track of protien in my head and avoid carbs. I'm now more conscious of sodium, Calcium and other important factors in my overall health. Will I always track my food? Probably not. Right now if my weekends are busy and I don't get a chance to log my food with my phone or laptop I don't sweat it.
Given that most of us have tried many times in the past to lose weight and failed, our capacity to doubt ourselves is enormous. Ignore the doubt. We can't trick ourselves into thinking we can't do this.

Oh please, please be careful! You've had major surgery done on your stomach, and it will be months before the nerve endings heal, so you can be hurting yourself and not feel it! Your stomach has so much healing to do, which is why your surgeon puts you on a liquid and then puree diet - digesting normal food takes a lot of rockin' and rollin' for your stomach, which it is just not up to at this point. Also, this is your best opportunity to develop a new relationship with food. For a few weeks they ask you to eat what's gentle on you body, not what you crave, or what sounds good, or what tastes good. You're putting your body through huge changes, and this is the ideal time to build new, healthy habits. Don't waste it. Believe me, maintaining those new eating habits gets harder with time, not easier. You'll never be more committed to this change than you are right after surgery. Make the most of it!

They do get bigger, but that costs extra.

As i browsed through the forums i noticed a large amount of people either complaining or asking questions about loooose skin, and no that was not a typo lol. For us when we lose massive amounts of weight we are clearly and visibly aware of unwanted saggy skin which may be on our chin, neck, arms, legs, and stomach areas. Most us ask the questions, but never really find the answers you were looking for. Well here are 20 ways to tighten up your skin. Doing this pre-op as soon as possible, we will be able to limit the loose and saggy skin we dreadfully detest or will come to detest.
Here are 20 ways to tighten skin after weight loss
1. Lose Weight Now!
As we age, our skin naturally loses elasticity. This means that the younger the age at which you lose weight, the better your skin will rebound. if you have a weight issue, lose weight now! The sooner you lose weight, the better the chances your skin will tighten on its own.
2. Don’t Yo-yo Diet
If it seems like you’re always gaining and losing weight, more than 25 pounds each time, that’s yo-yo dieting, and it’s terrible for your body, including your skin. The constant growing and shrinking puts stress on your skin, so stop the yo-yo dieting. Rather than gain and lose weight over and over again, talk to a pro about making a few PERMANENT key lifestyle changes. These healthy changes will help you lose weight, and keep it off, long term.
3. Don’t Lose Weight Too Quickly
Slow and steady wins the race, and helps tighten your skin after weight loss. Your skin tightens slowly, so help the natural tightening process by losing weight safely and slowly, too. Besides, losing weight permanently by making broad lifestyle changes takes time, but it also helps prevent yo-yo dieting, something else that can help tighten skin after weight loss. Bonus!
4. Scrub to Tighten Skin after Weight Loss!
Scientists think the reason using sea salt scrubs (or other scrubs) helps tighten skin after weight loss is that they encourage increased blood flow, which in turn encourages healthy, elastic skin. Whatever the exact reason, it does seem to work for many people… try using a good scrub in the shower twice a day, several times a week, and see if it helps you!
5. Use a collagen Cream
Another way to tighten skin after weight loss is to keep it nourished with a collagen cream, one designed specifically to cope with loose, sagging skin. They can be pricey, but well worth the expense when they work. Note that collagen creams won’t work for everyone (nothing ever does), so ask family and friends for recommendations before you invest in a range of products that aren’t effective.
6. Try Massage Therapy
I have a particular friend who swears her weekly massage therapy helped her tighten skin after weight loss. She complain of sagging skin, particularly on her upper arms and upper thighs, and is delighted to show off her non-saggy parts now. Why not give it a go? At best, it will help tighten your skin… at worst, you get an invigorating massage.
7. Perhaps a Wrap?
Another friend tells me his skin was tightened when he got a seaweed wrap at a local spa, and now he goes every 6 to 8 weeks to enjoy its benefits. Online, I’ve found rave reviews on the local spa he frequents, and not a single negative review. Find a spa near you and do some digging… are their clients as happy as the clients at m local spa? If so, give them a try!
8. Add Weight Training
Chance are, you used weight training to help you get to your goal weight, but if not, it’s time to add them, to help tighten skin after weight loss! If you’re worried about looking overly buff and masculine, don’t be. Simply add weights to your workout three times a week, because building toned, lean muscle under your skin will help it look tighter.
Lunges are great for sagging skin on the upper thigh. In order to tighten loose skin by exercise, you need to pinpoint the right exercises that will target the area you wish to tighten the skin on. The upper thigh requires lunges, in which you tone the gluteus, upper thigh and hamstring, pulling the skin tighter to the thigh and creating a more attractive thigh area.
Squats also assist with your lower body sagging skin. Squats are a dream to tighten loose skin by exercise. They provide an ultimate lower body workout for the gluteus and thighs. With your feet shoulder length apart, you simply keep your back straight as you lower yourself into a sitting position as if you were sitting in a chair.
Bicep curls target that nasty underarm hang. The arm skin that hangs down has been called many things by its biggest haters. This problem seems to be one of the ladies’ biggest woes and can be targeted with bicep curls. It is important that when you tighten loose skin by exercise you perform exercises that are toning the muscle, and therefore the surrounding skin.
Planks work that stomach flab. With your hands under your shoulders, hold your arms out with your legs straight and toes holding your legs up. You get the most abdominal toning with this exercise the longer you hold the stance. The recommended time is 20 to 30 minutes.
Crunches are painful but highly effective. When you are seeking the ultimate way to tighten loose skin by exercise and targeting the stomach skin flap, crunches can be the most effective. Crunches provide complete toning for the abs if performed appropriately. The back should be straight with the chin level, and you will raise your torso to your knees, fighting the resistance. This will be one exercise you will feel later.

9. Drink Water to Help Tighten Skin after Weight Loss…
Healthy skin is hydrated skin, and despite the debate in the scientific community about whether or not drinking 64 ounces of water a day can help keep skin healthy and happy, I’ve seen the results myself. Perhaps it’s because, if you’re drinking that much water, you’re not drinking soda, loaded with unhealthy chemicals… or perhaps it’s because healthy, elastic skin really does need water. Either way, it works.
10. Practice Yoga
Yoga will help you relieve stress, be more flexible, lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, and even help your skin rebound after weight loss. They key with yoga, and any other regimen for that matter, is to Start off slow, and within a few weeks, you’ll be surprised how much more flexible you, and your skin, can be.
11. Be Patient
I suppose I ought to mention that after a significant weight loss, your skin can take up to six months to tighten to the new, slender you. Be patient, then… if your skin doesn’t rebound immediately, keep in mind that it may take a little time. Just like setting realistic weight loss goals is important, setting realistic goals for your body to adjust is important, too.
12. Do Calisthenics
Calisthenics are great for building lean muscle, great for your heart, and they’re even great for tightening skin after weight loss! Add a round of calisthenics to your weekly routine, three or four times a week, and enjoy the jumping jacks, push-ups, windmills, and more… they can be fun, and they’re helping your skin readjust at the same time. Shaun T's Beachbody P90, P90X, Insanity are great suggestions.
13. Eat Plenty of Lean Protein
Adding lean Protein to your diet will also help tighten skin after weight loss. How? First of all, it helps build lean muscle, which will make you appear more toned (well, you WILL be more toned!). But lean protein also contains the collagen and other nutrients your skin needs to stay elastic. Protip: consuming lean protein after a workout will help boost the muscle-building effect.
14. Avoid High-fat Foods
Foods that are high in fat are a dieter’s worst nightmare on two fronts. First, obviously, they can wreck your diet. Second, they do your skin no favors. If you’re trying to keep a healthy weight, or tighten skin after weight loss, avoid foods that are high in fat. Even the ones that taste really, really good. ESPECIALLY the ones that taste really, really good! Studies have shown that these high fat foods can even be addictive… so stay away!
15. Try for Five
The USDA recommends we eat five servings of fresh fruits and veggies every day, to give us nutrients we need, and to help us maintain healthy weights. But did you also know these five servings will help tighten skin after weight loss? That’s because most fruits and veggies have a high water content, which your skin needs to rebound. And again, they’re very good at helping ou maintain a healthy weight!
16. Avoid Sulfates to Tighten Skin after Weight Loss…
Sulfates are used in lots of body washes, soaps, and shampoos because they’re good, cheap cleansers and they make lush lather. But sulfates can also over-dry and irritate skin, stripping it of vital moisture and making it less elastic. If you’re trying to tighten skin after weight loss, shop around for sulfate-free products. L’Oreal offers a great line, for a very reasonable price.
17. Don’t Tan
The tanning process is horrible for your skin, especially when you’re using a tanning bed to boost your melanin. You might think it makes your skin look smoother and healthier, but it doesn’t. Wear sunblock when you’re outdoors, and don’t fake and bake. You’ll see your skin tighten more quickly, and you’ll also avoid a greater risk of skin cancer.
18. Rinse Away Chlorine
Excess chlorine from swimming pools and hot tubs can dry out your skin, making it less elastic, and less likely to rebound after weight loss. If you swim to keep fit, be sure to shower immediately after, and use cleaners designed to remove chlorine and moisturize your skin. Also, remember that you don’t need HOT water to rinse chlorine away, use warm water instead, which will also help keep your skin hydrated (hot water can strip away natural oils).
19. Dress The Part
Even the skinniest person can have a muffin top if their jeans are too tight. You may not have excess skin, or loose skin, after weight loss… you might just need to wear clothes that fit better. Give this some serious thought while clothes shopping.
20. Consider Surgery
If all of these tips fail to tighten your skin after weight loss, and you’ve waited six months since you dropped that last pound, you may want to consider surgery to remove the excess skin. As with any surgery, there are risks, but for some, those risks are outweighed by the benefits. Talk to your doctor.
You’ve already done the hard part — you’ve lost weight! Now follow these tips to tighten your skin after weight loss, and you’ll be bikini ready in no time… well, at least within 6 months! You can do it! Or… perhaps you already have? Which of these tips worked to tighten your skin after weight loss? Or do you have another skin care tip to share? Please do!
Credit goes out yo Meghan, for taking her time to write this...

I work with plastic surgeons, and they all have said they want you to be a goal for about 1 year before you have surgery. this gives your skin time to shrink on it's own and be at a stopping point. and it depends on how much skin is being removed as to how many procedures can be done at one time. don't want it to be to much trauma or shock on the body