MichiganChic

Oh Yeah. I am the queen of the fat thigh. Actually, my entire legs are fat. I lost 145 pounds, and the hanging fat roll (one thigh only) never seemed to change much, just looked deflated. Had a 360 lower body lift, and then a vertical thigh lift. Still have fat thighs. The skin still has some laxity, lots of cellulite, and not smooth like I wish. After the thigh lift, the roll was gone, and skin was much, much better, but as I described above. I had really bad saddlebags (my whole life, but the heavier I got, the less pronounced they were) that the surgeries I had seemed to make them more pronounced. So, 2 weeks ago I had some pretty significant liposuction on them. Too soon to know how the results will be, but one thing is certain, they will still be where I carry the most of my weight. Still with loose skin, fat, wrinkles. So, you'd think I'd be unhappy, but I'm not. They are so much better than what I started from. It's all relative. Even without plastics, in spanx and clothes, they looked perfectly fine.

@@Mrs.Grace I'm so sorry for your losses. It's hard to express sincere thoughts to internet strangers, but I really do feel for you and wish you a little relief as you deal with so much sorrow. As for the weight loss, it probably is a pretty unusual phenomenon, particularly since you are able to eat a lot. I know what you mean about bones. I think they are much more prominent in massive weight loss patients because it seems we lose all of our subcutaneous fat (at least I did). Even at my weight, bones are prominent, so at a BMI of 18, I can imagine they must be more so. People have given some good advice, and I think I would track my calories so you at least have a record of what you are consuming. It's information that might help as you sort this out. Someone suggested trying a different dietician and/or doc, which is probably a good idea. There is an explanation for this, but I think we already know that it's not an obvious one. You're going to need to advocate for yourself.

@@glitter eyes thanks. I think my thighs are only tight because I am wearing an extra 15 pounds of water right now, lol. Honestly, my thighs have a lot of cellulite, and even after a vertical thigh lift and a 360 lift, they still had some laxity, especially in back. I know I will never have great legs. I just want to be able to look normal in clothes, and be reasonably even on both sides. Hopefully the lipo accomplished that.

Thought you might like to see the black and blue legs!

I took about 3 1/2 weeks off for a desk job. Should have taken six. I had an area in the back that split open and took about 4 months to heal. I also didn't feel great for months. I think it would have healed faster if I had rested more. Do yourself a favor and take at least 6 weeks. Being on your feet is more draining than you might think.

@@My Bariatric Life it's a Surface.

Good for you! You've earned the right to feel good about your vain self! Go show off to those people who love you and will be happy for you! I'm a vain girl. Nothing wrong with it. Just sayin'.

I am three years out, and have gained a little (about 5-7 pounds) too. That is really alarming! Then, I had some liposuction done, and gained another 10 pounds of Fluid on top of that! Talk about scary! But then, I take a deep breath, and I know I will be OK. Weight management takes time and effort. I just need to course correct, and going back to basics, being strict with my intake will lead to success. It's the processed foods that have a way of sneaking in, along with refined carbs and sugars that lead to craving. Once I'm off the junk for a few days, life gets much easier again.

Eating like crap to me is a day when I eat like I used to before surgery. I never did this until recently, but I will eat whatever I want, whenever I want, and more than I want. Just grazing all day, and not counting calories, Protein, or carbs. Just a crazy free for all. Never thought I would do that again, but once in a while, I just need a break. Of course, I have to get right back on the diet or I will weigh over 300 pounds again. I wish I could say I would never do it again, but I know better. Obesity is a terrible disease, and most of the time, I am in remission. Once in a while, I have an exacerbation.

It's normal to worry and be nervous. It's a big surgery, and a big life style change. A few observations from someone who is three years post op. As for complications, they are rare. However, if you get one, you have it 100%. Only you can decide if the benefit is worth the risk. I had thought about WLS for years, and until 3 years ago, it wasn't worth it. But it became more impossible to lose weight and I was starting to get complications from obesity. Regarding permanence - it is, but not so much. At three years out, I can eat enough to weigh 300 pounds again. People don't want to hear it, but it's the truth. I spent the first year learning how to not do that, but it is a fight and a struggle every day. So, yes, you could sabotage yourself. You have to figure out how not to do that. So all that might sound negative, but it's not meant to be. It is meant to be a dose of reality for what it looks like in three years. Having said all that, it was ABSOLUTELY worth the risk of complications (and I did have a minor one) and it gave me a fighting chance. More so than I ever thought possible. The first year was a dream come true for me. The weight came off pretty easily and steadily, and I lost 145 pounds in 14 months. I went from a 26 to an 8. I've maintained over a year and a half, and while it's a daily struggle, that's worth it to me, too. I am worth the effort it takes. My life is much better at this weight than it was at 300+ pounds. Hands down, no comparison. Let us know how you do.

Um...so you guys like this? LOL, I just tried it, and what I made didn't turn out like cake. It reminded me of blow insulation - you know that stuff they blow into small spaces in houses to insulate? Anyway, I have to say, it didn't taste too bad. Also, I put it in the microwave for 30 seconds, and the microwave stopped part way through, with a message that "food is done". I think some pumpkin, or a banana might make it less dry. Anyway, I do think this is worth experimenting with, so I'm interesting in reading what everyone does to perfect it. Lots of good ideas so far. Funny...this is the sort of thing that contributed to my morbid obesity. I love to cook, and would try something, and keep working on it, to perfect it. I would have to eat all the tests, of course. And I'm impatient, so my natural inclination is to go try another, right now. I'm not going to do it.....but old demons are still hanging around I never change, no matter how hard I try. The fact that I WANT to do it is alarming to me. I guess that fact that I'm not is progress.

@@CowgirlJane I've seen your pictures, and I wouldn't have a vertical thigh lift if I were you, either. For me, I still think it was the only option, and I'm happy I did it. My legs bothered me more than anything before surgery, and after all this, that's still the case. I am your classic big butt/thigh girl, and no amount of weight loss or plastic surgery will erase that. I have terrible cellulite, bumps, sags, and jiggling. And right now, I am also black and blue from hip to calf, and it looks like someone beat me with a bat. Like you, I remind myself that I'm 53. I am OK with all of that. I am not seeking perfect thighs or body. I just wanted to be more proportionate and not have any huge bulges that show in clothes. I will never be able to wear anything shorter than right at the knee, and even that is a stretch. Skinny pants are not my best look either. However, I look great in most jeans and trousers, and the rest of my body is absolutely beach worthy - for someone at any age. So, I count my blessings. And I pray all that fat doesn't grow back on my hips!! Yikes! I hated those freakish, unsightly bulges that were hard to hide, and I don't want them back! Incidentally, I do have a little thigh gap, which is pretty fun for a fat thighed girl Well....I did before I gained 10 pounds of swelling from lipo!!

@@JamieLogical yes you can!! Lookin good!

@@proudgrammy Happy belated birthday to my BBFF (board best friend forever) Yep, what they all said is true. The boards are a better place because of YOU! You are uplifting and an inspiration to us all. I hope the upcoming year continues to treat you well! Carry on being Cute as a Button

It's a tough decision, and one only you and your surgeon can make for you. I had the choice of either, and was leaning toward the bypass, but changed my mind at the last minute. I have a need to take NSAIDS, and I wouldn't be able to with bypass. I was also concerned about malabsorption, and didn't like the idea of dumping. I wasn't diabetic, so that didn't factor into my choice. I felt like the sleeve would keep my body functioning more "normal". Fast forward 3 years, and I'm glad I made the choice I did. I have to take ibuprofen every day, and have done so without difficulty. I wasn't hungry at all for a while, now it's what I think is normal (like regular people probably have). I do not have reflux, unless I eat too much. I always wonder in the back of my mind if I would have lost a few more pounds with bypass, but honestly, it would not have improved the quality of my life at all. I have to work at maintaining my loss. Rest assured that either surgery will require that! For either procedure, it comes down to what you do with it.

@@BethinPA the 's great!! I am sure your recovery will be much smoother this time, too! In my experience, that's a lot less painful than the abdominoplasty!

@@My Bariatric Life thanks for the article, though I couldn't read it all because there is a persistent add that couldn't be closed. I do know that the fat in the leg is different than other body fat - leg fat actually does make more cells as opposed to growing and shrinking, like the rest of the body. So I have been wondering what the long term effects might be. I actually didn't like the results of that study, given than I'm 5 days post procedure, lol. Guess I am to be my own study, since it is done. I'll let you know.

I remember my arms feeling worse than the 360 lift I had at the same time. With all the narcotics, it's all a blur now, lol. I just remember both of arms, from shoulder to finger tip, were miserable. Now, 18 months later, I am thrilled. I have some visible scarring, but not bad, and it was so worth the trade for the flab that you could see, no matter how I tried to cover it. Hopefully, it will get better with time.

Well,it's day 4, and so far, so good. I am still pretty puffy. I am up 10 pounds from surgery date....and if you figure she sucked out 8 pounds, that's about 18 pounds of Water I'm hanging onto! I am surely a sweller. I took the compression garment off, washed it, took a shower, and put it back on independently yesterday. Not too bad! It felt worse having it off. It felt funny, like exposed flesh or something. I am pretty bruised, as to be expected. I am lumpy and uneven, also expected. I have a feeling this isn't going to be my last round of lipo, though. Maybe I'm wrong because it's too soon to tell, so we'll see. However, even with all that, it already looks way better! Those freakish thighs are deflated! Seriously, even the best shape wear couldn't compress them. I took this week off work, but worked remotely yesterday some, and will the rest of the week, too. The pain isn't too bad. I'm off the Norco, so that's way better than my other plastics. I'm pretty astounded when I think about it - 8 pounds from my thighs! Seriously, that's insane. Add to that the 12 pounds she cut off in previous surgeries from arms, belly, and thighs....and that's 20 pounds! On someone my size, that would enough to make me look fat. I am so thankful I've been able to do this. On the other hand, I never realized the benefit of a lower weight last time....so I feel like I've gained that much :/ Oh well, I don't look like I've gained, so I guess I'll stick with that!

So I guess the reason you are asking this question is because it's time to proceed with plastics?

I totally agree with @Bufflehead. It's hard. It's my reality, and I can choose. I know that I have to do all the things she listed, including eat under 1000 calories a day to lose. I think people may sometimes overestimate the amount of calories it takes to maintain weight. I know I sure did, and WLS is the only reason I was able to figure it out. During my weight loss, I was able to eat 400 calories at first, and eventually worked my way up to 800. Once I got over 1000, my weight loss stopped. Grazing is the other thing that is a killer for me. It takes a lot of will power not to do that, and the sleeve does not help with it. And if I graze, I sure do get up over 1000 calories in a hurry. In other words, it takes lots of energy on my part to prevent weight gain. All of this is to say you can do something about this. Start counting your calories and follow the general rules of bariatric surgery. While exercise is great for lots, I agree that it contributes about only 20%(from what I've read) and in my case, it contributes 0%. It's up to you. Now how empowering is that?

I never wanted to tell anyone for the same reason. I would just say "not enough" and change the subject.

@@Oregondaisy have you had a conversation with your doc? I agree with your and how you plan to use them. I do the exact same thing. No problem all week long, and then the weekend hits. I gain, lose it the next week, and rinse/repeat. I stopped taking mine because I was having a surgery and didn't want any interference with anesthesia, but plan to start them in the next few days. I'm going to be home recovering and that is when I do the worst. A couple of cashews now, a cheese stick later, coffee with cream....and I just consumed an additional150 calories, minimum. And meanwhile, I feel tortured trying NOT to do that. What I just described is me succeeding against the demon that is my appetite some days. Other days, I have NO problem. Unfortunately for me, I gain a lot, and quickly.

Thanks everyone, for your comments. I made it through the first 24 hours relatively easily. Anesthesia didn't affect me too bad. What a difference a 6 hour procedure compared to a 2 hour procedure makes!! I am up 5 pounds today, and I won't be surprised if I'm up another 5 tomorrow. I was in swell hell from both of my other procedures, and my doc guaranteed this one will be worse. I've read you can be swollen up to 6 months post lipo! I was really worried about the pain because I had read that lipo is one of the most painful procedures they do (and I also read that it's not too bad) but yesterday was minimal. My surgeon used tumescent lipo which includes lidocaine, but I'm sure it's worn off by now. I am more sore today, and I can definitely tell where I had it done for the most part, but NOTHING compared to the other surgeries I had. @@AvaFern I thought about having a little lipo in my lower mid back but opted against it. I just felt like it would be super painful, and it's just a little puffy there, and nothing anyone would ever notice. I just think it would give a better contour...but clearly, I have/had much bigger issues, lol. After hearing your experience, I'm glad I opted out of that! I also had her work on the axilla yesterday. I hate those fat pads that show on the outside of my bra/underarm area. I have great arms now, and still couldn't wear some sleeveless things due to that. Anyway, stay tuned...I'll be taking this compression garment off a little later, and I will see what's under there.

Made it through. The picture in the black skirt was this morning and really shows how freakish my hips were. The other one is in the compression garment. Not sure what it looks like under there, but I never looked that good in any shape wear. Hope what's under there turns out close to that! Anyway, I survived, and she took off 4 liters which is about 8 pounds! So far very little pain. We will see what tomorrow brings, but so far, so good!