ElizabethA

Hi,
I am almost 2 yrs post op and about 6 pounds away from my "ideal" weight for my height. However, this has put me into a normal weight range and I am no longer classified as overweight.. yay!
At the start of the process I never thought I could get to the weight I am at now - I have lost 220 pounds! I just wanted to get to what I would consider a "healthy" weight, not feeling exhausted when I had to climb a flight of stairs, being able to comfortably buy clothes or fit into a seat on a plane without feeling wedged in or being unable to lower the tray table.
It has been a long road, and as the other posts have said you need to work at it - but it is definitely achievable. I found my doctor didn't want to give me a goal at the start of the process as they know that everyone is different and so much depends on the attitude of the person. I think they also don't want to over whelm you with the amount of weight that you have to lose :-).
I definitely feel a lot better, all the health benefits you mentioned above, so much more energy. However, be prepared that if you have a substantial amount of weight to lose you are likely to be left with excess skin and you will not get rid of this with exercise. I have recently had a "circumfrential belt lipectomy" where they remove all the excess skin right around the stomach area, excruciatingly painful but worth it! took another 14 pounds off and I have a flat stomach for the first time ever!!! Looking forward to being able to get my arms and upper body done next year!
Best of Luck

I don't mind - it is very difficult to find information, particularly for Australia. I have gotten to a point where I am going to lose very little more weight via diet and exercise, my GP and Personal Trainer are in agreement that I don't have a lot of fat left, it is mainly skin and muscle. However, if you look at me it still looks like I am carrying a fair bit of excess weight, particularly around my middle. I have been left with what they refer to as an "apron" at around my stomach. I can't fit into smaller clothes because of the folds. The decision to have surgery is hard, it is very expensive, very painful (from what i have read) and most people see it as being purely cosmetic - but it is also about comfort as well, as exercising is more difficult with all the excess skin.
As far as the decision, I did a lot of research and I would recommend you read the below article in the Good Weekend if you can still access it as it gives a good perspective from a variety of people who have had the surgery. I was also really lucky as my Personal Trainer had been through it and was able to talk to me about what to expect from the surgery.
The main thing to understand is, particularly if you have a lot of weight to lose, it is unlikely to just be one procedure. For me the doctor is talking about 3 separate surgeries - First what they call a Circumferential abdominoplasty, where they remove all the skin from the stomach, right around the back. If you have had children they will also likely tighten your stomach muscles incoporating the traditional "tummy tuck". The second surgery is then the upper body and arms, this will remove the loose skin around your breast area and upper back and the "tuckshop lady" arms. The third stage is then the upper thighs.
Don't find this too intimidating though - it is purely up to you what area's you want to focus on. For me stomach and arms are the main things. I may not end up having the third surgery as I am not too worried if my thighs are a little saggy :-)
As far as cost - although it is "cosmetic" you still need to ensure you have the top private hospital cover because, although the surgeon fee's won't be covered you will definitely need the hospital to be covered. So for the first surgery the cost to me is 26k, I will get about 3k back from medicare - but that is just the doctors costs (and anaesthetist), the in hospital costs for the theatre, room costs etc are fully covered by my insurance. The hospital stay for the first surgery is 5 days, so you definitely don't want to be paying the hospital costs as well.
I haven't been given the prices for the next two stages of surgery but I have been told that the second surgery takes about the same amount of time as the first (8-10 hours) and the third is about 4 hrs. So based on that I have estimated that the second will be about the same cost as the first, and the third should be a little cheaper.
At the moment I am just planning on getting through the first and then will consider the rest. The surgeon has said that you will need about 6-12 months between surgeries which is just as well since I will need to save up for the next one!
http://m.smh.com.au/good-weekend/under-their-skin-the-agony-and-ecstasy-of-body-contouring-20151109-gkuwmz.html
Let me know if you have any other questions!

Hi,
I am post op, but if you want any support or have any questions feel free to reach out - more than happy to share my limited experience!
I had the surgery about 18 months ago in Sydney and have lost about 90kgs to date. I am now about to start the next stage of my journey and have surgery scheduled for 29/03/16 to have the excess skin in my abdomen removed.
Good luck! and let me know if you have any questions or just need someone to talk to about the challenges. It isn't easy, lots of changes but I really believe you will feel the results are worthwhile.
Elizabeth

Hi,
I didn't use any particular brands post op - made most things myself. Stuck to Yoghurt and the Optifast shakes / Soups. The Optifast chocolate pudding is also pretty good, and high Protein. If i recall I also ate the Weight watches jelly - although this isn't going to give you any Protein. My doctor had given me a list of acceptable foods and I pretty much stuck to that. I know there was baked Beans and scrambled eggs in there but I think that was at about week 2, If you want me to send it to you I can probably find a copy?
For the first couple of months I kept a journal to record how much protein I was getting, but now I don't really bother - just try to ensure that I eat protein as the main component in each meal. I also try and keep my Snacks protein based (i.e. nuts or protein bars) but I don't let it rule my life. For me the idea with this surgery was that it wasn't a "diet" and that the changes needed to be sustainable, which yes means changing what you eat but also allowing yourself to have those other things in moderation rather than trying to eliminate them completely from your diet.
For protein - I don't take the powder supplements, I do eat Protein Bars for Snacks and generally just buy the one's from Woolworths or Coles - MILK brand are good - low carb and very high protein. Also the "Lo-Carb" brand, particularly the mini one's are good. If I am going to the gym and don't mind the extra carbs I eat the "Tasti" brand, love the Salted Caramel.
Let me know if you have any other questions or just want some support.
Elizabeth
For Vitamins, I take a Multivitamin and Calcium supplement twice a day, have Vitamin B12 injections every 3 months and take a prescription Vitamin D supplement (I had really low Vitamin D before my surgery). According to my blood tests my Vitamin levels are pretty good so I don't do to much else. For me the best brand of Multivitamin I have found is the NutriVital Premium Everyday Multivitamin, and I take Citracal with Vitamin D for Calcium.< /p>

Hi,
I am really happy for you that you have made this decision. I had the surgery in August 2014 and it has changed my life! My HW was 178kg, and I am now 90kg. I am at a point now where i am starting to consider plastic surgery to remove the excess skin. Although i still have a few kilos to lose the doctors all agree it is mostly skin now so I am thrilled!
Happy to answer any questions you might have from my experience or provide support.
The journey had been challenging but is definitely worth it!
Best of luck!