Djmohr

I waited until I reached goal and was nearly 6 months on maintenance. Then I decided to go with my arms first because they bothered me the most.
The result was incredible!!! I had always had what we lovingly called grandma arms.
Then of course, my tummy and breasts really bothered me now that my arms were awesome. So I had a full abdominalplasty, breast lift and augmentation in January 2017. Again, the results are incredible. Completely flat tummy and awesome breasts!!!
Then my I swear it looked like my face melted off and really bothered me so in July for my birthday I had a full deep plane face lift, Endoscopic eyebrow lift, Lower Bleph and fat transfers. My face lift took what looks like 20 years off my face!!! Most of the swelling was gone in 3 weeks and my body is still absorbing sutures and changing a little in a positive way. I still have slight bruises under my eyes but so slight, only me, hubby and surgeon even know they are there. I was presentable in 3 weeks post op.
In between all that I had to have both my shoulders repaired (Rotator cuff and AC joint). Having that much going on in a 1.5 year span has actually caused me to be less active than I would like and about 6 months ago, I began to gain some weight. The dreaded 15%....it is very frustrating and although I am working on it. For me that is nearly 20lbs.....I still look fantastic but that weight gain is freaking me out and the worst is....it is not so easy to lose it as it once was.
If I can drop 15lbs.....I do plan to have 2 more procedures. My butt is completely flat and looks like a sharpe dog, and my thighs need a lot of work, especially where everything droops around my knees. My surgeon is suggesting finishing my abdominalplasty on the back side which ultimately will result in a lower body lift, she would then get the fat from my legs and use it to lift my butt as a part of that first surgery. Then 6 months later I would have a thigh lift as my last procedure.
I have not decided for sure if I want to go through more and I certainly wont do anything until I drop at least 15lbs, would like to drop 20. Of course the cost of doing all this work has been very expensive but worth every penny. I chose a surgical team that I had complete faith in and they have not disappointed me at all. The pain from plastics is pretty extreme and I am someone who has a very high pain tolerance and dont like to take pain meds. My plastic surgeon tells me I am the opposite of most....my arm lift was the most painful of all. I guess the abdominalplasty is supposed to be the most painful. I had my breasts done at the same time and I honestly think they were more painful than the Tummy Tuck. LOL...
My face was not painful at all. I think I took pain meds for 3 days total. That is more about ice packs.....
My TT and BL/A took the longest at nearly 10 total hours and I stayed in the hospital. My arm lift took over 6 hours and my facelift took 9 hours and was completed in a hospital not in the doctors office. Because I had such an extensive neck lift and an endoscopic brow lift, he knew I would get a better result if he used a general anesthetic. I was happy because there was no way I could last that long laying on a table while awake.

Anyway.....plastics has been awesome to me. I learned that the most important thing is finding a surgeon that you trust, and not to shop for price. You get what you pay for and what people fail to realize is that after care is critical. If you do any of this work, you are looking at hundreds/thousands of sutures in your body.....there will always be something that comes up that your surgical team will need to follow up on. Especially with weight loss surgery patients.

NO Way....I have vowed to never ever let that happen. I have however talked with alot of people who have gained some or all of their weight back.
In every single instance, they went off the plan. As soon as they lost all their weight, they went back to old habits and same crap food plans.
I am only 2 years out and lost 100% of my excess weight but there are plenty of people on this site, many years out and still looking and feeling great.
The advice i would give you is to get your head straight now because losing the weight and keeping it off is 90% head and only 10% surgery after the first year.

Even from the pureed stage i was eating mexican style Proteins. Of course NO tortillas just the meat, veggies and cheese only.
the tortillas, even corn will slow down or stall weight loss. At least they did for me.
I am making Barbacoa beef in my instant pot tonight for dinner. Cannot wait!

I think fat shaming is ridiculous regardless of who is doing it.
My mother n law (when she was alive) was the queen of fat shaming. She would figure out ways to make you feel like a big fat slob. For example, she would buy my husband a birthday gift that was 2 or 3 sizes too small. She would then ask, will it fit? Hubby would respond and say, no I am not a medium I am a 2xl. She would say well them lose weight. (True story).
I collect wee forest folk mice. One year for Christmas she bought me a chubby little mouse standing in his bathrobe on a scale. She proceeded to tell me it reminded her of me. Really? B#%+€!
then there is a right way,
For me it was my nephrologist who suggested I consider WLS. He did this very respectfully but at the same time very sternly helping me understand that if I kept on my current trend I would be looking at dialysis and ultimately a kidney transplant.
There is a right way and a wrong way to deliver that message. Thankfully he delivered it the right way and I listened immediately.
I remember being very angry at my PCP for not having that same conversation with me before I got to that point. I had no idea that my kidney function had been so bad for so long, when my nephrologist pulled up my chart and showed me the downward trend was chronic and had been going on for years, I really got pissed that my PCP never said a word until I was at stage 3. Not 1 word. I spoke with her about it and told her that my nephrologist was my hero for helping me see the light. My PCP then told me she really should have been the one to direct me there and felt bad but she did not know how to deliver the message appropriately.
That was when I changed PCPs.

I do not think there is a single person who has gone through this surgery that does not end up with loose skin around their tummy. It all depends on your age, whether you have had children, how heavy you are to begin with and how much you choose to exercise during the weight loss phase whether or not you will be able to tighten this up some.
I will tell you honestly that this was the least of my worries as I went into this surgery. I knew that would be the case but the trade off of good health was way more important. Now that I have lost quite a bit of weight, I have that issue as well as lots of loose skin in my arms, butt and legs. I exercise, am 52 and realize that I will probably have to have some plastics to improve those areas when my weight stabilizes. I am 100 percent ok with it and was going in to surgery.
Good luck to you, I am guessing you too will find this is not the most important thing to be concerned about. I am guessing your weight has caused more serious issues and if not, it certainly will in the future.

Thanks so much for telling me about your experience. My first consultation is tomorrow morning and I must admit I'm starting to feel a bit nervous about the whole thing. I'm not afraid of the surgeries. I've had enough of those over the years to know what to expect. It's the "What if it all goes wrong and I mess up what was essentially just a saggy body?" thoughts that keep going through my head. It helps to hear from people who've done it and report how much happier it made them. If I can get through the panic attack stage I'll be fine. :-D

I met with several surgeons before finding one that I clicked with. The biggest thing about plastics is after care. Having had now 3 major plastics, I have learned a lot and the most critical thing is after care.
I had a Brachioplasty done last July, a full abdominalplasty, breast lift and breast augmentation done in January and just 3 weeks ago I had a deep plane face/neck lift, endoscopic brow lift, lower eyelid lift and fat graphting.
All of my surgeries were very successful with minimal complications. Apparently I was allergic to the surgical glue/tape use to close my arm lift incisions. That made my arm lift the most painful of all of them.
Doctors always short sell the amount of time that it truly takes to recover. In fact, I joke with both my surgeons about that. Many times they tell you that a couple weeks and everything is back to normal. that is not true....most of the bruising and swelling may be much improved but it takes a while to get used to how your body feels, and how you even carry yourself. For example....my facial plastic surgeon who is masterful told me he would expect my bruising and swelling to be gone at 2 weeks. Everyone is different.....I have had BBL treatements twice per week for the last 3 weeks and I still have bruises under my eyes. When he saw me at two weeks he was disappointed that my eyes were still bruised. It's not a huge deal, a good plastic surgeon will provide treatments to reduce it more quickly, provide the right makeup to cover it up and even tutorials on how to do that.
That is great after care......
So, make sure you aske exactly what is included and for how long. All of my treatments have been 100% included as are all follow ups.
When I had my breast lift done, I had two small openings where the two scars come together under the breast. This issue is very common and not a big deal but when it first happens it can freak you out. My Body plastic surgeon took such great care of me and called regularly and would come in to meet me at the office if I needed her.
My gastric bypass was the best thing that ever happened to me.....now plastics has been. It is scary and painful and worth every penny if you choose a surgeon that you feel very comfortable with and has a good record of successful procedures. When it comes to plastics, don't focus on a bargain, focus on the team. If you find a good one, they will work out proposals that give you a good deal anyway.
I have spent a lot of money on my procedures and they have been worth every single penny.

Having plastics is so exciting and I am excited for you!!!

I actually went to Benihana with my family when I was about 6 weeks out myself. I went for chicken because I know my pouch tolerates it very well. Of course they always give you those couple of shrimp as an appetizer as well so I tried a piece knowing by the time my chicken and vegetables came I would be full.
My husband ordered the hibachi fried rice and I did taste a forkful of that as well. The issue with rice is that it fills your pouch fast and does not last long which could make you hungry again in short order.
It is best to stick with the Protein and vegetables to ensure you get your Protein in, but it won't hurt to try a very small bite of rice.
I personally would not touch the tempura out in a restaurant until you have some idea of how your stomach reacts. It would be bad to ruin your night by getting sick.
By the way, I had so much food leftover that I took it home and vacumn sealed it into small portions. Then when I wanted a nice lunch or dinner I pop them into boiling Water for a few minutes to warm it up. It stays moist and tasty!
Good luck and have a great time out!

I am not a sleeve patient but I know many of them. I am a bypass patient.
I can tell you that this process is absolutely not magic so if you were promised that, yikes. You will have to work hard and it sounds like you are already doing that.
I am a little shocked at how many calories you are eating this early out. As I said, I am a bypass patient and if I eat 1200 to 1300 calories I maintain and do not lose. If I am closer to 1000 calories, I lose consistently.
That being said, you are a lower BMI patient and I would not expect huge drops in weight. You will likely lose much slower than some. That is not a bad thing even though it feels that way. The slower you lose the better you work at building good long term habits.
You did not put on this weight overnight and it will not come off that way either. Also I would just say, this really is not a diet, it is a lifestyle and your body needs time to get used to it.
When is the last time you lost 3lbs per week? That is great progress and you should be very proud of it.
Other than my first 2 months I averaged between 5 and 10lbs per month. It took me 18 months to lose 151lbs and get to goal. The good news is, this is my new life and I have and my body has had time to adjust.
Please be patient and if it makes you crazy put the scale away and stick to your plan. You will get there!
Best of luck to all of you.

Great article Alex! Some day maybe will get access to their long term maintenance as well. I suspect like most that many of these folks are unable to keep the weight off.
Thanks for sharing!

It definately gets better. There are so many hormones at play after this surgery and it can make you emotional. You have to dust yourself off, get up and get moving.
Also, I would ask if you are getting all of your liquids. If not, that can make you feel like absolute crap and it wont go away until you take action and get hydrated.
Everyday it should get a little better for you but the first couple of weeks suck. Low energy.....and just all around yuckiness. Also, if you are still taking pain meds, they can cause that hot and cold until you stop taking them for a day or two.

I would also say, that bypass is an excellent choice for someone who has severe gerd.
I had it so bad that i literally coughed everyday, all day long violently for over a year before my bypass.
The day i had my bypass was the first day of the rest of my life. I can eat whatever i want and i do not even get mild heartburn. Not that i do eat whatever I want LOL. I will say since having my bypass i crave spicy foods and never cared for them before because they always made me sick.
Now i make chicken taco meat and i spice it up like crazy for me, put it on top of a salad and and I am happy as a clam. I still love food but I am careful about what I choose to eat. It better taste great and be good for me.
I really do wish you the best!

@@Vagrant Violet
Here is the thing. You probably could lose 100+ on your own. The biggest question is, can you keep it off long term and that is what WLS does for you.
I lost hundreds and hundreds of pounds over the years only to put it all back on and then some. And during that time, I never got to a healthy weight. I also screwed up my metabolism doing that over the years.
When i finally started to go through menopause, I could no longer lose any weight on my own and it started piling on.
Having bypass was the best thing I have ever done for myself. I am thankful everyday.
When it comes to your family, they are simply concerned about you and they do not know enough about obesity to guide you. If they did, they would understand that you would struggle to lose all the weight and ultimately keep it off. That extra weight will have impacts on your life that you cannot even imagine.
If they cannot be supportive then you need to find someone who is. Like a therapist that specializes in obesity and weight loss surgery. They will help guide you through this.
You have worked too hard to quit now. Getting to a surgery date is not easy. Take some time and go talk to someone who can help you.
I wish you all the best and if you need anything feel free to reach out.

I just had my first plastics on Thursday of last week. I started with my arms and 3 to 4 months from now intend on having a Abdominalplasty and breast lift with augmentation.
I am nearly 23 months post op from RNY,and I reached goal in March of this year.
I still have not figured out why some insurances cover the cosmetic surgeries and some do not. Unfortunately mine does not and the costs have to come out of my pocket.
From what I understand if it is reconstruction it is covered such as someone who has had breast cancer and now needs their breasts reconstructed.
The scary thing is, if anything goes wrong like you get an infection and have to go to the hospital insurance can deny those costs as well because they would have been caused by cosmetic surgery.
Honestly, this is one insurance rule that needs to change. Obesity is a disease and reconstruction is necessary in a lot of cases.
Many times simply having the apron of skin removed is covered but if your muscles need tightening to give you that tight stomach you are on your own. Most of us need that tightening......
Anyway for now I guess if I want anything done it has to come out of my own pocket.

I would say mostly I feel compassion because I was there for a very long time. I know that likely they are feeling pain physically but also mentally.
And there is a part of me that wants to simply tell them they don't have to live like this.
But I have also learned that someone suffering from obesity has to get to their breaking point before they are ready to listen and take action.
My husband is a great example. He is morbidly obese and a few years older than I. He watched me go from from a normal size when I met him to exceed a BMI larger than his now. He also watched me suffere through many back surgeries and health issues because of it.
When I decided I was going to have WLS, he decided he was going to too and began the process with me.
He backed out and although extremely supportive of my decision to move forward, he clearly is not ready. He eats completely out of boredom not hunger and yes, it does frustrate me to know he could be living differently but he clearly is not ready.
I think it will take a health issue to make him ready. He is generally healthy and does not feel pain yet. Something will have to be his last straw and he will have to get there on his own.
I have many friends and colleagues who are morbidly obese and they are all curious but none ready to do anything so drastic to take action.
So, I feel empathy and compassion because I know that at some point they are going to feel pain or end up with serious health issues and they don't need to live like that.

I would say mostly I feel compassion because I was there for a very long time. I know that likely they are feeling pain physically but also mentally.
And there is a part of me that wants to simply tell them they don't have to live like this.
But I have also learned that someone suffering from obesity has to get to their breaking point before they are ready to listen and take action.
My husband is a great example. He is morbidly obese and a few years older than I. He watched me go from from a normal size when I met him to exceed a BMI larger than his now. He also watched me suffere through many back surgeries and health issues because of it.
When I decided I was going to have WLS, he decided he was going to too and began the process with me.
He backed out and although extremely supportive of my decision to move forward, he clearly is not ready. He eats completely out of boredom not hunger and yes, it does frustrate me to know he could be living differently but he clearly is not ready.
I think it will take a health issue to make him ready. He is generally healthy and does not feel pain yet. Something will have to be his last straw and he will have to get there on his own.
I have many friends and colleagues who are morbidly obese and they are all curious but none ready to do anything so drastic to take action.
So, I feel empathy and compassion because I know that at some point they are going to feel pain or end up with serious health issues and they don't need to live like that.

I would say mostly I feel compassion because I was there for a very long time. I know that likely they are feeling pain physically but also mentally.
And there is a part of me that wants to simply tell them they don't have to live like this.
But I have also learned that someone suffering from obesity has to get to their breaking point before they are ready to listen and take action.
My husband is a great example. He is morbidly obese and a few years older than I. He watched me go from from a normal size when I met him to exceed a BMI larger than his now. He also watched me suffere through many back surgeries and health issues because of it.
When I decided I was going to have WLS, he decided he was going to too and began the process with me.
He backed out and although extremely supportive of my decision to move forward, he clearly is not ready. He eats completely out of boredom not hunger and yes, it does frustrate me to know he could be living differently but he clearly is not ready.
I think it will take a health issue to make him ready. He is generally healthy and does not feel pain yet. Something will have to be his last straw and he will have to get there on his own.
I have many friends and colleagues who are morbidly obese and they are all curious but none ready to do anything so drastic to take action.
So, I feel empathy and compassion because I know that at some point they are going to feel pain or end up with serious health issues and they don't need to live like that.

This is the part of the food plan that I truly struggled with. I started with yogurt, applesauce, pureed turkey and chicken, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs, tuna......
I found very quickly that eggs were an absolute NO and still are for me. I also found that my pouch could not originally tolerate chicken or turkey even in a pureed stage and I am alergic to legumes and Beans with the exception of green Beans.< /p>
So, for those 2 weeks, I lived on Protein shakes, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, pureed veggies with Protein Powder added, and ricotta cheese. I also leveraged creamed Soups, broth and everything else in the full liquid diet.
The good news is, it gave my tummy a full solid 4 weeks with the liquid phases for my tummy to heal before I started on soft foods.
Once I started on soft foods, very moist chicken breast, fish or any kind were the Proteins that worked best for me. I could not deal with ground meats until 8 weeks post op and then I was able to tolerate beef tenderloin. YUM!!! Of course only an ounce or two at most. Even now if I get 3 ounces of dense Protein I am lucky. I have a big restriction so therefore I still have one shake in the am, 23 months post op.
As you said, this experience is different for everyone, as you get started if you begin to have a lot of trouble don't be afraid to go back to the previous stage for another week to allow your tummy to heal better. Many of us have to do that.
Best of luck and keep us posted on your progress.

@@gowalking
No offense taken whatsoever. I have seriously walked into a room full of people who know me and they did not know me. I had to tell them who I was so i get it.
I have learned to have my husband with me these days because if he is with me, they sometimes make the connection. Even then, he has had someone pull him aside and ask where his wife is. LOL.
I am ok with it.

I had a breast lift and augmentation in January. My results are phenomenal! Yes it is a painful recovery but it is absolutely worth it. I am 55 years old and have been at goal for over a year which is very important to maintain your weight once you hit goal.
I had 46C breasts before bypass. I had a lift and then 350cc implants. I am now a 36DD and my surgeon did a fantastic job at making my lift perfect.
I am about 14 weeks post op as of today and the only time I have discomfort is when I go a long period of time without a bra. My breasts are obviously much heavier than what I am used to but when I have a bra on, they feel 100% normal. I also have not lost sensation in the nipples.
Having this lift, augmentation and Tummy Tuck was instantly rewarding and worth every penny.

Best of luck to you.

Boy this is a great post, and reminder of the most important lessons I have learned along the way!

For me, I could not get out of them fast enough. About 6 months post op I walked into a Lucky Brand Jean store thinking I would just try a pair for fun and was shocked when I found that a 14 was too big and had to move to a 12 and then ultimately an 8.
They are the only jeans I buy. They are soft, and have movement to them. the more you wear them, the softer they get.
I was thrilled to cut up my Lane Bryant card. I still get mail from them and love to run it through the shredder. LOL

Hi Tucker!
Welcome to your new family! I had RNY sept. 26th of 2014. I have done very well with no complications.
I know it's a long process but so worth it in the end. I have 34lbs left to lose until I hit my personal goal. I have had so many goals already met, the most important is that I have my overall health back. No more diabetes, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or stage 3 kidney disease.
I wish you the best of luck! If you need anything or want to chat via personal message, I am always up for that. We just need to become friends.

Having had plastics, there is a product called BioCorneum that works fantastic. It not only lightens scars but also flattens them.

Having had plastics, there is a product called BioCorneum that works fantastic. It not only lightens scars but also flattens them.