puddin

I had the Belt Lipectomy and I can't see how there would be no scarring. They cut you in half! OF COURSE there's a scar when you're done. Are you talking about a different kind of scarring? Also, the butt part of the belt lipectomy is no big deal whatsoever. It's actually sort of minimal. It's the tummy tuck part of it that's the big deal.

Size 1???? THAT'S FREAKIN AMAZING!!! holy cow! Okay, I'll never hit that, but I'm okay with it. I'm medium-boned and 5'9". Even a size 6 would be bone-skinny for me. I think I'll be an 8 when I'm done and that will be VERY skinny for me. As far ast walking hunched over - heck no!!! I couldn't stand up straight if I wanted to! I look like I'm halfway between ape and man. The butt part is NO big deal whatsoever. It's been the tummy part that's hard to recover from. Hey, how long did you walk hunched over for? It's hurting my back LOL! That's been the worst part of this. Oh yeah, and how long before all the swelling is gone? I was a size 12 before the surgery and now my size 12's are even a little tight with the swelling. I'm VERY VERY swollen. And when did you get your drains removed? Y'all, Okay, I just CAN'T take a pic of myself right now. I have freaking tubes hanging out all over me still. I'm hunched over, I look like a crack whore. I won't even let the guys I'm dating come over and see me. I'm not posting pics til I can stand up straight! I'll give in a little and post before the swelling is gone, but I just can't post 'em right now. I'm too vain for that. Unless you just want scar pics. Is that what you want? Okay sicko's. I'll give you scar pics.

I had a lower body lift last Friday and I'd pick it over the saggy tummy/butt/thigh skin any day, even WITH the scars! Listen, your scars are hidden, even with a bikini on. I know that my man was incredibly turned off by my excess skin, and he may have been by my scars, too (I say may have been because he's now out of the picture), but at least I can look 'normal' in clothes now. I went out to dinner last night with friends and they were like "WHOA! YOU ARE SO SKINNY!!!!" And all I'd lost was that abdominal part of me. Clothes can finally fit like a normal person now. The doc told me that this is his favorite procedure to do because everyone that has it is instantly changed by it. He says when he follows up with them 6 months later, their self-esteem has boosted, they become more active, they're healthier, and their lives have changed for the better, BESIDES the physical appearance. I'm really looking forward to healing from all this!

I love it! Congrats everyone!

Wheet, the first drain was 100% no big deal. No pain. Can't say for sure with the other drains, though.

Y'all ANYBODY can be a success story. This board's full of them. Just count everything you eat. I'm telling you! You eat a helluva lot more food than you think you do, even with the band. WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU EAT!!! Just do it, okay? I don't want your lip. Stop arguing with me. Just do it. Now I sound like Nike on drugs. Karey Why yes, I do have the time... it sucks! As far as the Body Bugg goes, I'm a huge fan and their unofficial spokesperson who doesn't get paid or work for their company. If they did I'd be making bank, I tell you. Anyhow, their website is www.bodybugg.com. I purchased mine at my local gym and it came with 4 free personal training sessions with a really hot personal trainer. You can also purchase it online. WARNING: It's a pricey motha. I paid $500 for mine about 9-10 months ago when it first came out. I believe the price has gone down to $400. I think they're also available at 24 Hour Fitness and various other large gym chains. The Body Bugg calculates your calories burned within 92%-96% accuracy using body movement, heat loss and production, skin response (like sweat or skin response to other things), and some other things. It's pretty advanced. I'm telling all of you who are not motivated by numbers to FORGET about this gadget. If you're not motivated by numbers this will do you no good. Also, if you're not willing to count everything you eat and wear this armband all day long you should also forget about it. Expect questions when you wear it (I get like a question a day if I'm not wearing something long-sleeved). I always say "It's my pacemaker, don't mess with it." They just laugh and go on their merry way. Sometimes I feel like explaining it and sometimes I don't. Also, pretty much nobody knows I have a lap band (except family). When people ask how I lost it I just show them my bodybugg and tell them about it. For the most part, it's the TRUTH! The BodyBugg has been the thing to keep me motivated and keep losing and moving. And Marcy, sounds like you've got the right idea down! You will be successful!

Thanks hun, but I think I have like 10 pounds of Fluid in me still. I haven't weighed myself since the surgery. Hey, that'd be a good thing to do today! I still have 10 pounds to go, and will probably still go for 150. I really, really want to be able to be the best at the sports I'm into, and I think at 150, that'll be the optimal weight for that. I'm going to get all sentimental on you because I'm on drugs, but I was on the outside looking in just over a year ago. Just over a year ago, I hadn't been on a date in 10 years!!!! I had no hope for my goals in life - to be married and have a fun family. I was a happy person, but hated being fat! When I got the band, it gave me hope that I COULD lose the weight. The first 6 months, however, I think I only lost like 35 or 40 pounds. I had 2 months of total plateau. Talk about discouragement! But then I just decided to get my ass off the couch and stop complaining about it! I haven't looked back since. Lots of people ask me what my 'secret' is. There's been no real secret. It's been excercising my butt off every second I can and watching every thing that goes into my mouth. I can still eat about 1.5 cups of food at a time. A lot of my motivation comes from wearing a Body Bugg on my arm, that calculates how many calories I'm burning. I just set a daily 'deficit' goal and make SURE I hit that sucker no matter what each day. I'm losing faster now than I ever have (well, not now that I had the surgery, but the months prior). I suppose the other motivation has been men. They are my complete weakness. I LOVE good looking men, and I just had to transform myself to get there. However, this has also caused some new heartache in my life. Want a good looking man? Better expect a little bit of shallowness to them. Not always, though! There are two good looking men I'm sort of dating right now that don't seem all that shallow (I say 'sort of' because I'm not full-on dating again until I'm completely over another big breakup. These two men know that and are respecting that. No makeouts for at least a month!). But single ladies, there's HOPE! Oh MY IS THERE HOPE! And I think this, combined with the boob job I'm getting in March will give me that total confidence again. My ex knocked a lot of the confidence out of me, but I'll get it back! And this lower body lift is an amazing thing. I had no idea that I looked 'normal' when naked until I got this thing. I look NORMAL NAKED! Well, and normal dressed, too LOL. But naked's what counts... jk. I'm rambling, rambling, rambling... I'm blaming this on the drugs! Today's update: The abdominal pain is gone! Mostly it's back pain from having to walk hunched over. I look like the evolution of man progression at the ape stage. Other than that, no pain! The drains are a pain in the ass, but also not a huge deal. They're coming out Monday. So that's today's update and ramblings and shenanigans and goings on. Again, I blame this post on the residual drugs.

Thanks chickie! My life's not the same. I'll post my after-lower-body-lift pics on my flickr account when I can stand up straight.

Oh girlfriend, I wish it were that easy - I've been taking stool softeners, milk of magnesia, fiber capsules... I'm thinking it'll either take a miracle or an enema for this thing to happen!

Okay, Wheetsin, I had one of the drains removed today, and guess what? NO FRIGGIN BIG DEAL! Wasn't even painful. So far, the biggest deal has been not having a bowel movement. I can't seem to have one, no matter what. If no BM tomorrow, enema here I come!

Marissa I have bad knees, too. I didn't start playing soccer until I weighed about 215 pounds. Before that, I just did a lot of the eliptical trainer and in the summer did road biking, which I came to ABSOLUTELY LOVE! Find the thing you love when you're able to do it. For now, find some non-impact exercise. Hey, what about Water aerobics? There's hardly ever an excuse NOT to exercise somehow!

Marissa What's my secret? I think my "secret" is counting every calorie in and out. I count calories "out" by wearing the Body Bugg device on my arm. Other than that, I just work my freakin butt off! I jog an hour each day, weight train 3 X a week with a personal trainer, play indoor soccer 3x a week and play volleyball 2x a week. Never knew I liked sports til I could play them!

My pain after surgery was at about a 3. The gas pain was the worst - but mostly just an annoyance. I also just took liquid Tylenol.

WHY??? What's up with drain removal? Nobody's told me about that yet. I'm supposed to have them removed today. Is it going to hurt??? Damn. I bet it does. Patience my fine feathered friends, I'll post the after pics when I can freakin stand up straight, okay? I'll wear the teddy my ex bought for me - LOL (just kidding, don't want to make you all turn lesbian on me haha. NO, I'm totally totally kidding. I promise I won't look sexy enough to 'turn' you, just enough for you to say 'damn girl'). As far as cost goes. NOW, I'll tell y'all because I don't know any of you personally. I won't even tell my own mother. The cost of the lower body lift was $8,500. For just the tummy tuck it would have been I believe $4,500 if that's all I had done. The boob job I'm getting in March is going to be another $4,000 for silicone implants, and I'm getting those bad boys done in California because there's a good, cheap doc there. I don't need a lift, just an enlargement. Can you tell I'm getting addicted to this crap??? Well, I think that'll be the end of the plastic surgery at that point. But it'll be enough.

Thanks you guys, I know he doesn't deserve me, and he can't ever have me again if he wants to. The vindictive part of me wants to send him a pic of myself in a bikini in a few weeks. The other part of me wants him to move on. He didn't love me unconditionally, though I think he wanted to. In the end, he wanted another woman he'd been with before because she was 'very attractive'. I could tell when we were intimate that the extra skin bothered him. I really could tell it. That's why I keep thinking 'would this have happened if I'd had the lift before?' He didn't end up going back to this woman - he's staying away from all women for awhile (or at least he says). So I think I can find solace at least in that. But you all have great advice. And I have a feeling this will give me some new self-esteem!

SLOW!!! But he's sweet. There's another new guy besides the new guy who is just sexy as hell - he's this funny italian stallion. But I think he's sort of a player, so as long as he knows I'm using him like he's using me, all should be well!

Oh you guys, I have this total broken heart. I feel like there's no end in sight right now. I broke up with my boyfriend last Tuesday, right before friggin Christmas! You know, he was amazing, and even though I ultimately broke it off, I want the bastard back. I don't think I'll ever be able to find someone I am that attracted to mentally and physically again. He has the SAME personality as me! The stars seemed to align with him. But oh, it's an emotional rollercoaster ride with him right now. He was recently divorced (like 2 months ago), and needs time to heal and recover... without dragging me along for the ride. Am I a stupid female? I sorta feel like one. I just am SO SICK over this. I'm sick like I'll never recover.

The lower body lift is where they cutt all the way around, pull everything up and pull everything down, too. Both a tummy tuck, butt, side, and thigh lift. It's everything, baby! Today's the first day I've felt like doing much of anything, so here I am posting an update: Friday went well. Surgery went so well I woke up and didn't even have any pain meds the entire day. They told me that NEVER happens. Then they put me on a stupid morphine drip 'just in case' that just seemed to give me a headache. Other than that, the worst pain of all has been the damn catheter they had to leave in because I couldn't pee on my own at the hospital. Thankfully that was removed yesterday. Really, the pain has been SO very minimal. Just more of a pain not being able to use your core muscles. But I am using them more and more each day. I think the worst part of this surgery has been the time I've had to sit and think. I just had a major breakup with someone and I hate having time to sit and think about it.. and miss him... and think about how things may have been different if i'd had this lift earlier. But I can't do that to myself, it just makes for more heartache that I don't need right now. Anyhow, I got to see my full self without most of the bandages in the mirror yesterday at the doctor's office. WOW!!!! I couldn't believe it, just couldn't believe it. Instant transformation. I already thought i looked like a supermodel and still have quite a bit of swelling. I couldn't believe how flat my tummy was, how skinny my waist was, how I have a nice booty now - even my crotch area is totally lifted! All the cellulite on my thighs and butt are gone! Amazing you guys, just amazing! They removed 4.5 pounds off my front and 5.5 pounds off my back. That's 10 friggin pounds off my mid-section. Ah yeah!

Okay, I suppose every freakin doc has seen my 'before' anyway, so I'll go ahead and post them in about 2 weeks next to the 'after'. How's that?

Oh damn, I guess Feb. 16 is out! I'm having the lower body lift on FRIDAY (yes, 2 days from today)!!!!!! It was just better because of schedule reasons to do it then. I can hardly believe it. I was looking forward to losing at least 15 more pounds before that, but I think it should be okay. After all, I haven't had kids yet and I think it might benefit me to have a nice stomach but not stretched to the hilt already. I'll keep y'all posted. I have 'before' pics, but they're nasty. I don't think I'm brave enough to post them.

I'm scheduled for my lower-body lift! February 16, in about 5.5 weeks, I'm going under the knife. Ooh, that sounds painful. Anyhow, I'm going to lose another 12 pounds before the surgery. He seems to think he'll remove 10-15 pounds of loose skin and fat. Since I"m still losing an skin is still stretching back, I'll lose another 10 pounds or so post-surgery, taking me to like 150 pounds. I'm so freaking excited I can't breathe. I want to send a pic to my ex boyfriend and say "Look what you lost, sukka!" Anyhow, Telly, question for you: Did you gain any weight post-op? I mean, the doc told me I couldn't exercise for 6 weeks. Makes me think I'm in danger of gaining some weight while I'm being all lazy in recovery.

Marion, I agree with your sarcasm! I won't date someone I'm not physically attracted to, and I'm not attracted to obesity. That being said, if I married a man I was physically attracted to, I know those feelings of love and attraction change. I've been with in relationships with attractive men whose good looks became secondary to who they were inside after knowing them and loving them. That luxury isn't afforded if you never first had the attraction and started dating.

So where the heck do you MEET decent guys anyway that don't want to take advantage of you? Goonabethin, I don't wish this addiction on anyone. It wreaks havoc on lives in so many ways, just like all other addictions. It leaves heartbreak on so many levels in its wake.

I will really, really try to be strong. I will try not to text him or email him, even if he does it to me. Maybe in a couple months I'll revisit this. If I still love him, I'll give him a call, but try to only if I'm strong emotionally. I talked to my bishop (religious leader) on Sunday. He says I do have some repenting to do, and need to 'step it up' religiously so that I can find my testimony of chastity before marriage again. I think he will help me a lot through this. This is a pretty serious offense in my religion; I really need to find strength through this.

I think so. Thanks again for all the advice and support. I'll just have to grieve for awhile and slowly get over this and hope to high heaven that he doesn't try to get me back soon.