stardustandsunshine

If Spanx-type tummy control is what you're looking for, try FullBeauty.com under Shapewear. They have shapewear briefs that go all the way up to 8X. I have a 5X or 6X that fit me just fine at almost 400 pounds.
If you're looking for regular cotton underwear to accommodate your belly, I like Catherine's high-waisted briefs (the ones that come in a pack of 3). They have enough material to cover your stomach but the leg holes are cut low enough that they shouldn't sag under the weight of your stomach. I buy mine one size too large (they go up to underwear size 16, which I think is the equivalent of a 6X in pants), tuck the excess fabric under my "apron" and it keeps me from chafing without being too bulky. They're a bit on the pricey side, but watch for a buy 2, get 1 free sale.

If Spanx-type tummy control is what you're looking for, try FullBeauty.com under Shapewear. They have shapewear briefs that go all the way up to 8X. I have a 5X or 6X that fit me just fine at almost 400 pounds.
If you're looking for regular cotton underwear to accommodate your belly, I like Catherine's high-waisted briefs (the ones that come in a pack of 3). They have enough material to cover your stomach but the leg holes are cut low enough that they shouldn't sag under the weight of your stomach. I buy mine one size too large (they go up to underwear size 16, which I think is the equivalent of a 6X in pants), tuck the excess fabric under my "apron" and it keeps me from chafing without being too bulky. They're a bit on the pricey side, but watch for a buy 2, get 1 free sale.

If Spanx-type tummy control is what you're looking for, try FullBeauty.com under Shapewear. They have shapewear briefs that go all the way up to 8X. I have a 5X or 6X that fit me just fine at almost 400 pounds.
If you're looking for regular cotton underwear to accommodate your belly, I like Catherine's high-waisted briefs (the ones that come in a pack of 3). They have enough material to cover your stomach but the leg holes are cut low enough that they shouldn't sag under the weight of your stomach. I buy mine one size too large (they go up to underwear size 16, which I think is the equivalent of a 6X in pants), tuck the excess fabric under my "apron" and it keeps me from chafing without being too bulky. They're a bit on the pricey side, but watch for a buy 2, get 1 free sale.

I finally got the Comfort Choice cooling boxer briefs I ordered from Woman Within. I can see why guys like boxers! These are really cool and open and comfortable. I imagine they'd be great for lounging or sleeping in. But for everyday use, they just seem a little TOO open for someone with lady parts, if you know what I mean. So I'm still searching for that perfect pair of briefs. I still wear anywhere from a size 26 to a size 32, depending on the shape and style. (Annoyingly, my waist is about a 22/24 but because I still have a gut, my hips are probably two sizes bigger. In order for my pants to be big enough to sit down in comfortably, they practically fall off when I sit down. I gave in and got my old elastic-waist stretch jeans back out since I have a sit-down job now. I just keep telling myself this won't last forever!)

My "just friend" (we have to clarify that to people because apparently it's pretty obvious to everyone besides the two of us that we're not really "just" friends) and I have talked about body image and weight a few times. The first time he said very firmly "you're big, but you're healthy, and that's what's important" and then changed the subject. Another time he said that for many guys, it's not about size so much as shape and (very enthusiastically) some guys LIKE curvy women! (Plus, of course, larger women have bigger "basic B's" and that's always a good thing.) He has a much thinner idea of "curvy" than I do, but he's always been vocal about not liking "girls with their bones sticking out." We first met when I was 424 pounds. I've been down to 305, back up to 374 and am down to 356 now. No matter what size I happen to be, he still makes me feel good about myself. He's never once made me feel like my weight is an issue. He did tell somebody once (about 50 pounds ago, by the way) that I was "pretty much perfect just the way I was." He's expressed interest in girls with a variety of different body types, most of them much thinner than I am, but I also catch him staring at me when he thinks I'm not looking, and he likes to be in my personal space and find excuses to touch me and lean hard against me when he wants to say something quietly in my ear and a couple of times he's put his arm around me, so I don't think losing more weight will make him any less attracted to me.
I'm never going to be bony or athletic, and those are the only two body types he's specifically expressed disinterest in. But honestly, I think in a healthy relationship, as long as you're making an effort with your appearance and with the relationship, he's not going to lose interest. Have you ever met anyone who wasn't really that good looking, but the more you got to know him, the more attractive he got? If you maintain the person you are on the inside, it's going to show on the outside no matter what size you are. I'm always blown away by compliments on how I look, but it happens at least a couple of times a month, so I must be doing something right! I just do the best I can with what I've got, and remember that the one thing I CAN change is my attitude. Even at my heaviest I insisted on doing my hair and makeup and putting on real clothes. (It makes me sad to see heavy women whose appearance screams "I don't respect myself and I don't expect you to respect me, either!") I have a strict rule that I have to look at myself in the mirror every morning and find something nice to say before I leave the house. The first time I did this, I stood there for the longest time staring at myself. Then I cried and went back to bed. The next day, the same thing. By day 4, I was getting desperate. I had to go to work! So I mumbled that I guessed my hair was kind of okay, sort of, and slunk off to work feeling bad because I hadn't kept the deal I made with myself. That night someone commented on how I'm always smiling and what a nice smile I had. I went back to that darn mirror and realized other people do NOT see me the same way that I see myself. I see a shy, awkward, nerdy blob of fat. Other people see a friendly smile, nice hair, and a great sense of humor. I've found that when you act like you expect people to like you, and make an effort to be likeable, people think you're better looking.
And it helps that I've found a real keeper, too.

My "just friend" (we have to clarify that to people because apparently it's pretty obvious to everyone besides the two of us that we're not really "just" friends) and I have talked about body image and weight a few times. The first time he said very firmly "you're big, but you're healthy, and that's what's important" and then changed the subject. Another time he said that for many guys, it's not about size so much as shape and (very enthusiastically) some guys LIKE curvy women! (Plus, of course, larger women have bigger "basic B's" and that's always a good thing.) He has a much thinner idea of "curvy" than I do, but he's always been vocal about not liking "girls with their bones sticking out." We first met when I was 424 pounds. I've been down to 305, back up to 374 and am down to 356 now. No matter what size I happen to be, he still makes me feel good about myself. He's never once made me feel like my weight is an issue. He did tell somebody once (about 50 pounds ago, by the way) that I was "pretty much perfect just the way I was." He's expressed interest in girls with a variety of different body types, most of them much thinner than I am, but I also catch him staring at me when he thinks I'm not looking, and he likes to be in my personal space and find excuses to touch me and lean hard against me when he wants to say something quietly in my ear and a couple of times he's put his arm around me, so I don't think losing more weight will make him any less attracted to me.
I'm never going to be bony or athletic, and those are the only two body types he's specifically expressed disinterest in. But honestly, I think in a healthy relationship, as long as you're making an effort with your appearance and with the relationship, he's not going to lose interest. Have you ever met anyone who wasn't really that good looking, but the more you got to know him, the more attractive he got? If you maintain the person you are on the inside, it's going to show on the outside no matter what size you are. I'm always blown away by compliments on how I look, but it happens at least a couple of times a month, so I must be doing something right! I just do the best I can with what I've got, and remember that the one thing I CAN change is my attitude. Even at my heaviest I insisted on doing my hair and makeup and putting on real clothes. (It makes me sad to see heavy women whose appearance screams "I don't respect myself and I don't expect you to respect me, either!") I have a strict rule that I have to look at myself in the mirror every morning and find something nice to say before I leave the house. The first time I did this, I stood there for the longest time staring at myself. Then I cried and went back to bed. The next day, the same thing. By day 4, I was getting desperate. I had to go to work! So I mumbled that I guessed my hair was kind of okay, sort of, and slunk off to work feeling bad because I hadn't kept the deal I made with myself. That night someone commented on how I'm always smiling and what a nice smile I had. I went back to that darn mirror and realized other people do NOT see me the same way that I see myself. I see a shy, awkward, nerdy blob of fat. Other people see a friendly smile, nice hair, and a great sense of humor. I've found that when you act like you expect people to like you, and make an effort to be likeable, people think you're better looking.
And it helps that I've found a real keeper, too.

@JamieLogical: That's okay, I kind of opened myself up to questions when I opened my mouth. And the answer is, we're getting there. It's not really a question of "if" any more so much as "when." Neither one of us is interested in a casual fling and neither one of us is quite ready to get married yet, so we're both in this sort of limbo between friends and more than friends. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. We've talked about relationships several times before and we both agree that taking it slow and getting to know the other person and building a solid friendship is the most important part of any romantic relationship. He was engaged a few years ago and it ended badly. It took him a long time to get over it. He said awhile back that he's afraid to try again. "What if I really click with someone now and 20 years down the road we turn out to be two completely different people and we break up? There aren't any guarantees in life." (A guy friend of mine tells me most guys go through this phase before they get serious about a girl.)
I don't think he's a commitment-phobe, though. We talk about things like what he did wrong before and learning from his mistakes. (I've never had a serious relationship myself, but for my part, I talk about what I would want from a future boyfriend.) Over the past six months or so, he's slowly escalated from "I'm not looking for a relationship" to getting to know each other's family and friends, talking about things we're going to be doing together months or a year from now, and even joking about marriage. He's altered plans for his immediate future to fit around me, and as we each talk about where we see our lives going, our long-term plans are heading in ever-more-similar directions. He discusses his decisions with me and encourages me in my career when I ask his advice. I'm the first person he calls whenever he has a major life event. As long as things are moving in a forward direction and I'm comfortable with where we're at, I'm fine with giving him all the time and space he needs. The more I get to know him the more sure I am that he's "the one," but even if we somehow don't end up together, he's still been an awesome friend and a great example. I've been lucky and blessed to have him in my life, and some other girl is going to be very fortunate someday.
I didn't mean to get so off-topic. My point was just that there are plenty of guys out there who will love us no matter what size we are. Those of us who've already met one are very fortunate and those of you who haven't, it's just a matter of time.

My "just friend" (we have to clarify that to people because apparently it's pretty obvious to everyone besides the two of us that we're not really "just" friends) and I have talked about body image and weight a few times. The first time he said very firmly "you're big, but you're healthy, and that's what's important" and then changed the subject. Another time he said that for many guys, it's not about size so much as shape and (very enthusiastically) some guys LIKE curvy women! (Plus, of course, larger women have bigger "basic B's" and that's always a good thing.) He has a much thinner idea of "curvy" than I do, but he's always been vocal about not liking "girls with their bones sticking out." We first met when I was 424 pounds. I've been down to 305, back up to 374 and am down to 356 now. No matter what size I happen to be, he still makes me feel good about myself. He's never once made me feel like my weight is an issue. He did tell somebody once (about 50 pounds ago, by the way) that I was "pretty much perfect just the way I was." He's expressed interest in girls with a variety of different body types, most of them much thinner than I am, but I also catch him staring at me when he thinks I'm not looking, and he likes to be in my personal space and find excuses to touch me and lean hard against me when he wants to say something quietly in my ear and a couple of times he's put his arm around me, so I don't think losing more weight will make him any less attracted to me.
I'm never going to be bony or athletic, and those are the only two body types he's specifically expressed disinterest in. But honestly, I think in a healthy relationship, as long as you're making an effort with your appearance and with the relationship, he's not going to lose interest. Have you ever met anyone who wasn't really that good looking, but the more you got to know him, the more attractive he got? If you maintain the person you are on the inside, it's going to show on the outside no matter what size you are. I'm always blown away by compliments on how I look, but it happens at least a couple of times a month, so I must be doing something right! I just do the best I can with what I've got, and remember that the one thing I CAN change is my attitude. Even at my heaviest I insisted on doing my hair and makeup and putting on real clothes. (It makes me sad to see heavy women whose appearance screams "I don't respect myself and I don't expect you to respect me, either!") I have a strict rule that I have to look at myself in the mirror every morning and find something nice to say before I leave the house. The first time I did this, I stood there for the longest time staring at myself. Then I cried and went back to bed. The next day, the same thing. By day 4, I was getting desperate. I had to go to work! So I mumbled that I guessed my hair was kind of okay, sort of, and slunk off to work feeling bad because I hadn't kept the deal I made with myself. That night someone commented on how I'm always smiling and what a nice smile I had. I went back to that darn mirror and realized other people do NOT see me the same way that I see myself. I see a shy, awkward, nerdy blob of fat. Other people see a friendly smile, nice hair, and a great sense of humor. I've found that when you act like you expect people to like you, and make an effort to be likeable, people think you're better looking.
And it helps that I've found a real keeper, too.

My "just friend" (we have to clarify that to people because apparently it's pretty obvious to everyone besides the two of us that we're not really "just" friends) and I have talked about body image and weight a few times. The first time he said very firmly "you're big, but you're healthy, and that's what's important" and then changed the subject. Another time he said that for many guys, it's not about size so much as shape and (very enthusiastically) some guys LIKE curvy women! (Plus, of course, larger women have bigger "basic B's" and that's always a good thing.) He has a much thinner idea of "curvy" than I do, but he's always been vocal about not liking "girls with their bones sticking out." We first met when I was 424 pounds. I've been down to 305, back up to 374 and am down to 356 now. No matter what size I happen to be, he still makes me feel good about myself. He's never once made me feel like my weight is an issue. He did tell somebody once (about 50 pounds ago, by the way) that I was "pretty much perfect just the way I was." He's expressed interest in girls with a variety of different body types, most of them much thinner than I am, but I also catch him staring at me when he thinks I'm not looking, and he likes to be in my personal space and find excuses to touch me and lean hard against me when he wants to say something quietly in my ear and a couple of times he's put his arm around me, so I don't think losing more weight will make him any less attracted to me.
I'm never going to be bony or athletic, and those are the only two body types he's specifically expressed disinterest in. But honestly, I think in a healthy relationship, as long as you're making an effort with your appearance and with the relationship, he's not going to lose interest. Have you ever met anyone who wasn't really that good looking, but the more you got to know him, the more attractive he got? If you maintain the person you are on the inside, it's going to show on the outside no matter what size you are. I'm always blown away by compliments on how I look, but it happens at least a couple of times a month, so I must be doing something right! I just do the best I can with what I've got, and remember that the one thing I CAN change is my attitude. Even at my heaviest I insisted on doing my hair and makeup and putting on real clothes. (It makes me sad to see heavy women whose appearance screams "I don't respect myself and I don't expect you to respect me, either!") I have a strict rule that I have to look at myself in the mirror every morning and find something nice to say before I leave the house. The first time I did this, I stood there for the longest time staring at myself. Then I cried and went back to bed. The next day, the same thing. By day 4, I was getting desperate. I had to go to work! So I mumbled that I guessed my hair was kind of okay, sort of, and slunk off to work feeling bad because I hadn't kept the deal I made with myself. That night someone commented on how I'm always smiling and what a nice smile I had. I went back to that darn mirror and realized other people do NOT see me the same way that I see myself. I see a shy, awkward, nerdy blob of fat. Other people see a friendly smile, nice hair, and a great sense of humor. I've found that when you act like you expect people to like you, and make an effort to be likeable, people think you're better looking.
And it helps that I've found a real keeper, too.

Thanks, and good luck with your surgery. My hairstylist had a Tummy Tuck to remove her C-section flap and says once it starts causing sores and infections, insurance will often pay for it even if you haven't hit your goal weight yet. I don't have insurance and I doubt skin removal surgery is an option for me yet anyway. At this point I don't really have loose hanging skin so much as loose hanging fat rolls. I think once it's not so heavy it will be easier to deal with.
My upper roll isn't a big problem and my chest I just stuff into my bra, smooth out as best I can, and it doesn't bother me. The side skin is an issue with bras that have low-cut armholes, but the Goddess bras with side boning keep everything in place, hold "the girls" up away from my chest so I don't have the same skin-on-skin sweat issue there, and they look pretty good under my clothes, too. Once it's cooler and I have more skin than fat, I imagine I can use shaping underwear basically the same way--lift it up, stuff it in, and smooth it out as best I can.

@JamieLogical: That's okay, I kind of opened myself up to questions when I opened my mouth. And the answer is, we're getting there. It's not really a question of "if" any more so much as "when." Neither one of us is interested in a casual fling and neither one of us is quite ready to get married yet, so we're both in this sort of limbo between friends and more than friends. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. We've talked about relationships several times before and we both agree that taking it slow and getting to know the other person and building a solid friendship is the most important part of any romantic relationship. He was engaged a few years ago and it ended badly. It took him a long time to get over it. He said awhile back that he's afraid to try again. "What if I really click with someone now and 20 years down the road we turn out to be two completely different people and we break up? There aren't any guarantees in life." (A guy friend of mine tells me most guys go through this phase before they get serious about a girl.)
I don't think he's a commitment-phobe, though. We talk about things like what he did wrong before and learning from his mistakes. (I've never had a serious relationship myself, but for my part, I talk about what I would want from a future boyfriend.) Over the past six months or so, he's slowly escalated from "I'm not looking for a relationship" to getting to know each other's family and friends, talking about things we're going to be doing together months or a year from now, and even joking about marriage. He's altered plans for his immediate future to fit around me, and as we each talk about where we see our lives going, our long-term plans are heading in ever-more-similar directions. He discusses his decisions with me and encourages me in my career when I ask his advice. I'm the first person he calls whenever he has a major life event. As long as things are moving in a forward direction and I'm comfortable with where we're at, I'm fine with giving him all the time and space he needs. The more I get to know him the more sure I am that he's "the one," but even if we somehow don't end up together, he's still been an awesome friend and a great example. I've been lucky and blessed to have him in my life, and some other girl is going to be very fortunate someday.
I didn't mean to get so off-topic. My point was just that there are plenty of guys out there who will love us no matter what size we are. Those of us who've already met one are very fortunate and those of you who haven't, it's just a matter of time.

My "just friend" (we have to clarify that to people because apparently it's pretty obvious to everyone besides the two of us that we're not really "just" friends) and I have talked about body image and weight a few times. The first time he said very firmly "you're big, but you're healthy, and that's what's important" and then changed the subject. Another time he said that for many guys, it's not about size so much as shape and (very enthusiastically) some guys LIKE curvy women! (Plus, of course, larger women have bigger "basic B's" and that's always a good thing.) He has a much thinner idea of "curvy" than I do, but he's always been vocal about not liking "girls with their bones sticking out." We first met when I was 424 pounds. I've been down to 305, back up to 374 and am down to 356 now. No matter what size I happen to be, he still makes me feel good about myself. He's never once made me feel like my weight is an issue. He did tell somebody once (about 50 pounds ago, by the way) that I was "pretty much perfect just the way I was." He's expressed interest in girls with a variety of different body types, most of them much thinner than I am, but I also catch him staring at me when he thinks I'm not looking, and he likes to be in my personal space and find excuses to touch me and lean hard against me when he wants to say something quietly in my ear and a couple of times he's put his arm around me, so I don't think losing more weight will make him any less attracted to me.
I'm never going to be bony or athletic, and those are the only two body types he's specifically expressed disinterest in. But honestly, I think in a healthy relationship, as long as you're making an effort with your appearance and with the relationship, he's not going to lose interest. Have you ever met anyone who wasn't really that good looking, but the more you got to know him, the more attractive he got? If you maintain the person you are on the inside, it's going to show on the outside no matter what size you are. I'm always blown away by compliments on how I look, but it happens at least a couple of times a month, so I must be doing something right! I just do the best I can with what I've got, and remember that the one thing I CAN change is my attitude. Even at my heaviest I insisted on doing my hair and makeup and putting on real clothes. (It makes me sad to see heavy women whose appearance screams "I don't respect myself and I don't expect you to respect me, either!") I have a strict rule that I have to look at myself in the mirror every morning and find something nice to say before I leave the house. The first time I did this, I stood there for the longest time staring at myself. Then I cried and went back to bed. The next day, the same thing. By day 4, I was getting desperate. I had to go to work! So I mumbled that I guessed my hair was kind of okay, sort of, and slunk off to work feeling bad because I hadn't kept the deal I made with myself. That night someone commented on how I'm always smiling and what a nice smile I had. I went back to that darn mirror and realized other people do NOT see me the same way that I see myself. I see a shy, awkward, nerdy blob of fat. Other people see a friendly smile, nice hair, and a great sense of humor. I've found that when you act like you expect people to like you, and make an effort to be likeable, people think you're better looking.
And it helps that I've found a real keeper, too.

My "just friend" (we have to clarify that to people because apparently it's pretty obvious to everyone besides the two of us that we're not really "just" friends) and I have talked about body image and weight a few times. The first time he said very firmly "you're big, but you're healthy, and that's what's important" and then changed the subject. Another time he said that for many guys, it's not about size so much as shape and (very enthusiastically) some guys LIKE curvy women! (Plus, of course, larger women have bigger "basic B's" and that's always a good thing.) He has a much thinner idea of "curvy" than I do, but he's always been vocal about not liking "girls with their bones sticking out." We first met when I was 424 pounds. I've been down to 305, back up to 374 and am down to 356 now. No matter what size I happen to be, he still makes me feel good about myself. He's never once made me feel like my weight is an issue. He did tell somebody once (about 50 pounds ago, by the way) that I was "pretty much perfect just the way I was." He's expressed interest in girls with a variety of different body types, most of them much thinner than I am, but I also catch him staring at me when he thinks I'm not looking, and he likes to be in my personal space and find excuses to touch me and lean hard against me when he wants to say something quietly in my ear and a couple of times he's put his arm around me, so I don't think losing more weight will make him any less attracted to me.
I'm never going to be bony or athletic, and those are the only two body types he's specifically expressed disinterest in. But honestly, I think in a healthy relationship, as long as you're making an effort with your appearance and with the relationship, he's not going to lose interest. Have you ever met anyone who wasn't really that good looking, but the more you got to know him, the more attractive he got? If you maintain the person you are on the inside, it's going to show on the outside no matter what size you are. I'm always blown away by compliments on how I look, but it happens at least a couple of times a month, so I must be doing something right! I just do the best I can with what I've got, and remember that the one thing I CAN change is my attitude. Even at my heaviest I insisted on doing my hair and makeup and putting on real clothes. (It makes me sad to see heavy women whose appearance screams "I don't respect myself and I don't expect you to respect me, either!") I have a strict rule that I have to look at myself in the mirror every morning and find something nice to say before I leave the house. The first time I did this, I stood there for the longest time staring at myself. Then I cried and went back to bed. The next day, the same thing. By day 4, I was getting desperate. I had to go to work! So I mumbled that I guessed my hair was kind of okay, sort of, and slunk off to work feeling bad because I hadn't kept the deal I made with myself. That night someone commented on how I'm always smiling and what a nice smile I had. I went back to that darn mirror and realized other people do NOT see me the same way that I see myself. I see a shy, awkward, nerdy blob of fat. Other people see a friendly smile, nice hair, and a great sense of humor. I've found that when you act like you expect people to like you, and make an effort to be likeable, people think you're better looking.
And it helps that I've found a real keeper, too.

My "just friend" (we have to clarify that to people because apparently it's pretty obvious to everyone besides the two of us that we're not really "just" friends) and I have talked about body image and weight a few times. The first time he said very firmly "you're big, but you're healthy, and that's what's important" and then changed the subject. Another time he said that for many guys, it's not about size so much as shape and (very enthusiastically) some guys LIKE curvy women! (Plus, of course, larger women have bigger "basic B's" and that's always a good thing.) He has a much thinner idea of "curvy" than I do, but he's always been vocal about not liking "girls with their bones sticking out." We first met when I was 424 pounds. I've been down to 305, back up to 374 and am down to 356 now. No matter what size I happen to be, he still makes me feel good about myself. He's never once made me feel like my weight is an issue. He did tell somebody once (about 50 pounds ago, by the way) that I was "pretty much perfect just the way I was." He's expressed interest in girls with a variety of different body types, most of them much thinner than I am, but I also catch him staring at me when he thinks I'm not looking, and he likes to be in my personal space and find excuses to touch me and lean hard against me when he wants to say something quietly in my ear and a couple of times he's put his arm around me, so I don't think losing more weight will make him any less attracted to me.
I'm never going to be bony or athletic, and those are the only two body types he's specifically expressed disinterest in. But honestly, I think in a healthy relationship, as long as you're making an effort with your appearance and with the relationship, he's not going to lose interest. Have you ever met anyone who wasn't really that good looking, but the more you got to know him, the more attractive he got? If you maintain the person you are on the inside, it's going to show on the outside no matter what size you are. I'm always blown away by compliments on how I look, but it happens at least a couple of times a month, so I must be doing something right! I just do the best I can with what I've got, and remember that the one thing I CAN change is my attitude. Even at my heaviest I insisted on doing my hair and makeup and putting on real clothes. (It makes me sad to see heavy women whose appearance screams "I don't respect myself and I don't expect you to respect me, either!") I have a strict rule that I have to look at myself in the mirror every morning and find something nice to say before I leave the house. The first time I did this, I stood there for the longest time staring at myself. Then I cried and went back to bed. The next day, the same thing. By day 4, I was getting desperate. I had to go to work! So I mumbled that I guessed my hair was kind of okay, sort of, and slunk off to work feeling bad because I hadn't kept the deal I made with myself. That night someone commented on how I'm always smiling and what a nice smile I had. I went back to that darn mirror and realized other people do NOT see me the same way that I see myself. I see a shy, awkward, nerdy blob of fat. Other people see a friendly smile, nice hair, and a great sense of humor. I've found that when you act like you expect people to like you, and make an effort to be likeable, people think you're better looking.
And it helps that I've found a real keeper, too.

Thanks, and good luck with your surgery. My hairstylist had a Tummy Tuck to remove her C-section flap and says once it starts causing sores and infections, insurance will often pay for it even if you haven't hit your goal weight yet. I don't have insurance and I doubt skin removal surgery is an option for me yet anyway. At this point I don't really have loose hanging skin so much as loose hanging fat rolls. I think once it's not so heavy it will be easier to deal with.
My upper roll isn't a big problem and my chest I just stuff into my bra, smooth out as best I can, and it doesn't bother me. The side skin is an issue with bras that have low-cut armholes, but the Goddess bras with side boning keep everything in place, hold "the girls" up away from my chest so I don't have the same skin-on-skin sweat issue there, and they look pretty good under my clothes, too. Once it's cooler and I have more skin than fat, I imagine I can use shaping underwear basically the same way--lift it up, stuff it in, and smooth it out as best I can.