2Bsmaller18

I hear ya regarding the wrinkles. I'm in my 40's but man it stinks. I did read the other day that most women go up a bra size when they hit menopause so I am hoping at least that will work in my favor.

You look great! You look like you were never heavy, you look completely proportional. I feel like I still have big calves and wish I had more of a waist but we always see things in ourselves to criticize that others don't notice.

6 months post and I have a few spots that are half to an inch long that are already white and right next to that is a dark pink line. The white incision lines are definitely thinner that the red/pink incisions but it's odd. If I raise my arms up the incisions get pale and when I lower my arms they get darker from the blood flow.

I tolerate a lot compared to some people on here. I have had to resort to a bunless small burger to get protein on a road trip. I tolerated it fine and I also had 8-10 fries. It's a slippery slope so I wouldn't recommend even trying it until you are in maintenance and then it's an occasional thing. The 8 french fries I had were greasy and salty, and I tolerated it fine compared to high sugar foods. The pouch physically limits eating more than that but eating unhealthy food does make me feel blah afterwards, sometimes bloated and gassy but not ill. So immediately I am limited on the amount and 30 minutes afterwards I am reminded that it's not always worth it. That helps me a make better decisions the next time that food is around. Keep in mind that I have tried a wide variety of unhealthy foods but it is rare that I eat them, as in less than once a week. I can tolerate one cookie, maybe a fourth of a candy bar etc. I feel I am in control and can have that small piece be satisfied and move on. I am also very mindful to not have the rest of the food sitting within reach so the temptation is not in front of me. When i have a craving I also choose "healthier" substitutes like chocolate covered almonds or sugar free pudding vs a cookie or piece of candy.

At 3 months out from surgery it still took 20-30 minutes to eat and egg with 1/4c of cheese and 1/4 cup of bell peppers. Around 5-6 months I could finish that in 15 minutes. At around 1 year I can eat that amount and maybe a half piece of toast in 10-15 minutes so a normal pace. If it is slider food like soup or yogurt even with some fruit mixed in I can eat a cup of yogurt in 5 minutes. A 1-1/2 cup of salad with toppings in 10-15 minutes. I am still limited to a dinner of 2-3 oz of meat and 1/4-1/2 c of veggies and can eat almost all of it in 10-15 minutes on an empty stomach but if i had something to eat an hour before that then I can only eat half of the dinner and I go back in 20-30 minutes and finish it.

I am due to have my annual labs done. No issues in the past or currently. I do take the high dose vitamin that my doctor recommends for bypass patients. Did anyone stop their vitamin before their labs? for 24 hour? longer? Thanks,

I think I was swollen so at day 4-5 I was the same or higher. At 9-10 days I was down about 5 lbs. the first few weeks were 5#, the first month was an avg of 4#/week and at week 4/5 I hit an avg of 3#/week and stayed steady with that for 6 months. At that point I purposely increased calories since I was already past my goal and wanted to slow weight loss down.

I think it depends on where you lose the weight from, how big you were before and how low of a BMI you get to. I wore a 40DD at 195lbs. The bra got lose but I didn't need to get new bras until I hit 150lbs then I was a 36D at aroudn a BMI of 26. The last 20 lbs. I dropped more all over including my chest. I can wear a padded 34D but should probably be in a 34C. Now that my belly, legs etc are smaller I look fine wearing a bra or swimsuit with some padding and lift. Naked it's not terrible but I am hoping that if I do gain the bounce back 5-15lbs. it will go to my boobs. That may be wishful thinking.

My bypass was Feb. 2019. I had labs done at 4 months and 9 months post (Dec. 2019). My surgeon is pretty lax and just mentioned having labs done annually unless there's an issue that needs closer monitoring. In Dec my Vit B was crazy high but I have read that's normal from the high dose vitamins. He had mentioned doing labs again this summer. I take a Pro Care vitamin daily and now they have less Vit B (still crazy high amount) so I am curious if my numbers are closer to a normal range but I am not having any obvious issues and am religious about taking my vitamin. So my question is do I go ahead and have labs done now since it's only been 7 months from the last labs and repeat next summer or do I wait? I really don't want to go into a lab where they have people getting tested for Covid. I don't know if I should just do it now or wait until December when it's been a full year but will still have people getting tested for Covid.

You could try a little Hershey sugar free chocolate syrup mixed in. Try just a teaspoon mixed in 2-3 oz first to make sure you tolerate it well. I was fine with it but it's so much easier to try a shot glass of something and build up. Also try making it mixed with ice. I could only tolerate it super cold. I also tried the protein waters but they tasted strong with a bit of a chalky after taste but mixing it with some water and drinking it over ice it was much better.

I had chew able ones that I wanted to use up so I found a way to manage using them. I drank a little water so my mouth wasn't dry and broke it into 2 smaller pieces. I put it at the back of my mouth and to the side and chewed it a few times with my head tilted back so the vitamin wouldn't touch my tongue and I couldn't taste it then I took another small sip of water and swallowed. Then I immediately brushed my teeth. You could also try crushing it up and mixing with a table spoon of applesauce to try and swallow it without tasting it.

I had an extended arm lift- scar from elbow to under middle of each breast to get the loose skin that was at the side boob area. That little bit of creepy wrinkly skin you have was my entire upper arm but twice as wrinkled re the depth of the skin. If I wore elbow length sleeves you could see loose, wrinkly skin hanging out. I had the arms of a 90 year old. If I had your arms I would have been on the fence. Have you done a lot of arm exercises to build up muscles to help with the lose skin? I would suggest getting a consult and maybe you could get the smaller incision that just goes in your arm pit. I don't know if that would "fix" it enough for you but then the incision would be hidden. My arms were so bad that if I wore a tank top and had my arms down at my side you could see across the room that my arms were terrible looking. Now at 5 months I have a thin red line if my arms are at my side but as soon as I lift my arm up the scar turns skin color/white. So in another 6 months it should be faded even when my arms are down. Now if I am 10 feet from the bathroom mirror and hold my arms up you can see a faint line. I would guess next summer if you are more than 5 feet away you wouldn't probably wouldn't even notice the scar.

WOW!! You look like a model. I love your make up too.

I no longer view myself as fat however I feel that I am average and I feel like I blend in. I do not think of myself as thin. When in fact I am probably one of if not the thinnest person in a given room at any time. Which is crazy as I sit here in a small top and size 2 shorts. I mean who wears a size 2 past the age of 11? Umm, I do now. I still see the stretch marks, the big calves, flab on my lower back etc. But isn't that what typical, normal BMI sized women who have never been overweight say too? I remember hearing women who were my current size complain about their "thick" stomach and at the time thinking they were crazy but here I am still seeing my own faults. I don't obsess over it just aware of the faults and choose clothes to hid my problem areas. At the doctor's office a few months ago the nurse asked my weight and responded with "wow, you are tiny" and I still felt like she was talking about someone else in the room.

EXACTLY!!!!!!

I had a modified TT (no muscle tightening and had some lipo conturing and an extended brachio (incision went from elbow all the way under the bottom of each breast) for 15K. My consults quotes ranged from 12-17K. Check out the real self website for prices and it may give you links to surgeons with a free or a discounted consult in your area. My surgery was more complicated due to prior surgeries/scars so the surgeon I chose proposed a different technique to get the best result. I am so glad I went to several consults because after each one if left me with some thoughts and new questions for the next consult. You probably would not test drive one car and buy it so it's worth the time and $$ to get different opinions.

I started right at a BMI of 35. I lost 10 lbs. I think in the first 2 weeks. Then it was a steady 2-3 lbs. a week until I purposely tried to eat more calories around month 6 because I was already close to a normal BMI and felt that it was still coming off too quick. I dropped a little more and now maintain around 127-129 (higher due to Covid stress eating) eating 1500-1600 calories. I was at a consistent 125-126 from month 6-month 13 (March). I read a lot of others who said they lost slowly due to starting at a lower BMI. But everyone is different and mine was pretty quick.

He said he can do the fix of the tiny skin fold area under local and I think even the armpit area. It would probably be a half an inch at the skin fold area if that and maybe 2 inches at the armpit area. The tiny skin fold area is almost like a wrinkle and could smooth out on it's own. My armpit looks like some people on here that have lost weight and have a little bit of wobbly loose skin just at the armpit extending an inch down. So it's much better than pre op but if I paid all of the $$ I want all of the wobbly excess skin gone. you can only see the wobble part when I hold my arm straight out.

For slider calories you can try adding a teaspoon of olive oil to a scrambled egg. To get more calories and protein you can try Premier protein water. It is gross to me cold but over ice so it's really cold is much better. When I was losing too quick I would have a tablespoon of peanut butter and lick the spoon so it would take 10-15 minutes. Slider foods will not make you feel as full so you can consume more calories. I changed from eating low calorie yogurt to high calorie/high fat yogurt with some nuts or granola mixed in. I was able to eat a graham cracker square with peanut butter and half hour later eat another. I would dip carrots in high calorie/high fat ranch dressing. Just go slow and try a little at a time to make sure you feel ok before eating a lot of something. If eating something dense like refried beans try and mix in some water so it slides down easier. I had to consciously eat every 30-60 minutes to try and up my calories from 500-1000 over 2 months. Others will warn it is a slippery slope and it's against everything you learn and it will make you feel like you are creating bad habits. All of that is true. However, if you are determined and set a goal that once you gain "x" pounds I will stop eating after 8pm or not snack between lunch and dinner then you can later reduce calories and go back to good habits to stay at a maintenance level.

A tip for the paper tape- leave it on for 5-7 days thru showering etc then take it off. Let your skin go a few hours with nothing then reapply new papertape. It is easier to remove the tape if it is wet. When you remove it pull the tape towards the incision so you are not tugging on the wound to remove the tape. If you happen to have an open area then skip tape over that spot so you can monitor it for signs of infection or irritation.

I bought this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076FHBDDD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It is wide so it's good to use over curved scars since it will cover that easier. Then I use these for the straight scars: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VE9AL8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I personally did not like these as much: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ISUW20A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 All of them last around 2 weeks. I usually take them of to shower (I have showered with them) or sometimes leave it off overnight but otherwise wear it 24/7. I would recommend trying whatever you plan to use on normal skin for 1-2 days to see if it irritates your skin. I used plain paper tape for the first 5-6 weeks before I used the silicone tape.

You look great!! Are your scars starting to fade yet? Have you noticed any swelling going down in the past month? I am 3 months post and I assumed the swelling was gone but the surgeon said there's still some there.

I am at 3 months post brachio and revised tummy tuck (skin only not muscle). I had a 3 month follow up and he pointed to a few areas like by my elbows and on one side on my stomach and said it still a little swollen. I know it takes a year to see more of a final result but I kind of assumed that once the initial swelling was gone after 2-3 months any changes after would be very subtle. My waist is measuring 31 inches. I don't feel swollen but has anyone else really seen a big difference this far out. Could I go down a whole inch from here? I think he will need to go back in another 6 months to fix some bagginess and skin laxity still near my armpit and he agreed. I also have 2 areas with a tiny fold or pucker of the skin at the incision line. I asked about my scars that are still red and was given the 1 year answer but I am hopeful that in the next few months it will start to fade some. He wanted me to continue silicone tape or cream or even coconut cream but said to NOT use Bio oil. He said it is not good for post surgical scars.

I am at 3 months post brachio and revised tummy tuck (skin only not muscle). I had a 3 month follow up and he pointed to a few areas like by my elbows and on one side on my stomach and said it still a little swollen. I know it takes a year to see more of a final result but I kind of assumed that once the initial swelling was gone after 2-3 months any changes after would be very subtle. My waist is measuring 31 inches. I don't feel swollen but has anyone else really seen a big difference this far out. Could I go down a whole inch from here? I think he will need to go back in another 6 months to fix some bagginess and skin laxity still near my armpit and he agreed. I also have 2 areas with a tiny fold or pucker of the skin at the incision line. I asked about my scars that are still red and was given the 1 year answer but I am hopeful that in the next few months it will start to fade some. He wanted me to continue silicone tape or cream or even coconut cream but said to NOT use Bio oil. He said it is not good for post surgical scars.

I would guess that labs might look ok for now since it could take several months to years to show a deficit. That said I would talk to your MD and see if maybe you should take one every other day and retest in another 6 months. That way you are still taking them but will see more of a long term effect. I myself take them daily. It's the one thing I'm strict about but if I continue to have high Vit B I will look into another brand that has less. I am always forgetting to take my calcium but I get around 5 servings of dairy a day so I am not too concerned but I know I should make it a habit. I freaked out about still losing too quickly at the 8 month mark at 130 lbs and kept losing despite increasing calories. it eventually plateaued and now I am steady at 126 but with a 40% carb, 30% each protein and fat diet of 1700 calories. I had plastics a few months ago and after the swelling went down I dropped to 123. Which is still a healthy BMI however I am muscular and still have loose skin elsewhere so I look better heavier with a more curves and less sag. I do not plan on further plastics and feel I would look better around 130. It is such a mental game because when the scale hits 128 or 129 I feel panicky that it's going to be 150 a week later or that when I hit the natural regain at the 2-3 year mark that it will suddenly go up to the 150 or 160s. However I was also worried when I saw 123 and increased nuts and carbs to get calories in. I guess it's just the feeling that we need to have control over our weight. I can eat anything now which is good but also a little scary. If it is high sugar I don't feel good, not ill but feel crappy. It's enough that I purposely limit high sugar foods. I think I do see a slight weight gain if I have a few days where I hit over 1800 calories and do less activity so it seems that my metabolism makes sense. Do you find that to be true or you can't gain no matter the calories you take in? How are your arm incisions? I am 3 months post and they are starting to fade but still very pink/red in comparison to my skin. I don't feel comfortable in short sleeves yet. I have a few places on the incisions with skin folded on itself that i hope will smooth out or will need to be touched up. I also still have loose skin right at the pit if I hold my arm half way up to horizontal. It goes away as I lift my arm up higher so I don't know if it can be fixed since the skin has to stretch to allow me to lift my arm all the way up.