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I'm afraid of Exyra skin

I am almost 4 months post op and I have lost 72 pounds! All my pants are very loose and baggy (AKA "droopy drawers"). My "before" pair of jeans are a size 26. I could barely zipper them and now they almost fall off! So I was poking around in the back of the closet and found a pair of size 28 jeans, and I giggled to myself and thought it would be fun to try on them on and see just how small I had gotten...well...they were so tight I couldn't zip them!!! I was devastated! ARE YOU KIDDING ME????!!! I don't fit into size 28? Now intellectually I had control. All the rest of my pants were too big and I had just bought a perfect fitting size 22, so I knew that these pants were running small, mislabeled, or both. But emotionally...that was a different story. I kind of lost it and went into a tailspin. "See, even this stupid sleeve isn't working, I am a fat pig, I will never lose weight" Etc...etc... and then came the emotional eating, I made a peanut butter and fluff sandwhich on white bread and promptly started to chow down, but then something wonderful happened...restriction...I COULD NOT eat the entire sandwhich. I couldn't overeat, I had to stop, I was full. And that is the beauty of my sleeve. It stopped me from emotionally eating and I had to think about what I was doing. So I threw the sandwhich away, got up and put the jeans back in my closet and decided they will be my next goal, to fit into those jeans, whatever size they may be!

okay, no back fat anymore. You can see the ribs on my back which i think is AWESOME but I now have back skin. The key to managing back skin is to not wear a bra or anything that encourages it to spill over. The skin isn't so bad, if left to its own devices, it is a the snug bra etc that causes it to spill over the top and be kinda gross looking. I believe the solutino to back skin is an upper body lift, which is a degree of plastic surgery I am not willing to do. Plastic surgeons tell me i am not that bad and don't need it. Where it bothers me is under the arms/down my sides, but again the key is to wear a bra that doesn't cause skin spillage.

I know I should wait for the state list, what if I need plastic surgery after for skin or something, that can add up as well. There is no way to find out where you are on the list. Its policy of the state, there are so many people on the states list for various things that they have no capacity to handle all the inquiries, so..they just don't answer any. However, I may have an inside track, my husbands uncle is a doctor and he said he will talk to some one at the hospital where they do it for me. So hopefully in a few days I will hear something from him....otherwise i just wait. In Portugal its all about who you know to get something done...

not near your age:frown:, but..LOL i lost 75lbs with no skin sagging issues at all. i don't think you can gauge if you'll have excess skin till you start losing & your body starts changing. genes, skin, how long you were overweight, so many variable to determine if you'll have skin issues requiring surgery. fingers crossed ya don't!!!

For the first few months after surgery (I was banded in March), I had the same thing. My Dr. said it was the fat around my stomach shrinking causing the bad to get loose. The last month or so, I've teetered back and forth with being too tight and then too loose. Hang in there, you'll find the sweet spot.

I will eventually air my dirty laundry in my blog, but I wanted others to be able to really vent their own fustrations to be read by many, so I posted this conversation here. For me, I have SO many self-esteem, and confidence issues that stem from childhood, my teenage years, and young adulthood. For the most part, I have always been able to keep my weight under control until I joined the Air Force at 19. I did not realize how much of an emphasis the military puts on weight until I joined., the Air Force particularlly. The other branches seem to be more lax. To join I had to lose 10 pounds, which was a piece of cake. I was 170lbs and 5' 9". However, little did I know that little 10 pounds would be catapult me into obesity. I say that because the first week of basic training, I gained those 10 lbs back, thru Water weight. I looked puffy and weighed in heavy during our weekly mandatory weigh in. Because I was overweight, I was assigned a position within my flight (team of women) that was assigned to "fatties" (I kid you not, they said those exact words to me) My self esteem took a dive. Everytime I performed this duty, I, and everyone around me was reminded of how fat the military thought I and the women who performed it with me, were. In any case, I lost the weight over the next 5 weeks, graduated from basic training, completed technical school and was assigned my first military assignment. Here, I felt thin and strong and wonderful. I had muscles and for the first time ever, I had the confidence like that of a Roman Gladiator! :thumbup:I did not realize that my primary job would be so stationary. I also did not realize that the 3 men I worked with, were racist and sexist pigs. I ate to deal with my job experience and after about 6 months, I had gained 20 lbs and was put on what the military calls, "the fat boy list". I had to lose weight monthly and get up everyday at 5 AM to run with other "fatties" who were also on the list or be reprimanded. They do not care how you lose the weight, as long as its LOST. The military had absolutely no sympathy. I hated the people I worked with, and HAD to get away. So, I married someone I was not inlove with, just to get orders somewhere else. Fast forward, I'm married and got orders to another station. I was not happy in the marriage and felt completely stuck. We had a baby, (was not planned) and I suffered from post partum depression, plus I was never able to loose the baby weight, I just continued to gain and gain. I was so unhappy:crying: I will eventually put more in my blog, but this is quintesentially where I feel my excess weight came from and then excallated. Feelings of never feeling good enough, and I also think a part of it was me rebelling mentally against all entities who felt like they had control over my weight. Please share your sorrows and experiences. I feel that only people who have been overweight can ever really truely understand someone who is or has been overweight.

Jennie, I can't comment about how long to wait, but I CAN tell you what happened to me. After I'd lost about 60 or 70 lbs, I noticed kind of loose skin (especially between my legs-sorry if TMI) It was really kind of scary and hideous looking. I knew I still had about 50 or so pounds to go, at least so I didn't even consider PS. What happened was that I kind of plateaued and you know what? The skin and my overall body shape kind of evened out during that plateau (that I'm still on, by the way). I lost 2 pant sizes during the plateau and the loose, hideous skin is so much better. Give it time, make sure it's what you want and REALLY need. I agree with the person who recommended waiting a year. That would give your body time to adjust to it's losses.

I've been using a personal trainer for a year now and I love it. He's great! He gets me, and he knows my limitations and works within them but pushes the envelope juuuuust a little. Honestly, a trainer isn't going to motivate you any more than you motivate yourself, and as far as measuring your progress - you're not going to care if you don't progress because it sounds like you really have no desire to do the work. The main thing a trainer is going to do for you is show you what exercises to do in order to minimize the saggy skin, build muscle, and tone what's already there. But if you don't decide to get your butt in the gym no matter how tired, how long a day it's been, or what's on TV, you may as well just throw your $ out the window, because that's what you'll be doing. Get yourself in the habit of walking every night or riding your bike every night, then once you've got the habit, switch it up and join a gym and THEN get a trainer. Until you have the habit, I wouldn't do it.

Hey, Banders!We’re into the long, lazy days of summer – but there’s plenty going on at LapBandTalk.com! So why don’t you use this newsletter as a reminder to get on over to the boards? It’ll help you stay on track or motivate you to get back on board if you’ve gotten off track a little. Here’s what you’ll find in this newsletter. Burning question: What’s the Big Deal about Protein? Member Spotlight: Meet TanyainNY! Bander Challenge: Record Your Diet! Become a Board Expert: How to Get More Involved We hope you’re having a great summer and feeling great about meeting your weight loss and healthy lifestyle goals. Enjoy the newsletter, and of course please contact me any time with suggestions, comments or any other feedback. See you on the boards! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder Breakfast should be high in protein to give you a good start for the day. But why is protein so important? First, it’s an essential nutrient for your immune system and as a part of your muscles, skin, bones and other body tissues. But it’s even more important when you’re losing weight so fast, like you are after your lap-band surgery. When you lose weight, you’re losing body fat, of course. But if you’re not careful to get enough protein, you’re going to lose a noticeable amount of lean body mass, too. That means you’ll lose some muscle mass and your metabolism will slow down. Another benefit of protein is that it actually helps you stick to your low-calorie post-surgery diet so that you lose weight faster. Protein takes a longer time to digest than carbohydrates. That means that eating a high-protein meal will help you stay full for longer than a high-carbohydrate meal without much protein. So don’t forget to hit your protein at each meal! Aim for one to two servings per meal, and if you have a snack, include some protein. What are the best sources of protein? Stay tuned for the answer coming up in a future newsletter! If you have a burning question that you’d like to see answered in the newsletter, just send Alex a PM over in the forums. It can be about anything - lap-band problems, food, fitness, weight loss, health…just let us know! Member Spotlight – Meet TanyainNY! TanyainNY from Cooperstown, New York, has used the lap-band to turn herself into a wonderful success story. Tanya is a registered nurse whose weight was a poor example for her patients. Like so many others, Tanya decided to get banded after she felt ashamed of asking her 6-year-old son to move to the dining room table to play board games instead of being able to sit on the floor with her children. Tanya got banded in December of 2009. At 5 feet 5 inches, her starting weight was 270 pounds. Now, she’s down nearly 100 pounds, only 20 pounds away from her goal weight of 155 pounds. This 39-year-old mom has the energy of her 20-year-old self. She does it all, from bench-pressiing and squatting with the big boys to taking muy thai kickboxing classes. This self-described gym rat has even become a Zumba instructor, and she competes in running races. Her next venture is to master the art of riding her new motorcycle. Tanya’s diet has been transformed along with her body. She no longer depends on “white foods,” such as Pasta, chicken and cheese. Now, her diet is a variety of healthy foods, including two salads a day and plenty of fruits, vegetables and protein. Her friends now come to her for nutrition advice! She’s loving life and taking full advantage of every opportunity! Congratulations on all of your success, Tanya, and thanks for being in our Spotlight! We feature a different LapBandTalk.com member each week in our Member Spotlight section. Let us know in the member spotlight forum if there’s someone you want to learn more about or if you want to be our spotlighted member! Nominating yourself isn’t bragging. We all want to learn more about you if you’re willing to share your trials, triumphs, tricks and tips! If you’re shy, just PM Alex with the message that you want to be in the spotlight. Thanks! Bander Challenge – Record Your Diet! Each newsletter, we challenge you with another Bander Challenge. It’s a chance to push yourself a little outside of your comfort zone or get you thinking about ways to make your weight loss journey even more successful. The challenge can inspire you to try things that you’d never thought about but that can make you more successful and confident in your weight loss journey. The challenge is completely non-competitive, but we hope you’ll post your results in the Challenge Forum so that other members can be motivated by your own challenge actions. Study after study proves that the most successful losers – and maintainers – record their diets. If you don’t already do it, now’s a good time to get into the habit. This newsletter’s challenge is for you to record your diet for three days. Include what you eat, how much and what time you had each meal and snack. You can also put in details like how hungry you were before you ate and afterwards, whether you ate exactly what you’d planned, and whether you were eating with people or alone. Did you learn anything new about your diet? Is there anything you can change so that your choices are healthier? Let us know how it went in the Challenge Forum! There, you can always look back at the previous challenges and post your results. It’s never too late to try something new. Better Boarding Tips – Getting into the Swing of Things For some members, jumping right into the conversations on the board feels natural. You know exactly what to say and have no trouble asking for help and providing your own support. For the rest of us, it can be a little tougher. We may not always know what to say to someone who needs help or how to reach out for support when we need it. How can you improve your social boarding skills? Practice! The more you post, the more comfortable you’ll feel. Start by filling in your profile, if you haven’t already. Head on over to the Introductions Forum (you can get there from the front page) and welcome a few new members. Then browse the forums until you see some topics that call to you. You might be able to answer some member questions about food choices or some of the pros and cons that you’ve experienced with your weight loss surgery. You’ll soon feel like an old pro with so much practice, and the other members will sure appreciate your input! That’s about it for this week’s newsletter. You can always find the old newsletters in the newsletter forum if you ever miss one. Thanks as always for your support, and we’re looking forward to seeing you out on the boards! Take care of yourself and each other, Alex ============================================================== If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/index.php?app=core&module=usercp&tab=newsletter

That is fantastic news!!! So very exciting- i cant wait till that day!! May i ask, did you also work out with weights? You dont seem to have lose skin!! I am 5'4" and started out at 276, then the day of surgery on oct 23, i weighed in at 262, now 4 days post op im at 256. Just was curious if anyone has incorporated weights or resistance bands to their workouts?

I am a bit skeptic about it, but honestly I will try anything. I was actually going to start doing the wraps now to see if I can tell any difference at all. I notice my skin moving all over now from exercising. I still have a long way to go on the weight loss, but hey I will fight this tooth and nail if I have to!!! Thanks for sharing

I did have a good bit of loose skin all over.. Went to a consult for removing but it was just to costly. Then I started doing bodywraps faithfully once a week and drinking lots of water. Now I have just a little more to go. It detoxes and breaks down the fat cells making them smaller. I love them. www.45minutesandgone.com if you want to check them out.

So I have a get together on Monday .. decided I would bring chicken wings/drumsticks in a crock pot kinda like appetizers. So I realize everybody under the sun has done this before .. besides myself of course. So I bought the frozen 5 pound bag of chicken appetizer chicken peices. Do I cook these in the oven 1st? Put them in a crock pot frozen with the sauce? Some places I read take the skin off .. others say they will just fall off the bone in the crock pot. Help !

I was sleeved on 12/19 and when I went to post op visit didn't loose anything! But I started my cycle two days after surgery. The following week I got a URI. This week I am not a 100% but I got on the scale and I had lost 4 pounds so exciting. Wish I had list 20+ pounds but I haven't yet. This past week was my first time in the gym. Plus the mental aspect is harder than the actual surgery.

There are others on here at that size, but please be aware whether you lose slowly or not you may still have the skin issue. Some peoples skin bounces back some does not, dont know if it is genetics or what but some are lucky.

I fill like I am going backwards. I have had two unfills however I am still loosing weight so I am not complaining. The day I started my pre-op diet I weighed 250 a week later, the day of my surgery, I weighed 240. As of yesterday getting my second unfill I weigh 166. I don't actually plan on loosing any more weight because my weight is 166 but I look like I weigh 20-30 pounds less, mainly because of my height and build. One of these days I need to learn how to update my ticker or just remove it.

I'm 3 1/2 months post op & I have a 10cc band & I'm at 7.2cc so frustrating because I haven't lost a large amount of weight because I'm not at the green zone...I have starting riding my bike & walking almost everyday & trying to eat healthy but geez I got the lapband so I won't be hungry all the time & eat less but just isn't happening for me I know it's a slow process and I'm losing inches not a lot of weight and I know loosing weight slower is better but it is so frustrating. When people know I've had the LapBand done they expect me to lose a lot of weight or to be skinny. I hate eating around people because I still or looks like I still eat the same when I'm supposed to eat smaller.

Hi Nina and everyone Another question, did the TT you had improve your waist size much? Ive had 3 kids and was 14 st 5 at my heaviest so my waist isnt what you'd call impressive. He told me that even with a LBL my waist still wouldnt be tiny that I'd need incisions up the sides to improve that and in my case, he didnt think my shape was bad enough to justify the additional scars. I forgot to ask him about muscle repair.... did you have that done? Did you discuss the pain pump thingy with him in advance? The other doctor I went to was a Dr dedoncker. Most of his patients seem to have been really happy with him I must say. I suppose if I had lost a huge amount I would have been willing to swap very visible scars for the loose skin but I went into it expecting the scars to be on the inside not the back. I mentioned to my husband last night that I'll be acquiring one of the best asses in Europe (as per your earlier post) and he seemed pleased. Hadnt realised at all that Dr P was known for his fine ass-work, I'd have settled for less but I must confess that I am now looking forward to wiggling it with abandon when the time comes. Have made no plans yet re a hotel. Any suggestions? This is such a cool site!!!! Ellen

You look hot! Obviously working out. Doesn't look like loose skin to me. Have fun in Hawaii! Anne

I would have to disagree about the lose skin you look great!

After my workout, in the men's locker room they have a real fancy scale, one with a digital display mounted on the wall with 8" tall digital number readout, a few feet above your head, for ALL to see. So, I get on the scale, Ok, not bad, not great, at least I'm moving in the right direction. Then, from a man waiting to get on after me, says..."Man, I'll take that!" WTH? I never would have expected that in my life. I turn and smile at him, and notice he's in pretty good shape! WTH is he talking about? I've had many people tell me that even though you are loosing weight, your mind is not programmed to think that way. And when people compliment you, they are seeing something your mind cannot comprehend. Oh, BTW, in the men's locker room we are all walk around with nothnig more than a towel!

Ok, here is my lucky dog story of the day. I did the poop in the hole thing and she is no longer digging. She is however still trying to eat my kitties. They of course want nothing to do with her, they think she is the devil. Her newest trick is to throw her toys over her head and then go and get them, she is playing fetch with herself. It is a riot to watch. She also skins tennis balls, and then plays with the fuzzy skin not the ball, also a riot to watch. I have to invest in a video recorder, I could win $10,000 with Bella and her antics. ~Mandy

I hope everything worked out for you. I am sitting here praying my band did not slip though I have reflux at night ...since I got off a plane last week. My doc thinks my band slipped. If you are too tight ....please get fluid removed even just alittle ..you will loose more weight if you do as you can handle veggies better.

I haven't been on the board for a while. I too have this problem. It feels really big. My hubby felt it and said he doesn't think it feels normal. I have a drs appt next week and am going to ask him about it. I have a lot of loose skin down in that area and thought maybe that could have something to do with it. If it does...lucky me. I have to have problems pertaining to loose skin for my insurance to cover removal.