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I cannot run without spandex type underwear...... and although I have stopped loosing weight, I am still dropping sizes because exercise keeps changing body shape and muscle/skin tone....

I also had a revision from Band to DS. I'm 8 week PostOp & I went to my followup appt & only lost 30#. I'm all excited cause I don't know when I've ever lost 30# in a year- let alone 8 weeks! My Dr said that it was good cause it's giving my body to react to the weight loss. I am loosing inches. Just keep up the water & protein!! Let your body heal & do it's thing! [emoji7]

I've read that your end result will look the same no matter how slow or fast you lose the weight. Your body (or skin) may not snap back if it takes you two years or 6 months to loose excess weight. Your skin has more time to catch up when you lose slowly, however. It just takes the skin a little longer to shrink when you lose quickly. It doesn't mean it will never shrink.

GBLady41 is absolutely right. I worried myself SICK about loose skin prior to surgery (that sounds so vain, but it's a concern!). I'm 149lbs down and I have some pooching around my belly (fortunately nothing around my arms or legs), and I am DAMN PROUD of it. Maybe someday I'll look at getting that tiny bit removed, but I am so proud of that little bit of skin, b/c it means that that weight is GONE. That belly - is GONE. It sounds crazy now, because I was so worried about it before surgery, but you begin to focus on all of the positives afterward. Being health > a bit of loose skin any day of the week!

it's amazing how rude people can be. i dont know why people feel it's ok to say soooo how much have you lost...none of your freakn business! ugh! i choose to tell a few close people cuz everyone wasnt suppportive. if you have friends that are heavy dont be surprized by their lack of support or even jealousy as you start to loose. this was one thing i didnt see coming.. congrats to both of you!

i am reading all the things you know is wrong but continue to do it..(drinking soda, eating soft fat calorie foods/liquids because you are obviously way too tight) and you seem to be doing everything possible to not loose weight.. ..you need to go back to the dr, (as its vital to stay on touch with your dr), and start eating better quality foods as by what you are not eating is what made us need wls in the first place..ice cream does NOTHING...i started at well over 300+ so i know where you be coming from eat your allotted amount of food, drink alot, focus on Protein, veggies and fruit and exercise ....having wls to be (thin) is the wrong way to think.......it is about having better health....

Hi Joisey! I feel the EXACT same way. Just really started yesterday. I will be sleeved on 9/21. I actually have my pre-op appointment this Wed 9/5, because my surgeon will be out of town closer to my surgery. I am a phase I diet which is fine and don't begin full liquids until 9/14. So have not had to deal with the emotions that come along with being hungry, yet, which is good. But find that I have been so busy with appointments and getting clearances and not that it's all completed, the anxiety is setting in. With pre-op in two days, I know this is the trigger for my anxiety. I also feel the same about why I am going through all of this. I want to feel good in my body again, in my skin. I have so many constant pains it would bea waste of typing to mention. Primarily its my back and joints. It's about health for me too. And practical things, like seats on a plane, etc. I am too young to feel like I am 90 yrs old. I am only 42. I am surprised at my level of anxiety in a way because it's not like this process is happening over night. I began the process in April 2010 with my first seminar. It was 2 wks after I turned 40 and had decided that it was time to take control of my health. Made all sorts of appointments to check everything out. Physical, pap, bloodwork, etc. That's when I got the nerve to ck out the seminar. I was thinking of LapBand at the time and was excited to get the ball rolling. I received a call from the gyno and they needed to do ultrasound of my ovaries, which happened fairly often for me due to cysts. After the ultrasound the nurse said to get dressed and then I would be speaking with the dr. Seemed odd but not a real red flag. Walking to his office, did feel like a red flag. As I sat down and saw the way he was looking at me, was a red flag. He tells me I have a tumor the size of a large grapefruit on an ovary. Tells me he is sending me for bloodwork right away and referring me to an oncologist. Driving to do the bloodwork I was thinking, oncologist means cancer, right?? Of course I knew this but my head was trying to process it all. May 18th I meet with the oncologist and May 21st had open abdominal surgery. During those 4 days in between I read up on ovarian cancer and prepared for the end of my life. The size of the tumor means it had most likely spread, all over, and the 5 yr survival rate was not good. At the time it was 80% don't make it to 5 yrs. I woke up from the surgery and first thing I asked is "where did it spread to?" I kept getting same answer from nurses then family. Nowhere. It did not spread. I still to this day feel like a walking miracle. Apparently the cancerous part was surrounded by a non cancerous tumor, it it was encased. My surgeon hadnt ever seen that, and he is (I later found out) a world renound surgeon. I never found the right time, right man to have children with. And the dr said I needed a complete hysterectomy. He gave me 5 yrs to get pregnant. I tried to preserve my eggs but no fertility clinic would freeze eggs when a patient had ovarian cancer. Potential of freezing cancer with it. Well, dr said in Nov I had to have the surgery as soon as possible because my risks of cancer coming back were too high. He based it on bloodwork and, my weight. March 2011 had my hysterectomy. Very hard emotional time. Actually hardest in my life. That surgery was robotic, Da Vinci. SUCH a piece of cake recovery!! I recommend to anyone who has the choice to choose robotic surgery, take it and run with it!! Recovery was amazing. I was apprehensive going in because of the unknown and the surgeon not operating in the operating room but working from a seated position, in another room via robot. I just can't say enough about that experience. July 2011 went to another seminar for WLS and here I am 22 days from surgery. And I am anxious. I have to remind myself that I have been given another chance at life and want to make the most of it because tomorrow isn't guaranteed, for anyone. All of us going through this are doing so much more than just losing weight. It is literally transforming our futures. Our quality of this God given, precious life. And when our quality of life is better, our loved ones have a better quality of life too. We need to think of the memories yet to be made. Memories we will not be able to create in the current state of our bodies. Joisey, let's think about the exciting future ahead of us when we get anxious. We know that it's a tough road ahead but haven't we been living a tough road, everyday, anyway?? Yes, we are facing surgery soon and we feel like this is the beginning of something difficult but actually it's the end of a difficult time. It's the end of the hard parts of physical life and the beginning of a wonderful transformation that will make our lives physically easier. Godspeed my new friend. You and all going through this process will be in my prayers.

There are people who end up not having loose skin. It does depend on age and highest weight, a lot of people will have loose skin. But not everyone. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Oh and the drain tube was only 10 inches of tube inside of me. It felt interesting when he took it out I felt like I was loosing my breath. This place is spotless. They keep it extremely clean. The Air Conditioners will freeze you out. I've had to tell them to turn mine back off several times.

I seriously never thought I would want to post pics. However, I feel pretty darn good and am totally amazed at the changes. Those swim shorts are so loose that they hang. No pulling, stretching or crimping anywhere. Actually hang like a skirt. The best part is if I tried to wear them in a pool I would literally swim out of them. Time to pack them in the Good Will box! I just love that! Now, the swim top fits like it should've from the beginning but I was in so much "size denial" that I bought the size that I believed I should be. Oh well! LOL! Its so cool to see the chub in the area of my armpits skrinking both in the front and back. I'm definately reclaiming my waistline too. This is all from a loss of 38 pounds. This is good and there are some new issues that popped up too. Like seeing my food addiction for what it REALLY is. Wow! However, there is help and I'm getting help from my therapist and support group. Thanks to all of you who help me find my way through these emerging issues and my other surgery-type issues. I promise to be here for you too. Big Hugs!!

Wow!! 98 pounds in a year that is an amazing accomplishment you should be so proud! I am waiting to be banded and I hope that I can be as successful. Did you loose weight pre-band or did it all come off after you were banded? Congratulations!! :thumbup:

Not even a question! Would do it all over again, wouldn't want to be without it! Although there are some foods I've had to give up along the way, it has been worth it. Also, in the long run there's very little of those foods I've given up that I truly miss and wish I could eat again . No other way I would've been able to loose the 76+ lbs I've lost.

I LOVE tofu teriyaki and from my experience with that, I have to say that tofu itself is a mushy, but that yummy crunchy skin really isn't . Can you pry the tofu away from the skin ? take care

I agree with the stretch mark theory. I lost 100 pounds in 5 months (112 lbs since pre op diet) and have loose skin in only the one place I had stretch marks, my lower abdomen. The reason stretch marks reside there was due to a past pregnancy in which I gained 70 pounds in a short period of time.. The stretch marks were flat and faded, but the area refuses to flatten back out. I was worried about my chest, but it has improved slightly in the past few weeks. I'm going to give it more time, especially after I hit my goal weight. My friend had some results tightening up sagging skin with a silicone body wrap she wore under her clothes everyday for awhile. You have to be quite consistent with it and it's not cheap.

If you do a search on this topic you will find hundreds of posts on this topic. I know as a newbie loose skin and hair loss were two of the biggies that concerned me. I recently went back and posted a picture of myself 11 months out from surgery exposing all of my goods on an thread titled - "My top 10 ways to prevent loose skin." I'm convinced genetics and how long you spent over weight have the most influence on whether or not you will have excess skin. I also was a sloooow loser. I once read it takes skin 2-3 months to adjust every time you lose. There were times my thighs look horrific and a few months later they snapped back into place. If you lose too much too quickly, your skin may newer fully snap back. My loose skin is limited to my lower stomach. I have had two very large babies and my lower abdomen had Freddy Kruger stretch marks on it. There is no way that's going back to normal without a tummy tuck! There's likely some tell-take signs you will have loose skin in areas. For example, if you have fat pockets that start right above your elbows, you will probably have bat wings. I carried most of my excess weight in my mid-section, so it doesn't surprise me this is where I have excess skin. It doesn't look bad standing up, but when I bend over, I look like I would whelp a litter of puppies! What I can tell you is part of this journey is accepting our new bodies. I decided to post a pic of myself exposed because I noticed most people are wearing pants and long shirts in their after photos on this site. It always made me wonder what was lurking underneath. Many of us will be left with more excess skin than what we are comfortable with. Some can afford plastics. Many cant. Regardless, I wouldn't trade the new active lifestyle I live for anything. For reference, I am a woman in my mid-40's. 5'7" and was 241 at my heaviest. I was 226 the day of surgery. I was 152 when I took this picture a few days ago. I am currently 7 pounds away from my stretch goal of 145. I haven't exercised with much consistently during the 11 months post surgery. I took this photo as my "before" picture and hope to see how tone I can get after I start doing squats, sit-ups, and lifting weights! I have to say I'm a tad more motivated now that I can actually SEE my muscles! Who would have thunk I had abdominal muscles? Albeit pretty separated post child-bearing, I'm sure!

Oh my. Just like Babbs said, you're eating too many carbs so of course you'll be feeling hungry. Carbs cause carb cravings and not eating protein is going to make it even worse. Protein is absolutely the first thing you eat and should be the large portion of any meal for the rest of your life. It doesn't matter if you aren't eating sugar. Simple carbs like potatoes or grits act just like sugar in your body and the more you eat them, the more you'll want to eat them. And not eating enough protein will really screw you up - your body will start burning muscle instead of fat, your skin and hair will suffer and the fatigue will get worse... not eating your protein is just all around super bad. chicken, fish, beef, low carb yogurt, cottage cheese, regular cheeses, high protein/low carb milk (like Fairlife or Mootopia), Beans (refried are awesome with a bit of cheese and/or sour cream)... there are so many things you could be eating that are way better for you. Your sleeve isn't the issue; it isn't the problem - your food choices are. Please do the reading and research on here for good protein meals and recipes, as you are heading down the wrong road right now, but you can turn this around if you're willing to try. Good luck!!

Some doctors may turn you down but others would take you, being self pay you don't have to worry about insurance turning you down - which most probably would at first. No co-morbidities - thats great, I wish I was at that point (perhaps I will be when I loose weight - only on my 3rd week with the band)

I know exactly what your going thru, I was supposed to have surgery on the 17th this month and I have a wedding to go to on the 14th and was planning on saying I had a stomach bug and things don't sit well with me at the moment so I dunno anymore but as for after I'm just going to say I don't eat alot of bread/pasta/rice afterwards which in actuallity is true - You don't eat heaps of bread Pasta or rice. Honestly it's your decision for when you want to tell people and I personally won't tell people until I feel comfortable - they can assume all they want but until I feel comfortable with everything in my life I won't be telling them. Edit** Another thing I wanted to add - I have alot of health problems and although I realise alot of people would be supportive afterwards because they know this and they know I need to do something for future health reasons I still feel like they'll say something horrible. I've told my mum, dad and 2 sisters and my aunt and that's the only family that knows - My older sister doesn't see why she should keep it a secret even though she has - We have another family we're friends with and she said what should I say to them? And I just told her tell them I'm having a bronchoscopy or something in hospital (as my date was previously 6 days before my 21st and they'd be wondering why I couldnt eat anything) but I think when I do get surgery I might use the hernia as an excuse, like furious said - they're happy about loosing but feel horrible in the fact that people might think they've failed and that's my whole reason, I don't want people to just turn around and say "we'll why don't you just eat less and excercise more?" For some people that is a good thing but I have lung problems and even walking up stairs is hard regardless of my weight, then add on that that I am on medication that makes me gain weight and I'm looking at a transplant in 5-10 years and I know some people will be happy that I'm doing this for myself but you can't always predict someones reaction to something Sorry this was so long, wanted to put my 2 cents in

Every body and skin is different don't rely on these pics for what your gonna look like. Start exercise early on and don't stop!!! Cardio AND lifting weights. My chest ,stomach definitely need surgery from pregnancy and weight gain . My arms might be OK I'm working then at the gym!!! My lower body looks ok so far. My highest weight was 300 I have lost 94 so far and still have 46 more to loose. So I'm not sure how im gonna look by then . My plan is to be happy with the weight-loss and ride it out till I get enough money to get surgery to fix my body. I would trade being fat and depressed for the skin in a heart beat. stay positive

I have lost about 40 pounds (DOS Sept 2007). I have developed a painful rash under the "apron" of skin on my abdomin. What is the treatment for this? Do I need to see a doctor? Thanks.

When you get close to your goal, you can throw BMI's out the window. They are not accurate to begin with, just a approximation, good to get started. When I was getting within 10 lbs of my goal, I could not loose anything. I would loose, then gain back the same 3-5 lbs for at least 2 months. Some people say that is when you know you are indeed at your goal, because you just stop loosing. There is a professional football player, a running back for the NE Patriots who was in last years Super Bowl. He is the same height as me, and weighs 10lbs more. I do not think anyone would call him fat, or unfit in any sense of imagination. According to BMI's, I'm still 15-20 lbs overweight. I don't think so! Fortunately, I have access to a Body Fat % scale. You enter your age, height, gender,,,,then stand on it with bare feet and grip handles with both hands and each side. This will give you your weight, plus your body fat %, which is the most accurate way of telling if you are good or not. My Body Fat % is less than 15%, for someone my age that makes me "Fit" and "Athletic" I can live with that. If I wanted to loose more weight, I would have to cut back on the Protein, and start to loose muscle. I would loose weight, and look like a Holocaust Survivor.

I am new to the site. I had to find some new friends that can help me with this new journey. I am very excited. I had to pay cash. My insurance had a clause stating by no means it would pay for the surgery so I opted for the LapBand. I am doing the OptiFast Diet two weeks prior to surgery. The no Diet Coke is what is killing me. My main concern is all the extra skin when the weight does start coming off that I will need another surgery that I will probably have to pay for and I don't see that happening. Any suggestions? The nurse told me it is basically your genes will decide and the elasticity of the skin. I pray it will go back. It is great to be here. Bye.

My parents live all the way across country from me and we barely talk and the inlaws live 2 states away in Utah ( we are in California) so I don't plan on advertising my surgery either. Why do people have to be so judgmental? I might have to tell some people because my daughter is getting married 2 weeks after the surgery, but I'm trying not to tell too many! My parents aren't coming. I am also hoping I will good enough for the wedding- that adds another stressor!!! Glad to hear your husband is doing so well- that's what we all want, health, vitality and confidence from feeling good in our own skin. When is your surgery scheduled? I keep fluctuating from pure excitement to fear. Haha Am I crazy. But I went to the thrift store and bought a variety of clothes to shrink down into! That was fun!!

Hey there! I work for JP Morgan and have UHC also, and had to do the same requirements. I too was concerned about loosing "too" much weight. What I did was focus on the diet part, but didn't worry about working out. It worked well for me because I learned that I really enjoyed the taste of healthier food more, and I found that my portion sizes went down a lot. I can sympathize with you on the 6 month feeling like forever though, because it did!! I made it so that I consistantly lost 2-3 lbs a month, but I still ate what I wanted during the 6 months. I will tell you that UHC approved my surgery less than 3 weeks after everything was submitted, and I was able to get my surgery less than 2 weeks after approval. I was sleeved on xmas eve, and I'm now 5 days out and 13lbs lighter. Keep your head up, 6 months is nothing compared to the years of being heavy. You're gorgeous now, so just keep imagining how amazing you are going to look once you succeed. Where are you located by the way? Ohio by any chance??

I see everyone go on about other "symptoms" of the hormonal changes right after surgery, but I don't think I have seen anyone talk about if they had another go around of "puberty" acne? :ph34r: