Excess skin??

[RockerChick 0]

Well, I haven't been banded yet, I haven't even had myfirst appointment yet, but I know this is something that I am definitely going to do. but I have a few questions, if yall would be so kind to answer me, I'd really appreciate it.

1. How much loose skin do you have with the lap-band..I've known people that have had the gastric, and they look like bats because of all of the skin, In my mind I thought that since the band is a longer process that there wouldn't be as much skin, is this true?

2. I weigh 267 right now and I was wondering what you think would be a reasonableweight, I'm 5'7 and have a large frame on top of that.

3. Please tell me of the success you have had, it would really encourage me:thumbup:.

4. What's the worst thing you have expierenced as a result of being banded--I just want to be prepare!:thumbup:

Thank yall so much! ---Samantha

[WrenBird 11]

I wish I could help...I've only lost 15 kilos so far (was banded less than 2 months ago) but my body is actually a lot tighter than it was before.

One member here talked about having lose skin at one stage. Her name is 'Jachut' on here and she's very honest about how her body looks: LAP-BAND

I think she looks amazing and she knows a lot about loose skin. It might be worth sending her a comment about it. I think at one stage she said that no amount of crunches will get rid of belly skin. She seems to know her stuff.

[elcee 3,340]

There was a lady on TV tonight who has lost 320kg approx 700lb. Her loose skin is awful. I felt so sorry for her as she has done so well losing weight and now our health system won't do anything to help with the excess skin due to lack of funding. Seems crazy as i know people who lost far less and were able to get theirs fixed.

[Sue Magoo 71]

Hi:

I'm 5'7" too. I started my weight loss journey at 324 pounds. I got as low as 174. I've settled in at the 190 level. I had alot of loose skin on my lower abdomen and had a Tummy Tuck to remove it about a year and a half ago. I have lose skin on my thighs still, as well as bat wings. I love my band and if I had the money I'd have more plastic surgery, but I don't think that's going to happen. I can live with the hanging skin that I have. I just don't wear shorts or sleeveless tops. My belly is nice and flat. I feel 15 years younger than when I was carrying around all of that extra weight.

Best wishes to you.

Sue

[Katy517 1]

I was banded about six months ago and am down 77 pounds now from my highest weight. I've got quite a lot of loose skin especially in my breasts and neck area. I haven't decided yet if I'll do any kind of cosmetic surgery to address it. It seems a pretty small price to pay for better health, but I do realize that the neck skin in particular makes me look older than my years. Good luck.

[WrenBird 11]

If it's any constillation my boobs look really funny at the moment. I'm 22 and they are sagggyyyy. I don't mind though, with a good bra it's fixed. and they're fun to play with now because they're so silly lol.

[Humming Bird 275]

Hi and welcome to LBT.

Well, I haven't been banded yet, I haven't even had myfirst appointment yet, but I know this is something that I am definitely going to do. but I have a few questions, if yall would be so kind to answer me, I'd really appreciate it.

1. How much loose skin do you have with the lap-band®..I've known people that have had the gastric, and they look like bats because of all of the skin, In my mind I thought that since the band is a longer process that there wouldn't be as much skin, is this true?

The loose skin thing is different for everyone. You have youth on your side. Your skin will be in much better shape when the weight comes off than a 50-60 year old. It also depends on where you carry your weight and if you have been pregnant .....

In my case, I am 45 (soon to be 46). I spent many years tanning with the sun and later in tanning beds.

So, my skin is not in the best condition anyway. After 105 pound loss I do not need a Tummy Tuck. I was only pregnant one time and that was when I was 16-17 years old. I only put on 19 lbs with the pregnancy.

My arms are the worst. My underarms look like I am 100 years old.

2. I weigh 267 right now and I was wondering what you think would be a reasonableweight, I'm 5'7 and have a large frame on top of that.

I am also 5'7". I started at 264 (size 22/24) and am now 159 (size 12). For me anything between 150-160 is a good weight.

3. Please tell me of the success you have had, it would really encourage me:thumbup:.

I took off the first 100 pounds in 1 year. After that the weightloss slowed way down. Now I drop about a pound a month. It has been much easier than I thought it would be. There again you have youth on your side. I wish I would have done this when I was younger.

4. What's the worst thing you have expierenced as a result of being banded--I just want to be prepare!:thumbup:

The worst thing I experienced was thinning hair. I lost about 30-40% of my hair between months 4-9. This doesn't happen to everyone and I think the type of hair I have has a lot to do with it. I have baby fine very straight hair. The good news is that it grows back.

Thank yall so much! ---Samantha

Edited November 10, 2010 by Humming Bird

[BetsyB 9]

Whether or not you have excess skin relies on lots of things---but rate of loss is not one of them. (People who have gastric bypass may seem to more dramatically develop the issue, but that is simply because their loss is more rapid. The rapid loss does not CAUSE the problem; the loss causes the problem--which means that yes, it can indeed occur after banding.)

The things that influence the degree to which you are affected include age, genetics, smoking history, sun exposure history, how much excess weight you carried, how long you were overweight, how many pregnancies you have had, how many times you had large fluctuations in weight, and so on.

Losing fast, losing slow---it doesn't really matter.

Think of a balloon. If you blow it up to capacity, then let the air out, it looks pretty much the same. If you do this many times, it starts to change. It gets less elastic, striations appear in the latex.

Your skin is pretty similar. If it's stretched and stretched, then the tension is released (again, fast or slow, doesn't matter), then elasticity is lost, especially if there is yo-yoing.

There isn't much one can do about this other than hope for good luck and good genetics. Meeting your nutritional needs can give skin what it needs, too---that for sure is important. (Get enough Protein and Fluid, get adequate heart-healthy fat, take a good-quality bariatric Multivitamin.)

Exercise to build a good "scaffold" for your skin to drape on. Know that exercise will not tighten skin, but will improve your health and appearance anyway.

I'm almost 49, am almost 90 down from banding almost 10 months ago (and over 100 down from my highest), and have been very, very pleased with how many of my body parts have rebounded.

OTOH, I have had 3 pregnancies, breastfed, and am no spring chicken; I have a plastic surgery consult scheduled for May, when I'll be in the surgeon's city for my daughter's graduation.

I am nearing goal. I look pretty darn good in clothes. I look a HELL of a lot better naked than I did before losing weight. If I decide to proceed with surgery, it will really just be icing on the cake, something to do for MYSELF, to complete the journey. But the laxity of the skin is not something that torments me----really, it is weirdly symbolic of the positive changes I've made.

ETA: To answer your other questions:

2. I weigh 267 right now and I was wondering what you think would be a reasonableweight, I'm 5'7 and have a large frame on top of that.

I am aiming for the lower end of the normal BMI scale because my frame is small. Since yours is large, I'd go for a bit higher on the BMI scale. "Normal" BMI is defined as 18.9-24.9. At your height, you'd hit the high end at 159 pounds.

3. Please tell me of the success you have had, it would really encourage me:thumbup:.

I've had great success! I'm 0.4 pounds away from 90 pounds down, and have not yet hit the 10-month mark. The band has really addressed my particular weight issues, and I've found it quite easy to work with.

4. What's the worst thing you have expierenced as a result of being banded--I just want to be prepare!

I was taken aback by the hair loss that occurred beginning around 4 months postop. This is a result of an interruption in the Hair growth cycle caused by the trauma of surgery and anesthesia. While it's important to make sure you get the right nutrients (protein, Fluid, Biotin, zinc), and it can be helpful to use growth-promoting shampoos/conditioners such as Nioxin, really---it's just a matter of time. Just when I thought it would really become noticeable to others, my normal hair growth resumed---no harm, no foul.

Otherwise, it's been pretty smooth sailing for me. I accepted the lifestyle changes (permanent eating changes, a lifelong need for daily exercise) pretty happily---so I have no real complaints.

Edited November 10, 2010 by BetsyB

[ElfiePoo 109]

1. How much loose skin do you have with the lap-band. In my mind I thought that since the band is a longer process that there wouldn't be as much skin, is this true?

How much loose skin you have depends on so many factors. How long you've been overweight, how much you have to lose, how fast you lose, age and, more importantly, genetics. Exercise will help tone the muscle under the skin but it won't do anything about the skin.

2. I weigh 267 right now and I was wondering what you think would be a reasonableweight, I'm 5'7 and have a large frame on top of that.

I was given a formula (and I don't remember where) that gave a 'rough' way to figure out what you should weigh. Basically take your height in inches and convert to centimeters. Subtract 100 and that would be your ideal weight in kg plus or minus 6kg. Plus for large boned and minus for small boned. That would put you at 127 lb. Keep in mind that's a 'rough' estimate. Factors such as age and muscular structure will affect this by quite a bit.

3. Please tell me of the success you have had, it would really encourage me:thumbup:.

I've struggled this last year to get this band to work with me and have had my ups and down. I never gave up and now, after a year, I think we've finally come to terms because the scale is once more going down. *Patience* is key.

4. What's the worst thing you have expierenced as a result of being banded--I just want to be prepare!:thumbup:

The constant pain in my left shoulder - phrenic nerve pain. Be aware that it is not uncommon and for some it will go away. For some it doesn't...even after years. In the last couple of weeks mine has gotten quite a bit worse. Only happens when I'm lying down or not able to sit straight up in a chair (car seats put me at the wrong angle).

.

[isaviolinist 11]

Well, I haven't been banded yet, I haven't even had myfirst appointment yet, but I know this is something that I am definitely going to do. but I have a few questions, if yall would be so kind to answer me, I'd really appreciate it.

1. How much loose skin do you have with the lap-band®..I've known people that have had the gastric, and they look like bats because of all of the skin, In my mind I thought that since the band is a longer process that there wouldn't be as much skin, is this true?

2. I weigh 267 right now and I was wondering what you think would be a reasonableweight, I'm 5'7 and have a large frame on top of that.

3. Please tell me of the success you have had, it would really encourage me:thumbup:.

4. What's the worst thing you have expierenced as a result of being banded--I just want to be prepare!:thumbup:

Thank yall so much! ---Samantha

For your ideal weight, you should also seek out someone who can do skin fold measurements so you know how much lean mass and fat mass you have (especially since you have a large frame). My fitness practitioner does this for me every 6 weeks so I can tell how much fat and lean mass I have. He estimates, that when things are ideal, I'll probably have between 130-132 pounds of lean mass on my body. And I'll probably have 14-15 pounds of fat mass (we are aiming for 22% body fat which is the low end of the normal range for a female my age). That weight would put me at a BMI that is in the overweight category. However my body fat percentage would be in the low end of normal. Currently, my BMI puts me at "obese". However, my body fat percentage currently is under 39% which is 'overweight' for women my age. For me, I stopped relying on BMI and I am super focused on getting my body fat percentage down to a reasonable number. I even am getting slightly (but only slightly) less obsessed with the scale and am focusing on building lean mass and getting rid of my fat mass.

[va_viv 3]

Hey! Congrats on taking the steps to better your life.

1. How much loose skin do you have with the lap-band®..I've known people that have had the gastric, and they look like bats because of all of the skin, In my mind I thought that since the band is a longer process that there wouldn't be as much skin, is this true?

I'm only a little over a month out and have only lost 30 lbs. Those 30 lbs have definitely been a blessing and my body has conformed so far. My surgeon told me that the younger you are the better your skin treats you, so we have that on our side. I'm hoping that my skin will continue to conform as I lose more weight.

2. I weigh 267 right now and I was wondering what you think would be a reasonableweight, I'm 5'7 and have a large frame on top of that.

I started at 265 and I'm 5'4, currently at 234.2. My goal weight is 170 lbs. I think the closer I get to that goal I might consider changing it, but for now I'm hopeful and content with that "number".

3. Please tell me of the success you have had, it would really encourage me:thumbup:.

I started gaining weight when I was around 20ish. I gained around 80 lbs in 2 years...it felt like I snap of your fingers and bam I was fat. I couldn't understand why and what happened I tried losing weight and it was nearly impossible. I would eat right, work out and I would lose like 3 lbs a month. After 5 years of struggling I found out (in April) that I have PCOS. My PCP explained to me that it is EXTREMELY difficult to lose weight having that, it can happen but very very very slowly and it's hard. Since I've had the surgery I have been able to lose 30 lbs...something I know I wouldn't of been able to do before. I'm so thankful, and I know it will continue. :wink5:

4. What's the worst thing you have expierenced as a result of being banded--I just want to be prepare!:thumbup:

The gas after surgery really sucked but I eventually got through it. So I must say that everything has gone well...but if I had to mention something it's not being able to eat rice. I'm hispanic and rice to us is very important, so giving it up was a bit of a struggle but I did it. I know that maybe in the future I MIGHT be able to eat it again. I'll be fine without it. :lol2:

Hope that helps! Take care!

[Jennifer Hathaway 12]

I am 5'7" and started at 262 on surgery day may 25, 2010. I am now down 80 lbs (182) and my personal goal is 160. But my doctor's goal is 169. She explained to me that as a previously morbid obese woman my bones are more dense and therefore they will weigh more. I have been pregnant twice and lost 80 pounds before therefore I have some sagging. But I would rather have sagging skin skin and be thin and healthy. The worst so far is the Hair loss. I am constantly losing hair and will be purchasing nioxin as recommended. Good luck with your banding. I hope you have as much success as you want.