Hi all!

Sorry its been so long since my last post!

I am sooooo happy I got the lower body lift. It's spectacular. Its given me a whole new lease on life! I can wear so many things I couldn't or wouldn't before. I may actually venture out in a swimming suit this summer. I'll have to buy one first!

I love how much its boosted my confidence too. They didn't just remove the excess skin, they also plumped up my rear end! I had such a flat rear but now I really like it! My legs look better in the picture then they do in real life. Though they aren't bad at all. They aren't dimpled or anything, but they have a lot more "jiggle" to them then I'd like when I walk. I'm going to see if getting more leg muscles will help to firm them up.

Other than that though I'm utterly delighted. It's made such a difference to me and the way I interact with others too.

Last weekend I went to a concert and wore a little black sequined dress in a SIZE TWO and it wasn't tight or anything. It fit perfectly and looked amazing. I didn't have to wear any sort of support to hold in my gut or keep things in place. It was fantastic!!! I don't regret this one bit.

However, the recovery took forever! I had to stay in bed for FOUR WEEKS!!! The pain wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be based on what I read. But I have a decently high pain tolerance. It was hard to not move for four weeks though!!! I didn't think the recoup time would be that long. But I'm all recovered now and so happy I did it.

My body will be healing for another six months and I'll see little changes in my shape still for the next few months. The scars are gross but I have other scars that are several years old and hardly noticable unless you're trying to find them so I imagine this will heal up the same way. I'm just finally not looking quite so much like I got sawed in half!!! It's pretty gross at first. It's still pretty ugly but its healed up enough that I don't look like I'll split open at any moment now!

But its worth the scar because no one but my guy will ever see it!!!

I love it, love it, love it. I feel great these days!

The picture I had to take myself so it's not very good, but gives you the idea! :eek:

I weigh 123-125 pounds and usually wear a size four in fitted jeans but could probably switch to a two in regular jeans. Extra smalls can be a bit big these days. I think I am smaller then people who haven't lost a ton of weight and weigh the same.

For those who don't know my story I was banded in 2001, took three years to go from 250 to 125 pounds. My band slipped and I had it replaced in August 2005. I gained about ten pounds because of the slippage but have since lost it. I currently have 2ccs in my band but am going to get some removed because I can't eat apples and grapes as easily and those where main staples of my diet. I eat a lot healthier now that I'm thin then I ever did when I was heavy.

My first band surgeon was Dr Lundegardh in Sweden. Second band was placed by Dr Ortiz and Dr Martinez in Mexico - they are aweseome and I highly reccomend them! Dr Martinez does my fills and I just love that guy. He's the nicest, most caring doctor I've ever met. (www.obesitycontrolcenter.com)

My LBL surgeon was Dr Quiroz in Mexico (www.cosmedsurgery.com). I really like Dr Quiroz! Next year I'm getting a breast lift and augmentation and I'll have him do that too. My LBL was about $5500 and the breast lift/augmentation will be roughly $3500.

Mae

I'd never considered plastic surgery for myself until I read your post. Now it seems like something that might one day be a possibility. Your procedure was a lot less expensive than I thought it would be - but I guess it's much more than that in the states. Four weeks, though? How did you do it? Are you a student or did you take a leave of absence from work or something?

I was curious so I looked up Dr. Quiroz. (FYI the website is www.cosmedclinic.com not www.cosmedsurgery.com :-)) It seems like a very reputable place. Is it a hospital? I don't know exactly what a surgical center is. Maybe I'm paranoid (comes from watching "Awful Plastic Surgery" on tLC) but they always warn against having any type of procedure done outside of an actual hospital.

Thanks for correcting the link!

Ya, four weeks was two weeks longer than I had planned. Luckily I seriously have the world's greatest boss and he gave me PAID work leave! Can you believe that?!? I totally had not expected it. He's amazing though! Best job in the WORLD!

if you were going to make of list of 10 or 20 things that

'defined YOU' preBand, how would that compare to a list of 10 or 20 things

defining 'you NOW'....

hey jack you should make that a whole thread kinda like a survey!

....my GAWD!!!.....you continue to be an inspiration....do you find differences in your thought processes than in preBand life? Are you 'still YOU'....or have you become someone else.....I don't know quite how to ask...if you were going to make of list of 10 or 20 things that 'defined YOU' preBand, how would that compare to a list of 10 or 20 things defining 'you NOW'....

and thanks so much for sharing your fantastic journey....

Excellent question Jack!

There is a huge difference in me now that I am 125 pounds instead of 250. I feel "worthy" in my own eyes now would be one way to put it. Some people are comfortable with their weight, it doesn't hold them back. They still go out and have fun and have some semblence of confidence. That was not at all me. The heavier I got the more inverted I became. I spent as little time outside of my house and office as I could. I lived under a rock. Now I LOVE going out. I'm sooooo girly and everything I own is pink and purple instead of black or navy. I own one pair of ugly shoes and everything else has heels. I've gone from bag lady to a lady with class and style.

The people I run with now never knew me overweight. They all ask me for style advice and I even get the occasional "she can wear that - she looks good in everything" comments. Sooooo not me before. I have confidence that I can truly accomplish anything I want and I know my life will not be lived under a rock anymore. I have HOPE which is something I did not have when I was overweight. My weight didn't just weigh me down physically it weighed me down emotionally. I never felt "right" being overweight and that misalignment of who I felt I SHOULD be versus who I was (overweight) caused a lot of pain and basically paralyzed me.

Now I am living out the reality of who I was meant to be. I find I am much more loving, I much more touchy-feely and enjoy letting my guy touch me whereas before I didn't want anyone near me for fear they might discover how fat I really was! Like I could somehow hide it... right.

So internally the only change is I no longer imagine living life - I DO live life. And I enjoy it thoroughly.

I doubt everyone has such an issue with their weight, but it bogged me down big time.

You look awesome!!

um...hm..wow. What would be appropriate at this point to be heard from the male bandsters out there? HOLY #%$! GIRL! You look like a supermodel.

Way to go. You are such an encouragment to all. Keep up the marvelous discipline...we're all trying to catch up!

Jon

um...hm..wow. What would be appropriate at this point to be heard from the male bandsters out there? HOLY #%$! GIRL! You look like a supermodel.

Way to go. You are such an encouragment to all. Keep up the marvelous discipline...we're all trying to catch up!

Jon

LOL! That made me laugh so hard. Thanks for the compliment!