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When Is The Time Right?



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How do you know when its time for surgery? I started this journey at 285 pounds and a size 26...now I'm about 180 and a size 14..but I am all belly..if I didnt have my belly I would be in about an 8..i have to be 144 pounds for a normal bmi but already boney in most places..should I lose that last 35 pounds before I contact my PS?

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I would go and have a consult with a PS and ask them, the last thing u want to do is to have surgery then lose more weight in case u create more skin. Its what i am going to do anyways i am all stomach and skin too :(

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scashe....we must be about the same size, from beginning to now. I started at 290 lbs and i am 5'6 size 26 i am now 178 size 14 pants, small shirts....i still think my thighs are way too large...not much in my belly, but I still have a 3 to 4 inch chunk of skin I can grab around...i am having a lower body lift in June with Lipo in my thighs and an inner thigh lift...Surgeon told me he can remove at least 10 lbs...so as soon as the weather gets better, come spring...I will start walking again and try to lose 10 more before the surgery for a total of 20...when I have surgery I will be 2 yrs post op...not sure if I will lose any more but I do not want to get another fill...as I have days now where I dont eat much....btw, my surgeon told me to wait at least 1 yr post op before plastics...so for me, 2 yrs is good ;)

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I would go ahead and consult with a surgeon. I've not had any cosmetic surgery but I know that for me, it was about at the higher end of my healthy weight range that I would have looked best if I'd had some Lipo and a Tummy Tuck and stayed a bit heavier. I lost all that weight and then some and in reality, what's happened is I am literally skin and bone around the shoulders, face, neck and have nice long thin legs, but still have the same problem of flabby butt and loose tummy. I'm more of a pear and carry my weight very evenly, so if you have a real problem area like a tummy, that holds even MORE true. I would look better with a little more weight around my shoulders and chest, but if I regain, it wont all go there, most of it will all go to my bum. Cosmetic surgery really does have value for reshaping uneven figures.

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The plastic surgeons will be happy to take your money any time, the sooner the better. But if you can get within ten pounds of normal BMI you will get a better result. A really good doc will tell you to get to ideal weight and maintain it for six months first but a lot of them will just say get out your check book!

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Ok.... two years out... started at 223, now weight 145. 18-20 to now 8 (some 6) with the TT i could be around a 4.... The PS i talked too said he does plenty of LB patients and his rule is (for the most part) You weight has to be as the same point or with in a couple pounds for at least six months. I have been at 143-146 for over that. To do the TT it's going to cost me $8900. I really wanted to do the boobs too... but that's another 5-6k.... not in the budget just yet.... i'm trying for Feb. 16th.

Good luck!!!

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I did a consult and when I told him I wanted to lose 30 more lbs (at the time of the consult, I'm halfway there), he told me to wait until I lost the weight. If they do it before you're done losing, they can't guarantee what will happen afterwards-- I think some people end up with unevenness or develop bulges/flaps if they lose a significant amount AFTER surgery. This is a bigger problem with breasts than stomach though.

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I also think its best to have the plastic surgery (if you can afford it) as the reward for getting to normal BMI. Normal BMI is inarguably the healthiest for all of us.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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