Okay, folks. I had a weird visit with my WLS surgeon today. Weird because he actually told me that I look really good and don't "need" to lose any more weight. I'm 245 still and probably have 20 pounds of skin that should be removed in my stomach area.

He gave me a referral to the plastic surgeon and documented my tummy issues (rashes, a boil, need for powder constantly under the roll) and he thinks my insurance will cover the tummy tuck, if I choose to do it.

My plastics consult is August 31, so one year and one day after surgery. I'm stunned, but I somewhat agree about the weight loss. I don't really have much more I can do except shape and tone, which I'm working on now. My original goal was 170, raised to 190, but aside from loose skin and the tummy area, I'm pretty much toned up.

I'm looking for comments, advice, delusions. Help me decide if this is really something I want to do at this point.

Lissa I agree... if you think 170 is too low, then basically it is! I am in a similar prediciment myself. I've asked my GP about at TT on the NHS (our health service here in UK) and to be eligable for even a consultation I have to have a BMI below 25 which means at least another 28lbs, which, like you is too low for me. I don't want to look too thin/skinny or old!! I can still get it done, but it will be 'private' surgery and I will have to pay for it.

Is there another surgeon that you can ask advice from?

I think if I was you, I would continue to do what you are doing... perhaps another 10-15lb loss - perhaps not. You're happy so that is irrelevant at the moment - but it sounds like the tummy area is your main problem. Continue with the core exercises and overall fitness training you do and perhaps a consultation with another surgeon or if that isn't possible tell the surgeon that you do not want to lose too much weight!

Good luck and let me know your next step... hugs

Thanks, Coops! I am definitely not interested in getting too thin. He says he can get me back in a bikini if I do all this work, but at what price... and who wants to see a 50 year old in a bikini anyway?!?

I'm definitely going to be putting the money away, but I may decide to take a killer vacation instead of having any of those surgeries.

LIssa,

I would wait and let things shift around since you are still losing (even if slowly prior to last month). You never know how things are going to shift. You can always go in for surgery but you can't always undo it. Wait until you're stable. Looks like you want to lose another 50lbs, will you get surgery again then? It can't hurt to wait.

WCM

WindyCityMom, I know I still have some distance to go before I'm truly at goal, but my WLS surgeon wanted me to see the plastic surgeon now so we could start the process. We both knew that I'd still have some weight left to lose before plastics. What neither of us anticipated was that the PS would demand that I lose another SEVENTY pounds. I'm thinking 30-40 is about perfect for me, especially with the amount of exercise I do. I don't see 70 pounds coming off me anywhere without my looking like I died.

No, I definitely don't want to have to revise the abdominal surgery. According to the plastic surgeon, revision of a tummy tuck is one of the riskiest surgeries to have in terms of good/bad results. I'm truthfully not 100% sure I want to have the TT at all, but I'll know more in another 20 pounds or so.