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How is everyone dealing with skin and scars from surgery? I am 4 weeks out and I want to be proactive on what I can do. I fear skins is going to be an issue as I have much difficulty with drinking enough Water. What else can I do or what have you guys tried and been successful. Also I don't think exercise helps with hanging belly skin.

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I intend to exercise and weight train to firm up - if that apron-like swath of skin resolves itself - fine. If not there are Spanx - until I save the money for the Boob Job and Tummy Tuck

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Exercise isn't really a solution for ANY of the loose skin. What it does is tone the muscles under the skin - in some cases, the skin isn't quite as loose because you've reshaped your physique and muscles are filling some of the area where fat used to live.

As far as skin, the best suggestions I've seen is to keep hydrated (I know you said you were having issues with that; keep trying!), keep the skin supple with appropriate use of lotion or cream, and make sure your nutrition is good - get your Protein, get your Vitamins and minerals. I was told to expect that my skin will tighten slowly, over the next 18 months as I slim down, but to expect that I will eventually need at least a panniculectomy (where the belly apron is removed) even if the other skin tightens up fairly well. We shall see.

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I can only speak for myself, but my skin isn't too bad & I've lost 67# since surgery & 106# overall. I drink at least 50 oz of Water daily. Sometimes I can get a lot more, but when it's much less I feel it in my bones. I also use body scrub or a loofah in the shower & baby oil afterwards. I also use Nivea skin firming Q10 lotion in between (maybe once/day), & take my Vitamins. I also get a fair amount of cardio in & do yoga for strength training. I'm not saying I don't have saggy spots, but they are nowhere near as bad as I imagined they'd be.

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I can only speak for myself' date=' but my skin isn't too bad & I've lost 67# since surgery & 106# overall. I drink at least 50 oz of Water daily. Sometimes I can get a lot more, but when it's much less I feel it in my bones. I also use body scrub or a loofah in the shower & baby oil afterwards. I also use Nivea skin firming Q10 lotion in between (maybe once/day), & take my Vitamins. I also get a fair amount of cardio in & do yoga for strength training. I'm not saying I don't have saggy spots, but they are nowhere near as bad as I imagined they'd be.[/quote']

Also how old are you?

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Also how old are you?

I'm 34 with 2 kids, so my belly will always be a hot mess! Lol but it's a smaller, less overhang-y mess! ;)

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
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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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