Accepting yourself loose skin and all!

[amz85 18]

So I have surgery this month on the 20th and today I spent the whole kids' nap time watching YouTube videos about pple who've had WLS and not regretted it but hate their loose skin and are getting tummy tucks! It just kind of rocked me and made me scared that I am never gonna be good enough! I'll loose the weight get the counseling, and still not feel okay bcuz of loose skin! It may sound dumb but it just left me feeling down hearted like there's always gonna be something I need to change! Any advice or skin stories or anything to get my pep and excitement back would be awesome!! Thanks in advance!

Edited March 4, 2015 by amz85

[lele109 16]

Sorry I don't have any advice for you. But, I share the same feelings. It is great that we can get healthy and feel better...but it seems that we will still suffer from "hiding" our bodies and feeling less than normal.

[amz85 18]

It does seem a little bit like that lele..these women kept saying they'd always do it over again but there was just this obsession under the surface they had w/their bodies and their loose skin! They tried to hide their anxiety about it w/their smiles and encouraging words about WLS but they couldn't! And one is a life coach and WLS coach, yikes! I can't stomach or afford a Tummy Tuck and I desperately don't want to feel like these women feel! I want to break this cycle of obesity in my life for me and for my kids but I am afraid that I'll move from one problem to the next! It just sucks cuz I was so excited now all I can think of is that bcuz I carry a lot of my weight through my midriff I might have 5-7lbs of loose skin hanging off my belly and that it'll horrify me when I look in the mirror like these women! I dunno...????

[BHoenig 31]

We all need to be careful to not compare ourselves to others. Fact of the matter is, none of us is ever going to look like bikini clad women in magazines. Unfortunately, we took that option away when we let our weight get out of control. Even if we all get tummy tucks to have a flat stomach, we'll have stretch marks and such. It's okay. This is about health, not about vanity. I myself, after going through the surgery decided there is no way in hell I'm having skin removal surgery. So far it's shrinking up as I lose, but I take really good care of myself. I drink my shakes daily, take my Vitamins, and coat my skin daily in a combination of grapeseed oil and lavender oil. And my body is losing 3-4 pounds per week now. It's those big weight drops over short times that do people in every single time! There will come a point that it won't shrink down and I'm okay with that. My husband is okay with that. I've accepted that I didn't do what I needed to in order to have a bikini worthy body. I'll disguise my skin with clothes and maybe even some Spanx. After all, all the size 2's in Hollywood even wear them. I'm going to take my spanx, get a few cute golf outfits, and I'm going out on the golf course this year, thinner and fit and I'm going to kick my husbands behind all over the golf course!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Could it be they had underlying self image issues? When I was researching plastics I talked to several people over the phone about their experience. I came to a stunning conclusion, some people are never happy even with amazing results. I made an effort to accept myself WITH the skin so once I did have the surgery it was awesome.

These forums are full of people who are living a full, active, happy,healthier life even with excess skin

If I had chosen to stay a bit heavier the excess skin wasn't too much of a problem.

[skinnygirlwithin 693]

Once you lose the weight - most of us tend to forget why we did WLS in the first place... To get healthy... and it becomes more about what we look like...

So some of us end up with some extra skin... it happens... but i accepted that before hand knowing that might happen... I have extra skin around my stomach area, and very lose skin in my upper thigh area... but i FEEL good, i can get up and down the steps, have fun & LIVE.

[Stevehud 1,790]

i know i will need a panniculectomy but i went into this knowing I would and knowing tha id take some loose skin as a side effect to really feeling good and being able to function at a level i haven't in many years. im almost 3 months out and my belly has shrunk, bt it also has fallen, so it hangs down lower than before, but trust me ill take that any day, the health implications are so drastic already its amazing. heres a quick example last night after riding the stationary bike for 30 minutes and 7 miles my heart rate was at 131 bpm. just 4 months ago at my stress test, after 8 minutes i had to stop and my heart rate was over 162 bpm. Thats how much stress i have removed from my heart. you cant compare that to some loose skin.

[Babbs 14,680]

People don't die from loose skin. People die from obesity related health issues. Are you having the surgery to be a supermodel or to live a healthy, longer life?

[Rogofulm 2,440]

For those just getting started, remember that drinking TONS of Fluid can help your skin stay hydrated, which should help maintain some elasticity (and it really helps with weight loss). I definitely have some "Sharpei Belly" going on, but it's a whole lot better than where I was before! And working out with weights has helped reduce my excess arm skin. Hmmm.. maybe I need to do more planks and crunches....

[CheleLynn45 615]

I was also worried about excess skin in the beginning. But like @@Babbs stated above, it's the obesity related issues that will get to you before the loose skin does.

I am down almost 80lbs and I have to say I am quite surprised at how my skin is doing. I am starting to see some loose skin but I thought it would be way worse with this amount of weight loss. Now we will have to wait and see how it does after the next 60lbs come off.

The last time I lost 80+ pounds in a year and half I had no sagging skin whatsoever. But I was also 14 years younger and lost it slower.

All I know is for right now today.......I am ESTACTIC with my progress and LOVE how I am doing. I feel GREAT and am going to try, (that's all we can do) to not focus on what some might consider my flaws. I am amazed at what my body is able to do and handle now. Some days I actually say WOW out loud, my daughter thinks it funny how I do that. LOL

I know reason #1 that I had this weight loss surgery was to get my butt healthy before I got to out of control, the way I look and feel would be #2 & #3. I was preaching to my dad that he had to start controlling what he had control over and realized I had to do the same, so I did!!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

OK, Imma say some things ...

First, the people who vidblog about their WLS journeys on youtube are NOT typical WLS patients. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with them at all. But they are just not typical. You can probably count the ways they are different from most of us. You might be right, you might be wrong. I have my own list of ways they're different from me. But again, they are not typical WLS patients. And the exposure they and their perspectives get is disproportionate to their actual proportion among the WLS community.

Second, I don't consider that plastics after WLS is either right or wrong. But remember that the vast majority of WLS patients do NOT get plastic surgery. And I'm hypothesizing that the majority of WLS patients don't want to get plastic surgery.

Third (if anyone cares), I am not bothered (at this point) by my loose skin. If I were a lot younger or single and putting myself out there on the dating scene, I might feel differently about plastics. But I'm not in that cohort. On the other hand, if I were younger my skin would be more elastic and less loose. Instead, I'm 69, happily married, think I look great in clothes, and don't take 'em off for anyone other than my husband who already thinks I'm a sex machine. Plus, my major reasons for having WLS were to dramatically improve my health.

Don't judge what's "normal" among the WLS population by what a few other people you see on youtube saying or doing or complaining about.

My two cents' worth.

Edited March 4, 2015 by VSGAnn2014

[amz85 18]

People don't die from loose skin. People die from obesity related health issues. Are you having the surgery to be a supermodel or to live a healthy, longer life?

I don't remember saying anything about being a supermodel, it's just an issue that has come up that I wanted to talk about because it bothered those women so much! I don't expect to be on any catwalk or even to wear a bikini those things don't matter to me.....

[amz85 18]

Thank you all for your honesty and support! This is just a topic that always seems to come up and it's never rly bothered me until yesterday for some reason! Maybe cuz my date is getting closer or maybe bcuz I was watching videos on it and have never done that before and they just freaked me out!

I love this site because there are such real people in here w/such great advice that help to keep my eye on the bigger picture and not what's good for some people! What's best for each of us is different and what's best for me is just to get healthy and drop this weight! I am nervous/excited and also emotional about my journey into a healthy happy life..thanks again❤️

[katesuccess 990]

Not that you need to hear from one more in this camp, but I am surprised my saggy skin is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I'm 53 years old, starting weight 287, and have lost 114 pounds. I don't know if it helps, but I put Jergens firming lotion on my arms and neck most days, and on my thighs and tummy when I remember.

None of it shows when I am wearing my clothes at all, (and I like things close-fitting now that I am smaller) and I'm quite comfortable wearing a tank top to the gym and don't find that I feel like I'm gathering up loose skin when I put on pants. I did buy a good spanks one piece for dress occasions when I want to be sure things all look smooth – but I hardly ever feel the need to wear it.

Yes, we are absolutely all different, and yes – drinking tons of Water and taking the fish oil, Biotin, regular exercise, etc., makes a big difference for most folks from what I can tell. My thought is that in the end if you do all of those things you can, you will be surprised how thrilled you are with the multi-dimensional results. I also think its important to stay self-aware and continue to love yourself. Honestly, I found that this surgery and the changes it has brought has only deepened and improved that sense of healthy self and joy in my healthy new body.

I personally went into this knowing my insurance would not cover plastics and I was unlikely to ever be able to reasonably afford that. If I did have enough of a windfall to cover it, I'd likely rather have a trip to Europe with my husband.????

Edited March 4, 2015 by katesuccess

[Miss Mac 6,261]

i will be eligible for a panniculectomy (just the excess skin removal) in December at the end of my second year. My insurance does not cover a Tummy Tuck or anything with arms, butts, boobs, and legs. But here is why I may take advantage of it at the age of 63. At 63, the skin is not so elastic and will never be what is was when I was "pretty young thing." I have issues with itching and redness under the flap.

My surgeon takes a look at it each time I come in for a follow-up. The first protocol for treatment is medicated powder, which I am using. If the whole thing festers up with infection or redness this summer, then he will give me a medicated cream to use. My doctor documents my condition consistently. If at some point there is no satisfactory response to treatment, I will have the skin flap removed. This would not be for vanity, but for my health and quality of life.