Losing yourself literally

[doxaholic 252]

Okay so i have not had surgery yet and like alot of people here i am having it for health reasons. However i have to be honest with my self i am curious as to what ill look like. About three years back i was diagnosed with graves and hashimotos disease. Which caused me to lose 80 pounds now i am a big girl so that was a drop in the bucket for me however people did notice it in my face. They would make a comment along the lines of you look prettier with a fuller face. I actually heard it often. Now that i am waiting for my surgery i have to admit that even though i am doing it for health i cant help but wonder if i will lose my character. I see the before and after pics of all you losers and of course everyone looks great and i hear about all the gained confidence and what not but im wondering how many of you feel like you lost some of yourself? Like going from a kind face to a more stern look. Or being told you have a bubbly personality to not. Did your wls surgery success come with a price? Sorry just thinking????

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[James Marusek 5,244]

Like everything in life, there are trade-offs. I traded improved health for my love of food. It was a good decision. I am 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. I am much more active and my stamina (ability to perform physical labor) has improved dramatically.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

The only comments I have gotten about either my weight or looks or personality have been 100% positive, and I certainly feel great. Honestly I think whoever was rude enough to say you looked better when fatter was being a passive aggressive jerk.

[MaryCatherine 173]

Many big girls are very pretty with their soft, rounded faces. When that fat is gone they are not as "pretty".

For about a year after surgery, I looked too skinny. I still have a more angled to my face than when I was fat. But a lot filled back in by year 3.

[highfunctioningfatman 2,675]

I understand what you are saying. I view hard lines as being more towards the manly side. If you are concerned you can always do plastic surgery to soften those lines.

[doxaholic 252]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

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[higher 966]

They can do phenomenal things with injections these days. Bethenny Frankel softened her jaw with Botox for example.

[Djmohr 6,965]

Honestly speaking losing weight definitely makes your face look older. Everything droops a bit and it takes a while for your brain to catch up with the changes.

That being said, I have never received a negative comment about my looks. I have been told I look beautiful and healthy.

I have taken steps to remove alot of the loose skin and I do plan on a lower face lift at some point in the future.

[_Kate_ 2,224]

On my face, the only change is that I have bags under my eyes, which I have never had before. Along with a TT and BL im having those bags removed in January as they make me look tired...

Otherwise, I never had many wrinkles and I don't now.

[shedo82773 1,236]

I went to low with my weight, and when I look back I did look sick. My Surgeon and my PCP got worried that I was losing too much too fast. I got down to 117#'s in 6 months. It was amazing how when I gained 8#'s back, how better I felt. I do think my 124# loss has made me look older. But I really am better off than before. My health has improved so much. The trade off was WORTH IT!!! BTW I'm 60yo and had my RNY when I was 57.

[Joy@boman 151]

Also realize a lot of people are jerks so they will be jealous of any weightloss

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[AnA92212 577]

I don't feel as if I have lost myself. I feel as if I have finally found the woman that has been there all along. I used my fat as a shield from people for many years. I do not miss the fat. I may have some sag here and there, but even for losing 173 pounds, I am pretty toned.

[rolosmom7 740]

Some people get fat injections to fill in what may be "harsh" angles. Often under the eyes for dark, deep under eye circles. You could always consider that.

[LisaMergs 2,857]

That's why God allowed us to create Juviderm, Restalyne, Dysport, etc lol

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[LisaMergs 2,857]

Honestly speaking losing weight definitely makes your face look older. Everything droops a bit and it takes a while for your brain to catch up with the changes.

That being said, I have never received a negative comment about my looks. I have been told I look beautiful and healthy.

I have taken steps to remove alot of the loose skin and I do plan on a lower face lift at some point in the future.

Before you do a lower face lift, look into Sculptra... It lasts up to 5 years, and actually works to make your body make more collagen rather than just "fill" it in, like Juviderm or Restalyne. I had a huge issue with sagging skin around my lower jaw lines on both sides and the difference was VERY satisfactory. A good dermatologist or facial plastics person needs to administer it- not the nurse practitioner or esthetician. It is much more precise because of its mechanism of use.

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