Question:
Post Ops: Am I the only one who's ever felt this way??
This is something I'm really curious about. I've noticed lately that I am paying attention to EVERY inch of what is going on with my body image. If you ever see my 272lb. picture (next to the most I've ever weighed in my life) from the 1990's up to September 2002, you might understand why I feel the way I do now. After childbirth, the more I began gaining weight, the more I hated to look at myself in the mirror. I'd see rolls, rolls, and more rolls of fat that, to me, was disgusting and to *ME* looked so nasty!! The more I saw, the more I vowed to get on another "di-et". Now, after this dramatic, exhilarating, forever life-style and life-saving WLS, I'm finding that I'm visualizing this new body image...it's like I want every part of me to be *just about perfect*. Don't miss it now, I said "just about perfect". Talking to a couple of other Christian friends and and co-workers, they said I was suffering from the "Barbie Doll Syndrome" and that I would never fit the mold, that I'd been out of shape for too long and I'm too old. I've been told that the WLS has REALLY taken YEARS off my face!! Has anyone else felt this way about they way you look now? Have you wanted to look like a Barbie Doll IN ADDITION to BEING, FEELING and LOOKING healthy? I just want to know if I'm the only one that has ever felt this way or so *involved* with how your body looks. I'm 5' 2" tall. LAP RNY 9/3/02~~265/158/115-126 Hadiyah McCutcheon, a.k.a.~~~ — yourdivaness (posted on July 16, 2003)
July 16, 2003
Hi, No. you're not the only one. I think it's a little bit cruel that your
friends and coworkers told you that about wanting to be a Barbie Doll. We
did a huge significant thing by having RNY and coming so far. I think it's
so easy to expect more than we may truly get, without a lot of plastic
surgery. I am more critical of myself now than before, but I'm also happier
with myself too. I have realized that I am one that just didn't get good
genes from my family to be a "Barbie". But, I do want to look the
best that I can look. I will be having several plastic surgeries and I
don't care what anyone says about it. I am doing it. Full Gusto. I may not
get to Barbie-status, but I will not have puckered hanging skin where I
shouldn't have. We deserve to look how we want to look. It will be our hard
work, exercise, surgeries, etc...that get us there, not our friends or
coworkers. Go for it! Melisa RNY 08/15/02 -100 lbs
— mbradley35
July 16, 2003
I can totally relate to what you are saying. When I first got married 11
years ago, I really was the Barbie Doll - size 3, 118 pounds. I'd always
been active and even though I struggled with staying thin, I had always
managed to keep it under control. Then I had two babies and gained 65
pounds with each, and guess what? Barbie went bye-bye! I decided to have
WLS because of health problems I started experiencing (reflux disease, knee
and back problems, borderline sleep apnea) and of course because I wanted
to be healthy again. But I knew I had to be realistic about my goals. I
am not 20 anymore (I'm 41) and if I can make my goal of 130, I will be
ecstatic. It was hard for me to part with the dream of having a
"perfect" body again. I know I will have some sagging skin and
scars and who knows what else. But I can still be the best that God made
me to be. Since you're a Christian, focus on your inner beauty. That is
far more important to God than what you look like on the outside. It is
more important to be healthy! And you know what? There is no such thing
as the "perfect body" anyway ... even the most gorgeous models we
see in magazines are airbrushed to the max! Just focus on taking good care
of yourself, eating right, getting exercise, and working on being the best
person you can be on the INSIDE. If you are confident and feel good about
the person on the inside, you will be far more happy with what you look
like on the outside. Hang in there! Jody :) WLS 5/23/03 down 40 lbs!
— MomBear2Cubs
July 16, 2003
I do feel the same way, and I am obsessed with looking nice now too!
Someone told me yesterday that my weightloss has taken 10 years off my
face, and I am only 26!!! But I do have to say that I don't think it is
cruel that your friends have told you that. True friends keep us in check
no matter how hard the message is. They aren't giving you bad advice.
I'm not saying you cant get there, but if you don't consider the
possibility that you won't get there, you might be really disappointed and
STILL be unhappy with the way you look, no matter how gorgeous you truly
are!
— thekatinthehat
July 16, 2003
Heck no! Since I was 8 years old, I have always had a "roll"
across my abdomen. It has always been my dream to have a flat stomach -
and I (hopefully) will see that dream come true this November after my
abdominoplasty. At 45, I know I will never look like Barbie, but I easily
feel 10 years younger than what my driver's license says, and I want to
look like it too. The past few weeks, I have gotten several
"compliments" on how young I look (the best was when someone
couldn't believe I was old enough to have 18 and 16 year old daughters)and
I MUCH prefer hearing those to any "compliments" about my weight
loss. My older sisters, who've never had weight problems, are envious of my
upcoming plastic surgery, so I don't think wanting to look better is a
result of WLS as much as the aging process.
— Cyndie K.
July 16, 2003
oh HECK no! Most of us try to be satisfied with anything better than
breaking chair legs off any more. But dang, for many of us, we never got
to look like Barbie. Not once, not ever. If we ever WERE a normal wt, many
of us were not a normal shape. I did a few plastics, look pretty normal
now. My TT still looks fresh, but having my chest hefted back onto my
chest, I mean, how long is it going to STAY on my chest, you know? I'd love
to have the good thighs I once had (had good legs, but nothing to go with
'em). I'd love to tighen my arms. They're not bad, but not
"perfect". And oh, if I hefted my bottom bck up below my back,
insteada just above my knees, hey, I'd look 20! And while I"m at it, I
could just wipe away 15 yrs from mmy jowls, and may as well freshen up the
eyelids. A brow lift adds a much younger appeal. And then, I've always
hated the frackles, so maybe dermabrasion? And the $800 white smile? Oh
yeah, honey. Do not EVER think you are alone in wanting to make up for what
we lost in our teens or 20's. I fantasize about what it would be like to
fix everything all at once, but then I realize. I AM OLD! I am proud to
have lived long enough to have some silver ahirs among the red, to have
gotten wrinkles. I was DOOMED at 44, and I have progressed. I look normal
in clothes, and dont' hang out much publicly without them. So, I woudl LOVE
to fix everything. But no, I'm not gonna do it. For a number of reasons,
actually. But if I DID, then I'd have to start over & tweak my tummy,
then retweak the chest, and may as well, re-perfect the buns, thighs, arms
& teeth, right? I could be an endless cycle of FIXING instead of
LIVING. I think I've gotten kinda selfsih about TIME. Don't wanna spend
any more of it than I must on an op table. Fix what makes rashes or looks
odd (not just less than Barbie), and ENJOY life. Play with your honey
bunny. Enjoy your freinds. Enjoy your hobbies. Besides, they say Barbie in
real life is about 5'9", and that's a LOT of legs you 'n me are NEVER
going to have, babe!
— vitalady
July 16, 2003
After my 2nd plastic surgery about 3 weeks ago, I told the PS that I can
understand why people who have had plastic surgery become addicted to it.
I kept saying that once I had my tt and arms done, I was finished. Well
now I want my neck done, my boobs lifted, my thighs lifted, etc. It seems
that as soon as my first plastic surgery was done (tt), I only saw the VERY
bad things on my body (arms). Now that my arms are done, I see how bad my
thighs look. I think that after having been overweight so long, you want
your body to look NORMAL, not necessarily perfect, but that's the image
that is shown to us by the media. People with perfect bodies so we want
the same. I understand where your coming from on this one.
— Patty H.
July 16, 2003
Heck I spend way to much time thinking about the way that my body looks
now. In some ways I feel more embarrassed about my self then I did before
loosing weight. Most people worry about the tummy..I'm obsessesed with my
hanging arms and my thighs. Things insurance definitly isn't going to pay
for. Most likely they won't cover my tummy either since I don't get rashes
or anything. I don't feel the need to look like barbie..I just don't want
my batwings to hang a foot long..it's worse then droopy boobs. My husband
said he's sure I'll feel a lot better come winter when I'm back in long
sleeves, lol. It doesn't phase him at all. I do plan to look into
brachioplasty. I'm not quite a year out and I'm still loosing weight so I
want to give it another year. I want that year to see how much good will
exercise do them and to stabilize my weight. Carrie
— Carrie D.
July 17, 2003
You know, at my first consultation with my WLS surgeon, he told me I would
probably be referred to a plastic surgeon in about a year. At the time, I
thought, "No way! I'll be happy just to lose weight!". Well,
now, at nine months out, I have told my DH to plan on putting enough in our
medical fund for next year to pay for an abdominoplasty and mastopexy! I
really want to have a waist where I have a roll. I don't think I have had
a waist line since before my first pregnancy in 1980! I don't think wanting
to look your best is a bad thing.
— koogy
September 3, 2003
I'm feeling like I'm almost there! Thanks everyone for responding to my
post! I'm feeling so much better about myself since I posted this! My
therapy is working, too! Now all I have to do is abide my time until I can
have the reconstructive surgery done. Today, 9/3/03, I am going to
celebrate my One Year "Re-Birthday". Anyone else feeling like
you're going through the "Barbie Doll Syndrome" as this original
post read here? LAP RNY 9/3/02
265/149/115-126. Hadiyah, a.k.a.~~~
— yourdivaness
May 19, 2005
ORIGINAL POSTER HERE: Just checking in to see if there's been any new
activity (responses) to this inquiry.
— yourdivaness
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