I don't want to loose much more weight...

I know this may sound crazy to some of you, but I'm happy with my size now. The only thing I would do is have a full TT after my year waiting period. The reason I say this, is because my legs and arms haven't gotten too bad. Someone posted a plastic surgery site, and I was shocked at how badly some folks skin looks after just loosing 115 lbs. (I don't mean just, but that won't be much over what I need to loose to get to my surgeons goal) I am obsessing over it now. Let me know if you want me to post the link to the site. I know the alternative is so so much worse than saggy skin. I am much healthier and getting healthier everyday. Maybe I have exchanged one compulsion (food) for another (vanity) ??? Debbie -58

Hi Debbie, Congratulations on your loss and I am very happy to hear that you have found peace and happiness with your size and body. This is what we are all trying to achieve. I would like to check out the link. Either email me or post it, but don't put www. in front of it. ITS THE RULES! LOL....just FYI, cause one of my posts was taken down for putting a link in it. LOL

Here is the link, and I have purposely taken left off the www. portion. Debbie -58 southfloridaplasticsurgery.com/procedures/body_contouring/lowerbodylift/lowerbodylift.htm

Debbie, I really want to be within the "normal BMI range" of 18.9 to 24.6 for my bodies. We have heart disease, diabetes, and cancer in my family and I know that the lower normal weight will be more beneficial to me. However, if I don't get to those numbers (100 to 130 lbs for the above BMI) that is OK too. My goal is this journey was to be off all my BP meds and off my CPAP machine and to be healthy. At 207 lbs (down from 305) I have achieved those goals). My surgeon told me that I would get to 170 but that to get below that would require a great deal more work and sticking to program 1000%. I have always had thinner arms and legs compared to my torso area. I have carried my weight in my stomach/abdomen area always. I have the start of the sagging skin there but not bad enough at this point to consider a tummy tuck seriously. Most PS require you be at your goal weight at least 3 months before doing a tummy tuck. My girlfriend saw a PS a couple of weeks ago. She was not at her goal weight (20 lbs away) but has been at the same weight a number of months. He told her that it was not healthy to do a tummy tuck with the 20 lbs of excess fat still in her system. So she is working hard to get those 20 lbs off now. If a tummy tuck is done and you are not at your goal weight, from what I have read, most patients are then not satisfied with the results especially if they then lose more weight. Remember also when you are looking at these sites, the surgeons want to show their skills by showing you some of their worse cases before surgery and the exciting after results. Many people do not require major PS after WLS. Mary

Had to laugh when I reread my post and saw that I had written bodies instead of body in the first line: "I really want to be within the "normal BMI range" of 18.9 to 24.6 for my bodies" Honest, I just have 1 body but I have lost the equilavent of a person (-98 lbs as of yesterday). Mary

Some of those pics are scarry, now im wondering what I have gotten myself into... lol Lee

Those are my exact thoughts. I know I needed this surgery to help with my health problems. I haven't used my cpap machine since about month 2, and am off my bp meds (but still monitoring it) I feel better than I have in 5 or 6 years. I would be happy right where I am, if I were rid of this panni. I'm afraid what another 35-40lbs will do. I think this will be a good time for me to quit obsessing about loosing weight. I'm to the point I want to stay within 20lbs of what I am now. I suppose it depends on where the weight is carried. I know that my neighbors daughter had it, and has lost 127, and has miminmal loose skin. Granted she is 32 and never been pregnant. My SIL has lost about 130 and has had a tt and medial thigh lift. She will live with the boobs and arms. Sigh....... Debbie -58

Debbie, I think it makes a difference too at how long someone has been over weight. I have been overweight my whole life, so my skin doesn't have the elasticity that someone who has been overweight just a few years would have. Age can also makes a difference. Mary

I have been morbidly obese for about 3 years, and obese for the past 8 years or so, but have needed a tummy tuck since the birth of my 3rd child of 5. I'm more worried about my thighs and the skin above my knees. I see some wrinkling in my knee area. I have some sagging skin just below my groin area. I can live with what I have now, but I'm just concerned about the end results. I know I'm being vain... I am happy with everything else that this surgery has provided me. Deb -58

Deb, It's OK to be a little vain. We are going thru so many changes and feel so good, we want our bodies to look good too. For the first time in my life I really feel "cute". It is a great feeling. Mary