KINDA WEIRD BUT TRY THIS

So, I have been sort of monitoring my appearance in the mirror; once a week or so, after a shower, I take a look and assess what's changing about my body. Well, I discovered something that has proven to be somewhat encouraging...if you stand sidewise (so that you're looking at your entire body in profile) and lift your belly skin up (my literally folds over now), underneath all that is a practically normal-sized body! I was amazed! So I figure when I get my TT, I will really and truly be at a normal weight, with a normal BMI. Keep that in mind as you bemoan your slow weight loss -- we've lost very quickly in all reality, but if you're anything like me, you still have plenty of belly left (I've lost dramatically in all other areas but this ol' belly is holding on for dear life). Just thought I'd share -- give it a try and let us know what you think!! Maureen

Reenie, You're a woman after my own heart. I do the mirror inspection also. Who knew there were hip bones under here? lol I pull and tug every which way so I can see what things will look like after a TT and much to my amazement, I look pretty normal. Well, as normal as someone can look while holding a couple of handfuls of saggy skin. I figured that when I get to 150 pounds (10 pounds from goal) I'll go and see a plastic surgeon. I think I'll make it by March. One of the things that I've noticed and been surprised by is that my upper tummy is shrinking. It used to look like I had a two story stomach. I have a very defined waist so my upper tummy lapped over the lower tummy. I don't know if that makes sense. Anyway, I've noticed that the upper tummy hangs less than it used to. The lower hemisphere is heading to Antartica at a fast clip. You know what I was thinking about today? The average sized woman in America today wears a size 14. That means that most of us are average or close to it. Wow. We may still be a little overweight, but we are average. How great is that? I was never so happy to be average about anything. Big Hugs, Connie

Ahhhh yes - I have been doing the same thing! That belly is getting lopped off as soon as I can manage it!!! Dina

A funny thing...was watching tv the other day and stopped at the movie "Some Like It Hot" with Marilyn Monroe. Compared to what the trends are now, she was....shall I say....chubby? Very busty and hippy, small waist and a little belly. I found it amazing. I never realized how much the trends have changed. But she was so damned beautiful and sexy! I'm thinking about the TT too, but I'm still not sure. My tummy really isn't that big and I'm not sure how the insurance company will handle it, even though I have great insurance (when the surgeon's office called for approval for the gastric bypass, they gave her the approval number right then and there!). I hear that that surgery is more brutal than the gastric bypass we all had. What's the word on that?

Well......Let me be the first to say that "Pinch an inch" doesn't apply to me either!!! Pinch a Foot.... Maybe!! I'm with Connie in that the land "above the equator" has tightened up quite a bit, but the land "down under" is not a pretty sight!! I've seen a lot of you ladies complain about "sagging boob syndrome", but for a guy, this is really annoying/embarassing. When I go to the beach next summer, the "Southern Hemisphere", as Connie calls it can be tucked into swim trunks; but I won't have a suit top to hide the boobs in! Oh well......I guess that I was never a "Muscle Beach" type guy in the past... so I'll get used to this new look eventually. I don't know if I'm going to qualify for the "Body and Fender Work", but we'll see what happens. Mike

I don't know about the rest of you, but I find it funny how I used to avoid mirrors like I lose my soul if I saw myself in one, but now I seek them out. In fact, at the health club the other day I was working out and as the place is full of mirrors I saw this fella on one the machines. I thought "Hey, there is a guy getting into some good shape." Then I realized that guy was me. I too do the belly lift and can't wait for a TT. My Doc says that he will write me a letter in March to see if my insurance will cover it. In addition, I have (gasp) starting documenting some sores and such on my belly skin with a digital camera that is dated. And I too have Man Boobs and think of the Seinfeld show when Krammer and Frank developed the BRO for men. Although, as men we do have something over women in that I have been working on my pecs and have noticed that my Man Boobs have deminished more then I believe they would had it just been loss of weight. But I'll take a belly flap and Man Boobs over being obese any day.

Hi Ken; I'm not crazy about the sagging stuff, but I'm totally with you on prefering it to the "Old Me"!!!! At least now I can look in a mirror without hating myself. It's also nice to be able to drive by the "Big and Tall" knowing that I don't have to shop there! Mike