Good afternoon my fellow Junebugs! Just came back from the plastic surgeon's office for my first consult. It went very well. He's looking at a lower belt lipectomy. First, we talked and I asked questions. Then I had to get totally naked; he gave me a paper gown, but then off it came! Yikes, I bared my wrinkly tanned and untanned body for him, exposing everything... At first I was embarrassed but then I didn't care. He took pictures for the insurance company. I had to lift my apron and there it was my private parts! He said I need work on that as well. I knew that... He congratulated me on my weight loss and told me that I was a beautiful woman (blushing) and there was no reason to fix the hanging skin. We talked about my upper body and the problems I had with my previous plastic surgery on my arms as well as my breast reduction. He asked me why I had so much breast tissue taken off... I said that I had some breasts and lost them with the weight loss.. blush again! So, now he will be submitting to the insurance company... In the meantime, I wanted to secure a date in November. The office has to contact my surgeon who will be doing the hernia repair with mesh insertion. I will be going to another plastic surgeon for a second opinion.. After I left, I noticed I forgot to put on my rings - I left them on the window sill in the office when I was putting on my pantyhose... Good thing I noticed when I was driving out of the parking lot. I went back to the office and the receptionist had them. OMG! I'm not as stressed now. I think that is why I was eating more. Now to wait for the date and see the 2nd plastic surgeon. Lucy

Wendy, OMG I can so relate to this post though I am on the short side at 5, 1/2 inch but see those same girls and say I want to be able to wear those hip huggers. I have to learn that I am not 16-20 anymore, I turned 41 this year and I need to undetstand that but seeing all that I have done I feel that I want to take it all the way if ya know what I mean? .... I am 10 from my surgeons goal and 35 from my goal and feeling FAT as well... Hun I think we do get obsessed and we have to live with that from now on ... I am only kidding hun but I do feel the same way... ~Hugs~ Just know you are not alone.... Debra P

Hey Wendy You're six feet? WOW!! That's awesome. I know exactly how you feel. With all of the skin, you don't really know what you're supposed to look like. And I have been obsessed for about 6 months about what my final weight should be. I've been using body fat percentage a lot. It's much more telling then BMI which is weird if you're muscular. I do know the extra skin really kept me confused as to what was "me" and what wasn't. Once I'm healed I can't wait to do my body fat percentage again so I can work up all of the new numbers. I guess it's a good thing I like math. I think you should get your body fat % done and decide where on that scale you wouold like to be and go from there. Hope this helps. Sharyn

Sara, That is very interesting!! I may have to check into that too. I've been struggling with my last 25 lbs. for 3 months now. I always track my calories and protein since Day 1. Even though some website I went to gave me a 2,100 calorie goal for maintenance, I've concluded that if I go over 1550 calories, I gain weight. As my surgeon said, this surgery does NOT fix a slow metabolism. I've damaged mine considerably (as you have) with 40 years of excessive, crazy diets. Becky/lap rny/6-22-05 288/291

Glad your doing good and remember that the swelling on tt's can last to almost 1 year post op!! So don't get discouraged if all 21 doesn't show for awhile. And be very careful because too much activity now can cause excess fluid build up. Wendy