Sonz Fitness...helps w/ excess skin

I wanted to share with everyone a training program I found that is working great for me! Basically, I wanted to get a personal trainer but as you all know the cost is very high. Well Sonz Fitness www.sonzfitness.com is a different approach. You work out in groups of 2-6 people and have a coach. It reminds me a lot of when I was in High School & played soccer. The only machines they have are for Cardio -Treadmill & Elipitical. No other machines. Everything else you do is using free weights, medicine balls, pilate balls, & just resistance with your own body. You do things like squats, stretchs, speed walking on the indoor track, ab workouts, drills, etc. The cost works out to $14 for an hour session. I go 3 times a week for coaching but go everyday to do my cardio there. The others you workout with keep you motivated along with your coach. The best part is the coach does individualize for your personal needs or restrictions. They have 3 locations in the Atlanta area Sandy Springs, Midtown, & Decatur. Check out there website & let me know if you have any questions I have been going a month and already see my excess skin firming up in my arms. Anything I can do to prevent a ton of PS is worth it. Christine Surgery date 11/02/05 314/223/175

Not trying to burst your bubble...because you ARE doing FANTASTIC with all of your hard work and exercise-both cardio and tonining. I too am an exercise freak. I just checked your profile and you lost A LOT of weight, but stilll havee A LOT to go. I work out 5 days a week. This includes running (I ran a marathon-26.2 miles- in October), step, bosu, elliptical, and water aerobics. I also do strength training and worked dilligently with a trainer. Being so heavy your skin is going to stretch out, and for most of us, we end up with loose skin. They took 7 pounds off my abdomen and will take off more in May when I have my thigh lift, which they will take off skin on my lower body too. Just don't be disappointed or upset if you start seeing a lot of loose skin when you drop more weight. Again-great job with your workouts! Sherry

Sonz is a great program. While Sherry is right that no matter how much you work out you will still have the saggy skin you still want to get into the best shape possible before having PS. I am having a tummy tuck, breast lift and arm lift at the end of April and I work my butt off at the gym which my surgeon says will make my PS results and recovery much better than someone not working out. So keep up the good work!

I am not going to knock your working out - in fact I encourage it. I am a certified group fitness instructor so I know first hand that exercise WILL help to some extent with the loose skin, but the amount of skin we have from the excess weight will never rectract to a "normal" size (unless you are what has been said to be a "lightweight" and haven't completely over stretched your skin.) EVEN AT THAT the muscles inside your body stretch to allow for the fat deposits and no matter HOW many exercises you do the muscle damage in not fixable completely without surgery. (Though it's not as easy to see this damage as it is to see the excess skin.) Exercise will help with muscle tone and increasing your metabolism, it typically also encourages people to intake extra water which will help some with the elasticity in skin, but for too long too many people have tried to find a way to avoid plastic surgery - and the only way to 'avoid' it is just to not have it and live with the way the skin looks. I have had plastic surgery (Tummy tuck) and they removed 8 pounds of excess skin from my tummy....and I work out MANY MANY times a day. (My typical week is 8 classes but usually pick up a few more just for fun!) I also don't want to knock your coaching sessions.....but if you're going 3X a week at $14.00 a session.....This is just my opinion but most Gyms are cheaper than that on their monthly fee. That's $42.00 a week whereas I pay less than that a month for my gym and am free to use the classes they offer and all of the equiptment as well. Keep moving - it's honestly the best thing to con do along with this surgery! GREAT JOB on your weight loss - keep up the fantastic work! Dee Dee