Feel frustrated trying to reach a lower weight for plastic surgery

I posted this over in the VSG forum to seek advice on losing a bit more weight.. but I realized that part of my focus of my post is plastic surgery and that someone on this forum might have some experience with what I'm going through. 

I don't get to post very much on the board but I often come here and read when I need advice and I find so much help and inspiration just from reading.

However, now I'm at a low point and really just need to put a voice to my frustration...and perhaps get some advice.

I'm a Texan but I live in The Netherlands.  I had a VSG in November of 2007.  I have a wonderful doctor in Belgium who performed my surgery and I've done really well.  At the time of my surgery I weighed 340 pounds (155.45 Kilos).  I've gotten my weight down to 188 pounds (86 Kilo) and I feel really good.  In total I've lost just under 151 pounds.

My doctor thinks that I am ready for my plastic surgery.  My husband also feels that I look good.  The reason I bring up the opinion of both of these important people in my life is because I think that spending most of my life overweight that my body image is a bit out of whack.  I say this because ... when I was younger I could lose to a certain weight and I'd know it was good.. based upon the scale and my clothing size.  Now, due to excess skin I have no reference to judge because my weight isn't accurate nor my clothing size.  In a way I don't know what "fat" is anymore.. or what "skinny" is because it's not the same now as it was 20 years ago.  My doctor feels that most of my extra weight could be from my excess skin and that my skin could weigh as much as 20 pounds.   I also feel good now... I can see my collar bones...and I can feel other bones around my body under my excess skin. 

I'm going back to Texas for my plastic surgery since I'll have more family there to help me during recovery than I have here in Holland.  The plastic surgeons seem to be very focused on BMI.  With my BMI I am still "obese".. but I don't feel obese anymore.  My surgeon said that I'd be ready for plastic surgery when I stopped losing and settled at a weight... and I did that about 10 pounds ago.  However, since the surgeons in Texas seem so focused on my BMI I have been pushing my body to lose more weight.  I've limited my calories .. eating between 500 and 900 a day.  It varies depending on if I eat an extra egg.. etc.  Since last summer 3x a week I went to Water Aerobics for 45 min.  Two weeks ago I switched to cardio machines and strength training with nautilus machines that I do 4 times a week for 30 minutes.  I drink between 1.5 and 2 liters of water every day.  I am struggling to lose the last 6 kilos.. to get to 80 kilos as the plastic surgeon would like to see.  I am working so hard at it.. and feeling depressed and frustrated. 

Another issue is that when speaking on the phone with the assistants of the plastic surgeons.. they say that excess skin doesn't weigh that much... about 2 pounds?  They can't see my stomach.. but it's a large sagging piece of skin.. and I don't understand how it could only weigh 2 pounds. 

It sometimes feels like my body is just saying that it has reached the weight that it wants to be, regardless of how much I want to lose more.  It's such a struggle to lose anymore weight.. and I feel so frustrated.  My doctor is really proud of me.. and that since I started at a very high weight that I've done very well to get as low as I have. 

Has anyone else been in this same spot as me?  Does an "obese" BMI always mean that you are still obese?  Are there other things that can make you weigh more even when you look and/or feel healthy?  What if my body just wants to be the weight it is now even when my BMI is still "obese" and does that mean I'll never be ready for my plastic surgery?

Thanks for listening and for any advice. 

Lisa

First of all - (((hugs)))
I understand where you are.
I am 30lbs from goal - roughly. And Im frustrated too - because no matter the aount of work out I do and what I eat now - my body FIGHTS to remain at this weight. It will not go lower. Not for 3mths.
I also have a bizarre body image - I still think Im SUPER fat because I see ROLLS. Im not fat - and the scale says Im just overwiehgt - but the rolls tell me Im a whale. Which is why I must have them flattened - I will KILL them.

Im not sure what you should do - just wanted to let you know I feel ya!

I am in the same place. You can see the collar bones feel bones but the belie is s sorry sight. I am doing all the right things with eating and exercise but have not budged the scale in months. I too started at 310 and now weight 181 I am only 5 3 . I go for my second consult tomorrow we will see what this guys has to say. the first one thought I had fat trapped in scare tissue and it  is not on the muscle so he thought I would never lose the belly fat. I don't know but I need to get read of the belly. Any words of wisdom would be great.

I had my VSG on 12/29/08 with a surgery weight of 330.  I have gotten to 201 and have not been able to get to onederland no matter what I do.  It's been like that for a couple of months.  I am 5'7 and will be very happy to be at 170, even though that still will say I'm overweight.  I had my arms lifted and breasts lifted last Friday and even though I can't really tell yet, everyone says they look so much smaller.  I plan to do my thighs mid May and my tummy tuck sometime in July/August.  My surgeon said there would be no problems with still losing up to 20 lbs after my surgeries.  I just couldn't go into the summer with my arms/legs looking like they did.

I don't believe that about the skin only weighing 2 lbs.  My friend had a tummy tuck and she had only lost 35 lbs before hand.  Her weight after her surgery was 15 lbs lighter than it was before.

Good luck!!

Stacey

Thank you so much everyone for your words of encouragement.  It helps to see that there are people with the same situation as myself.. and to hear about your experiences.

EmergingBeauty, I had to LOL at your comment about your rolls and that they must die, .  I feel the same way.  I too have some rolls that need to be put on the hit list. heehee.  In fact, they ARE on the hit list but I guess you could say I'm currently shopping for their assasinator.     It's strange how I feel in my clothes...or when I lay in bed on my side and I feel bones touch at my feet and ankles.. my knees... it's been years since I knew what that was like.  Lately I wonder if the BMI number is not a bit inaccurate.. as I wonder if there must be things that it doesn't take into account such as your bone density.  Also, how does BMI take into account if you've been strength training and building healthy muscle.. which weighs more than fat. 

Reading that all of you are in the same situation as myself I wonder if our body just sometimes gets to a point where it decides the weight that it feels comfortable at, especially after carrying so much weight around for so long.

Cindy, I am 5'2 so around the same height as you are.  I would love to hear how your second consult goes today.. good luck with that!  I have scheduled appointments in June with doctors in Texas.  However, to get an idea of the situation I've scheduled an appointment next Monday with a PS in Belgium.  Hopefully as a professional she can look at my body and my weight and give me more information about how much my skin weighs, etc. 

Stacey, congratulations on your recent surgery!  I hope you are feeling good and making a good recovery!  It sounds like you are doing really well on your weight loss.. you are much taller than myself and so it seems like you have done great!  Like you, I would be happy with losing only a bit more... I feel good... and just want to feel healthy and feel good in my clothes. 

I will let y'all know how my appointment goes on Monday.   Maybe I will have some words of wisdom from the PS that might help.

Lisa

Im glad I made you grin! I am tired of feeling like a sharpee dog.
I do believe that our bodies know where their homeostasis is - and that it is different for everyone. And I believe that once they reach what homeostasis is for them - they will fight like mad to remain there.
I have been working out for over a year now - intense one hour cardio session, weights etc. If I was going to lost that last 20lbs I would have done so over the last 3mths. My body does NOT want to let it go - and Im to the point that I will continue my workouts as normal and my eating as normal and just BE. I refuse to battle my scale anymore. No point in making myself feel less than successful over a number that came from a chart that encompasses 300 Million people!

I too can see bones and when I loy on my side all my belly skin falls towaards the bed and I can feel my hips and everything as well. In fact - I bruised my tailbone the other day in yoga! It was like.....grinding the floor or something.

I can't help with the VSG part of this as I did not have WLS.  Do you know "BigCityGirl"?  I think she had the same surgery and she is very good to talk to about plastic surgery.  I learned LOTS from her!

If you want my opinion I'd tell you to get down to your goal and a healthy BMI.  You may stuck in a big plateau...it happened to me too and then suddenly I broke thru and was able to hit my goal.
Every surgeon I've met with suggests we be at or within 10 lbs of goal (and that includes a BMI less than 24 or 25).

If you have surgery and then lose another 40-50 lbs your skin will sag again and you'll be facing having the procedure done again (twice the expense, twice the down time, twice the pain!), OR living with less than stella final results.

Yes there are surgeons who will do procedures whenever someone wants it....lets face it, this is their business...they make money doing surgery.  But then there are other surgeons who will advise the patient to wait so the patient gets the best results.

When I was about 40 lbs from what I thought was my goal I really wanted to have my Tummy Tuck and arms done but the surgeons told me to wait.  If I had done it I would be very unhappy today.

Talk to more surgeons...get their advise..... Be patient.
The hardest part about Plastic Surgery is being patient.  In the long run you will be happy if you go slow....

That's my 2 cents...ok it was more like a dime...lol
Have a great day and Best Wishes on your journey!!!

Did you send pics to the Dr? I was barely at a normal weight for my height of 5'4 (141 on surgery) but my skin was awful. They got rid of 6 pounds of skin and 2 liters of fat. I am now 128-130. It all depends on your motivation.BMI is important but really it doesn't take into account bone structure. If you like how you look and just want that skin gone I'd go for it. How much more do you want to lose?

I am in the same boat.  I hit my goal for about a day.  163.   And I have been between 167 and 170 for almost 2 years.  Started at 275 at surgery in Jan 2008.  I keep trying to get back to 163 and just don't seem to have much success to get my last 2 surgeries done.  It is very frustrating.  I too am wondering if my body is just saying this is the right weight for me at my age.   60.

BMI can be very inaccurite. A body builder's BMI could put them into over weight when clearly they are in shape and have very little body fat. Ask the Dr if you can send them photos of your front both sides and back. That would give them a better idea. I have also been told by surgeons that sometimes getting the TT can actually start the weight loss going again. If the skin is impeding you from moving properly for exercising or your health (rashes) I say go for it. You might need a revision if you do lose a large amount of weight after the TT though. If you can handle that then you are good to go.