Plastics 12/16,,,any tips on how to pre-pare?

Hello,

I will be having an extended tummy tuck and breast life/implants in Dec.  That gives me just over two months to prepare.  I would like to lose 10lbs but so far I have been stuck at 142-144 for the past year.  I try to eat better have been exercising more, but never seem to get past 140. 

I wanted to know if anyone had suggestions on things I may need, diet preperations, vitimins increases anything I could be doing that worked for you?  I want to be as healthy and strong as possible before surgery.  Do you suggest lifting weights on stomach and pecs to build as much as possible the next two months? 

Finally.  I hear everyone talking about swelling after surgery...did anyone lose weight after surgery?  Did you fit into smaller pants right away or is that something I have to weight months to enjoy?   I don't have a hugh amount of skin but a good amount.  I currently wear a size lose 10 and tight 8.  I would like to fit a confortable 6! What are your thoughts? Please help.

Val

Congratulations on getting your date! These two months will be over before you know it. My best advice to you is:

1.) Get lots of cardio in. the more cardio you can do now, the better your recovery will be. Strengthening your legs now is also very helpful for getting up, etc. Crunches and ab work are also good.

2.) Get plenty of protein, starting now. I upped mine to 150 g a day starting about a month preop, and I really should have done it earlier. I continued for a few months after surgery. It greatly enhances healing.

3. Make sure your iron levels stay at a good level. You don't want to be dipping into anemia this close to surgery.

Best wishes!

 Since I had RNY my doctor asked me to up my zinc and vitamin c for six weeks before surgery. I also upped my biotin. He recommended two protein shakes a day also. My best advice is to get a grabber, one of the sticks you can pick stuff off the floor with or something above your head. I had a LBL and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. With my binder on I could tell a difference right away. I lost about an inch off my waist. I also lost about five pounds more during recovery. I think the binder being tight on my pouch helped me eat less. They cut five pounds of skin off and I lost five more  so I am happy. I did have to move a size in pants which I really wasn't expecting.

I just had my extended TT on Tuesday, and here is some stuff I found useful preparing for and dealing with the procedure.
1)My lazyboy lift chair. If you can't find one reasonable to rent, then look on craigslist and see if you can just buy a good used one. It is a lifesaver! Mine was $250.00 and I plan to re-sell it once I am all done with it.
2)Since gauze and all that stuff is so pricey and sometimes hard to find in big sizes, pick up some superlong overnight maxi pads, preferably without wings. They are so handy and of course are made to absorb fluids. I had some yucky leakage right around my drain holes, and it was going through the gauze very quickly, but a sideways maxi pad worked like a giant band-aid and I'm all clean.
3) Granny panties. You want them big enough to hold all the tubing, padding, etc but not floppy. Mine are hanes cotton briefs, and no matter how gross they get all I do is toss them in the washer and they come out fine. Once I am all healed up I'm going to say goodbye to them forever...I'm headed for Victoria's secret first chance I get.
4) My sister in law turned me on to an energy drink powder called Zip Fizz. I wasn't so impressed at the thought of it, but at the time was battling severe anemia and my B12 and Iron levels were terrible. So I gave it a shot, and after two months of drinking at least a couple of bottles a day, my blood count was holding steady at 13! It comes in little tubes and you put it into a bottle of water (I just refill my bottle from my fridge water dispenser) and it comes in different flavors. I get it at Costco, comes in a multi pack of grape, orange and pink lemonade. The colder the water the better the taste. One tube makes two bottles of water, and they are convenient to carry around. I drank it leading up to my surgery, going to the gym and pretty much anywhere I went I had a bottle with me. It's good stuff and my labs prove it.
5) Stool softener/Metamucil for constipation. I can barely bring myself to pee, and the thought of pushing for a bowel movement is laughable. Even the slightest cough is so painful...so pushing down there is impossible. I haven't gone since before the surgery, but I am taking the stuff as a precaution.
6)Quick, easy meals. I have never been an enemy to food, but it's all I can do to choke something down just so that I can take my pain medicine. If you have someone round the clock to babysit you, then that's great...but otherwise get some things that you will be able to make in about 60 seconds on your way back from the bathroom. I am using lowfat cottage cheese (protein) and a banana here and there. My mouth is all dry and the binder presses on my stomach so I just have very little appetite.

That's about all I can think of for now. Good luck!

One word about upping any vitamins or minerals - prior to doing so, have your dr do blood work to determine where your levels are.  Although they're "just" vitamins and minerals, you can take too much of ones if your levels are already good.

You want your levels be in just the right place, not excessively high.  I'm anemic so I knew going into my consult that it was something we'd monitor up to and between the surgeries, all my other levels were fine.

As far as swelling, it'll vary between people.  For my lbl, I had very little swelling.  Thighs I had more.  Incisions alone will keep you out of fitted clothing for a little longer than you expect.

I was a solid 10 with a few 8s going into surgery.  Now I'm a solid 8 with still a few 10s (anything that I get in the petits section is a 10).  Although with my breasts, in some shirts (fitted button down), I'm more of a large.  With knits and stretch fabric, I'm a medium and sometimes a small.

So the sizing will drive you batty - but you will see a definte difference in HOW the clothes fit and yo will be thrilled enough to not worry about the size on the tag.

 Just think after you have the surgery you will be in the 130's  Alot of people I know say O if I could just lose this last 10 lbs... well if they had the TT and reduction  there is the 10 lbs..  After you have your tummy tuck hold off on the ab exercises  your going to have enough just dealing to sit up straight ... your tummy will be sooooo tight.... Best Wishes on your journey into plastics... it will change your life... guaranteed !!

Natalie