Question:
15 Months Post Op-Is this loose skin or more fat ?

I'm at goal at 15 months post-op. I've lost 125 pounds and currently weigh 153 at 5'8" with a medium frame. This gives me a BMI in the 23 range. I'm told that I look fabulous in my size 12 clothes. But.....unclothed is a comic tragedy! I can't tell if what I have now is loose skin or more fat rolls. The "crepe-like" skin is loose skin, I know. But I have huge rolls of "thick skin" hanging off my upper arms and thighs. How can I tell if this is loose skin or just more fat I need to lose or exercise off? I thought extra skin would all be "crepe-like" and not so thick. Sometimes I think these rolls are just loose fat deposits, or do others have extra skin like this? I'm planning plastic surgery for summer 2004, but I'm wondering if I should be concentrating on losing another 10-20 pounds before then!    — Kathy J. (posted on May 24, 2003)

May 24, 2003
What you are looking at is skin that has lost its ability to retract--its elasticity---and the subcutaneous fat that is attached to it. It won't go away with more dieting. It won't go away with herbal wraps, and it won't go away with any amount of exercise. Exercise will build and firm the muscle underlying the skin but the only way to get rid of it is to get rid of it surgically.<p>I am day 4 post op from the first half of my lower body lift (endo-brow, bleth, and hernia repair too). I feel surprisingly well and my stomach is flat as a pancake. The back side of the lower body lift will be in August. If I decide to have my arms done it will be on my nickel and I am not sure how many times I want to tempt the fates in the OR. I have never had a flat tummy in my entire life. This is fabulous!
   — phoebe

May 24, 2003
Congratulations on your wonderful weightloss. I can relate to your 'looking good in clothes and not so good naked' issue. The same thing happened to me. I made the decision to have my arms done, breast augmentation and a lift as well (huge success), back in November, at 11 months post-op. Since then I had some lipo done on my back and tush, and some of the fat injected into my fanny to improve it's shape (another success). In 10 days, I'm having a TT and medial thigh lift. I can't wait! I am a size 12 from a bursting at the seams 26 1/2! My PS assures me that I will be at LEAST one size smaller, if not 2, after the TT. My belly looks like a blob of bread dough and my legs are very crepe peper like on the upper inner thighs. Keep in mind that I work out with a trainer 2 x a week and have done so since last August, AND I walk/run 3 miles 3 x a week too. I am very lean and toned. Just have some loose skin and a belly that won't scat. He's removing the excess skin and accompanying fat from my belly, tightening my rectus abdominus muscle and getting rid of the extra skin on my thighs. (no lipo involved this time). I an 5' 7" weigh 168 and look like 150 right now according to my docs and honest friends. He thinks he'll remove about 7-10# of skin and fat from my belly. That should bring me down to around 158-160. I hav soem advice for you: Exercise like a fiend, and save your $$ for plastic surgery. Losing all this weight and not looking good in a bathing suit, shorts or naked was not an option for me. I want it all and if you want it too~~~GO FOR IT!!~~~ Diane N http://www.WeightlossSurgery.ws PS If I can help in any way, please email me anytine!
   — DianeN

May 25, 2003
I haven't had plastics (yet!), so I'm kind of in your boat, except that I weigh 140 lbs. at 5'7 1/2" -- and I have different types of extra skin rolls, too (depending on location!). Plus, I sometimes frighten myself with how thin my face looks now. So, if I were you, I wouldn't bust my butt (or what's left of my butt!) trying to lose more weight, with plastics in your future. I'm not sorry I lost a bit more (though it wasn't all intentional), but one thing I noticed with those last 10 pounds or so was that my "melted candle" problem got a lot worse than it was at 10 pounds heavier. I wouldn't change any of it, 'cause it's the price many of us pay for overcoming obesity. Enjoy being at goal, and don't keep pressuring yourself to lose more weight if it's only gonna give you yet MORE loose skin. I hope you find a good plastic surgeon and that you have great results. Congrats on your weight loss!
   — Suzy C.

May 25, 2003
Kathy, same problem here, too! Looks like many of us have these issues unfortunately! I'm 1 year post-op and at surpassed my goal weight and still losing. But I can't tell if my stomach is still fat or if its skin. It's exactly like you describe, still has rolls, and i thought if it was just skin it'd not be as thick either. SO i'm not sure what to tell you. But I think it could be both. Maybe if you lose 10 more lbs, it would be a little less thick, but I think overall its probably skin, which does add to the weight as well. I look great in clothes, too, but am unhappy with myself naked. So, like the previous posters said, only PS can help, which you said you may be planning for next year. BUt even if you don't lose more weight, you'd still look great. Goodluck to you :-)
   — Lezlie Y.