Question:
Exercises to help keep breasts in shape post op?

Is there such a thing? I weigh 400+, am 31 and wear about a 46DD. I have always had large breasts since the 5th grade. I'm sure they will shrink as I lose weight after surgery next month but I wonder if there are any exercises that can help maintain them at least a little? Thank you in advance! :)    — xeni W. (posted on January 26, 2004)

January 26, 2004
You can do exercises to tone the muscles, but the skin may or may not be as kind. My "girls" hang nearly to my waist if I don't wear my bra. Sob....I used to be so proud of them. Perky is something they will never be again. Good luck!
   — Rachel T.

January 26, 2004
You can do exercises to tone the muscles underneath, as the previous poster stated the skin is a different issue. I am only 4 months post op and have already consulted with a plastic surgeon, I am still waiting until this fall so I am over a year out but mine look terrible already, she said that people who have always had large breasts like myself & you as well usually don't loose enough in that department anyways so I could get a reduction & a lift. I can hardly wait for the months to pass! I have never had nice looking breasts since they developed.....:( Good Luck with the girls!
   — Saxbyd

January 26, 2004
Honey, I started out at 395 and a 56H. I'm hoping for some itty bitty titties! (*grin*) And the plastic surgery fund gets all my change. Mine have NEVER been perky, and that's something I can BUY for myself, on down the road.
   — MsBatt

January 26, 2004
Nope. I'd say, like the others have, that saggy boobies are just by product of the surgery and weight loss for many of us. To tell you the truth, I'd rather live with the skin there than on my stomach. Yuk!!
   — Fixnmyself

January 26, 2004
I hear you! The first place I started loosing weight was my breasts. I was 260# & a 48C. They now hang like the moon. I went shopping for a new bra yesterday and ended up in 38DD. I was never a D let alone a DD in my life! I too have started a plastic surgery fund. My worst problem area is the skin under my arms next to my breast. It just pushes out over the sides of the bra. I guess plastic surgery is all we can hope for. I'm waiting 'till I'm at least two years out before any plastics. Best of luck to you in your journey.
   — adeas

January 26, 2004
i wear a bra 24/7! when i'm at home or sleeping i wear a soft sports type bra. this really has helped me from getting more stretch marks(i breastfeed 2 babies). this may sound funny, but i only sleep on my right side. i have now lost 71 pounds and my right side is much more smaller than the left that my children said something about it. i figure it's the same as when you have lipo or something and you have to wear compression garments.
   — franbvan

January 26, 2004
Unfortunately, there's no such thing as *spot reduction* of any area on the body. And if anyone tells you so, then they don't know what they're talking about. I've consulted with 4 professional trainers and have been told this by all of them. You can tone the muscles under the area, but the skin itself won't be affected. Like other posters have said, reconstructive surgery works wonders......but a word of advice....forget the word *plastic surgery*. If an insurance company hears that then they immediately think of cosmetic surgery and you're more likely to get denied. My clinic was called the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Clinic. I made sure they never used the word Plastic, and stuck with "Reconstructive" with all correspondence with my insurance company. Good luck to you!
   — Lynette B.

January 27, 2004
well I went from a 42DD to a 34DD. they are still big but then are not where they should be, nor did they used to be anyway. only problem now is I seem to have an extra set of them that falls out the sides under my armpits, which makes finding a good fitting bra hard. I hope to someday have reconstructive surgery to at least put them back to their proper location! As far as exercises, pushups are excellent for toning the surrounding muscles but it won't keep them where they need to be. Gravity soon takes over with a vengence no matter what you do.
   — Dee ,.