Question:
I am a very SOLID built person....

and I was wondering if anyone else could tell me how their experiences has been with the WLS. Am I going to be able to lose this "fat"? Some people are kind of soft and cushy and others when you touch them they are "solid" like me? Will I lose the weight slower than others maybe?    — Eleanore Davis (posted on May 28, 2003)

May 28, 2003
Well, I don't know if I was 'solid' or not but people couldnt believe I weight as much as I did and I was fairly evenly porportioned. I was 5'6", 300lbs and a size 26. I'm now a size 6-8 and 160lbs. I have people tell me that I look more like 130-140lbs. I'm fairly muscular too and always have been. You can see my pics on my profile.
   — Kris T.

May 28, 2003
Hi there! I as well, was always a very SOLID person! Even as a kid..there was no cushion on me..I was a 5 year old 70 pound butterball that was hard as a rock! I started out at 338 and 5'7" and right now am 191 pounds!! I've lost 147 pounds in just 9 months! (today is that little anniversary). One thing that I have noticed, is that I have gone from solid as a rock...to cushy as tapioca! And I think that I've lost weight right on schedule and according to my surgeon...have lost it a little ahead of schedule. so, good luck to you!!!
   — Christie N.

May 28, 2003
I am too a very solid built person. I have not had surgery yet, I am interested in knowing other people experience who's body was very solid. I have surgery on June 24. I guess I can let you know how my journey goes. I was hoping it would be a benefit and how my body looks after I have surgery. That is what we want once we loose the weight.
   — Just P

May 28, 2003
I was solid fat and now am very cushy. I think its due to the skin. Take a balloon and fill it up almost to bursting it is hard and solid. Now let out half of the air and you have a soft cushy balloon. Same with our bodies. When you lose weight rapidly your skin doesn't shrink proportionately so you basically have the human equivelent of the half inflated balloon. <p> Take Care, Be Well, Be Happy!
   — John T.

May 28, 2003
I was also very solid. People didn't even think that I was big enough for this surgery. All my fat was layered on my insides, I couldn't even breathe. Now down to 142, I am STILL solid, I have come to the conclusiont that I am just built big, I am still in a size 10, some 12's. I see others that weigh more than I that wear 6's and 8's. I guess I will always be SOLID!! Oh well, I'll take it, I'm healthy now and that is what matters! You will be able to lose it!
   — Cheri M.

May 28, 2003
I'm not sure of your definition of "solid" but I always referred to myself as someone who "packed it in" and not look like what I really weighed. Most people, including doctors, would have put me 50-75 lbs less than I was. I had a nurse in a hospital once question me a few times when I gave her my weight. She could not believe it. <p>I started at 442 with a bunch of fat on the gut but also a high degree of muscle everywhere, which is where the higher weight comes from. The first month I lost 22 lbs but 3 pants sizes because the first thing that came off was the fat on the gut. I am now down 5 pants sizes and 2 sizes on top most of the time. I am 16 weeks post-op. So far I am shrinking pretty evenly now that the gut is in proportion to my waist and hips etc. Actually now my waist is driving my pants sizes instead of the gut - a total change. <p>I personally think the "solid" people burn fat better because we carry so much more muscle which is an efficient fat burner. Work your post-op program to the max and you will be amazed at the new you that evolves!! <p>As far as slower I would say that I have lost lbs slower than some of my other SMO brothers and sisters, at least at first. I a down a total of 102 lbs now, with 21 lbs coming off the two weeks before surgery. However, I have come to realize that many of them carried a lot of fluid from edema etc. and that is why they typically are seeing the 50 and 60 lbs in a month type weight loss. I never carried much excess fluid and consequently my lb loss was a lot slower but the inches lost more than made up for it. I do not know what my gut girth was before surgery but I know it is in my hospital file and one of these days I think I will find out so I know how much things have changed, although I know just by the fat that I used to wear a 34W jean or 36W chino and now wear 26WT and 28WT respectively. So that's enough feedback for me. <p>The main thing is that being stronger and having more muscle will work to your benefit in so many ways post-op. I was never so thankful to have my quads so strong after surgery because I could hold my abdomen which getting out of bed and use only my legs to lift me. The last 4 years of working on my quads, because of my knees, really paid off. Don't worry it will all come off and you will be thrilled. Just be reasonable in your expectations!!!! Chris
   — zoedogcbr