Feeling discouraged

candyo74

I have done my homework on body contouring surgery and insurance doesn't pay for any of it since it is considered cosmetic. I realize that I am the one that couldn't put my fork down and gained a substantial amount of weight and was overweight for a substantial amount of time. BUT.... I put in the time, effort and a year of my life and lost the weight and am being penalized for wanting to get rid of this gross and disgusting loose skin that I have trouble keeping covered up. I keep thinking why did I even bother losing the weight and better myself if I have to spend the rest of my life looking like a deflated, disgusting balloon? When I look at myself in the mirror it makes me cry. I try to accept myself for who I am but it is extremely difficult.

ninerbuff

I wouldn't call it being penalized. It's not a life or death situation if you have loose skin or not. That's why it's not covered by insurance and shouldn't be.
There are thousands of people out there that wish they could just have your position for a month. To be able to walk, live a month without hauling an oxygen tank around, living free from cancer etc.
Not discounting that you problem isn't acknowledged, but you have time to fix your problem where others really don't.
Look at the positive aspects of what you done. You'll discover that people will look past what you believe is ghastly, and admire the achievement. I've seen it happen this way lots of times.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I opened your bio and was expecting a much higher weight loss than I found. I wouldn't really expect *that* much lose skin. There are people who lose 100s of pounds and improve their health greatly, and yes, they have to deal with large amounts of lose skin. I have a feeling that yours really isn't as bad as you think it is, and that you are being way too hard on yourself. No one's body is perfect. We all have flaws. Most of us have a lot of flaws. Accept your body for the healthy (and now slightly healthier), functioning, and beautiful thing that it is.

hortensehildegarde

Presumably you didn't just do it for looks, and you still get all the health and convenience benefits even if you don't get to look exactly the way you'd like. Not sure where you started at but if you were obese enough at your highest weight basic tasks like sitting and walking were more difficult than they are for you now. You reaped a lot of benefits from losing it wasn't a waste of time.

People talk a lot about "loving oneself" and what not but in my opinion none of us need to change our subjective standards of what is "attractive" in order to do that. You can still love yourself and also not prefer some physical attribute. The great thing about this is there is a bazillion different things we can each to to improve our level of awesomeness.

Some things we can't do. I'll never be a prima ballerina, for example. However every day I go out there and do something that makes me feel awesome, and the great part is I can do that fat or hideous and skinny. It's just easier to do awesome things when one can move around easier and we get to do more awesome things the longer we live.

I don't know what makes you feel awesome (playing with kids, volunteering with elderly, holding abandoned babies who need more human contact, helping animals at a local shelter, improving your education, learning a new skill, talking a walk in a beautiful location, etc etc it could be lots of things) but maybe try spending more time doing some of those things. You know, focus on the awesome stuff you can do not the stuff you can't do anything about right immediately now.

At least, these are all the things I have had to come to terms with for myself as I fully expect to be in your exact same situation once I get to a healthy weight. I don't expect to like it much easier but I got sick of fear of that contributing to me choosing to stay fat and I don't want it to make me miserable once I lose the weight, so in order to choose not to be miserable these are the sorts of things I have focused on.

Francl27

You're not alone. I have a pocket the size of a small balloon that hangs when I bend over, and I look like I have 10 extra pounds of fat in my belly when I sit down. I totally get it.

Patttience

People who have a lot of weight to lose should look into this when they start the journey. These days everyone losing a lot of weight knows there's going to be a loose skin issue at the end of it. The smart thing to do is start saving money from the outset for any necessary surgery.

The other thing to bear in mind, is that it takes a long time to totally regenerate new skin. Maybe about a year. So in time, your skin should be much improved than what it is right now. My gp told me this the other day but i'd heard it from other people.

pkw58

I lost 46 pounds in early 2012... I can tell you that I had the lose skin in my abdomen area and it has really tightened up. Also, the little lumps above my knees are going away. One of the great things about exercise they I didn't know is that it does improve your skin quality and appearance. I also try to get super foods in as well. I haven't turned into a gym person 24/7, but I do get my steps in, Barre3 and Yoga as well as started PT two times a week for 30 minutes. I built it up over time.. I didn't get overweight overnight at age 53, and I anticipate I will have to keep fighting gravity and aging the rest of my life.

Fit_Happens_2021

You say you are being penalized? The purpose of health insurance is basically to spread health care costs among many people when you need life preserving, disease preventative or life saving treatment. There are many cases out there of people loosing their homes, being bankrupt and suffering terribly because they had to find the money to pay for treatment for an accident/disease/operation or whatever that was not fully covered and happened through no fault of their own.

Reality check here, you lost weight and are more healthy for it, that is awesome! Focus on that instead of being upset that the cost of making your body look nicer can't be passed on to to the health insurance companies who then ultimately pass that cost on to everyone else paying premiums. I don't know how much weight you lost, but I have seen people on here say that over time it does tighten up a bit.

CassieReannan

I can understand the situation of loose skin. I have lost over 100lb, and it's getting to the point where it bothers me a lot more than it used to. It's a bummer knowing that you put in all the had work to lose the weight and look and feel good... then to realize that your body isn't that way you wanted it to look...

I have good and bad days with it all. I know that one day if I have the money and the time, I will get surgery. But for now, you just gotta live with it and realize that your body is better than it was before.

HappyCampr1 wrote: »

OP's account has been deactivated.

Really don't understand why she did that?

LeonCX

OP's account has been deactivated.

Really don't understand why she did that?

It's an MFP glitch that has happened since the forums upgrade. Most new accounts show a deactivated status. I'm sure OP is still here, don't fret.

mznezza

I too am experiencing extra skin and i have found the best solution is strength training. It will reduce the loose skin and make everything come together. Its my weakness and i have a hard time staying consistent because if work hours. Give it a try, and good luck! Dont give up!

50sFit

candyo74 wrote: »

I have done my homework on body contouring surgery and insurance doesn't pay for any of it since it is considered cosmetic. I realize that I am the one that couldn't put my fork down and gained a substantial amount of weight and was overweight for a substantial amount of time. BUT.... I put in the time, effort and a year of my life and lost the weight and am being penalized for wanting to get rid of this gross and disgusting loose skin that I have trouble keeping covered up. I keep thinking why did I even bother losing the weight and better myself if I have to spend the rest of my life looking like a deflated, disgusting balloon? When I look at myself in the mirror it makes me cry. I try to accept myself for who I am but it is extremely difficult.

If this new challenge becomes a priority, make it happen. Live beneath your means, save and invest.
That's how wealth is built.
When you can afford the procedure, go for it.
Between now and then, love your body, and continue to set high goals for yourself concerning health and fitness.
You're doing great!

nancybuss

and she deactivated.....

50sFit

LeonCX wrote: »

OP's account has been deactivated.

Really don't understand why she did that?

It's an MFP glitch that has happened since the forums upgrade. Most new accounts show a deactivated status. I'm sure OP is still here, don't fret.

Only her account says "DEACTIVATED"...
That's a shame...