Please help me decide my next step
evilpoptart63
Posts: 397 Member
So I have already lost a ton of weight and Im trying to decide what to do next. I have a *kitten*-ton of extra skin and I'm planning on having a Tummy Tuck in April so I want a game plan to stick to for the next few months. I'm around 24.5% body fat and generally pretty happy with how my body looks now. The only part that bothers me is my stubborn stomach but Im not sure how much of it is fat and how much is just the extra skin. I was planning on dropping like 3 lbs and trying a mini bulk for 3 months leading up to the surgery, but I can also see the upside to re-comping after I lose a few lbs or even just staying at a deficit until the surgery date and ending it with a very low body fat %.
Here's my messed up stomach. I'm much happier with the rest of my body. Ususally when I take pics, I try to use great lighting and minimize the skin but I want to keep it real and hear some honest feedback. Y'all are smart and I will trust what you have to say. TIA
Here's my messed up stomach. I'm much happier with the rest of my body. Ususally when I take pics, I try to use great lighting and minimize the skin but I want to keep it real and hear some honest feedback. Y'all are smart and I will trust what you have to say. TIA
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Replies
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How much weight did you lose, if you don't mind me asking?0
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Just under 70lbs from the weight I delivered my last 2 babies2
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Ok cool. I guess I'll just try hitting 23% then bulking. Sorry if my skin made people uncomfortable0
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evilpoptart63 wrote: »Ok cool. I guess I'll just try hitting 23% then bulking. Sorry if my skin made people uncomfortable
It's only been an hour since your initial post.
Congrats on the weight loss. It's hard to recommend what's next, because it all depends on what you want, and what your longer term goals are. From here, most changes are going to take time and patience, whether you are mini-bulking or recomping or continuing to lose.4 -
evilpoptart63 wrote: »Ok cool. I guess I'll just try hitting 23% then bulking. Sorry if my skin made people uncomfortable
Your skin doesn't make me feel uncomfortable at all. My tummy has loose skin too (my son weighed almost 9 lb at birth). Personally, I think you look great! Congrats on the weight loss!
If I were in your situation and wanted to try to lose a little more weight, I'd loose the weight then recomp. However, I find the idea of bulking a little scary and I'm patient enough to stick with recomp. I would save deciding on a bulk or recomp for after surgery. You will have a better idea of what you want to do after you have recovered. I would eat at maintenance during your recovery:-) Best wishes!2 -
As rybo said, it is kind of hard to say much without knowing your longer term goals. I can only give you input on what I would do if I were in your spot and that isn't going to be useful since I am not you.0
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Sorry, I should have mentioned my goals. After my tummy tuck, I would like to eventually have a clearly defined 4 pack and 20ish% body fat. I also have a lot of strength goals Im working toward and want to at least hit intermediate on all of the main lifts as well as pack on a good amount of muscle mass. I kind of want it all...muscle and strength as well as a low body fat % so Im trying to decide the most effective way to get there0
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Jtalaskamom wrote: »evilpoptart63 wrote: »Ok cool. I guess I'll just try hitting 23% then bulking. Sorry if my skin made people uncomfortable
Your skin doesn't make me feel uncomfortable at all. My tummy has loose skin too (my son weighed almost 9 lb at birth). Personally, I think you look great! Congrats on the weight loss!
If I were in your situation and wanted to try to lose a little more weight, I'd loose the weight then recomp. However, I find the idea of bulking a little scary and I'm patient enough to stick with recomp. I would save deciding on a bulk or recomp for after surgery. You will have a better idea of what you want to do after you have recovered. I would eat at maintenance during your recovery:-) Best wishes!
Thank you for the positivity! Yeah the skin from pregnancies is no joke haha. It's worth it for the lol ones but not fun! I honestly don't think I would mind the mental aspect of bulking if it meant watching my LBM go up as well as the amount of weight I can lift but Im just not sure how to decide when its time to start or if I need to be at my ideal body fat % first. There has been a ton of trial and error in this process so far and I'm at a point (again) that I'm not sure the best way to go about this0 -
Personally I think your stomach looks great. It's all about perspective though. Congrats on your weight loss.2
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I would recomp and wait on the surgery personally. I bet your skin will bounce back some more on it's own. How old is your youngest child?4
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Thank you both!! I have 3 kids, the youngest is 1.5 year. I have been definitely considering recomping.0
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Oh, yeah. Between the baby and the weight loss, I'll bet it you gave it another 2 years or so, you wouldn't need the tummy tuck at all!4
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Your stomach looks great. My stomach looks similar (but a LOT more stretch marks). I still have a little more to lose as well. My plan is to get to about 20% body fat (and *hopefully* semi-visible abs), and then start bulk/cut cycles. Unfortunately for my body, I'm not done having children so I'm not sure how long it'll take. I agree with the previous person on waiting for the surgery. If I were you, I wouldn't get it just yet. Decide once you're closer to your goal. Surgery will make you unable to exercise for awhile too--don't forget about that as well.
Good luck
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I would give it a couple more years, you are 18 months out from childbirth, with a recent big weight loss. Also I assume you are on the younger side since you just had a baby so your skin has more of a chance to shrink. I think with the weight training you are doing you will see a lot of improvement in the next 2 years. I work in the health field and have seen a lot of ugly tummy tucks, and very few pretty ones. It's not a magic bullet.2
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I hadn't even considered not having the tummy tuck lol. My skin bounced back fairly well after my 1st baby but after having my last 2 in just under 2 years its been a hot mess. I just assumed with the amount of skin and stretch marks surgery would be the only way to get a really nice stomach. I have seen some bad tummy tucks too that I never really brought into consideration. I'll think over the surgery thing. Is the vote for recomp at this point?0
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congrats on your weight loss1
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evilpoptart63 wrote: »I hadn't even considered not having the tummy tuck lol. My skin bounced back fairly well after my 1st baby but after having my last 2 in just under 2 years its been a hot mess. I just assumed with the amount of skin and stretch marks surgery would be the only way to get a really nice stomach. I have seen some bad tummy tucks too that I never really brought into consideration. I'll think over the surgery thing. Is the vote for recomp at this point?
I am trying to work out what they are going to tuck! I would be going down the recomp path as I personally think with a bit more time that your skin will continue to recover.1 -
Ok I will go with recomp0
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Emoji cut me off...Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it?0
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evilpoptart63 wrote: »Thank you both!! I have 3 kids, the youngest is 1.5 year. I have been definitely considering recomping.
My twins turned 19 months old today. I’m basically recomping however I am eating at a slight deficit so I don’t know what that’s categorized as really. I lift with dumbbells 2/3 times a week and increase my weight normally weekly. I run and I do body weight stuff and cardio videos/HIIT-T25, Bikini Body Mommy, and I’ve done a couple of Julian Michael’s programs and I used to do Fitness Blender stuff all the time. I do Popsugar videos too. My goal is just to weight less every time I weigh myself and see definition is my arms, legs and stomach. I’m going to take measurements at the start of the year and track that in case I don’t see scale changes I’m looking for. This is just what I do. A little of everything pretty much.
You look great! Good luck with your goals.1 -
I have a 1.5 year old girl and similar loose skin (but also i have a ton of stretch marks).
Heres the thing: is it really a good or attainable goal that our society has for women- to look like they never had a baby, to look like they never grow old, to look like a barbie with long skinny legs but huge boobs?
Or whatever.
So many women struggle to acheive an aesthetic impossibility and personally every time i see my saggy skin or any other flaw i think, " i am not ever going to be a model...but i want to be a role model of a woman confident in her beauty".
That said, most days i do wear some make-up which is technically fake and conforming to beauty ideals. So i know each person has to draw their own line with how much time, money, obsession looking "ideal" will be of worth to them. (For me, its non-permanent changes like make-up and some boxed hair dye...but making sure i am my real/natural self sometimes too).
I just really want more women (especially my daughter) to see that flaws are okay. To accept the skin they are in. Working hard, working out, being healthy with food....those all have aesthetic benefits (which is great) but the superficial really shouldnt be the focus and at times it seems like the main goal of some women's lives!
Anyway, with my exercise routine i have recovered better abs on top than i had pre-baby. Sure thats awesome. But it didnt make me a happier person or better mom or more confident in my beauty....my confidence cane from working hard, being disciplined,being stronger, getting a healthier heart, running further, sleeping better, endorphins from exercise etc.
I see women thing perfection, or 'fixing' some body part as a route to confidence and security. But usually the part that needs tweaked is our mindset. So much insecurity is a bottomless pit where perfection can never be reached,thus real confidence is never acheived for long...Do what you want, of course! But this is just some food for thought.
And I think you look beautiful.13 -
jenifer7teen wrote: »I have a 1.5 year old girl and similar loose skin (but also i have a ton of stretch marks).
Heres the thing: is it really a good or attainable goal that our society has for women- to look like they never had a baby, to look like they never grow old, to look like a barbie with long skinny legs but huge boobs?
Or whatever.
So many women struggle to acheive an aesthetic impossibility and personally every time i see my saggy skin or any other flaw i think, " i am not ever going to be a model...but i want to be a role model of a woman confident in her beauty".
That said, most days i do wear some make-up which is technically fake and conforming to beauty ideals. So i know each person has to draw their own line with how much time, money, obsession looking "ideal" will be of worth to them. (For me, its non-permanent changes like make-up and some boxed hair dye...but making sure i am my real/natural self sometimes too).
I just really want more women (especially my daughter) to see that flaws are okay. To accept the skin they are in. Working hard, working out, being healthy with food....those all have aesthetic benefits (which is great) but the superficial really shouldnt be the focus and at times it seems like the main goal of some women's lives!
Anyway, with my exercise routine i have recovered better abs on top than i had pre-baby. Sure thats awesome. But it didnt make me a happier person or better mom or more confident in my beauty....my confidence cane from working hard, being disciplined,being stronger, getting a healthier heart, running further, sleeping better, endorphins from exercise etc.
I see women thing perfection, or 'fixing' some body part as a route to confidence and security. But usually the part that needs tweaked is our mindset. So much insecurity is a bottomless pit where perfection can never be reached,thus real confidence is never acheived for long...Do what you want, of course! But this is just some food for thought.
And I think you look beautiful.
Wow, you have an absolutely beautiful mindset. I would love to be at that level of confidence one day.! I'm honestly one of the women you mentioned that make physical perfection the main life goal. My confidence is better than it was a while ago (I used to be extremely depressed because of the way I looked) but the mission to have a nice stomach specifically has completely taken over my life. No matter how much progress I make, I can't seem to be happy because its part of me. That's why I included a pic of it. I'm happy with the rest of my body but its just the main focus I want to work on. I definitely know what you mean by insecurity being a "bottomless pit." I talked to my hubby last night and we decided to push off the tummy tuck for one more year then evaluate. Hopefully in that time I will be able to work on accepting my flaws You seem like such a sweet person, I really appreciate you sharing your perspective ❤5 -
Aww. I am glad you took it that way. I was worried it would come off as too preachy... but i am being sincere. I was anorexic in my younger years and a lot of therapy and introspection has radically changed my focus. Of course i occasionally still get plagued with self-absorbed negative thoughts. BUT i have a lot of positive, philosophical ammo to kill off those ideas. Also, i worked with old/dying people for years and that woke me up to what matters in life and what people really see as beautiful (or ugly) goes far deeper than our skin. I think its a great idea to wait on surgery. See if you can see yourself, and your body in a new way? The way you'd want your children to see themselves when they look in the mirror? Best of luck on you journey. 1
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jenifer7teen wrote: »I have a 1.5 year old girl and similar loose skin (but also i have a ton of stretch marks).
Heres the thing: is it really a good or attainable goal that our society has for women- to look like they never had a baby, to look like they never grow old, to look like a barbie with long skinny legs but huge boobs?
Or whatever.
So many women struggle to acheive an aesthetic impossibility and personally every time i see my saggy skin or any other flaw i think, " i am not ever going to be a model...but i want to be a role model of a woman confident in her beauty".
That said, most days i do wear some make-up which is technically fake and conforming to beauty ideals. So i know each person has to draw their own line with how much time, money, obsession looking "ideal" will be of worth to them. (For me, its non-permanent changes like make-up and some boxed hair dye...but making sure i am my real/natural self sometimes too).
I just really want more women (especially my daughter) to see that flaws are okay. To accept the skin they are in. Working hard, working out, being healthy with food....those all have aesthetic benefits (which is great) but the superficial really shouldnt be the focus and at times it seems like the main goal of some women's lives!
Anyway, with my exercise routine i have recovered better abs on top than i had pre-baby. Sure thats awesome. But it didnt make me a happier person or better mom or more confident in my beauty....my confidence cane from working hard, being disciplined,being stronger, getting a healthier heart, running further, sleeping better, endorphins from exercise etc.
I see women thing perfection, or 'fixing' some body part as a route to confidence and security. But usually the part that needs tweaked is our mindset. So much insecurity is a bottomless pit where perfection can never be reached,thus real confidence is never acheived for long...Do what you want, of course! But this is just some food for thought.
And I think you look beautiful.
BEAUTIFULLY said. Btw, I’m sending you a FR....VERY nice outlook on life!!!1 -
jenifer7teen wrote: »Aww. I am glad you took it that way. I was worried it would come off as too preachy... but i am being sincere. I was anorexic in my younger years and a lot of therapy and introspection has radically changed my focus. Of course i occasionally still get plagued with self-absorbed negative thoughts. BUT i have a lot of positive, philosophical ammo to kill off those ideas. Also, i worked with old/dying people for years and that woke me up to what matters in life and what people really see as beautiful (or ugly) goes far deeper than our skin. I think its a great idea to wait on surgery. See if you can see yourself, and your body in a new way? The way you'd want your children to see themselves when they look in the mirror? Best of luck on you journey.
No, you didn't come off peachy at all! You really put things in perspective for me. I think if I could get to a point that Im comfortable in my own skin and I can let go of this obsession I would end up being happier than if I lost the rest of the weight and had surgery. I would probably just find something else to fixate on haha. You are an amazing person and I think your advice is so much more powerful than a bulk/cut/recomp opinion.0 -
You look great. Congrats on your progress!0
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Thank you!0
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My tummy looks very similar to yours. At one time I didn't like how it looks, but now I guess I view it as a badge of honor. This body birthed a child! I got some discipline and lost weight! I feel pretty, my husband is cool with the changes, and my only real concession is I wear a one-piece bathing suit.1
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@evilpoptart63 Congratulations on your progress!
Perhaps reading through some of these threads might help you with evaluating your goals and figuring out your next steps?
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1120789/females-only-lifting-weight-training-results/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10453193/honest-loose-skin-thoughts-pics/p1
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