When this is all said and done! Will you need Plastics???

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mrscjwilson
mrscjwilson Posts: 252
in Health and Weight Loss
So here I am...finally enjoying my weight loss journey thanks to MFP and all the great people Ive met so far! (Thanks guys!)....
However! I am mortified of all the hanging skin on my body! The more I lose the worse it gets....I went to see a plastic surgeon for a consultation...he says that he can actually feel the muscles that Ive building under the skin but that it will NEVER be completly visible because of all the loose skin.....let me go back a little bit... I was at my highest weight 309 lbs! Ive lost a total of 126.8 lbs to date and have appx. 22- 25 more lbs to go! Its taken me over 3 years to do this but here I am........
The cost for JUST a tummy tuck is around $5,000-6,500....just cant afford it!
Is anyone else in the same situation?
Any suggestions?
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Replies

  • VeryKerri
    VeryKerri Posts: 359 Member
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    I am in the exact same situation and was wondering the same thing. I hope someone has an answer besides surgery, but I am doubtful.
  • Michelle_J
    Michelle_J Posts: 362 Member
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    I don't have too much loose skin but my sisters look like an extra pair of knees. And yes, when i get to my goal weight, I will get them put back up where they belong. I might have to pay until I'm 80 but it will be worth it to me.
  • nicolepope11
    nicolepope11 Posts: 56
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    I am sorry I don't have any advice, but I wanted to say "WOW!" You are doing awesome. You are so close to your final weight! Congrats!
  • Michelle_J
    Michelle_J Posts: 362 Member
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    and congratulations on your 126 lb weight loss. That is INCREDIBLE!
  • mrscjwilson
    mrscjwilson Posts: 252
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    I don't have too much loose skin but my sisters look like an extra pair of knees. And yes, when i get to my goal weight, I will get them put back up where they belong. I might have to pay until I'm 80 but it will be worth it to me.
    Are you planning to take out a loan? Loans are not an option for me, I still paying on my horrid student loan!
  • gangstagirl625
    gangstagirl625 Posts: 187 Member
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    no im not but do you have ins. if so you can get you regular doc tell the ins company that your excess skin is some sort of problem ( your doc will know what to say) and is phisically hindering your weight loss any further and that it needs to be removed and maybe your ins will take care of it or at least most of it . It doesnt hurt to ask what the worst that could happen they say no. Good luck and congrats
  • Charrisse
    Charrisse Posts: 163
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    If I had unlimited funds - I would love to get the girls put back where they belong.
    I didnt have alot of weight to lose, but since Ive had 3 babies my stomach skin I dont think will ever be TIGHT, Maybe, I dont know. I still have 10 lbs to go, but I think Im really trying to lose skin and not fat now. Its annoying. But for me, I think I might be more annoyed by the scars plastic sugury leaves. I wish there was a boob lift without scars! Id be SO THERE LOL
    If I had unlimited funds my list would be:
    a full set of tooth vaneers
    boob lift
    lipo on tummy hips thighs and neck (turkey gobbler!)
    spider veins zapped (gonna do this anyway this spring)
    laser on face, neck chest for sun damage/ wrinkles (probably will do this in the fall anyway)
  • CelesteENelson
    CelesteENelson Posts: 89 Member
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    I have a feeling I will be in the same boat. I started my journey at 327 lbs and am currently at 251. I however do not having a bunch of hanging skin but I do have a pouch still that runs from hip to hip where I carry alot of my weight which I have a feeling will be hanging skin when I am done. I have also noticed that my boobs are just empty sacks hanging basically. they wrinkle when I try to put them in my bra so I have to kind of fluff them so they dont look bad. I know it sounds bad. But my husband has already told me that he will be happy to pay for whatever surgery I would like done. Breast lift/augmentation, tummy tuck, arm tuck, thigh tuck. That is where all my weight was hanging. But I still have about 72 lbs to lose. My trainer told me that with alot of water intake, moisturizing the skin and losing weight at a steady pace will help the skin bounce back. But hearing what the surgeon told you I am a little concerned. But we will see. Feel free to friend me and we can keep chatting about it.
  • hummzz
    hummzz Posts: 384 Member
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    So here I am...finally enjoying my weight loss journey thanks to MFP and all the great people Ive met so far! (Thanks guys!)....
    However! I am mortified of all the hanging skin on my body! The more I lose the worse it gets....I went to see a plastic surgeon for a consultation...he says that he can actually feel the muscles that Ive building under the skin but that it will NEVER be completly visible because of all the loose skin.....let me go back a little bit... I was at my highest weight 309 lbs! Ive lost a total of 126.8 lbs to date and have appx. 22- 25 more lbs to go! Its taken me over 3 years to do this but here I am........
    The cost for JUST a tummy tuck is around $5,000-6,500....just cant afford it!
    Is anyone else in the same situation?
    Any suggestions?

    OMG! This is my fear! I'm just starting and I've lost 21 lbs and I can already tell I will have loose skin when I lose all my weight! I guess I best start saving for my surgery now. I saw it for the first time on Tyra years ago and knew if I lost weight I may have this problem too! I don't have any specific suggestion for you but I thank you for the heads up so I can save now.
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
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    are you doing strength training?
  • CelesteENelson
    CelesteENelson Posts: 89 Member
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    They have some fantastic new procedures where they can go in thru your belly button or thru your arm pit and you would have little to no scar at all.
  • Michelle_J
    Michelle_J Posts: 362 Member
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    I've been saving for a while. I work from home so I don't have to pay horrendous gasoline prices, save bc I eat lunch at home, I extreme coupon. I might have to take out a small loan but not a full loan. And I haven't looked into pricing yet bc I wasn't sure I would ever make it to my goal weight at one time (I had given up on weight loss after tons of failed diets....) but I don't want anything added, just put back up.
  • gangstagirl625
    gangstagirl625 Posts: 187 Member
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    i plan to have breast augmentation surgery because i was only a 36A and it seems like the more i lose is the more i lose if you know what i mean by the time i reach my goal i will probably be a negetive 36A. lol
  • mrscjwilson
    mrscjwilson Posts: 252
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    no im not but do you have ins. if so you can get you regular doc tell the ins company that your excess skin is some sort of problem ( your doc will know what to say) and is phisically hindering your weight loss any further and that it needs to be removed and maybe your ins will take care of it or at least most of it . It doesnt hurt to ask what the worst that could happen they say no. Good luck and congrats
    Good thinking, been there and done that though and incredible enough 2 doctors that Ive been to have told me "its not as bad as you think"....Im looking at them like...your not the one walking around listening to a cresendo of applause all the time only to discover its your skin slapping together!!!
  • classicshell
    classicshell Posts: 59
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    My fiance had surgery to lose his 200 pounds (it was medically necessary - he needed an operation on his hip ASAP, but they couldn't do that until he lost 300lbs total...he lost 100 on his own before the surgery). He has loose skin on him now too, and it bothers him a lot...I still think he's the most handsome man ever, but he's really self conscious about it. I would like to get him the plastic surgery he wants, but we just can't do that. His family is still working on paying off the 10k surgery for weight loss that his insurance wouldn't cover.

    Maybe, once we both graduate college, we'll be able to get it....I hope I don't need plastic, my weight loss goal is a 100-115lbs. Ah, now I'm nervous!
  • YeaILift
    YeaILift Posts: 580 Member
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    It takes time. The loose skin will get tighter as your body fat gets lower. Over time the skin gradually tightens up, at least partially, after a one or two year period where the weight loss is maintained and exercise continued. This should not be a problem if you make this a lifestyle and not a diet.

    Also, you need to change your body composition. This means working on the ratio of your body fat to lean body mass. You should gain muscle to replace some of those lost pounds while preventing loss of lean body mass when dieting - This will dramatically improve loose skin from appearing. Also, loose skin is one thing, but still having body fat is another.

    This is important to getting tighter skin. Be honest with yourself and do that by taking your body fat measurement. This can be done with skin fold calipers or a variety of other devices or procedures.

    Calipers might not be the best method if you have large folds of loose skin. Last but not least, only after you reach your ultimate body fat percentage goal, you should give thought to surgery.

    source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/louis13.htm
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
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    I dont know what im going to do if this happens to me,i hope it all works out for you
  • nerdyandilikeit
    nerdyandilikeit Posts: 2,185 Member
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    I'm just starting my weight loss and I have at least 140 lbs to lose, and my best friend has at least that much too, so this makes me nervous as well. I've got student loans out the *kitten* so it would be a LONG while before I could even afford to save for it. I'm sure it will be annoying, but for now I have to content myself with getting healthy and cross that bridge when I come to it.
  • mrscjwilson
    mrscjwilson Posts: 252
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    are you doing strength training?
    Yes...I am...there's only so much that can do i guess...Im willing to do the work believe me!
  • bloodbank
    bloodbank Posts: 468 Member
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    It takes time. The loose skin will get tighter as your body fat gets lower. Over time the skin gradually tightens up, at least partially, after a one or two year period where the weight loss is maintained and exercise continued. This should not be a problem if you make this a lifestyle and not a diet.

    I've heard this "2 year" rule before. Truly, if you continue eating well & strengthening your body for 24 months after you've lost all that you'd like to lose your skin WILL tighten some, even if it feels like an eternity. From what I've been told by a friend who's had abdominoplasty, a good plastic surgeon won't touch you before that time has elapsed. If nothing else, that's some time to save up money? :)

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