Extra Skin

I am sorry you feel so bad about your body right now. You have done something amazing and very difficult.

I did know a lady who lost a bunch of weight with a lap band and she went to a plastic surgeon to get some skin tightened and removed. I only saw the arm part of it. It was a tiny scar on the underside of her arm, near the arm pit. It did take away quite a bit of excess but really, I wasn't overly impressed. If you go, see pictures of their work.

I really think even though you lost wt on your body, you haven't lost the attitude that got you to gain so much wt. I think a counselor could help you see your worth better than any surgeon. And a lot less pain!

Your H loves you. He knows the difference in your attitude when you exercise. Don't let your body hold you back! It's a good body! It takes you where you want to go. It allows you to care for others. It allows you to live out your life. There are plenty people out there who would trade places with your body in a min. Don't waste another min of your time fussing at yourself for your body. Can you imagine a guy wasting time like that?

Go out to that beach and rock that body, for it's the vehicle that gives your Spirit a ride to all the fun in life! Good Luck!

I'm not well informed about surgical options, but a lady I know online who I've respected for her research and tendency to NOT just be a commercial for products recently reviewed a skin tightening product that she says worked really well for her. I am not at all affiliated with her or this product. I just respect the work she's done in the past. I like how she analyzes each and every ingredient, as well. I cannot say from personal experience how well it works, just that it did for her.
http://www.cookingtf.com/taking-care-of-mama-tighten-my-t...

A little different here, but I lost a lot of weight when I came off some medication that caused the weight gain. Because up it was unhealthy and there was no way I was going to be able to keep the area clean, my insurance at the time deemed the plastic surgery medically necessary and covered all but the co-pay. So, definitely seek out a reputable surgeon and talk to them. I could probably use more surgery, but not sure it would be covered and I have some additional complications to consider now too. Good luck.

This is what plastic surgery is for, K.. You should talk to your own doctor and ask for several referrals. Look them up and do some research on what they offer. Then make a decision.

The best way to lose weight is exercise while you diet and get plenty of protein while you're losing. If you look at the folks on "The Big Loser" who are huge when they start out, they don't have a ton of flab after losing weight. It's harder for people who don't have personal trainers, though...

Good luck with all this entails...

I've had a tummy tuck to remove extra skin. Mine was from pregnancy. It was hanging off of my belly, like curtains.

It was the best decision that I ever made. Period.

That said...a surgeon will not go near you unless you have made a permanent lifestyle choice (ie: you've been at this weight for awhile), and are emotionally stable.

Recovery will take 6 weeks. The first 3 days will be the most painful, steadily improving over time. By 2 weeks out, you'll feel normal, but will just need to give your body time to heal.

I don't know what overall body reduction would cost...my TT was $10K, out of pocket, just for reference. But that was muscle repair as well as skin removal. I'd say for reference, look up the cost of brachoiplasty and start there.

Good luck. I remember what that felt like. You've come so far and worked so hard...and you're more frustrated than ever. I understand.

Find a good plastic surgeon in the area. A good one will not charge you for a consult. Get some pricing and his/her opinion and then you can make an informed decision.

A long time ago I watched a show about plastic surgery. One of the profiles was a woman that lost 180 pounds. They showed videos from before she lost and her emotions, how she could not even leave her home, etc. Then they showed midway and after videos and how she felt about what she accomplished. She felt great. But she had a lot of skin hanging. She worked with a counselor first. She had already started toning so she just continued with that and continued to workout. She had been working with a nutritionist from the beginning so she felt she was ready. The last video was after surgery. She did have some pain but it was not too bad. There were some scars they showed and honestly they looked like what you would have from gall bladder surgery. If you do decide to go this route, make sure you get really good recommendations and totally check it out. A good surgeon can minimize scarring.

Congratulations on your weight loss! That is an awesome accomplishment and you should be very proud of yourself! Your husband sounds like a sweet man and he is right, you need to continue working out. Don't let the frustration set you back.
The skin is an organ and it will slowly shrink down, but not to the size you want. So you need to decide if surgery is an option for you. Talk with your doctor to see if there is a medical necessity to have the skin removed. If so, your insurance may cover it. Check with the University Medical Center to see if they do skin harvesting for burn patients or research.
When looking for a plastic surgeon, get thee or ore opinions, make sure they are all Board Certified in Plastic or Reconstructive surgery. You don't want a Board Certified Dermatologist or something like that. There is so much information on the Internet, so do your research about the procedure. Find a forum or two and talk to women who have had if done. Be proactive, not reactive. It will be costly, probably $7500-12,000 depending on what needs to be done. But you're worth it!!
In the mean time do more research on finding clothes to help camouflage the extra skin. But, please don't give up, you've worked to hard to reach this goal. Best of luck to you.