TT and Breast Lift Post 90lb Weight Loss - 6 months later! - Columbus, OH
So.... I've been on a 2.5 year journey to lose...
So.... I've been on a 2.5 year journey to lose about 90lbs. I was always athletic and heavier than I looked thanks to being more muscular than average, but there was no excuse for the 269lbs that I hit in my late twenties. After turning my life upside down heading into 30 (will turn 31 this year)...downsized from corporate america, career reinvention, financial shifts, personal challenges... I somehow decided I was done being so physically unhappy.
I lost 25lbs the first year, 55 the second, and 10 so far this year (boy it slows down as you get closer to your goal weight). The strict doctors' weight charts would say I have 30lbs to go, but honestly, if I didn't have this stomach layer that I've already been told in my initial consults will NOT go away no matter how hard I work, I think I'd be pretty happy. It's utterly infuriating to me that I cannot undo the damage I did to myself on my own and that the new body I've built can't be seen because it's hidden by this seemingly permanent fat badge of dishonor. But, I've been trying to come to grips with that these past few months. It's a slow process. :)
So anyways, I'm going for my second round of consults this week to make my final doctor decision, get the ok that my body is in the right shape to procede, and schedule for this June. By then I will have finished my certification to become a Pilates instructor and will have just the right amount of downtime to heal up before I start working full time at a new studio. Here are the things I am agonizing over and would love to hear any thoughts/experience/advice from this lovely community on:
1. Getting the breast lift, tummy tuck, and hip lipo all at once. I'm terrified of how vicious it may be on my body, but I know with my perfectionist tendencies I won't be ok with one part of my torso being "fixed" and the other being a loose mess. Most people on this forum seem to have only done one. I'm nervous too, that if I break it up, I might never go back for the second procedure if the first one doesn't go to well.
2. Recovery while being a new fitness professional. How will my body feel while I'm recovering, will I lose a lot of my muscle, how hard will it be to get back at the level I left off at? Will it be somewhat of an easier recovery since my core muscles are in a good place heading in, or does it not matter? Given that I'm a pilates girl and am being told I can't curl/crunch/round the abs for quite some time, how do I deal with not being to do something I love so much and that motivates me to stay on the healthy track?
3. The whole not talking myself out of it as I get closer to the date because I'm honestly sharing in the terrors that everyone else seems to have... not waking up, taking an incredible risk for something elective/cosmetic, what I'm asking for my husband and family to deal with, etc.
4. Not having had children yet...I don't know if/when that will happen. Some doctors have gotten pretty insistent with me about not doing this before children, which puts a whole other layer of pressure on. I know there is a risk that a pregnancy could really hamper the tummy tuck results, but with it being such an unknown, I think I have to let that go?
5. Losing weight after the procedure...I'm trying to head into the surgery as prepped as possible. Training hard, eating clean, etc. What were other people's pre surgery decisions? I've considered doing HCG to target some more abnormal fat... is that a bad plan?
I think that's enough of my mental download for now. My brain feels like a ping pong ball going through all these decisions. I talk myself out of it frequently, then I cry because I know I want to be done with this final layer that just has plagued me my entire adult life. I feel selfish wanting to use our money to pay for a cosmetic change, but I constantly wonder/dream about not having to worry about my stomach anymore... not having to choose clothes that conceal it cleverly and not having to sit certain ways so my rolls don't bulge too much.
Anyways, I'll stop for now. I'll post pre photos closer to the date. In the meantime, I'll keep combing this forum because it has been sooo helpful aleady. I think it'll be my source of courage when it all comes down to it!
c-bus lady's provider
Replies (1)
Well, the date is set! June 15th for certain. I...
While I work daily to keep my fears to a manageable level, the people I've told are beyond excited for me and that makes me feel a tad better.I even learned that a woman whom I look up to quite a bit, a woman that owns her own fitness studio and is in amazing shape, is also having to do the same thing. We all apparently hit our "walls" of what we can do on our own. She has mentioned the same worries I have... from recovery to having to start from square one with her activity level. Her surgery is next week so she can pave the way! :)
On the diet front, I tried to do HCG but couldn't find a happy medium between no weight loss and 3lbs a day. I didn't feel strong, I didn't feel like my body could do what I needed, and I made the decision that I should keep on the path that has gotten me this far... healthy, steady, and from a happy place. But, always good to try and learn than wonder, no?
Replies (7)
First let me start by saying congratulations on the weight loss. This is a long hard process that can be frustrating to say the least. Just keep being persistent and consistent and you will get there. It took us a long time to put all the weight on so it is going to take a while to get it all off. Slow and steady is the best approach.
As far as having all procedures done together well that will be up to the doctor. Each have different plans and ideas based on several different factors.
If you go into this expecting a long recovery, pain and swelling you will be much better off. This is a healing process that can't be rushed so plan accordingly. It is all temporary and will come to an end soon enough. I hate to read about women jumping back into things full swing two weeks post op. That is just not even reasonable. The first two weeks you should plan to do little to nothing at all. And then very cautious and limited for the next month.
I can tell you from personal experience that I obtained my excellent results because I was in good shape prior to the surgery, my doctor did an excellent job and I babied myself for the first 6 months post op. He stated no ab work outs for 6 months and I followed his rules.
What it comes down to is just listening to your body and if something hurts or causes swelling then it is too much. You will need to adjust accordingly as you go.
Also you need to have reasonable expectations of the outcome. I think we all go in wanting to end up with our 18 year old bodies again but that really is not going to happen. While they can make excellent improvements nothing will ever be 100% perfect. And I mean right down to the stretch marks. The doctors can so some wonderful things but they are not magic.
As far as the pregnancy goes....don't know what to say here. If you do end up having children just be prepared to have the stretched out tummy again. I have a friend who had the tummy tuck and then two years later got pregnant. Well she is now sad because she destroyed her tummy and is needing another tuck. I guess just take that as it comes.
Step back and take a deep breath so that you don't make yourself crazy...which it is easy to do in this process.
Just know that you are worth this and the guilt will pass. Going through that is all a part of this process.
Hang in there and keep us up to date on what is going on.