100+ lb. Weight Loss, Extended Tummy Tuck (No Drain) Denver, CO

For as long as I can remember, I have been incredibly self-conscious about my stomach. I am formerly morbidly obese and after losing more than 100 pounds I have decided it's time to take the next step in my journey so I am having an extended tummy tuck on July 22, 2014. I have spent the last several months scouring this site, reading reviews and looking at pictures and I thought it would be worthwhile to share my story with hopes it would help someone else in their journey.

I have been focused on losing weight my entire adult life. Some might call me a success story; my highest known weight is 264 lbs and today at 5'6" I weigh 150 pounds. I've gone from a size 26/28 to an 8/10. It has taken me the better part of a decade to lose more than 100 lbs through a series of experiments with exercise and then nutrition. I've been stable at my current weight (give or take 5 lbs) for about a year. I'm 35 years old and in the best shape of my life. I eat clean and healthy, weight train twice a week and I'm an avid runner, having just completed a half-marathon in April. I still struggle with food as a crutch but my lifestyle is a complete 180 to where it was when I was in my early 20's.

As I've gotten smaller over the years and my natural figure has started to emerge, the idea of plastic surgery has been something I've had in the back of my mind. My body definitely shows signs that I was once morbidly obese; I am covered in stretch marks, the skin on my stomach is loose and I have abdominal fat that clings to me tooth and nail regardless of any diet or exercise.

I started doing research on plastic surgeons here in Denver and ultimately found one that I scheduled a consult with. After an initial conversation where I shared my weight loss story with the surgeon, followed by an examination, it became clear that the best option for me would be either an extended tummy tuck or a body lift. Both procedures would address the excess fat and loose skin on my stomach and I decided to go for the extended tummy tuck.

The really interesting part about this process so far has been the emotional response I've had since committing to the surgery. Right after I officially scheduled my tummy tuck, I found myself binging on food like I hadn't in a very long time. It was almost as if I was trying to fatten myself up as much as I could in a single night. There is something about having this procedure that signifies the end of a long chapter in my life (or the beginning of a new one, depending on how you look at it) and the thought of shifting my focus away from consistently losing weight was jarring. There is so much of my identity wrapped up in my weight loss that, as crazy as it sounds, I don't know any other way to live my life at this point. I won't consider myself "done" with losing weight completely after my surgery but I really only have another 15 or so pounds to lose; self-sabotage is definitely my biggest hurdle right now.

It's funny that of all the things I could be worried about after my surgery, these are my two biggest concerns:

1) How am I going to manage to get in and out of my ex-boyfriend's SUV after surgery? (He'll be taking care of me for a few days post-op and he drives a Nissan Xterra!)

2) What can I do to avoid getting constipated? I am seriously obsessed with this. I have never had surgery before so I have no idea what to expect in terms of how my body will handle the anesthesia, pain meds, etc. I get blocked up pretty easily as it is (TMI, I know) so I'm terrified of having a traumatic BM post-surgery. I'm getting sweaty just thinking about it.

So regarding #2 (see what I did there?) I am actually going to see a nutritionist on Monday who has a specific surgery recovery regimen to help keep things moving. I'll report back after I meet with her. Otherwise I plan to sip on MoM with a bendy straw and pop stool softeners. Any advice on this topic is greatly appreciated!

Here are a couple of pictures. One is a before and after of my weight loss and the other shows me in my skivvies so you can see what we're working with here. ;) I'll post more photos as I get closer to my surgery date. Part of me wonders if I should have waited until I lost more weight to do the TT surgery but Kari (patient counselor) over at Dr. Vath's office is helping me work through that one. Her advice to me: stop giving power to the part of myself that still thinks I'm fat.

Two of the many things I'm most looking forward to as a result of this surgery:

1) Being able to sit down without my belly spilling out all over the place. I've always been so self-conscious about that and more often than not I will opt to remain standing just to avoid the embarrassment.

2) I have a t-shirt that doesn't fit very well around my tummy and I cannot wait until I can wear it! It's a silly thing but I am so looking forward to looking and feeling good in my clothes.