POSTED UNDER Mommy Makeover Reviews REVIEWS
26 Yo, 5'7, 160 Lbs, Weight Loss (NO KIDS!), Breast Lift w/ Implants and Tummy Tuck
ORIGINAL POST
Hello realselfers! I, like most people on here,...
n.y.shreeMay 24, 2018
WORTH IT$13,500
Hello realselfers! I, like most people on here, have spent an ungodly number of hours stalking other transformations in the preparation for my own, and I have to say- this app has been a lifesaver. Seeing other peoples journeys has helped me contextualize what I?m looking for and get a better idea of what to anticipate, which makes this all so much easier and actually exciting! As a gesture of good faith to women like me who may be considering this path themselves, I?m paying it forward with a review of my own. To start, here?s a brief summary of where I?m at and what I?m getting:
Height: 5? 7”
Current Weight: 160
Highest weight: 230
Weight when first considering surgery: 180
Planned surgery: Breast lift + aug. & tummy tuck (no lipo)
Implants: 485cc silicone moderate profile (sub-muscular)
Surgeon: John Paul Tutela, MD
Surgery Date: June 2nd, 2018
As you may have noticed, I?ve dropped a bunch of weight, 70lbs in total (woohoo!). I don?t have any kids, so this weight loss is the reason I?m pursuing what is otherwise called a “mommy makeover”. :)
I?ve been overweight my ENTIRE life and have been on every. single. diet under the sun. Finally, a few years ago, I was fed up with hating what I saw in the mirror and had a complete mental reboot. I started eating well and exercising, and lost 50lbs over 2 years (there were ups and downs of course, but I kept at it). Unfortunately, the weight loss left it?s mark on my body, mainly- my boobs. They look like what I fondly refer to as two near-empty bags of milk. Dealing with these pancakes has been hard. I worked my butt (or rather, boobs?) off for a better body and now felt saddled with a different kind of embarrassing body.
After over a year of contemplation, I decided to take the plunge and look into cosmetic surgery to give me my boobs back. I went to 6 (yeah that?s too many!) different plastic surgeons for consultations (all free and through realself, don?t pay for a consult!!), and after hearing a bunch of different opinions, I met Dr. Tutela, who was strikingly genuine. He took his time explaining things and answering my laundry list of questions carefully and completely, which I found refreshing, and honestly- his before and after pictures speak for themselves. He does FANTASTIC work. And the cherry on top? His prices are actually very reasonable for NYC. I was quoted by some surgeons $10K more for the same procedure, and they didn?t even have consistently good results. Bottom line- go to Tutela. He?s the best out there. I did months of research and went to several consults to figure this out, let me save you the time and energy! :)
Anyhow, when first meeting with Tutela in Dec 2017, (I was 180lbs at this point) he told me that I did have grade 1 ptosis (breast sag) due to the weight loss, and that the fat in my breasts was nearly gone, leaving me with excess skin and no true volume. Originally I was vehemently against getting a lift because of the scars, but he explained to me how my ptosis was so significant, putting an implant in would just create heavy hanging breasts, (“a ball in a sock situation”), which would not look or feel good. He added that proper scar treatment could reduce the scars significantly to the point of being barely visible. He showed me pictures of his patients? scars at different healing stages (again guys, go check out his page on realself or his Instagram if you don?t believe me) and his results had me sold.
I left the consult certain this was the surgeon I was going with, except I wanted to wait until the spring to get the surgery so I could 1) save up the $$$, and 2) lose a bit more weight to increase my chances of an aesthetically pleasing and permanent result (any moderate weight-gain/loss post-op could diminish the quality of the initial result). I told his office that I was looking at May, and set off on what ended up being part 2 of my weight-loss journey.
Over the next 4 months, I did NOT mess around. I joined a HIIT studio and went almost everyday, buckled down on my diet (counting macros and everything) and lost another 20 pounds and 15+ inches. My pant size dropped from a 12 to a 6, and I now have muscle definition in places I would?ve never dreamed! Most importantly though, I feel more fit and confident than ever. Needless to say, I am SO ready for this surgery now.
But Christina, you only mentioned the breast lift and implant, what about the tummy tuck in your stats above? I?m glad you asked! I met with Tutela about a month ago to check in on everything post-additional weight loss & to set a surgery date, and I brought up how I couldn?t lose my stubborn belly fat despite my best efforts. He took my stomach in his hands and said “Christina...this is all skin”. My jaw hit the floor. I had excess skin?! I couldn?t believe it. I was never massively overweight, but losing 70 pounds (the last 20 pretty quickly), had completely melted all the fat from my stomach (where I used to store most of my weight), and my skin never bounced back. I now had 2+ handfuls of excess skin on my abdomen. Tutela informed me that my only real options were to let it be or to get a tummy tuck to remove the excess skin, which as you may know, leaves a large scar across your lower abdomen. He showed me again how the scar could be minimized with proper care, but it was still a lot to take in. After spending a couple weeks weighing the pros and cons, I decided I would get the tummy tuck as well. I didn?t want to commit to new boobs to celebrate my new body and have my excess skin rob me of my abdominal glory by serving as a reminder of my old body. Plus, I had a FLAT stomach under that skin- I deserve to see that!
Why am I going into so much detail on all of this before even getting to the surgery part?? There?s a really good reason for that actually. I see tons of women on here explaining their surgery journey (which is again, something I am suuuuper thankful for), but it actually begins LONG before you set a date and pay a deposit. Before signing up for major transformative surgery, ask yourself: Have I done everything?? Do I feel 100% ready for this? Can I do ANYTHING to enhance my results, to make this $$$ worth it? I?m telling you now, if any of these questions make you even slightly uncomfortable, that means you can do more. And this is a GOOD thing! Trust me, there?s nothing like an expensive elective surgery to force you to make some serious changes. Yes, running on the treadmill made me feel like death (it gets easier though), and yes, eating salads definitely sucked when I was PMSing, but knowing I?m an even better candidate for surgery makes every sacrifice totally worth it. In fact, that journey chiseled away the love handles I was considering having lipo-d while under, and led to the need for a tummy tuck to show off what was now a flat belly! In short, I have no regrets waiting until I was 100% ready.
Surgery is a big, important decision, and you?ve committed yourself to that (go team!), so why not commit to something equally if not more challenging before then? We deserve to do the most we can for ourselves so we can be set up for long term success post-op!
I?ve attached before and after pictures of the 20lb portion of my weight loss so you can see just how much of a difference a small amount of physical fine-tuning can make in prepping for surgery. Hope this helps! :) I?ll post again soon with more pre-op stuff. Until then, tata (pun intended) for now!
Height: 5? 7”
Current Weight: 160
Highest weight: 230
Weight when first considering surgery: 180
Planned surgery: Breast lift + aug. & tummy tuck (no lipo)
Implants: 485cc silicone moderate profile (sub-muscular)
Surgeon: John Paul Tutela, MD
Surgery Date: June 2nd, 2018
As you may have noticed, I?ve dropped a bunch of weight, 70lbs in total (woohoo!). I don?t have any kids, so this weight loss is the reason I?m pursuing what is otherwise called a “mommy makeover”. :)
I?ve been overweight my ENTIRE life and have been on every. single. diet under the sun. Finally, a few years ago, I was fed up with hating what I saw in the mirror and had a complete mental reboot. I started eating well and exercising, and lost 50lbs over 2 years (there were ups and downs of course, but I kept at it). Unfortunately, the weight loss left it?s mark on my body, mainly- my boobs. They look like what I fondly refer to as two near-empty bags of milk. Dealing with these pancakes has been hard. I worked my butt (or rather, boobs?) off for a better body and now felt saddled with a different kind of embarrassing body.
After over a year of contemplation, I decided to take the plunge and look into cosmetic surgery to give me my boobs back. I went to 6 (yeah that?s too many!) different plastic surgeons for consultations (all free and through realself, don?t pay for a consult!!), and after hearing a bunch of different opinions, I met Dr. Tutela, who was strikingly genuine. He took his time explaining things and answering my laundry list of questions carefully and completely, which I found refreshing, and honestly- his before and after pictures speak for themselves. He does FANTASTIC work. And the cherry on top? His prices are actually very reasonable for NYC. I was quoted by some surgeons $10K more for the same procedure, and they didn?t even have consistently good results. Bottom line- go to Tutela. He?s the best out there. I did months of research and went to several consults to figure this out, let me save you the time and energy! :)
Anyhow, when first meeting with Tutela in Dec 2017, (I was 180lbs at this point) he told me that I did have grade 1 ptosis (breast sag) due to the weight loss, and that the fat in my breasts was nearly gone, leaving me with excess skin and no true volume. Originally I was vehemently against getting a lift because of the scars, but he explained to me how my ptosis was so significant, putting an implant in would just create heavy hanging breasts, (“a ball in a sock situation”), which would not look or feel good. He added that proper scar treatment could reduce the scars significantly to the point of being barely visible. He showed me pictures of his patients? scars at different healing stages (again guys, go check out his page on realself or his Instagram if you don?t believe me) and his results had me sold.
I left the consult certain this was the surgeon I was going with, except I wanted to wait until the spring to get the surgery so I could 1) save up the $$$, and 2) lose a bit more weight to increase my chances of an aesthetically pleasing and permanent result (any moderate weight-gain/loss post-op could diminish the quality of the initial result). I told his office that I was looking at May, and set off on what ended up being part 2 of my weight-loss journey.
Over the next 4 months, I did NOT mess around. I joined a HIIT studio and went almost everyday, buckled down on my diet (counting macros and everything) and lost another 20 pounds and 15+ inches. My pant size dropped from a 12 to a 6, and I now have muscle definition in places I would?ve never dreamed! Most importantly though, I feel more fit and confident than ever. Needless to say, I am SO ready for this surgery now.
But Christina, you only mentioned the breast lift and implant, what about the tummy tuck in your stats above? I?m glad you asked! I met with Tutela about a month ago to check in on everything post-additional weight loss & to set a surgery date, and I brought up how I couldn?t lose my stubborn belly fat despite my best efforts. He took my stomach in his hands and said “Christina...this is all skin”. My jaw hit the floor. I had excess skin?! I couldn?t believe it. I was never massively overweight, but losing 70 pounds (the last 20 pretty quickly), had completely melted all the fat from my stomach (where I used to store most of my weight), and my skin never bounced back. I now had 2+ handfuls of excess skin on my abdomen. Tutela informed me that my only real options were to let it be or to get a tummy tuck to remove the excess skin, which as you may know, leaves a large scar across your lower abdomen. He showed me again how the scar could be minimized with proper care, but it was still a lot to take in. After spending a couple weeks weighing the pros and cons, I decided I would get the tummy tuck as well. I didn?t want to commit to new boobs to celebrate my new body and have my excess skin rob me of my abdominal glory by serving as a reminder of my old body. Plus, I had a FLAT stomach under that skin- I deserve to see that!
Why am I going into so much detail on all of this before even getting to the surgery part?? There?s a really good reason for that actually. I see tons of women on here explaining their surgery journey (which is again, something I am suuuuper thankful for), but it actually begins LONG before you set a date and pay a deposit. Before signing up for major transformative surgery, ask yourself: Have I done everything?? Do I feel 100% ready for this? Can I do ANYTHING to enhance my results, to make this $$$ worth it? I?m telling you now, if any of these questions make you even slightly uncomfortable, that means you can do more. And this is a GOOD thing! Trust me, there?s nothing like an expensive elective surgery to force you to make some serious changes. Yes, running on the treadmill made me feel like death (it gets easier though), and yes, eating salads definitely sucked when I was PMSing, but knowing I?m an even better candidate for surgery makes every sacrifice totally worth it. In fact, that journey chiseled away the love handles I was considering having lipo-d while under, and led to the need for a tummy tuck to show off what was now a flat belly! In short, I have no regrets waiting until I was 100% ready.
Surgery is a big, important decision, and you?ve committed yourself to that (go team!), so why not commit to something equally if not more challenging before then? We deserve to do the most we can for ourselves so we can be set up for long term success post-op!
I?ve attached before and after pictures of the 20lb portion of my weight loss so you can see just how much of a difference a small amount of physical fine-tuning can make in prepping for surgery. Hope this helps! :) I?ll post again soon with more pre-op stuff. Until then, tata (pun intended) for now!
n.y.shree's provider
UPDATED FROM n.y.shree
6 days pre
Post-Op Supplies!
n.y.shreeMay 27, 2018
Only one week to go!! I’m so anxious about this surgery, I can’t believe after all this time it’s only 7 short days away! I’m going to spend my weekend deep cleaning the apartment so that I’ve got nice, hygienic conditions post-op and don’t have to worry about cleaning for a while!
As a part of surgery prep, I’ve been slowly gathering items prescribed to me by Dr. Tutela and recommended by other ladies on this site who have gone through this process already. Attached are some pics of what I’ve got so far. I think I have everything I may need for at least the first month or so, now it’s just a matter of meal prepping so I make sure to stay on a healthy controlled diet during recovery. No exercise for around 4 weeks is going to be TOUGH, so I definitely need to be on top of the healthy eating!
I’ve also attached a few more photos of my excess abdominal skin since it’s kind of hard to tell when I’m just standing up straight. I still can’t believe this only happened in the last 20 pounds of weight loss!
As a part of surgery prep, I’ve been slowly gathering items prescribed to me by Dr. Tutela and recommended by other ladies on this site who have gone through this process already. Attached are some pics of what I’ve got so far. I think I have everything I may need for at least the first month or so, now it’s just a matter of meal prepping so I make sure to stay on a healthy controlled diet during recovery. No exercise for around 4 weeks is going to be TOUGH, so I definitely need to be on top of the healthy eating!
I’ve also attached a few more photos of my excess abdominal skin since it’s kind of hard to tell when I’m just standing up straight. I still can’t believe this only happened in the last 20 pounds of weight loss!
Replies (1)
October 8, 2019
What wold you recommend most for recovery? I want to make sure my skin is moisturized and that my scars heal nicely.
UPDATED FROM n.y.shree
2 days post
Made it to the other side
n.y.shreeJune 4, 2018
I can’t believe it, but surgery is over! I’m not going to write a lot today because I’m still in a lot of pain and don’t have much energy but here are my before and after pics, as well as the amount of skin he took off, which is surreal to me. I can’t really feel much breast pain but I think that’s because the abdominal pain has been so intense. I had to stay overnight in the hospital because I have a blood clotting disorder, and my BP ending up being very low, which made it difficult to get some of the IV pain meds since their side effect is lowering blood pressure even more, so the first night was EXTREMELY hard. Definitely the most pain I’ve ever been in, I wasn’t prepared for that. I Regardless, I’m pushing through the best I can and Tutela has been great with following up. I still haven’t seen my body yet, but I’m taking my first shower today and am so anxious to see how it looks. I’ll see Tutela tomorrow for my first follow-up appointment and update again soon! Until then, time for a nap...
Replies (3)