Some things you may not realize about major weight loss and possible treatments (could be confronting)

Major weight loss = major skin folds 

Major weight loss = major skin folds for most people especially if you have been large for many years. Skin does not just snap back to your new, much smaller, shape. A few kilos up and down it can cope with. 45+ kilos not so much. Dressed this is not so visible especially with Spanx or similar underwear that is now available. All the extra skin is compressed and you look normal. Most of us want to have fun with intimate contact involved at some stage. It can be terrifying to know that when the clothes come off you will be seen in all your saggy glory. Your permanent partner may not worry too much but if you are in the process of dating it can be a major barrier.

Of course there are other reasons for getting rid of your saggy, baggy skin. Those folds can quite easily get infected. A large fold holds moisture in and that is a lovely environment for a lot of infections. Some abdominal folds can be large enough to impede movement when walking or trying to exercise. There can be ongoing spinal problems caused by the excess skin folds altering the way you stand and move. These are all valid reasons for doing something about it.

1.Exercise is a first option.
Time spent at the gym, or any other form of exercise that will help build up the underlying muscles, is always the start of your body shaping journey. Getting fit and healthy will make any needed surgery much easier on your body. Some skin folds will lessen a bit.

2. Nutrition needs must be met before, during and after surgery.
You want your body to be good nutritionally as surgery uses up a lot of vitamins, minerals etc while you are healing. Your doctor will check blood tests and advise on any supplementation needed to ensure speedy and good healing. Fruits, vegetables and protein are needed here. Iron and vitamin tablets can help also.

3. You need to reach goal weight and stabilize for a number of months.
There is a reason for this. Every surgery carries major risks. You don't want things done and redone. You wait for a while so that your skin will do any changing that it is going to without help. You are getting as fit as possible for the surgery to go well for you. You may need to save to have the surgery done if it is something not done in a public health system or under your health insurance. Your mind needs to be in the right headspace. Surgery and reshaping your body does not cure everything. You are still you. How you are emotionally may not change unless you have taken the time to work through it. Research on body dysmorphia  if you don't believe me.

Pictures of the body changes after large weight loss.

These are confronting photos and you may never be exactly like these people but you will have some issues that you may want addressed in the end. The main thing though with the weight loss achieved through your surgery is that you gained your life back. Once again you can move freely, tie your own shoe laces, cross your legs or wear lovely clothes again. Your blood pressure may have gone back to normal, your diabetes may have improved or disappeared, your heart or kidney problems may have improved, you are healthier all round. That is the prime reason for weight loss surgery; to improve and lengthen your lifetime. The rest is just the niggly bits. Your self image may be happier if the outside mirrored your insides. That is not to say that everyone needs, or wants, surgical help to alter their outer body too. It is a personal decision always.

6 common surgeries after WLS to remove excess skin

1. Tummy tuck - this can be large or small abdominal flaps and may include some muscle repair

2. Breast augmentation/lift - some lose cup size, others need a lift to come off the waist area

3. Face/neck lift - to remove jowls and sagging of the face and neck

4. Arm lift - to get rid of the sagging under your upper arms.

5. Medial thigh lift - the inner thigh sag

6. Lower body lift - this may include the buttocks, groin, outer thighs and sometimes the lower abdomen

Pictures showing the possible differences

You need to think long and hard about body contour surgery.

What they do

 This surgery can be very extensive and hard on your body so you need to go into it with your eyes open. There will be pain. You will need time off work. You will need to take care for a time afterwards and follow your surgeon's orders. You may need to wear support garments to help your body during the healing process. Learn everything you can before you decide to do it. Chose a good doctor and hospital. Enjoy your new body if you go this route. It is your life, live it how you want to.

Your new body is rising from the older larger one. You did it. Celebrate.

Progress finally, have lost a kilo in weight.

 I have had a long 6 months of bouncing around 106-108 kgs and finally I have started on a downward trend in the last 2 weeks. Once again my body has reinforced that you have to eat less calories than you need to actually lose weight. I cut out eating puddings every night and suddenly a kilo of weight disappeared. Going to the gym at least 4 times a week for 90 minutes and walking for 1-3+ hours on the other days was the other part of the equation.

I use MyFitnessPal to record the food I eat and the exercise I do as well. The food input shows you how many carbs, fat, protein, sodium and sugar that you have eaten. If you are trying to increase or lower some of these you have an instant response on how well you are doing. You look at the food     you are eating and do some research to improve the levels.

There are blogs to read or write. The mental part of weight loss is as important as the physical part. Writing it down can help you see where you are at. If you are down or hating yourself this shows up and you can address it. If you are celebrating good things in your life you do so out loud for others to read. If you have found something that works for you someone else may be able to use it too.

I have a problem drinking enough water each day and noting how much makes me drink up so I can write it down. Instead of 1250 mls /day I am regularly drinking 17-1800 mls. My body is happier with that. You can also check charts of your progress and nip an upwards trend quicker. Forums with other going through the same journey show you why, how, when etc things may happen. So many others are having the same battles. Most give positive support to you. Those that don't are soon put in their place.

It is a place where if you are too thin to be healthy or too fat and risking major health problems there is someone there in the same place. If others around you; whether at home , at work or just socially, are shaming you emotionally you can talk about it. Hey, at least you are attempting to become a healthier person. Most of the shamers have their own problems. Why deal with theirs? You need to be strong on this journey. Hopefully those around you will be strong with you.


Recipes that may be of use in changing your eating habits are available. We can get stuck in the same food groove. It pays to try something new. Your tastes may change after WLS. The amount you can eat certainly does. The type of food that you can tolerate and enjoy does. Fatty food and too many carbs will cause dumping - not nice. But hey, you had the surgery for a reason.  

Their own blog covers many aspects surrounding weight. They have sorted it out into Eat, Move, Live and Learn. I find these articles and videos very useful. It is a tool that may be of use to you. It is to me.

These photos are me. The top 2 were taken today and the bottom 2 were in January this year just after Xmas. I can see that the gym work is tightening my body up. I know when I look down my body I no longer see lumps of rolly fat jutting out from my inner thigh. My boos are out past my abdomen again instead of my abdomen being very visible past my boobs. There is more muscle definition on my forearms and the upper arm is slightly smaller. I hope the next lot of photos I share will show an even bigger difference.

I am giving myself a pat on the back for losing, instead of gaining, weight this winter. I have been known to gain up to 20 kilos though that came down to 2+ post surgery. Losing 2 kgs in the last 3 weeks makes me happier. Fitting into XL leggings easily again makes me happier. I have others that I love but if I can keep this weight loss going I will have to release them to someone else that may need them at the end of this winter. There are nice clothes awaiting me next year that will be smaller and prettier. I look forward to it and will work hard to get there.                                    

Progress finally, have lost a kilo in weight.

 I have had a long 6 months of bouncing around 106-108 kgs and finally I have started on a downward trend in the last 2 weeks. Once again my body has reinforced that you have to eat less calories than you need to actually lose weight. I cut out eating puddings every night and suddenly a kilo of weight disappeared. Going to the gym at least 4 times a week for 90 minutes and walking for 1-3+ hours on the other days was the other part of the equation.

I use MyFitnessPal to record the food I eat and the exercise I do as well. The food input shows you how many carbs, fat, protein, sodium and sugar that you have eaten. If you are trying to increase or lower some of these you have an instant response on how well you are doing. You look at the food     you are eating and do some research to improve the levels.

There are blogs to read or write. The mental part of weight loss is as important as the physical part. Writing it down can help you see where you are at. If you are down or hating yourself this shows up and you can address it. If you are celebrating good things in your life you do so out loud for others to read. If you have found something that works for you someone else may be able to use it too.

I have a problem drinking enough water each day and noting how much makes me drink up so I can write it down. Instead of 1250 mls /day I am regularly drinking 17-1800 mls. My body is happier with that. You can also check charts of your progress and nip an upwards trend quicker. Forums with other going through the same journey show you why, how, when etc things may happen. So many others are having the same battles. Most give positive support to you. Those that don't are soon put in their place.

It is a place where if you are too thin to be healthy or too fat and risking major health problems there is someone there in the same place. If others around you; whether at home , at work or just socially, are shaming you emotionally you can talk about it. Hey, at least you are attempting to become a healthier person. Most of the shamers have their own problems. Why deal with theirs? You need to be strong on this journey. Hopefully those around you will be strong with you.


Recipes that may be of use in changing your eating habits are available. We can get stuck in the same food groove. It pays to try something new. Your tastes may change after WLS. The amount you can eat certainly does. The type of food that you can tolerate and enjoy does. Fatty food and too many carbs will cause dumping - not nice. But hey, you had the surgery for a reason.  

Their own blog covers many aspects surrounding weight. They have sorted it out into Eat, Move, Live and Learn. I find these articles and videos very useful. It is a tool that may be of use to you. It is to me.

These photos are me. The top 2 were taken today and the bottom 2 were in January this year just after Xmas. I can see that the gym work is tightening my body up. I know when I look down my body I no longer see lumps of rolly fat jutting out from my inner thigh. My boos are out past my abdomen again instead of my abdomen being very visible past my boobs. There is more muscle definition on my forearms and the upper arm is slightly smaller. I hope the next lot of photos I share will show an even bigger difference.

I am giving myself a pat on the back for losing, instead of gaining, weight this winter. I have been known to gain up to 20 kilos though that came down to 2+ post surgery. Losing 2 kgs in the last 3 weeks makes me happier. Fitting into XL leggings easily again makes me happier. I have others that I love but if I can keep this weight loss going I will have to release them to someone else that may need them at the end of this winter. There are nice clothes awaiting me next year that will be smaller and prettier. I look forward to it and will work hard to get there.                                    

Possible weight loss from WL surgeries

The weight loss surgeries act in one of two ways: Restriction or Malabsorption. Restriction is a limiting of the size of stomach by either placing a LapBand around the upper part of the stomach or by removing up to 80% of your stomach as in the Gastric Sleeve. Malabsorption as in the Gastric Bypass is by making a pouch at the top of your stomach that connects much lower in your small intestine. Food has a much shorter time to be absorbed and it isn't fully absorbed.

The time that your body takes to alter is different for each operation but with all of them you will lose faster at the start. What you have to remember though is these percentages are about your excess weight.

 Current Weight - Ideal Weight = Excess Weight

It still remains up to you, and what you do, as to how much weight is lost in the end. Weight Loss Surgery is a tool that helps you lose the initial weight that can help you become a healthier person. It is hard to exercise when you are 40 +% higher than you should be weight wise. Your body protests in your lower limbs with pain, your boobs try to smother you in your sleep and fat around essential organs makes it more difficult for them to work properly. Pick up a child that weighs how much weight that you need to lose to give you a better perspective. When you grunt and groan to do it remember that is the extra amount you carry around every day. No wonder you don't feel right. I know. Been there, done that. Guys, pick up some bags of cement to give yourself an idea.

Any weight loss further out is all you. You have learned to eat better. You have learned to exercise daily. You have learned the food and fluids your body needs. It may be on-going but every time you learn something new your body will thank you. Your family will thank for being there, and healthy, with them. You may get that family you have been trying for so long to have. You may feel better in your skin than you ever have. TRY IT. GO for it. Keep going every day. Everyday's a new and better day.

Type of surgery	Way it works	Possible weight loss	Timeframe
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass	Malabsorption. Initial size limitation, reconnected lower in the small intestine less time to be absorbed.	65-75% of EXCESS weight	12-18 months, changes made by you help
Lap Band	Restriction. A band is placed around the upper stomach (adjustable through external port) limiting amount of food eaten. Allows normal absorption.	50 % of EXCESS weight	Up to 3 years if you work at it.
Lap. Gastric sleeve	Restriction. Part of the stomach permanently removed creating tube. Less hunger hormones produced. Normal absorption.	40-70% of EXCESS weight	In the first year, can be ongoing if you continue to work at it.