tell it like it is...body changes after 66lbs loss

[kimwanalivelife]

so now that I'm on a roll with being truthful, let's talk about the changes in body sofar. First thing that I noticed was~well~ the jiggel..just walking down the hallway at home. I guess I walk a little faster now. So I noticed that my stomach had a wibble jiggel back and forth. Must be the skin in less full so it moves more. Don't know what to think of this.. 2nd noticed my arms have changed. Same amount of droopy skin, but differant contours to the shape of the upper arm, with wrinkels in the loose skin. (Gross I know)doesn't bother me as much as the stomach jiggel. I've always hated my arms anyway. My legs have thined. When I put my hands on top of my thighs I feel a shape that I like. Sides and back have some looseness and jiggel to them, but not bad. I think I'm fine with this sofar. I thought I would be lucky and not loose to much boobs, because they seemed to stay about the same. I was wrong! This seems to have changed within the last 5 pounds or so. Not very happy with this. But I will take the bad with the good. Yes, I'm gonna go there..they sag more and what is the most upsetting is the skin wrinkels when I move in some positions. Yuch. My poor husband~when I talked to him about them, he thinks they are just going to shrink up and be perky. SORRY~ not happening. My but has gotten smaller and that's nice.Any way I know this is just the start. I know I'm in for more and more changes. I will make plans later for what action to take..I will update in another 50lbs. (So cool to say that)

[taisha]

good for you and the giggles i take that over the looking like i'm getting ready to have a baby any day lol. congrats on the wl and good for you. stay positive

[WayLessInNH]

I have noticed that when wearing jeans it looks like my butt has an extra chin on each cheek. I'm definitely going to need a butt lift down the road. My inner thighs are droopy. I have a turkey gobbler where my extra chin used to be. I now have bat wings for arms. My belly is hanging and is also very droopy.

But with all things considered I wouldn't trade all these problems for where I once was prior to surgery.

I am happier, lighter, and have a lot more energy. With the right body shapers and some well fitting clothes I feel great. (except for the gobbler - they don't sell any kind of spanx to hide that)

[sociologist]

Im down 58# and could fly with my new batwing arms and get shot for being mistaken for a turkey with my gobbler where my chinssssss used to be:-) Shapewear is my new bff, push up strapless bras are wonderful. The first plastics I want is a neck lift:-)

[Little Verbena]

I have found that tight stretchy jeans are the answer for most of the lower body jiggle. That and good quality, strong support bras and shirts with slightly longer sleeves. Live is good, jiggle and all.

[bikrchk]

Yep. Shapewear is my new BFF as well. I don't wear it every day, but the new clothes are more fitted and I do wear it when I have something that is form fitting through the middle. Just makes me more comfortable I guess.

[ljana]

Pectoral exercises will help lift the boobs and squats or some time on an elliptical will help lift the butt! Losing fat is great but toning up the muscles helps decrease the jiggles (insert giggle here lol). I agree with the shapewear comments....Spanks are the best invention since toilet paper and just as important! lol Congrats on EARNING those jiggles!

[jmw]

Not to discourage anyone from exercising, but strengthening the pectoral muscles will not do a whole lot in terms of visual lift, especially for those who had/have significant breast tissue. Squats can and will firm the rear end(your gluteus maximus is your largest muscle in your whole body, so building muscle there is easier and makes more of an impact), and depending on how much loose skin/sagging a person has there, it may be enough to greatly reduce or eliminate that.

I was a personal trainer(oh, the irony) for 7 years, and, without exception, never saw a woman develop her pectorals enough to combat the loose/hanging breast tissue. Men who lost significant weight also had the same issues.

Bummer, dude.

[jmw]

At 51 pounds down, the batwings are awful. The squishiness and sagging of my stomach is not awesome either.

[ljana]

Personally speaking...the pectoral exercises worked for me. I didn't get 20 yr old perky boobs out of it...but they helped and I'll take any lil bit of help I can get lol. Also...the Cacique brand of bra is a HUGE help. The only brand I buy anymore...they last forever and lift "the girls" right up where they need to be. So much so that I was a little unnerved by how close to my chin "the girls" sat after first buying them haha (sorry if that's a TMI for the guys)

[jmw]

I do think, at first, pectoral exercises will help. I think where the variance comes in is if someone has a lot of weight to lose and they are successful at doing so, the amount that it helps, and is noticeable down as the amount lost goes up. Does that make sense: a larger amount of weight loss = less effective? Genetics, age, and skin elasticity also play a factor. Since the thread was titled "...Changes after 66lbs loss" I was talking about the affect after a large weight loss. However, if they worked for you, do them!!!! And, tell everyone that you know to do them.

[ljana]

They did! After a 53lb loss. However....I am NOT in any way, shape, or form, discounting your professional expertise. I'm a nurse and HATE when people do that....because really, the state gave me a license because I'm stupid and really, ANYONE can be a personal trainer (sarcasm). Congrats on the lbs lost BTW! I'm hoping to be where you are in a few months! (with perky girls!) haha

[ximmia]

I'm a bit farther down the line and before surgery I can't remember a time being under 300 pounds. I've been really rough on my body over the years and I have had to accept that fact. My girls are pretty pittiful but I've gone from a 50B to a 35DD so I'm not complaining. My upper body is going to need the most work out of pocket. My pannis is enormous but insurance will pay for that. Arms and a breast lift are must-haves and I'll deal with the rest if I feel I need/want to.

It was quite near the beginning of my sleeved life that I struggled with depression from body image. Where I once saw smooth gold skin I now see blotchy wrinkly skin. It probably took two weeks to become comfortable with accepting that. It wasn't easy to do I"ll tell you that. Now I look at myself in the mirror and I just roll my eyes. But like others, even with my extra saggies I wouldn't change it for anything.

[Roberta]

Although at my heaviest I was 411 lbs, And so I know the sagging skin had begun before surgery and I imagine will get worse, I am so glad that I do not have or want a romantic/sexual life so the only one who will have to look at most of it is me and lucky that I have always been tall and plain and accepted long ago that this was my lot. This does not mean that I won't be bothered by it or what hygeine will be needed to care for all of it . ugh.

[kimwanalivelife]

Just as weight loss is differant for each of us, so is where on our bodys we loose and how it will react. As long as we are all doing good for ourselves let's keep doing it. For me the pictorial exercise is it going to do you much good for the boobs, but it couldn't hurt to exercise everything. I've had 6 kids and breast fed all of them. that takes a toll on the girls themselves. I have no illusion that I will be able to fix them myself. Sorry this is such a sensitive subject. Thanks for all the advice. my grandma always said to do that pictorial exercises from when I was a young girl. I've always had large breasts. It is a shock from going to from my largest size 40j- to 38dd. Still seems big but I don't have fullness lots of skin. A more normal size for me when I was younger Was 38d.