Re: Excess Skin? Holy Cow.....

June 11, 2002

There are several women who have lost a great deal of weight and don't have

" hanging " skin. I have about 120 lbs to lose and I know that with healthy

eating, LOTS of healthy fluids and taking care of myself I can lose the

weight without having sagging skin. You can check out Pam Brown at

www.bodychangers.com she is on page 4 about half way down. She is my

inspiration! I have her before and afters all over my laptop!!!

Hang in there....I'll pray for strength for you... You have done a wonderful

job so far....73 lbs is quite an accomplishment. So often we want to see

the outside results when it's the inside results that matter the most! You

are worth what you are doing! You lengthing your life and slowly (yep it is

a good thing) making changes as to not stress your body (internally and

externally)

I'm here if you need me.

Have a blessed day and hang in there ) We are on your side!

Excess Skin? Holy Cow.....

OK. Nobody can email me back and say " focus on what you have

acheived so far!!! " ugghh.

I've never posted here before so I'm looking for direction. I've

been eating BFL way for over a year. I started off @ 318 pounds and

have lost 73 pounds to date. When I step out of the box and look at

that, I'm just like everyone else I know...What I've accomplished is

amazing. When I'm naked and look in the mirror...I see nothing...no

difference. I feel no different and no more attractive. I like

myself no more than when I started. I've been obese for over 12

years and overweight since I was a young child. Now, after working

sooooo hard, I read all these reports the last few days (including

the People Mag. on Carnie ...gastric bypass...ick) that almost

EVERYONE who loses a massive amount of weight has pounds....(did they

say pounds????) of hanging loose flesh that you can do nothing about

other than invasive surgery leaving you with scars from hip to hip.

I've been in a state of nothing short of a panic attack for 2 days.

I've been crying at work all day. I feel like totally giving up. I

guess you would have to be morbidly obese to understand the journey

ahead of someone who has to lost 180 pounds to goal. I don't just

want to be healthy by god, I'm only 32! I want to look REEEEEAAALLY

good for all that work.

PLEASE is there anyone out there who has lost 100-150 pounds that

can either put the nail in my coffin or give me hope? There is no

way I could ever afford that surgery....nor at this point do I think

I would put myself thru that. If nobody is signed on...is there

anyone that posts here that you can direct me too? I try to use a

sense of humor...but you can't imagine the breakdown I'm on the brink

of. I hope this doens't sound selfish.

June 11, 2002

> I've never posted here before so I'm looking for direction. I've

> been eating BFL way for over a year. I started off @ 318 pounds

and have lost 73 pounds to date.

Wow! You ROCK!

First, take a deep breath! Did you feel better about yourself before

you read that article? I bet you did. It takes so little to take our

achievements away from us!

I have not lost that much, but here is what I've learned along the

way. Someone who gets a bypass looses quickly, like a friend of mine

who went from a size 28 to 8 in eight months. The skin cannot keep

up with that kind of rapid weight loss. If you have been doing BFL,

you have been loosing in a slow, steady way, over a long period of

time, so you probably have less loose skin than you would otherwise

(even if you don't think so right now, it is probably true).

Now, does this mean your skin will go back to " normal " ? Maybe.

Everyone is different. You're fairly young, and your skin elasticity

is still pretty good, that is in your favor. You are eating a

healthy meal plan, so your skin is getting the nutrients it needs

(one reason we don't good too low on fats is that your skin needs it

to maintain it's elasticity).

No one can say what your body is going to do for sure, but at this

time I'd say you should not panic. Check out Mina's photos, she lost

a bunch and did not have a tummy tuck (the scar is from a differnt

surgury, and is visible in both the before and after shots.) Also,

go to www.bodychangers.com and look for Pam Brown. She did not have

a tummy tuck either. You can email her from that site, too. I'm sure

she will be able to give you more comfort.

Did you take pictures when you started? If not, that is too bad,

because I KNOW that if you saw before and after photos you'd see a

difference. It just isn't possible to loose that much weight and not

have changes. You have just not learned how to look at yourself

objectively (this is why we can gain weight without noticing too. I

don't look any different to myself at 223# than I did at 160#.)

Now. Why is it that you don't feel any better about yourself? You

have achieve something that I have failed to do. I could not have

lost over 70#. You have an amazing amount of strength in you. If

you really, honestly, cannot see that you have done something

wonderful, perhaps you are depressed. I have had spells of

depression, and when in that state I can't think of anything good

about myself. Have you talked to your doctor about these feelings?

Hormones and fat are interconnected, and it is possible that your

weight loss as thrown off your hormone levels. That can lead to

depression, a false self-image, and the like.

I do know how close you are to a break-down. I can see it in your

post. I can only say that I know you have it in you to see this

through to the end. You would not have come this far if you did not.

We heavy gals are taught that we should be funny. We learn to use

humor to get past the painful things, sometimes (or often) making

ourselves the butts of our own jokes. This is not a good place to

be. You have every right to be upset. You have every right to be

selfish, after all this is YOUR body we are talking about. Who else

is going to take care of it if you don't do it your self?

We are going to be here for you. Don't ever worry that your are

being selfish, imposing, or any of those negative things we accuse

ourselves of all the time. This is the forum for you to ask

questions to help you.

Alys

June 11, 2002

BFL,

>

> I do know how close you are to a break-down. I can see it in your

> post. I can only say that I know you have it in you to see this

> through to the end. You would not have come this far if you did

not.

>

> We heavy gals are taught that we should be funny. We learn to use

> humor to get past the painful things, sometimes (or often) making

> ourselves the butts of our own jokes. This is not a good place to

> be. You have every right to be upset. You have every right to be

> selfish, after all this is YOUR body we are talking about. Who

else

> is going to take care of it if you don't do it your self?

>

> We are going to be here for you. Don't ever worry that your are

> being selfish, imposing, or any of those negative things we accuse

> ourselves of all the time. This is the forum for you to ask

> questions to help you.

>

> Alys

Good advice Alys!! Don't give up, and as my DH says, don't believe

what you hear and half of what you see!!!

Jana

June 11, 2002

> I think you just saved my life...or at least kept me from going

over the edge. Why is it some days we are support givers and other

days we need therapy? I guess I just needed some proof. I will

check out those websites...I am very familiar with Ms. Brown...but I

just wanted more examples I guess. I've always been the one that

falls into the 2% of people category...If something bad would

happen...it would be to me...(boo hoo..I know). Am I depressed?

Probably. What has my doctor said? Who knows...I can't find a

doctor that gives a crap. I've been thru about 4 of them over the

last 4 years and all I can get out of them is " take this pill and see

me in 3-4 months. " When I tell them I'm eating healthy and

exercising, they don't even ask me to give them examples of what I

eat...they just assume I'm full of crap I guess. I've been tossing

it around to try and find another doctor on my insurance, but it's

like a shot in the dark you know?

Any way, thank you for your help and suggestions, and I look forward

to completing this journey with friends.

> > I've never posted here before so I'm looking for direction. I've

> > been eating BFL way for over a year. I started off @ 318 pounds

> and have lost 73 pounds to date.

>

> Wow! You ROCK!

>

> First, take a deep breath! Did you feel better about yourself

before

> you read that article? I bet you did. It takes so little to take

our

> achievements away from us!

>

> I have not lost that much, but here is what I've learned along the

> way. Someone who gets a bypass looses quickly, like a friend of

mine

> who went from a size 28 to 8 in eight months. The skin cannot

keep

> up with that kind of rapid weight loss. If you have been doing

BFL,

> you have been loosing in a slow, steady way, over a long period of

> time, so you probably have less loose skin than you would otherwise

> (even if you don't think so right now, it is probably true).

>

> Now, does this mean your skin will go back to " normal " ? Maybe.

> Everyone is different. You're fairly young, and your skin

elasticity

> is still pretty good, that is in your favor. You are eating a

> healthy meal plan, so your skin is getting the nutrients it needs

> (one reason we don't good too low on fats is that your skin needs

it

> to maintain it's elasticity).

>

> No one can say what your body is going to do for sure, but at this

> time I'd say you should not panic. Check out Mina's photos, she

lost

> a bunch and did not have a tummy tuck (the scar is from a differnt

> surgury, and is visible in both the before and after shots.) Also,

> go to www.bodychangers.com and look for Pam Brown. She did not

have

> a tummy tuck either. You can email her from that site, too. I'm

sure

> she will be able to give you more comfort.

>

> Did you take pictures when you started? If not, that is too bad,

> because I KNOW that if you saw before and after photos you'd see a

> difference. It just isn't possible to loose that much weight and

not

> have changes. You have just not learned how to look at yourself

> objectively (this is why we can gain weight without noticing too. I

> don't look any different to myself at 223# than I did at 160#.)

>

> Now. Why is it that you don't feel any better about yourself? You

> have achieve something that I have failed to do. I could not have

> lost over 70#. You have an amazing amount of strength in you. If

> you really, honestly, cannot see that you have done something

> wonderful, perhaps you are depressed. I have had spells of

> depression, and when in that state I can't think of anything good

> about myself. Have you talked to your doctor about these

feelings?

> Hormones and fat are interconnected, and it is possible that your

> weight loss as thrown off your hormone levels. That can lead to

> depression, a false self-image, and the like.

>

> I do know how close you are to a break-down. I can see it in your

> post. I can only say that I know you have it in you to see this

> through to the end. You would not have come this far if you did

not.

>

> We heavy gals are taught that we should be funny. We learn to use

> humor to get past the painful things, sometimes (or often) making

> ourselves the butts of our own jokes. This is not a good place to

> be. You have every right to be upset. You have every right to be

> selfish, after all this is YOUR body we are talking about. Who

else

> is going to take care of it if you don't do it your self?

>

> We are going to be here for you. Don't ever worry that your are

> being selfish, imposing, or any of those negative things we accuse

> ourselves of all the time. This is the forum for you to ask

> questions to help you.

>

> Alys

June 11, 2002

Hi~

Glad you decided to post instead of driving yourself crazy over this. The

others have already given you some excellent advice as well as a few names

that have lost quite a bit of weight. Take a deep breath and relax a little;

there are some things that you can do along the way of your fitness journey

to help with the loose skin so when you do get to your goal weight your skin

won't have a lot of catching up to do [bTW the body shapes up first and the

skin lags behind but is suppose to eventually catch up as long as you

continue with the healthy eating and drinking lots of water each

day...because you shed the old skin cells daily and it rejuvinates [sp?] all

of the time and in time it will take on the shape of the new you].Ok this is

what you can do to keep/ or get your skin healthy since you are already

taking care of your body you need to show equal attention to the skin.

Exfoliate your skin daily [helps take off the dry old dead cells to make

room for the new ones]. Then 2 times a day apply the skin firming lotions

on your body [massaging them into your skin to help keep moisture in] do one

of these after you finish showering and the other right before going to bed.

Then drink LOTS of WATER!!! a minimum of a gallon a day and maybe even 1

1/2 gallons. Also if you haven't started taking the EFA's [essential fatty

acids like UDO's or Flax oil then pick one or the other and start this will

help get your skin in top form and will make it more elastic so it will snap

back more. All of these done together will help with the skin factor. And is

a lot less expensive than surgery...remember it won't happen over night but

just like the weight loss if you keep with it you will get results.

I didn't have a lot to loose per say but I did have alot of loose skin after

my last pregnancy which was a twin pregnancy...and have found that the above

methods helped me a lot :0)~

Good luck! and try and take it 1 day at a time.

Joann

---- Original Message -----

From: " stanley1388 " <no_reply >

< >

Sent: Monday, June 10, 2002 3:13 PM

Subject: Excess Skin? Holy Cow.....

> OK. Nobody can email me back and say " focus on what you have

> acheived so far!!! " ugghh.

>

> I've never posted here before so I'm looking for direction. I've

> been eating BFL way for over a year. I started off @ 318 pounds and

> have lost 73 pounds to date. When I step out of the box and look at

> that, I'm just like everyone else I know...What I've accomplished is

> amazing. When I'm naked and look in the mirror...I see nothing...no

> difference. I feel no different and no more attractive. I like

> myself no more than when I started. I've been obese for over 12

> years and overweight since I was a young child. Now, after working

> sooooo hard, I read all these reports the last few days (including

> the People Mag. on Carnie ...gastric bypass...ick) that almost

> EVERYONE who loses a massive amount of weight has pounds....(did they

> say pounds????) of hanging loose flesh that you can do nothing about

> other than invasive surgery leaving you with scars from hip to hip.

> I've been in a state of nothing short of a panic attack for 2 days.

> I've been crying at work all day. I feel like totally giving up. I

> guess you would have to be morbidly obese to understand the journey

> ahead of someone who has to lost 180 pounds to goal. I don't just

> want to be healthy by god, I'm only 32! I want to look REEEEEAAALLY

> good for all that work.

>

> PLEASE is there anyone out there who has lost 100-150 pounds that

> can either put the nail in my coffin or give me hope? There is no

> way I could ever afford that surgery....nor at this point do I think

> I would put myself thru that. If nobody is signed on...is there

> anyone that posts here that you can direct me too? I try to use a

> sense of humor...but you can't imagine the breakdown I'm on the brink

> of. I hope this doens't sound selfish.

>

June 11, 2002

stanley1388 wrote: