tum tuck Cosmetic Surgery?

[DrGravitas]

When I started this job, I weighed 230-240 lbs. I was never the thinnest individual, but it only held the mildest influence in my mind. Within a year of taking this office job, I had ballooned to 270. This was right around the time I was getting into a deeper study of anatomy as I began to more seriously pursue my 3D modelling hobby. Together, these two events awoke me to the terrible way I had been treating my body through my childhood, teen, and college years. I became acutely aware of 'that thin man' hidden beneath my layers and I began to consistently walk during my lunch period.

Combined with incremental dietary changes, that walking eventually brought me down to 220 lbs, which I have managed to continue hovering around 6 years hence. But, I'm still fat. I am not happy with how I look. I have all but eliminated snacking, but further dietary changes to the meals themselves seem as though they'd make me significantly less happy in exchange for mediocre weight loss.

The real challenge, though, remains excess skin.

Those two decades of abuse can only be atoned for so much. Stretch marks and loose excess skin around my torso cannot (in so far as my reesearch indicates) be excised by exercise or diet. And so, now I am considering surgical options. Obviously, if I'm going that far, I might as well deal with the remaining excess fat as well.

 

TL;DR What are people's thoughts, feelings, or experience with cosmetic surgery primarily for excess skin but also for eliminating some fat?

[Snagged]

Cosmetic surgery (in this context, liposuction) to me is a last resort a person should use if they are simply incapable of trimming their fat and loosing weight by other "normal" means such as exercise and diet changes. But ultimately, it is your choice. Just be warned  that there is a risk of negative repercussions with the surgery, not to mention how expensive it will be.

IMO the whole liposuction to remove excess fat is like killing a mosquito with a bug poison spray. It does it's work, but there are cheaper, less overkill methods to do so. Besides, wouldn't you feel better about yourself if it was you who managed to burn all the excess weight in you?

2 minutes ago, DrGravitas said:

I have all but eliminated snacking

Well there's your problem

2 minutes ago, DrGravitas said:

The real challenge, though, remains excess skin.

It is IMO acceptable to get a cosmetic surgery to remove excess skin because you don't remove it by natural means and it's quite ugly to look at it

[Fossa]

There's no shame in looking into it, especially in terms of excessive skin. I had a close friend from from college with a glandular problem, who had some kind of stomach stapling surgery; she went from about 280 lbs.  to 180 lbs, and did have just that kind of surgery, for excessive skin.

So I say look into all options, while continuing to find ways to eat and stay healthy...just don't get addicted to plastic surgery, like Joan Rivers! Then again, she was very fumy! Best of luck, here, and I hope things keep improving.

 

[DrGravitas]

50 minutes ago, Snagged Cub said:

 

Well there's your problem

 

To clarify, when I say "all but eliminated snacking" I mean that I occasionally have some lightly-buttered popcorn or some fruit outside of a meal. It is fairly rare that I eat candy (except this last week :P)

[PurpleTail]

How tall are you? It's very odd to hear someone having loose skin when they lost only 50lb. I'm not saying 50lb is a small feat though, congratulation on loosing that!

And you shouldn't resort to surgery to loose an extra 50 or whatever you desire pounds. It will come back in no time. After all it's not as much about the result, but more about the personal growth.

P.S. I can't wait to start dieting myself! It will be so fun to see my bones, muscles and veins slowly emerging!

[DrGravitas]

29 minutes ago, PurpleTail said:

How tall are you? It's very odd to hear someone having loose skin when they lost only 50lb. I'm not saying 50lb is a small feat though, congratulation on loosing that!

And you shouldn't resort to surgery to loose an extra 50 or whatever you desire pounds. It will come back in no time. After all it's not as much about the result, but more about the personal growth.

P.S. I can't wait to start dieting myself! It will be so fun to see my bones, muscles and veins slowly emerging!

6 Feet even.

But I usually measure with my boots on, so I can say 6'1 :Y

[PurpleTail]

1 minute ago, DrGravitas said:

6 Feet even.

But I usually measure with my boots on, so I can say 6'1 :Y

 

Oh you weren't and are not really fat. Just a bit chubby. So idk just lose the weight, you did it once, you can do it again. Spend more calories than you consume and that should do it.

[Strongbob]

I think I'd reserve surgery for a measure of last resort.  As someone who may have some grey around his muzzle, I can attest to the fact that keeping the pounds off does get harder, but it's not impossible.  Three suggestions: 1. eliminate as much sugar from your diet as you can.  If you drink pop, just stop, completely, once a month maybe.  2. Find a way to do aerobic exercise and do it as much as you reasonably can.  Find something you enjoy (biking, running, swimming, whatever) and just do it.  3.  Try fasting or just eliminating a few meals every week.  If you do it a few times you'll realize that we can get by just fine skipping meals as needed.  Good luck! 

[DrGravitas]

20 minutes ago, PurpleTail said:

 

Oh you weren't and are not really fat. Just a bit chubby. So idk just lose the weight, you did it once, you can do it again. Spend more calories than you consume and that should do it.

Oh no, I already lost more weight than I ever have before. I'm 10 lbs lighter than I was when I started this job (which itself was about what I was in High School even.) That said, I don't know that that will help with skin.

13 minutes ago, Strongbob said:

I think I'd reserve surgery for a measure of last resort.  As someone who may have some grey around his muzzle, I can attest to the fact that keeping the pounds off does get harder, but it's not impossible.  Three suggestions: 1. eliminate as much sugar from your diet as you can.  If you drink pop, just stop, completely, once a month maybe.  2. Find a way to do aerobic exercise and do it as much as you reasonably can.  Find something you enjoy (biking, running, swimming, whatever) and just do it.  3.  Try fasting or just eliminating a few meals every week.  If you do it a few times you'll realize that we can get by just fine skipping meals as needed.  Good luck! 

Cola has been eliminated (outside of rare visits to restaurants, usually for family) and replaced with a Diet V8 Fusion + Energy (10 calories and little or no sugar). I walk nearly every M-F for about 45 minutes (2 miles). I am not keen on eliminating meals, especially since the only convenient one to eliminate is breakfast. Any suggestions on other exercise?

[PurpleTail]

Are you getting enough sleep at the right time? Sleep is very important but often overlooked

[DrGravitas]

14 minutes ago, PurpleTail said:

Are you getting enough sleep at the right time? Sleep is very important but often overlooked

Generally, yes. Usually 6-8 hours depending on various factors. My job keeps the times I wake up pretty stable while the time I go to be fluctuates by an hour or so. Weekends shift a bit, but I usually get more on them.

[Moogle]

You're 6ft Gravy..?! YE' GIANT! That's not too bad of a weight then, but if you're wanting to lose more then I'd suggest eating throughout the day and less at your main meal times. As far as I'm aware, it's easier to digest food when there's less in your stomach. Also having little tidbits at multiple times of the day will leave you feeling satisfied instead of the grueling wait for Lunch/Dinner - it's almost like a mental battle, too. Take what I say with a grain of salt though (never have had to lose weight before), others suggestions are more likely to be more useful and correct. Gonna agree with Snagged, would definitely hold off on any liposuction as a last resort if you've not tried other alternatives.

Can't vouch for this guy, but I saw this not long ago and looks pretty legit: http://imgur.com/account/favorites/fILdK

[Vitaly]

Have you ever thought about visiting endocrinologist? 2 years ago I discovered that my weight boost from 65 to 78 kilos in a couple of months. I thought that wasnt normal, cuz I didnt change physical activity or diet. Give blood for analysis and bam - my hormones and insulin were fucked. And after treatment, my weight is back to normal without any dieting or cosmetic surgery.

[DrGravitas]

58 minutes ago, Moogle said:

You're 6ft Gravy..?! YE' GIANT! That's not too bad of a weight then, but if you're wanting to lose more then I'd suggest eating throughout the day and less at your main meal times. As far as I'm aware, it's easier to digest food when there's less in your stomach. Also having little tidbits at multiple times of the day will leave you feeling satisfied instead of the grueling wait for Lunch/Dinner - it's almost like a mental battle, too. Take what I say with a grain of salt though (never have had to lose weight before), others suggestions are more likely to be more useful and correct. Gonna agree with Snagged, would definitely hold off on any liposuction as a last resort if you've not tried other alternatives.

Can't vouch for this guy, but I saw this not long ago and looks pretty legit: http://imgur.com/account/favorites/fILdK

Thanks! That link looks really helpful!

 

10 minutes ago, Vitaly said:

Have you ever thought about visiting endocrinologist? 2 years ago I discovered that my weight boost from 65 to 78 kilos in a couple of months. I thought that wasnt normal, cuz I didnt change physical activity or diet. Give blood for analysis and bam - my hormones and insulin were fucked. And after treatment, my weight is back to normal without any dieting or cosmetic surgery.

I have blood screens every so often through my doctor. Just had one not too long ago and nothing showed up abnormal (cholesterol remained low too, woo!) I'm quite certain it's nothing like that.

[Fossa]

I second the idea of having some bloodwork done; can't hurt, except the needle, and the bill! But you may find that something like your thyroid is off a bit, or some such thing, that can be easily remedied, and serve as one step of solving the overall puzzle,

I also second the notion of finding an exercise you love doing, so that you keep doing it. Me, I love talking long walks, often rather fast, not quite a jog. I've always been pretty small, but could stand to lose 10 lbs or so, myself....my weakness is soda, though, and sugar in liquid form. But I'm getting better, on this. I used to love riding my mountain bike on trails, but w/o a car, I can't get to them, and am not fond or riding in city traffic...but that really helped. If you enjoy bicycling, I can't say how enjoyable I found it, especially on trails in the woods: the smell, the scenery, the occasional deer darting across your path. Oddly, I didn't use an actual mountain bike, but a large size BMX 'cruiser', as I liked being low to the ground, and having just one gear, even if I had to walk it up some hills. And it felt more rugged, and bouncy; a few bruises and spills, but even that's fun, in it's way: I recall one bad spill, I was all scraped up, and walked the bike down to a stream, took my shirt off, and cleaned up, and just listened to the sounds of the forest. And I did this well past age 30, so it's never too late. Even learned some basic jumps, and stuff! Gotta get back to that, when I have a way out to some trials again.

So I can't say how much I suggest finding an activity you love. Maybe canoeing? Ya might see some cute otters, beavers, turtles and such! I also used to love cross country skiing, back in Michigan. Very low cost thing to get into, and burns a TON of calories. And talk about peaceful, being out in the woods, in the still of winter.

And swimming...used to live on a lake, and I miss that.

So dream a bit, and think of something that would bring both exhilaration, and peacefulness...that's what I found worked best, though were all different, and I wish ya all the success in the world, on this.

[Fossa]

On the lighter side, and not to make fun of anything, but did you ever hear about the couple in Los Angeles, CA who set up an illegal liposuction clinic, and used the fat for bio-diesel?

http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/21/fat-fuel-biodiesel-tech-sciences-cz_pcb_1222fatfuel.html

Fill 'Er Up With Human Fat

Liposuctioning unwanted blubber out of pampered Los Angelenos may not seem like a dream job, but it has its perks. Free fuel is one of them.

For a time, Beverly Hills doctor Craig Alan Bittner turned the fat he removed from patients into biodiesel that fueled his Ford SUV and his girlfriend’s Lincoln Navigator.

Love handles can power a car? Frighteningly, yes. Fat–whether animal or vegetable–contains triglycerides that can be extracted and turned into diesel. Poultry companies such as Tyson are looking into powering their trucks on chicken schmaltz, and biofuel start-ups such as Nova Biosource are mixing beef tallow and pig lard with more palatable sources such as soybean oil. Mike Shook of Agri Process Innovations, a builder of biodiesel plants, says this year’s batch of U.S. biodiesel was likely more than half animal-derived since the price of soybeans soared.

A gallon of grease will get you about a gallon of fuel, and drivers can get about the same amount of mileage from fat fuel as they do from regular diesel, according to Jenna Higgins of the National Biodiesel Board. Animal fats need to undergo an additional step to get rid of free fatty acids not present in vegetable oils, but otherwise, there’s no difference, she says.

Greenies like the fact that waste, such as coffee grounds and french-fry grease, can be turned into power. “The vast majority of my patients request that I use their fat for fuel–and I have more fat than I can use,” Bittner wrote on lipodiesel.com. “Not only do they get to lose their love handles or chubby belly but they get to take part in saving the Earth.” Bittner’s lipodiesel Web site is no longer online.

Using fat to fuel cars might be environmentally friendly, but it’s definitely illegal in California to use human medical waste to power vehicles, and Bittner is being investigated by the state’s public health department.

Although it’s unclear when Bittner started and stopped making fat fuel or how he made it, his activities came to light after recent lawsuits filed by patients that allege he allowed his assistant and his girlfriend to perform surgeries without a medical license.

Attorney Andrew Besser, who represents three patients, says the assistant and girlfriend removed too much fat from clients and left them disfigured. Dozens of other patients have complained to the state medical board, Besser says. The board is investigating Bittner but declined to comment.

The investigations, however, might go nowhere: Bittner closed his practice, Beverly Hills Liposculpture, in November and moved to South America to do volunteer work at a clinic, according to a note on his Web site. Besser says Bittner likely fled the country because of the investigations. Bittner’s lawyer didn’t return calls seeking comment.

 

So: be careful, with this option! Exercise is better!

 

[Strongbob]

 

There was research out last year linking diet drinks to weight gain, it's a bit counter-intuitive but it's probably true.   Seriously try skipping a meal sometime. Once your body gets over the initial shock of the idea it's surprising easy.  Humans didn't have three square meals a day for 99.9% of our existence. Your body will remember.  Exercise is more of a personal thing and can depend a lot on what opportunities you have locally.  Are there any sports you enjoy?

[DrGravitas]

1 minute ago, Strongbob said:

Are there any sports you enjoy?

No. Not that I would have time for an entire sports game anyhow. Much too much to do. If I do end up expanding beyond walking, it will have to minimally impact my other schedules. Maybe I'd try expanding in the morning - waking up a bit earlier and cutting out some of the slow-rise with forums/Discord. That'd be tough, but with an 8-ish hour M-F job just about anything is going to be a tough fit. That's one of the things I like the most about my walking. It fits so perfectly into my lunch hour; a time that's otherwise largely unproductive.

[Nova]

You should try swimming.

Its fun and you really lose weight fast.