Update & a few questions! :)

Hey everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been on lately. I've been changing a lot of things around in my life and it's been hectic! I had my consultation on the 10th and it was amazing! everyone was so friendly. My insurance will cover it 100% but I still owe $6k out of pocket somehow. My surgeon said that I'd lose about 120-130 pounds and that I'll most likely need reconstructive surgery afterwards. I'm hoping to avoid that, but I'm not upset at all about it. I have to wait and get a cardiac clearance and a sleep study done before I get my surgery date set. 

I do have some questions though. How many people do you think have WLS and don't ever tell anyone? I see a lot of people that have lost a large amount of weight and I can't help but wonder if they had surgery. It wouldn't matter, but it would be nice to see more before/afters with people, ya know? Also, light bodybuilding after weight loss? I've noticed that a lot of the women after WLS have excess skin, which is expected. However, I've also noticed that their body isn't exactly shaped like a naturally thin person. Is it going to be possible to look natural and smooth? I don't mean any disrespect from that, but I can't be the only one that's noticed the odd body shape. Anyways, I hope all is well! I'm hating this waiting game :(

I have no idea how many people have WLS and don't tell anyone.  There are people in my life that know I had it and a lot that don't; the ones that don't know probably are guessing that I did WLS.  

Light bodybuilding, resistance training, weight lifting after weight loss - yes, you want to do it.  But don't think for a second that it's going to do anything for the excess skin....it won't.  We grow extra skin to cover our morbidly obese bodies as we put on fat, and that skin does not evaporate or "shrink" after weight loss.  Younger people who don't have a lot of stretch marks will see some snap back.  But your personal experience will depend depend on genetics, age, how long you were obese, etc.  

If you have 120-130 lbs. to lose you are going to have significant excess skin.  Anywhere you have stretch marks is permanently damaged and will not retract.  Will you look natural and smooth?  Perhaps in some places.  My arms aren't as bad as some others I've seen, my legs are OK and I can get away with longer shorts.  Alas, the tummy and loose skin on the back is a mess and will require surgery to correct.  

Best of luck on your upcoming surgery!  

There was a post pretty recently about telling and not telling about WLS. I was surprised at how many people do not tell anyone they had the surgery. When someone has a drastic weight loss I don't always assume surgery, as for recently there are two people who I did notice had lost a large amount of weight (90 and 100lbs) and they just told me they had the surgery....it was not a secret but it was something that never came up until I brought up my surgery and then it was told. 

For me I'm an open book and will tell people about my failed lapband and pending revision but only if the topic comes up in conversation. I have always made it a practice not to focus on my or anyone else's weight in life...I guess that is why I love the forum because I don't feel rude here making weight a priority topic of conversation. Please no one take me wrong in saying that it is rude to talk about weight loss to people you are speaking with in person. There are plenty of people who speaking about their journey is very therapeutic for them and that is fine.....it is just for me personally "I" try not to stay on a subject of weight when having "in person" conversations. It may be strange to some but I guess because I had a grandmother that made it her priority in life to talk about my weight each and every time I seen her that I put "weight", like politics, into my list of topics to avoid. 

As far as the extra skin, I think everyone is different with that. I compare it almost to pregnancy weight loss....it always amazes me how some people get very large during pregnancy and their stomachs go right back and they are able to wear a bikini, where others the skin never seems to get back to where it was. 

I'm glad your consultation went well and good luck with your upcoming surgery! I wish you lots of success.