I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Hello Lovely People of OH,

After many months of non-communication I am back!  My progress has been great!

Yes, like everyone else I've had many peaks and valleys as I progress.  The biggest challenge was just eating something without much discomfort.  I think it was around the 5th or 6th month mark before I could even eat a full slice of whole wheat toast without wanting to yack it up.  Hard green veg like broccoli and kale, as well as well-done red meats and dry hamburgers still give me a warm time. 

A major triumph at about month 6 was to finally be able to eat a salad again!  God I missed them!  I tried them earlier than this, but had to make sure they were chopped finely and wasted so much because it would spoil before I was able to eat all that I had bought at those create your own salad bars.  I can now eat one without chopping it to superfine mush.  Thank God some places also serve half sizes! 

I'm 8 months out now and weight loss is much slower.   I am not doing everything according to the rule book, but I still lose.  I am a carbo-holic and do try, but succumb to temptation more than I should.  But overall I am seeing progress and even in times where I don't see loss on the scale, I feel loss as my body reshapes itself.

There seems to be a new pattern of weight loss for me now where I plateau for some weeks and then lose 2 or 3 pounds.  Another thing that is a perpetual issue is the arthritis in my left knee and plantar fasciitis rearing back up its ugly head.  The second time I went for my lubrication shots for the knee, that knee did not respond like the first time.  The right knee on the other hand, feels like it's been reborn.  This has delayed my return to the gym to start doing weight baring exercises and sometimes sidelines me from wanting to ride my recumbent bike at home.  Debilitating pain takes a toll on your will to push through it.  I do manage to do some exercising at least 2 to 3 times a week and have now gotten a knee brace that seems to be helping further with the pain.

I love seeing clothes that were tight on me loosen or become un-wearable bcoz I've lost the total of 89 lbs that I have since my highest weight!  Woooooo-hooo! 

However, I am having a tough time with the body image.  It was bad before when I was heavier.  I was never one with very tight skin ever since I was young.  My skin doesn't seem to produce as much collagen as other skin types and I have always been prone to massive amounts of stretch marks as I grew taller (I'm 5' 11") and ever fatter.  I have never been able to wear sleeveless shirts since my teens (now I'm 48).  Now that I've lost this weight, the bat wings are spreading ever more gloriously.  Knee wrinkles from loose skin and massive amounts of cellulite are also forming even faster.  I am more stressed about my body image than ever.

I do not in any way regret going on this WLS journey.  However, I don't like seeing my body as a walking pool of lava, with folds of skin developing or drooping more and more each day.  I haven't had any skin issues related to the folds and moisture yet, and I wonder if not having any will keep me from getting some assistance with plastics from my insurance.

My question after all this is has anyone been able to use such tools as and Bodytite Lipo to help stave off the ravages of loose skin?  I know that plastics doesn't want to touch anyone in the losing phase, but I wish they would.  Bodytite is supposed to help increase the collagen in skin by heating the lower layers of the skin as they also remove the fat thus leading to a firmer appearance with less pockets of fat left behind leading to a less dimpled or loose appearance to the skin. 

Has anyone had the Bodytite Lipo ?  If you have, can you share your experiences with me and the community?  I don't know how I can convince a plastics surgeon to consider it before weight loss is stabilized, but I just want some answers right now if it made a difference and deterred the need for skin removal surgery.  I would love to avoid that if there is any possible way to do so.  I don't want to be left with more lines on my body than I already have.

As usual, I would appreciate any feedback.

Best,

NYCVSG

Congratulations on your success!  I have no answers for your skin questions but I do have one for your planter faciitis (sp?). I suffered from it years ago and had a friend at the same time that had it but much longer then I did.  She had tried everything but could not get rid of it.  I tried pain relievers and inserts for my shoes but they didn't help.  I was seeing a massage therapist for my back and decided to get an overall body massage.  She noted that my calves were really tight, particularly the one on the leg that I hat PF.  I told her I had been having trouble with PF and she told me it's caused by tight muscles in the calf.  She had this big explanation of how the muscles wrap but don't ask me to explain it.  She told me to stretch my calves about 5 times a day doing two simple stretches and within a week I had relief.  It is gone and has never come back.  My friend was also cured.

Simply sit or lay down with your legs straight and flex your toes as far as you can towards you. Hold for a count of 5 and then point them as straight as you can and hold for a count of 5. Repeat this 5 times during that session and do it 5X a day.  

Give it a try I really hope it works for you.  I know how painful PF is and pray you find relief from it!

Blessings, Michelle

As a fellow PF sufferer, I agree with the stretching advice.  The other thing that helped me was getting fitted for good shoes instead of just whatever cheap brand I had previously been wearing and seeing a podiatrist and getting prescription orthotics.  PF is now a distant memory and I intend for it to stay that way!